Young Master Liem
Chapter 10 Songs for Wan Siang

The warning from his mother did not make Wan Siang then want to close his gambling house. Actually, it is not only his mother who wants Wan Siang to stop being a bookie. Wan Siang's father, Mr. Liem, also wanted Wan Siang to leave the business immediately, even though he used to be a bookie himself.

There was a certain reason why Mr. Liem wanted Wan Siang to stop being a city.

There used to be people who owed a lot of money in their judiciary. Unable to pay, the person who owed it committed suicide out of desperation. The family left behind, namely his wife and two small children, became languid.

Mr. Liem realized, gambling can bring misfortune to many people, so he consciously closed his gambling house, even though the income from there is very large. Then he turned to foreign trade.

Even so, Wan Siang who wanted to get rich quickly recruited his father's men back at the gambling house first, then set up another gambling business. The father had thought, Wan Siang was not necessarily successful in running the business. But it is quite unexpected, his son even became one of the gambling house owners with the largest income in the city of Semarang. It was all inseparable from the guidance of Uncle A Seng who used to be his father's right hand.

Uncle A Seng knew all the gambling tricks, making it easier for Wan Siang to make a big profit.

Mr. Liem felt that he was getting older, and he had to warn his eldest son to get back on the right track. It is fitting that his eldest son replace himself to hold the reins of leadership in the family business.

That's why Mr. Liem came to visit Wan Siang's house. The Chinese man was still gallant and his bearer was dignified. Her hair had been overgrown with gray hair but neatly arranged.

At that time Wan Siang and Si Manis just finished dinner, so Mr. Liem can see the appearance of the Sweet who wore a red kebaya, as well as a diamond necklace that adorned his neck. Wan Siang's father didn't seem surprised, but he soon realized something had changed in his son.

“Barin Mama here. Now Papa. What's the problem again?” Wan Siang asked.

“Papa agrees with your mom, you have to stop being a bookie. As the oldest boy, you must replace Papa in our family company.”

“Why not Sun Kwan? He is also the biological son of Papa.”

“Sun Kwan can only be a bookkeeper, but does not know how to lead. As for you, you have that ability.”

“If that's the case, why not let me lead the company, as well as run the gambling house?”

“Do you not know why Papa used to close the gambling house, no matter how much Papa earned? Gambling causes misfortune for many people. Don't you remember a woman with two young children crying in front of Papa back then, when her husband killed himself for not being able to pay off his debt?”

“I remember, but isn't it her own fault? Papa never forced him to gamble and owe. So it's not all Papa.”'s fault

“Judi makes people addicted, Wan Siang. If they have won once or twice, they will be difficult to stop trying their luck. No matter after that, you are constantly losing. Their hopes have blinded the heart and also fooled their own reason.”

“If you know there is no money, then you should stop. Why blame the city?”

“Judi is like a self-destructive opium. We can't tell them to just stop, not even themselves to stop. Once people suck on opium, they will figure out how to get it again and again until their bodies become thin and dry. No matter rich or poor, they will do anything to get opium. Similarly to gambling, the hope of victory turned into madness that eventually eroded people's souls towards the black valley. If you continue to run a gambling house, it's the same way you created that black valley, Wan Siang.”

His father's voice this time sounded so deep, that inevitably Wan Siang became speechless just to listen. Actually he also understands it, but the desire to be rich makes him dismiss all the truth that exists.

“After all you know, right, for the bookies, gambling is not a matter of good and bad luck? Gamblers can profit can lose, but the bookie cannot lose. People win we cut the winning money, people lose we offer interest-bearing debt,” Mr. Liem continued.

“Don't tell me you don't know how we run a gambling house. A Seng the jaga outsmarted the game. He can make people win at the beginning, until they can not stop, then made to lose continuously so that they are won back again. Like that, like sucking the blood of people who gamble.”

“As long as I am alive, it is my duty to remind you. Straighten anything that's crooked in Papa's kids. So that if one day I die, I will have the face to meet again with the ancestors in the afterlife.”

“What if I don't want Pa? I built that effort with hard work. That effort gave me the freedom to act on my own will. And away from home to me is so much fun.”

“Then look for another venture. Don't you ever leave our family. If Papa's gone, you're in charge of taking care of all of them. Especially your Mama and your little sister Siaw Cing.”

“Do I have no other choice, have to close the gambling house?”

“No choice. Close your judiciary. If not, don't blame Papa if you take the necessary action.”

Wan Siang began to worry about the stance of his Papa. Mr. Liem was the kind of person who would act according to his words. If he had said he would act, then Wan Siang would not have been able to escape the act.

But even so, Wan Siang did not show any signs of approval for his father's wishes. He just fell silent.

“Papa saw the woman in red, who is she?”

“He's my talisman,” replied Wan Siang. “His father gave him to me to redeem his gambling debt.”

“Tuh, right? Your judge's house has separated the boy from his family, Papa doesn't want your house to cause misfortune to more people. Then Papa wants, starting tomorrow you close the gambling house, Understand?”

Wan Siang did not flinch. It was heavy to suddenly have to end the effort he built with that hard work. But the fact that because of the debt, the Sweetie had to part with her family was indeed true. So Wan Siang could not refute his father's words.

“Papa go first. Think carefully Papa said,” Mr. Liem closed the conversation, then left.

That night Wan Siang could not sleep, the threat of his father was always ringing in his mind. As a child, when he was afraid, there was a nanny who always calmed him down, especially if there was rain accompanied by lightning. He will cover his ears with both hands and lean on his nanny. Her nanny would calm herself by singing Javanese songs until she fell asleep.

Wan Siang asked Sweet to accompany him to sleep. His heart was so troubled that he did not want to be alone.

“Why does the face of the Lord pout so?” The Sweet asked as she looked at Wan Siang's troubled expression.

“My father wants to close the gambling house, but I don't want.”

“Maybe he means well.”

“What makes his son sad is also good? I've been working hard, know-how told to stop.”

“Everything must have a silver lining,” said the Sweet One.

“Because of that gambling house I can bring you here, and you can live a decent life.”

“But life is decent, it does not mean also happy.”

“Are you not happy to stay here?” Wan Siang asked curiously.

“If I'm eating well, I always remember you. How he lives now, I don't know. Finished food tasted bad in my mouth.”

“Can you be happy living in an ugly house and lack of food?”

“Happy is in the heart, somehow even though my house is ugly and eating potluck, I can be happy. I have many friends, can play in the afternoon, especially if the moon is bright, we can play until night, also sing together.”

Kala told him that, Wan Siang saw Sweet smiling. Only by remembering her friends can the girl smile. Wan Siang started to think, had the girl hated him all this time for separating him from his friends? That way the girl can't see her friends anymore, can't play and sing.

“Can you sing?” ask Wan Siang.

“Oh, I love singing, Mr.”

“Then try singing, I want to hear.”

“But my voice is not good, I am ashamed.”

“Don't be shy, let's sing.”

With a bit of hesitation, the Sweetie began to remember the song verse that he often sang with his friends in his village first.

“Lir ilir lir ilir tandure wong

Ijo royo - royo

Not afraid of the new wedding

Cah angon cah angon penekno blimbing

Lunyu-lunyu penekno kanggo mbasuh dodotiro

Dodotiro-dodotiro kumintir surgical ing sidelines

Dondomano jrumatono kanggo sebo afternoon

The rembulane field

The jembar garane

Sun surako surak hiyo”

(Wake up, wake up

The plants have already bloomed

It is green as a newlywed

Shepherd boy, shepherd boy

Climb that tree

Let it be slippery and hard keep climbing

To wash your clothes

Your clothes, your clothes are torn apart

On the side

Sew, just to face later in the afternoon

The moon shines brightly

Lots of free time

Let's cheer with a cheer yes)

If Sweetie says her voice is ugly, that is not true at all. Precisely his voice was very melodious and soothing in Wan Siang's ears. Wan Siang's heart, which had been so sad and unsettled, turned peaceful. Like when her nanny sang a Javanese song when she was scared on a rainy day accompanied by lightning striking. The man again felt the calmness of heart that had long been snatched from him, on the day when his nanny was expelled by the Mother.

“Your voice is good too, later you have to sing often yes,” pinta Wan Siang.

“Not really, Sir. My voice is still less good with my friends in the village.”

“I don't care about your friends' voices. The important thing is that you often sing to me.”

Wan Siang took something out of his closet, he gave some money to the Sweetie.

“This is for you,” said Wan Siang.

The Sweet was surprised to see the money, Wan Siang gave 5 pieces of paper money with a fractional value of 1 guilder each.

In an age when people are paid under 10 cents a day, the Sweet receives 5 guilders worth 500 cents from Wan Siang. Suddenly he remembered his father, about what he could buy to give his father with 5 guilders?

“I listened to your song, now you sing again the song that was,” Wan Siang's command.

The Sweet this time sang willingly, maybe happy because given money saweran by Wan Siang. The girl intended to save the money to give to her father in the village.

Because of the song, Wan Siang who was unable to sleep, gradually began to sleep and then fell asleep. The Sweet noticed his Master's face.Despite falling asleep, Wan Siang's face was still pouting. The girl understood that Wan Siang was thinking a lot.