Permutations and Combinations: Permutations and Combinations 03
Idle Old Ma spent his days at home sipping tea and watching TV dramas, essentially settling into a retirement routine. His wife, feeling for him as he had just emerged from a dark period, always greeted him with a smile and took care of his meals. Yet, the pressing issue was their son’s daily expenses, which had become the main source of tension. Unable to provide the lifestyle their son expected, the young man began acting rebellious and unruly. At first, he directed his antics toward his mother, but over time, his defiance turned toward Old Ma himself. Helpless, Old Ma found himself rising early each day to wander the streets, avoiding his son, all the while lamenting how, at not yet fifty, he seemed to have lost all his drive. He longed for the vigor he once had, when he led apprentices in repairing cars. With a heavy sigh, he often wondered where that energy had vanished.
One day, by chance, he noticed a small lottery booth at the entrance of their neighborhood. Inside sat a few men, the air thick and hazy with smoke. Each clutched small slips of paper and pencils of varying lengths, their necks craned like white geese, eyes fixed on a wall, muttering quietly to themselves.
Old Ma, who had never paid the lottery room any mind before, suddenly found himself intrigued. It looked amusing, and perhaps he could strike up a conversation—maybe even find someone willing to listen to the burdens weighing on his heart. With these thoughts, he stepped inside.
The moment he parted the curtain, a wave of hot, choking smoke enveloped him. He considered retreating, but as his eyes flicked inside, they met the smiling gaze of the owner. There was no backing down now; he braced himself and stepped forward.
“First time here, big brother?” The owner swiftly poured a cup of hot water with a pinch of tea leaves into a disposable plastic cup. Stroking the small tuft of mustache on his pointed chin with his left hand, he handed the cup steadily to Old Ma with his right.
Old Ma accepted the cup, surprised—not by the drink itself, but by the fact that no one recognized him. In this neighborhood, who didn’t know Old Ma—the former car repair shop owner? Yet, no one acknowledged him; all eyes remained glued to that wall. He cast a glance around, feeling a pang of helplessness, and sighed inwardly.
Looking back at the wall, he saw it divided into many small squares, each filled with a number. The sight left him bewildered.
Noticing his confusion, the man with the mustache quickly explained, “You probably haven’t tried the national sports lottery’s ‘Seven Stars,’ have you?” He led Old Ma to a worn, dark brown sofa with a torn cushion. “Let me explain: the Seven Stars lottery draws happen every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday under supervision by notaries, broadcast live on television. Seven numbers are drawn sequentially, each from 0 to 9, and their order forms the winning number. The first prize is five million yuan, the second prize…”
The man’s lengthy explanation would have once bored Old Ma to no end. But when Old Ma heard the words “first prize,” his composure faltered. Damn it, after years of hard work repairing cars, he had barely saved ten thousand yuan. And now, a string of digits was worth five million? Was this some kind of joke?
“Two yuan for one ticket, and winning nets five million? That’s madness!” Old Ma scoffed.
The man immediately pulled out official lottery-selling certificates granted by the state along with relevant city permits. Old Ma examined the stamped documents carefully; his years in business taught him well, and he realized the man was telling the truth.
The two talked for half an hour before Old Ma found the smoky air unbearable. He rose to leave but glanced at the cup of tea in his hand. On a whim, he pulled out ten yuan and randomly chose five tickets. Taking the tickets, he turned without a word and swiftly exited the booth. Drawing a deep breath, he straightened his clothes and headed home, the man’s smiling face still visible through the window behind him.