Hearing the crisp cry, the old gentleman instantly smiled and beckoned her to come to him, “When did you come over? Why didn’t someone tell Grandpa?”
“I arrived in the middle of the afternoon and packed up my place over there before coming over.”
“There is no place for you to stay in such a big house?”
The old gentleman feigned displeasure.
In fact, he couldn’t wait for Yue’er to live with him, so he could keep him company every day. In the past, he hadn’t felt much coldness, but this year he felt it was very cold, especially those brats, although they came over to keep him company every day, they were all like bored gourds, and their chess skills were even worse than Yue’er’s by a hundred thousand miles, which made people dislike them.
“I have brought some guards with me, it is not appropriate to let them in.”
Xu Liang smiled and bowed to Song Wan Yue before pouring her tea. After exiting, he quickly went to the kitchen and asked the cook to make some snacks quickly.
“Great-grandfather, I have good news for you.”
Fearing that the old man would insist on letting her stay here, Song Wangyue changed the subject without a trace, “My sister-in-law is pregnant, and I will soon be an aunt.”
Looking at her, her eyes were full of aspirations, as if being an aunt was a great thing. The old gentleman stroked his beard and lost his smile, as long as this girl was in front of him, no matter what he said or did, he would feel happy.
“Song Si is overjoyed, isn’t she?”
“No, he won’t take his eyes off my sister-in-law for a moment, no, he just had dinner and immediately went back with his people.”
“You’re tired too, aren’t you? You go and rest first, we’ll talk tomorrow if we have anything to say.”
“I’m not tired, let’s play a game?”
When the old gentleman saw that there was no sign of fatigue on her face, he happily agreed. Ever since he had played chess with Song Wangyue and Gu Yi, he no longer had any interest in others playing chess.
Thinking of Gu Yi, the smile on his face faded.
Song Wan Yue got up and went to get the chess board and box, and had just set them up when she heard footsteps in the courtyard. The curtain was lifted and Xu Cotoneaster walked in, seeing the chess board set up, his eyes lit up, “Cousin Yue’er.”
“Cousin.”
Song Wan Yue shouted with a smile.
Xu Cotoneaster answered and moved a stool himself over to sit next to her. During those years, he had followed Xu Yan north and south in search of the Xu clan, and Xu Yan had personally taught him all his initiations, so he had a much higher starting point than the children of ordinary families.
When he heard that Yue’er had arrived, he didn’t even read his book and came over to find an excuse to play a game with Yue.
The old gentleman took the black piece first, followed by Song Wangyue, and she followed the old gentleman’s piece, not giving way at all.
He knew his grandfather’s chess skills. Even his father had to think about it when he played with him, but Yue’er did not even think about it.
Halfway through the game, Song Lin and Xu came over, and the old gentleman waved his hand and excused them, sending them off to rest, even Xu, his much-loved granddaughter, did not say a word.
During this time Xu Liang also brought over dim sum, and Song Wan Yue ate two small pieces.
After playing for an hour, the old gentleman won a piece and was still not satisfied, “That hurts!”
He was a literary man and played chess in a gradual and steady manner, without being too hasty; Yue’er, on the other hand, was tricky and had a lot of falsehoods, catching him off guard from time to time.
Xu Cotoneaster also found it painful and was tempted to play a game with Song Wangyue. The old gentleman saw what he was thinking and said, “It is late today, you can compare yourself with her tomorrow after school.”
Xu Cotoneaster could only obey his grandfather’s words, and after standing up and bowing, he went back to his courtyard. He simply asked the boy to bring over a chess board, and he reviewed the game little by little, the more he reviewed it, the more excited he became.
Song Wangyue went to see Meng and Xu Yan, and then went back to her courtyard in the Xu residence to rest. Although she hadn’t been in too much of a hurry on the way, she had been riding in a carriage for several days, so she fell asleep not long after lying down, but in a haze she heard the sound of footsteps and her eyes snapped open.
“Cousin, are you awake?”
It was the voice of Xu Cotoneaster, who hadn’t slept much all night and was still very excited.
Hearing that it was his voice, Song Wan Yue relaxed her guard, sat up and raised her voice, “Just woke up, what’s up with cousin?”
“It’s good that you’re awake, get up, let’s play a game.”
Song Wangyue, ……
“Cousin?”
Not hearing her answer, Xu Cotoneaster called out again.
Song Wan Yue took a deep breath, “Wait a moment, I’ll get up and clean up.”
Xu Cotoneaster was waiting in the courtyard.
The Xu family was strict, and he had never been in his parents’ courtyard at this hour, let alone in his cousin’s courtyard. But he really couldn’t wait any longer, he had to go to the State Prison after dawn, so he had to come and disturb his cousin at this hour.
Song Wan Yue got up and lit the lamp, packed up her bed, walked to the door and opened it, Xu Cotoneaster walked to the table with the chess board and box without looking away and put them away, looking at Song Wan Yue with a drowsy face, he apologized, “I’ve disturbed cousin.”
Song Wan Yue waved her hand, “It’s nothing, it’s time for me to wake up.”
“Then let’s get started.”
Xu Cotoneaster knew he was not good at chess, so he didn’t be modest and took the black pieces directly, and Song Wan Yue sat down opposite him.
Xu Cotoneaster immediately dropped a piece, “There is no need to give way to me, cousin, just play.”
Song Wan Yue also played a piece, “Naturally I will not give way.”
Compared to the old gentleman’s chess skills, Xu Cotoneaster was far inferior and naturally he lost quickly.
He quickly conceded defeat, reviewed the game in his mind, and set up again, “One more game.”
This game was also lost in two quarters of an hour, but Xu Cotoneaster was not annoyed, but more excited, and rose with the board, “I am going back, cousin, if you are sleepy, you can sleep again, I will tell the underlings.”
“No need, I will go and accompany my maternal great grandfather to dinner later.”
Xu Cotoneaster went back inside with the chessboard, his eyes never leaving, even the meal was brought inside by the boy.
Seeing that the time for school was approaching, the boy came in to remind him, and only then did Xu Cotoneaster get up, hurriedly cleaned himself up, and took the carriage to the State Prison.
He had not slept all night, but he was still in high spirits, and when he got off the carriage he was still replaying the game of chess in his head.
A hand patted him on the shoulder, “What are you thinking about? I shouted at you several times and you didn’t hear me.”
The person who tapped him was a young man about his age, named Zhu Wen, the grandson of Zhu Zhihong, the cabinet minister, as Zhu Zhihong was a student of the old gentleman, the two families had always been in contact. Xu Cotoneaster was aloof and did not get close to the others after he entered the State Scholarship, so Zhu Wen, at his grandfather’s behest, kept close to Xu Cotoneaster.
“Thinking about the game of chess.”
“What kind of chess game makes you think about it so intensely?”
Zhu Wen was puzzled.