Chapter 31: The Opponent is "Kitchen Ghost" Ah Xiang; Playing Cards and Calling "Stir-fry"

Underworld Card Games: From Fighting the Landlord to the Six-Card Rush
Volume 2, Chapter 31: Opponent is "Chef Ghost" A-Xiang: Calling "Stir-Fry" While Playing

On the stone table of the City God Temple’s card field, Lady Meng had swept the sunflower seed shells into a small mound, shaping them into a miniature "card table." She had added an extra pinch of osmanthus to her sweet soup this morning, and now the fragrance of the soup mingled with the earthy scent from the cracks in the stone, drifting across the entire court. Old Zhou clutched his blue cloth bag, occasionally stroking the four Aces inside, a smile hanging on his lips. Having "accidentally" beaten Old Zhao last time, he was now confident enough to straighten his back when he walked, and even his card-hiding was less shifty than before.

"Next round is against Team A-Xiang," the Judge announced, walking over with the qualifying bracket. A cabbage pattern was drawn in cinnabar on the paper. "She’s the chef ghost from the Underworld cafeteria. Be careful—she likes to shout 'Stir-fry!' when she plays, and if she loses, she tends to slam cabbages onto the table."

"Slam cabbages on the table?" Little Li leaned in to look at the chart, where the "Old Zhou’s Bomb Poem" he’d written last time was tucked into the yellow paper ledger. "Can a cabbage break a stone table?"

"It won't break it, but it splashes cabbage leaves all over, which is a nuisance to clean up." The Judge adjusted his reading glasses and added, "She also likes to rename her card combinations as dishes. For example, a 3-7 straight is 'Stir-fried Greens,' and four-of-a-kind is 'Braised Meat.' Don't let her confuse you."

Wang Er-Ma had just cracked a sunflower seed and laughed upon hearing this. "Whatever she calls them, as long as we can win, she can call it a 'Full Imperial Feast' for all I care." No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of heavy footsteps came from the entrance, accompanied by a booming voice: "Where is Master Ma’s team? I, A-Xiang, have come to meet you!"

Everyone turned to see a female ghost in a coarse apron approaching. The apron was stained with flour and vegetable bits, and she carried a bamboo basket filled with fresh, green Underworld cabbages—water droplets still clung to the leaves. She was tall and moved with a gust of wind. When she reached the stone table, she bent over and set the basket down with such force that the table shuddered.

"You’re A-Xiang?" Wang Er-Ma stood up and looked her over. "The Judge said you like to shout 'Stir-fry' when you play?"

"You bet!" A-Xiang slapped her thigh, sending flour flying from her apron. "Playing cards is the same as cooking—you have to do it with flair! A straight must be complete, like stir-fried greens that need the right seasoning; a bomb must be powerful, like meat that needs to be braised over a high flame!" As she spoke, she took a cabbage from the basket and wiped the droplets off its leaves. "I just picked these from the Underworld garden. They’re fresh. If I lose, I’ll use them to 'liven things up'."

Old Zhou shrank behind Wang Er-Ma, whispering, "Master Ma, s-she isn't going to throw those cabbages at us, is she?"

"Don't worry, I only slam the table, not the people!" A-Xiang, sharp-eyed, spotted Old Zhou’s movement and grinned. "You must be Old Zhou, the one who bombed his own teammate last time? I heard about that—quite amusing!"

Old Zhou blushed and hurriedly hid his blue bag behind his back, making A-Xiang laugh again. The Judge tapped his counting abacus. "Enough chatting. The match begins. Team A-Xiang leads."

A-Xiang nodded, pulled five cards from the deck, slapped them on the table, and declared loudly, "Stir-frying a 3-7 straight! Just like stir-fried greens, it’s not fragrant if you’re missing a single ingredient!"

Wang Er-Ma looked at his hand; he only had a 4-8 straight and couldn't beat it, so he turned to Old Zhou and Little Li. Old Zhou scrambled through his cards and shook his head. "I don't have a straight, only a pair of 10s." Little Li frowned, "I only have a single card, the King of Hearts."

"Pass," Wang Er-Ma said helplessly.

A-Xiang smiled triumphantly, pulled out four 5s, and slammed them down. "Braised bomb of four 5s! This is 'Red-Braised Meat, Cooked to Perfection'—plenty of kick!"

*Thwack!* The four 5s hit the stone table, causing Lady Meng’s sweet soup bowl to wobble and spill a few drops onto the cards. Wang Er-Ma saw he held four 6s, which could beat them. Just as he was about to shout "Bomb," A-Xiang stared him down, raising an eyebrow. "What? Master Ma, do you have cards that can beat my 'Red-Braised Meat'?"

"Of course I do!" Wang Er-Ma pulled out his four 6s. Just as he was about to lay them down, A-Xiang shouted, "Wait! My 'Red-Braised Meat' isn't 'tenderized' yet. Your 'bomb' has to wait until I’m finished!"

"What kind of 'tenderized' nonsense is that?" Wang Er-Ma was stunned. "According to the rules, a bomb can be played at any time!"

"These are 'Kitchen Rules'!" A-Xiang insisted, chin held high. "Cooking has an order—you stir-fry the greens before you braise the meat. Bombs must follow the order of size!"

The Judge hurried over to mediate. "According to the Four-Rush rules, a bomb beats a bomb. The 'Kitchen Rules' do not apply."

A-Xiang pouted and said nothing more, though her eyes clearly showed she disagreed. Wang Er-Ma placed his four 6s on the table. "Bomb! This is called a 'Stir-fry Bigger Than Yours'—it’s tastier than your 'Red-Braised Meat'!"

A-Xiang’s two teammates exchanged glances and shook their heads; they had no larger bombs and could only watch as Wang Er-Ma took the trick. A-Xiang, annoyed, reached into her basket, took out a cabbage, and tapped it lightly against the stone table. "Fine, you’re good. Next round, I’ll show you what a 'Flash-Fried Straight' is!"

Old Zhou moved aside, terrified of cabbage debris hitting him. Little Li pulled out his ledger and scribbled a poem: "A-Xiang plays like she’s in a kitchen, shouting greens and meat, Master Ma bombs her quick, leaving A-Xiang with cabbage defeat!" He read it to Wang Er-Ma, who couldn't help but laugh.

Over the next few rounds, A-Xiang lived up to her "Kitchen Terminology": a 2-6 straight was "Stir-fried Baby Greens," a pair of 10s was "Stir-fried Double-Yolk Eggs," and three 9s with a 3 was "Stir-fried Shreds with Tofu." Little Li was delighted; every time A-Xiang shouted a dish, he would compose a poem, and the yellow paper was soon filled with "Kitchen Card-Playing Verses."

Once, A-Xiang played a 5-9 straight and shouted, "Stir-fried noodles, nice and long!" Wang Er-Ma had no straight and had to pass. A-Xiang tapped the table triumphantly. "How about that, Master Ma? My 'noodles' are long enough, aren't they? Nothing to beat that?"

Old Zhou suddenly tugged at Wang Er-Ma’s sleeve and whispered, "Master Ma, I... I have a 6-10 straight. I can beat it!"

"Then why didn't you say so sooner?" Wang Er-Ma was overjoyed.

"I... I was afraid she’d hit me with a cabbage..." Old Zhou muttered.

"I won't hit you!" A-Xiang heard him and laughed. "If you dare to play a straight, I’ll even praise you for knowing how to 'stir-fry'!"

Old Zhou gathered his courage, pulled out the 6-10 straight, placed it on the table, and said quietly, "Stir-frying a 6-10 straight... it's longer than your 'noodles'."

A-Xiang looked and saw he was right. She couldn't help but laugh. "Not bad, Old Zhou! Your 'noodles' are longer than mine. You win this round!" Instead of slamming the table, she took a smaller cabbage from her basket and handed it to Old Zhou. "Here, take this 'Lucky Cabbage.' May it bring you good cards for the next round!"

Old Zhou froze, took the cabbage, and blushed, whispering a "Thank you." Wang Er-Ma teased, "Old Zhou, you’ve got yourself some 'cabbage chips' now. Play well in the next round!"

A-Xiang also laughed. "Exactly! My cabbage is more useful than underworld currency—it brings good luck!"

Lady Meng arrived with a fresh bowl of sweet soup and handed one to A-Xiang. "Try my soup to cool your temper. Don't take the game too seriously." A-Xiang took a sip and nodded. "Mmm, Lady Meng, this soup is excellent—as savory as my meat broth!"

The atmosphere of the card field shifted from tense to lively. A-Xiang’s "kitchen terms" no longer felt annoying; they were amusing. Wang Er-Ma watched A-Xiang discuss soup-making techniques with Lady Meng, saw Old Zhou carefully tuck his "Lucky Cabbage" into his blue bag, and watched Little Li continue to compose his "Kitchen Card-Playing Verses." He suddenly felt that encountering an "eccentric" opponent like A-Xiang in the Four-Rush qualifiers was much more interesting than facing a "champion" like Old Zhao.

The Judge checked the position of the sun and tapped his abacus. "Let's take a break. We'll continue the next round later—and please, don't break the stone table with those cabbages."

A-Xiang pulled another cabbage from her basket and waved it at Wang Er-Ma. "Master Ma, next round I’ll stir-fry a 'Supreme Straight' for you. You’ll see what I’m really capable of!"

"Sounds good!" Wang Er-Ma responded with a smile. "I’ll be waiting for your 'Supreme Straight,' and I’ll show you my 'Blind-Card Technique'—it’s even more effective than your 'Stir-frying'!"

Old Zhou touched the "Lucky Cabbage" in his blue bag, then touched the four Aces. He suddenly realized that even if A-Xiang slammed the table with a cabbage, it didn't seem so terrifying after all.