355 Place Your Bets

Zhao Ya, on the other hand, was not worried at all. In fact, she could have finished her work sooner but hesitated because she was calculating.

Watching as four people completed their embroidery and submitted their work, she felt it was about time, and finally stood up to present hers.

This was the strategy Zhao Zhitong had taught her: in the first two rounds, especially the first, it was crucial not to stand out. It was best to aim for the middle, not too high and not too low in the rankings. This position was the least conspicuous and wouldn't attract attention. Waiting until the final round to make a stunning impression would be sufficiently intimidating.

As expected, after the first round ended, the discussion was almost entirely focused on Miss Fei, who had come in first place. The embroiderer who had barely made it into the top ten also received some attention. However, the few embroiderers in the middle were hardly noticed.

The first round tested basic skills, focusing on embroidery speed. Therefore, the results were not controversial, and the top ten were quickly determined.

With the sound of drums, the first round came to an end.

Some of the embroiderers who didn't make it to the next round were sad, some were crying, but they all had to leave the stage.

After the Fei Clan announced the time for the next day's competition, Zhao Ya came down from the stage.

Everyone gathered around to congratulate Zhao Ya for making it into the top ten.

Feeling a little embarrassed by the praise, Zhao Ya blushed and said she wasn't that skilled.

Since the second round would take place the next day, the people around gradually left. Lady Fei entertained the few ladies who had been invited as judges, inviting them into the mansion for a banquet.

Lady Li courteously declined the invitation. After politely nodding her head in farewell to the other ladies, she left with her servants.

Zhao Zhitong, seeing Lady Li about to leave, stopped. "Wait, Lady Li is coming out. Let's say hello before we go."

Before she finished speaking, Lady Li had already reached them.

"Lady," Zhao Zhitong stepped forward and greeted her with a smile.

Lady Li also took Zhao Zhitong's hand and happily expressed that the massage techniques Zhao Zhitong had taught her were truly beneficial. After massaging her husband for several days, his leg pain had lessened significantly.

The two talked about Li Yu's leg ailment for a while before Lady Li mentioned Zhao Ya's embroidery.

"I saw your embroidery. Although my skills are no match for those of an expert embroiderer, I can feel a sense of power within your work. Don't be discouraged!"

Lady Li was comforting Zhao Ya about achieving only fifth place that day.

Zhao Ya naturally nodded her head in gratitude.

After chatting for a bit more, Lady Li bid farewell to Zhao Zhitong and the others and left.

The first round finished in the morning, and by noon, news of the competition had spread throughout Suzhou City. People in the streets and alleys were discussing the event, and some had even begun to place bets.

As Zhao Zhitong and her friends were dining in a restaurant, they happened to witness this scene. Listening to the commotion, they couldn't help but look over.

At this moment, the waiter came to serve their dishes, and Zhao Yue asked, "What's going on over there? Why is it so lively?"

The waiter placed the dishes on the table and replied with a smile, "Oh, that's Young Mister Fei and Young Lord Qian organizing betting for this embroidery competition. Everyone is just joining in on the fun."

"Oh, I see," Zhao Yue nodded, looking curious.

The waiter, who seemed to be quite chatty, added as he was leaving, "Every year during the embroidery competition, people set up betting pools. Many people in Suzhou City place bets, not really to win money, but just to join in the excitement. You all can go check it out too!"

After the waiter left, Zhao Zhitong continued to look curiously toward the commotion. Zhao Yue and the others were also clearly interested. Although they didn't particularly like gambling, they were curious since it involved Zhao Ya.

At this moment, Zhao Zhitong suggested with a smile, "Shall we go have a look?"

Everyone immediately stood up, excitedly saying, "Let's go! What are we waiting for?"

Deciding on the spot, they left their food and went to join the crowd.

When they arrived, people were excitedly discussing the bets. They saw a list of the names of the participants who had advanced, with the odds written next to them.

Having never seen gambling before, Zhao Zhitong was very curious and moved closer to look for Zhao Ya's name. The names were listed according to their rankings in the competition, so Zhao Ya's was fifth.

"Mister, how do you play this?" Zhao Zhitong couldn't help but ask curiously.

The man, seeing she was a young lady who likely didn't understand such things, patiently explained it to her. "This time, you're betting on the top five. If you think certain five embroiderers will make it into the top five, you can bet on them. If you're correct, you'll win money based on the odds."

After the introduction, the man looked at Zhao Zhitong with a smile. "Young lady, would you like to try?"

Zhao Zhitong was a little intrigued and looked back at Qiao Muchen. "Do you guys want to play?"

Although Qiao Muchen wasn't initially interested, seeing Zhao Zhitong wanted to play, he nodded. "Sure, let's give it a try."

Excited, Zhao Zhitong turned back to the man and asked, "How do we place a bet?"

The man smiled and said, "You can choose five specific people, or you can have five chosen randomly for you."

Zhao Zhitong nodded, her eyes scanning the names. Noticing the different odds, she asked, puzzled, "What do the odds mean?"

At this moment, Qiao Muchen explained from the side, "Odds reflect the payout. Higher odds mean a smaller perceived chance of winning, and vice versa. Of course, higher odds also mean that if you do win, you'll get more money."

Zhao Zhitong immediately understood. "Oh, I see! High risk, high reward!"

She then took out five taels of silver from her robes, casually chose five people, and placed her bet. Among them, of course, was Zhao Ya. The other four she picked were ranked third, fourth, eighth, and tenth.

Seeing Zhao Zhitong's choices, someone nearby chuckled. "Look, young lady, why not bet on Miss Fei? She's a shoo-in for the top five! Don't just focus on the high payouts for the lower-ranked contestants; their chances of actually placing in the top five are slim. You'll most likely just lose your money."

"That's right, that's right! Most people are betting on the top five!" someone else affirmed.

Looking around, they saw that most people were indeed betting on the top five, though a few were trying their luck by betting on those ranked lower. And almost everyone bet on Fei Yi, who was ranked first.

Zhao Zhitong turned her gaze back, smiled, and said, "I'm just playing for fun."

Qiao Muchen also placed five taels of silver on the table. "That's right, we're just doing it for fun. I'll bet on the same five people this young lady just did."

The onlookers saw that these young men and women were well-dressed, though not extravagantly so. Figuring they weren't ordinary folk, they didn't say much more. Rich young masters and ladies wouldn't care about the money; they were clearly just joining in for the excitement.

Next, Zhao Yue and the others also went up and placed their bets. Even Zhao Ya was pushed to place a bet, remarking afterward how strange it felt to bet on herself.

The group laughed and joked together.

After placing their bets, they returned to their table. Once they finished their meal, the group went home, chatting and laughing. Qiao Muchen and Zhao Yue went directly to the government office to work, while Zhao Zhitong and the others returned to their residence to rest.

In the blink of an eye, the day of the second round arrived as scheduled.