‘Vomited a few times’ Do they mean to say ‘wretched’?

‘Playing with a poisonous snake’ Handling might have worked better, here. People really need to stop over-using 'playing' in English translation of Chinese, when it so often has weird connotations in English. This could almost work, but is inescapably masturbatory in its implications, in a childish and ham-fisted way.

Very short chapter!