Chapter 25: Playing Go with Five Woods
Chapter 25: Playing Go with Five Woods
Feng Xuanrui sighed in his heart, "It's always better to have a little sister!"
No wonder Father likes gentle and adorable little girls.
He likes them too!
Feng Xuanrui, who adored his little sister, fed Suisu a whole bowl of porridge.
Still feeling unsatisfied, he wanted to feed her his own bowl as well.
But Qing Shui quietly reminded him, "Young Master, be careful not to overeat and get an upset stomach."
Suisu had a small appetite, and even eating a few extra pastries could lead to indigestion and a fever.
Feng Xuanrui felt a bit troubled by this.
He put down his bowl with a slight annoyance and thought for a moment before looking up at Suisu and saying, "Sister, I'll feed you again at noon."
Suisu, who was still savoring the delicious taste of the minced meat porridge, nodded obediently.
Her nimble little tongue swirled in her mouth, relishing the lingering fragrance left by the porridge. Quietly, she swallowed her saliva.
The minced meat porridge was so delicious!
And it tasted even better when fed by her brother!
However, her little stomach was already round and full, and she couldn't eat another bite.
Feng Xuanrui was gentle as a spring breeze when feeding his sister.
But when it came to his own meal, he ate like a ravenous wolf.
He barely maintained the table manners expected of a prince of the Wang Manor.
Yet, the sight of his gaping mouth still made Qing Shui's eyelids twitch.
After the meal, Feng Xuanrui took Suisu to find Doctor Liu.
They wanted to ask if they could release the river lanterns today.
As for making kites?
The siblings tacitly chose to remain silent on that matter.
As long as they didn't mention it, no one would know that their kite-making endeavor had failed!
Doctor Liu had just finished his morning meal and was about to read a book when he heard the two children inquiring about the river lanterns. He thought for a moment before replying, "The Prince should be returning today. Let's ask him when he arrives."
Doctor Liu felt that while he could protect the children, having Prince Qingwang around would provide an extra sense of security.
Knowing that they had to wait for Prince Qingwang's return, Feng Xuanrui could only take Suisu to play first.
Feng Xuanrui thought that since they were staying at the post station, they shouldn't just sit idly all day.
Remembering the toys he had brought, he decided to take Suisu to find Qing Shan.
"Qing Shan, Qing Shan, did I bring my Five Woods game?"
"I want to play Five Woods with my sister, so hurry up and find the game set."
Hearing Feng Xuanrui calling him, Qing Shan quickly put down his work, found the Five Woods game, cleaned it carefully, and then set it up on the table.
Considering the height of the two young masters, Qing Shan also found two soft cushions to place on the chairs.
Suisu had never heard of the game Five Woods, let alone played it.
Feng Xuanrui seemed to realize this as well, so he explained as they walked, "Five Woods is very simple, you'll learn it in no time. Just watch me, Sister."
"Brother will lead you to victory!"
Feng Xuanrui didn't plan to compete against Suisu.
Instead, he called out to Qing Shan and Qing Shui, "You two will be a team, and I'll team up with my sister. Let's play against each other!"
The two brothers, finally spared from splitting bamboo, heaved a sigh of relief.
Feng Xuanrui pulled Suisu along and pointed to the game board, first explaining the rules, "We'll start by taking turns throwing the dice, and then we'll move our pieces according to the number of pips shown."
"This is a pit, this is a trench, and that's a river..."
...
Suisu couldn't read, so the game board in front of her might as well have been a blur.
Nonetheless, she listened intently to Feng Xuanrui's explanation.
After he finished explaining, Feng Xuanrui saw the bewildered look on Suisu's face and realized she hadn't understood a word.
Far from being impatient, he carefully explained the rules to her once more.
Seeing that Suisu still didn't quite grasp the concept, Feng Xuanrui raised his arm in reassurance, "Don't worry, Sister, I'm here!"
I have my brother here with me.
These four words were inexplicably soothing.
Su Su was initially anxious because she couldn't remember something so complex.
Hearing these four words now, Su Su felt slightly relieved.
After Qing Shan and Qing Shui finished setting up, Feng Xuanrui called out, "Let's start!
"We'll let you throw first!"
Qing Shan and Qing Shui: ...!
What difference does it make if we go first?
In the end, we'll still have to go easy on them, won't we?
Qing Shan didn't want to bully the children, so he let Qing Shui throw first.
When Qing Shui threw, Feng Xuanrui quietly explained to Su Su, "Later, you can throw the Five Woods into that cup. Depending on the number of pips that come up, we'll move that many steps."
Watching Qing Shui's actions while listening to Feng Xuanrui's explanation, Su Su felt inexplicably nervous.
The little hand at her side had unknowingly clenched into a tiny fist, and she was breathing much softer than before.
She stared intently at Qing Shui's actions, trying hard to commit the process to memory.
Feng Xuanrui, who usually only fought with his stinky little brother, wasn't very sensitive to subtle emotions.
So, he didn't notice Su Su's nervousness and mistook her excitement for tension.
The young boy continued to shout, "Sister, throw a six!"
Doctor Liu, who was worried about these half-grown children, came over to check on them while they were playing their game.
Seeing the little girl with her arms trembling as she tightly clutched the Five Woods, her face set in a resolute expression, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh?"
He knew they were just playing a game.
But if someone who didn't know better saw them, they might think these children were about to go to war!
Doctor Liu sighed softly to himself, then took a large step forward to come up behind Su Su, extending his strong and sturdy arm to gently rest it on her wrist. "Su Su, don't be nervous. Just relax and look at that cup. Gently toss the Five Woods into it, and that's all there is to it."
Do not deny yourself!
—Su Su's Journal
(End of Chapter)
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