That same afternoon, people began arriving at the gate to offer gifts. Ma Yu said nothing, simply dispatching two guards to stand post at the entrance. The tactic proved highly effective; the gift-bearers scurried away with their belongings in tow. This pained Eighth Uncle Ma greatly, as he saw all that potential money walking out the door.
Ma Yu shook his head to himself, calling both the uncle and Ma Ye over. "From now on, without my permission, you are not to accept a single copper from outsiders," he instructed. "If you need money, draw it from the accounts. I have no objection to you spending it on food or entertainment, but you are not to touch gambling. If I find out that anyone has been gambling, I will have their hands broken and send them back to our hometown. Don't say I didn't warn you."
His tone was calm, lacking any inherent menace. However, when flanked by two grim-faced, burly men with broadswords at their waists, his words carried considerable weight.
Chapter 35