The old gentleman sits at a long table and looks over the book in front of him.
The floor beside him, and on the tabletop, was piled high with books.
“Grand great grandfather.”
Song Wangyue’s voice reached him before he arrived.
The old gentleman’s gloomy brow instantly loosened and a smile instantly sprang to his face.
The curtain was lifted high by Xu Liang and Song Wangyue walked in first.
“You girl, you still know there’s a maternal great-grandfather.”
The old gentleman put the book on the table and asked in a feigned dissatisfaction.
“Not only do I know, I think about it, but I’m too busy at home these days to come over. My maternal great-grandfather is the best, and will certainly not be angry with me.”
“You girl, ah ……”
The old gentleman smiled and nodded at her vainly, he had long known from Xu’s mouth that Song Wan Yue was learning martial arts and working very hard, “Su always coaxes people to death.”
Gu Yi followed behind her as she entered, “Grand great grandfather.”
“Yi’er is here too, just in time, play a game with me once in a while.”
“Teacher.”
“Old sir.”
The dean and Qin Qian entered.
The old gentleman nodded, gestured for the dean to sit down, picked up a piece of paper filled with writing on the table and handed it to Song Wangyue, indicating for her to give it to the dean.
“This is what I am going to talk about, you can go ahead and tell those scholars to go on, so that they can take a good look at the book in their hands, and if there is anything they don’t understand then, they can ask me at any time.”
The dean respectfully replied, and after carefully folding up the paper and putting it away, he said, “In consideration of your health, I have discussed with the teachers of the academy and decided to let you speak for one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon every day, for a total of three days, what do you think?”
The old man nodded, “Let’s arrange it that way.”
The dean once again respectfully replied, and wanted to discuss some details with him, but before he could say anything, the old gentleman already said impatiently, “Yi’er is very good at chess, I haven’t played with him for a long time, let’s talk about other things later, I’ll play a game with him first.”
The dean was also obsessed with playing chess, and immediately said yes, and personally got up to get a chess board and set it up. When Song Wan Yue helped the old gentleman over and sat down, he also moved a small stool and sat beside him.
Qin Qian was still standing behind the dean, his brows lowered and his eyes downcast as he looked at the chessboard in front of him, but if one looked closely, one would find that his hands were trembling slightly with excitement: if Gu Yi was an excellent player, it would be more proof that he was the son of King Qin.
The old gentleman took the white piece first, and Gu Yi first attacked in an unhurried manner, but after twenty moves he suddenly changed his tactics and pressed on, killing the old gentleman in a moment of confusion.
The dean’s blood boiled as he watched, and the word “good” almost came out of his mouth.
Qin Qian still kept his posture with his eyebrows lowered, as if he did not understand the game of chess.
Song Wangyue narrowed her eyes.
Ever since Qin Qian saved Song Si, Song Si often talked about him back home, saying that he was the son of a wealthy family, spent money like water, was generous to his friends around him, and that he was also very smart, but for some reason, he could not make it to the final round of the imperial examinations every time, and after so many years, he did not even win the examinations for a Xiucai.
“Does Mr. Qin know how to play chess?”
Song Wan Yue suddenly spoke up and asked.
Qin Qian was immersed in his own thoughts, and when he heard her ask in the cold, he subconsciously replied, “Yes.”
Only when the words left his mouth did he realise that his heart was tightening and he raised his head with a calm demeanour, looking as normal, “I know how to play some, but I’m not very good at it, far worse than Sir Gu.”
“Exactly, I know how to play too, anyway, why don’t we play a game?”
“This ……”
The dean had inclined his head, his excitement evident, and first put his hand to his mouth in a gesture of silence, and waved his hand, indicating that the two men should go and play aside.
The old gentleman’s room was not very large, and another table would have been crowded.
Song Wan Yue turned around and walked outside, Qin Qian followed after a moment’s hesitation. When they arrived outside, Song Wan Yue asked Xiao Si to bring a small table and two small stools, and Xu Liang to bring a chess board, saying to Xiao Si, “Go and tell Grandma and my mother that Gu Yi and I will go over after playing chess here.”
Xiao Si answered, turned and went out of the courtyard.
Song Wangyue sat down and took up the white pieces, and Qin Qian sat down with her, placing the chessboard with the black pieces in it beside her hand.
“I learned chess from Gu Yi, I haven’t learnt it for long, in the words of my elder brother I’m a stinky chess player, Sir Qin mustn’t dislike it.”
“I won’t.”
Qin Qian was surrounded by gentleness, completely acting like a big brother, “My chess skill is not very good either, we are half a catty.”
Song Wan Yue dropped a piece, “That’s not necessarily true, I heard from my elder brother that Mr. Qin is proficient in everything except the imperial examinations, if you really can’t beat me, then you are obviously giving me the advantage, I will not be happy.”
Qin Qian,……
smiled gently, “In that case, I will certainly use all my skills, I hope Miss Song will not be blamed.”
“Good.”
Xu Liang went to the kitchen and brought back two bowls of herbal tea, which Song Wan Yue had made last time, Xu Liang had followed her instructions and only let the old man have one bowl a day, not allowing him to drink a drop more.
In this moment, a large number of white pieces had already fallen, but Qin Qian was holding a black piece in his hand, his brow furrowed, hesitating to fall.
Song Wangyue, with a leisurely demeanour, took the bowl in Xu Liang’s hand and took a sip, which was refreshingly cool and comfortable, and went straight to his heart.
He didn’t know why Song Wan Yue had just said that, but he knew that Song Wan Yue was even better than Gu Yi at chess, and Qin Qian was no match for her.
Qin Qian put down the black piece cautiously, and before his hand could be raised, Song Wan Yue had already dropped the white piece.
Inside the house, there was silence outside the house.
A fine sweat broke out on Qin Qian’s forehead.
Xu Liang thoughtfully handed him the herbal tea, “Sir Qin, have a bowl of herbal tea.”
Qin Qian took it and thanked him before his gaze returned to the chessboard.
He was also a son of a wealthy family, and had been carefully trained by his family since he was a child, so he could not say that he was proficient in everything, but his attainments were higher than those of ordinary people.
After another moment, Qin Qian put down the chess pieces in his hand, “Miss Song, I have lost.”
Song Wan Yue seemed to be in disbelief, her beautiful eyes opened wide, “No way? Mr. Qin’s concession is too obvious, is he really looking down on me?”
Qin Qian hurriedly put down his bowl of herbal tea, “Miss Song is joking, it’s because I’m not very good at chess.”
“How can that be? It’s a very simple move.”
As she spoke, Song Wan Yue picked up the chess piece he had just put down and dropped it between a piece of white pieces, the situation on the chessboard was instantly reversed.
Qin Qian couldn’t believe it, he had just pondered this move for a long time, how could he not find a way out before dropping his piece and admitting defeat, how could ……
“You are not truthful.”
Song Wangyue’s words rang in his ears.