Chapter 268: As the Saying Goes: There’s Always One Thing to Conquer Another
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In the afternoon, Grandpa and Grampy fetched her from the hospital together. After Grandpa helped her with the discharge procedures, she returned to the Wen Family and moved into the Mo Family with Grampy.
Once back at the Mo Family, Mother He and Mother Jiang surrounded her and sized her up from head to toe. “Young Mistress, are you okay? Does your wound still hurt? Still feel dizzy?”
“Mother He, Mother Jiang, I’m really alright!” Wen Xinya felt warmth in her heart. If she were back at the Wen Family today, she would probably face Grandma’s cold words instead!
However, Mother He said worriedly, “After losing so much blood, your body’s definitely weak. Later, Mother Jiang and I will boil some black chicken with goji berries soup for you—drink more, it’s best for nouris.h.i.+ng energy and improving blood circulation.”
Mother Jiang added, “You’ll also need something to nourish your brain, why don’t we also boil some pig’s brain with walnuts soup.”
The pair clicked immediately and scurried to the kitchen.
Wen Xinya couldn’t help but not know whether to laugh or cry. She came to the living room where Grampy was playing Chinese chess by the window. The afternoon sun, s.h.i.+ning past the window grilles, landed diagonally on Grampy, illuminating his white hair so much that it was glaring. She suddenly realized that Grampy’s head was filled with even more white hair, felt her nose becoming sour out of the blue, and her eyes fogging up rapidly, becoming moist.
As if he felt her gaze, Old Mr. Mo looked up, took a glance at her, and said, “Why are you still standing there, come over and play a few rounds of chess with Grampy.”
Only then did Wen Xinya realize that now that she had started school, although she would go to the Mo Family for learning every day after school, as the time for learning was reduced, it had already been a long time since she last played chess with Grampy. She hurried over and said, “Grampy, you have to give me an advantage of five moves!”
Old Mr. Mo shook his head. “You’ve already learned chess for so long and still want others to give you an advantage. Such chess etiquette is still pa.s.sable for self-entertainment, but better don’t show it to others to avoid being mocked at.”
Wen Xinya pouted in disagreement and said, “Grampy, you’re a Chinese chess expert and I’ve only learned it for a while! How can I match up to you—you giving me an advantage of five moves is already considered little. If I were to play chess with others, I can win even without an advantage.”
Old Mr. Mo raised his brows and shot her a look. “Only learned chess for a few days and already started to boast. Find a day for you to have a few rounds with Ninth Si to keep you in check.”
Wen Xinya instantly choked up. That sick Si Yiyan could even play chess with Grampy with ease. To have him play chess with her—wasn’t it a suicidal, asking for it move?
Upon the rare sight of her being speechless, Old Mr. Mo’s eyes glimmered slightly as he smiled and said, “You’ll start with the black pieces, I’ll give you an advantage of five moves—let’s see if your chess skill has improved over this period of time.”
As if afraid that Grampy would go back on his words, Wen Xinya quickly took the chess pieces and placed them on the chessboard.
Just like this, one after another, more than thirty moves pa.s.sed. Wen Xinya’s speed of placing her pieces slowed down, needing to think for a while before her each move more often than not.
On the other hand, Old Mr. Mo was still handling it with ease. However, in his heart, he was shocked at Xinya’s improvement. She had already formed her very own chess style—nimble, dynamic, mingling the true with the false, employing military tactics, and catching one unaware.
Slowly, some of Wen Xinya’s secret moves were forced out. From time to time, she fondled with the dangling earring on her ear, and often, before placing her next step, stole glances at Grampy’s expressions and demeanor.
The smile in Old Mr. Mo’s eyes deepened as he purposely looked down and retrieved the teacup beside his hand. “Indeed, you haven’t been skiving in this period of time—your chess skill improved quite a bit.”
“An accomplished disciple owes his accomplishment to his great teacher—it’s all because Grampy has taught well!” Receiving a rare compliment, Wen Xinya’s eyes twinkled as the smile on her lips became even sweeter.
“Are you praising me or yourself?” Old Mr. Mo’s glance landed on a corner of the chessboard—indeed, a chess piece was missing over there. She thought that she had acted so secretively that even the spirits didn’t know about it, yet she didn’t know that chess players had each chess piece under them at their fingertips—the strategic placement of every chess piece could affect the big picture, how could one not know that a chess piece was missing.
Wen Xinya was still unaware that Grampy had already seen through her trick as she placed a chess piece in a corner of the chessboard, instantly reversing the decadent situation. She became even more smiley. “Of course, while praising Grampy, I’m praising myself at the same time.”
Old Mr. Mo, looking at his granddaughter’s pair of flickering, exceptionally bright eyes after doing something bad, placed a white chess piece at the spot where a chess piece had gone missing previously.
Wen Xinya instantly widened her eyes. Looking at the severely defeated black chess pieces on the chessboard, she understood that Grampy had already long seen through her secret move, purposely didn’t declare it, in actual fact intentionally making her suffer from her own scheme, plumped out her cheeks, and said, “Grampy, you’re playing dirty—you purposely baited me.”
At this ripe old age, Old Mr. Mo’s expression was unaffected by her saying that he played dirty. “You’re not playing dirty by stealing chess pieces?”
Wen Xinya was speechless for a moment.
Old Mr. Mo said slowly, “Furthermore, all is fair in war. I’m not playing dirty!”
Wen Xinya plumped out her cheeks and said, “Grampy, you’re really scheming. Even if you don’t play any tricks, I can’t win against you.”
Old Mr. Mo looked at her seriously and said, “Without using any tricks, you won’t be so convinced that you lost. It’s already game over long ago, and you just had to give dying kicks, struggling till your very last breath—this is not a good character trait!”
Wen Xinya hung her head, speechless for a moment. In her previous lifetime, it was precisely because of this character trait that she had ended up like that.
Old Mr. Mo said solemnly, “A moment’s victory or loss doesn’t count as anything, the key is who can have the last laugh. During the Chu-Han war in the Han dynasty, after Xiang Yu overthrew the tyrant Qin dynasty on his own, the third party who enjoyed the benefits was instead Liu Bang. Compared to Xiang Yu, Liu Bang was inferior in terms of military, talent, and more so, character—in fact, he had the character flaw of being despicable. But so what—instead, he’d had the last laugh.”
Each of Grampy’s words was sonorous, his every phrase a gem, making Wen Xinya feel a sense of enlightenment. “I got it, Grampy.”
Seeing that she really absorbed it, Old Mr. Mo couldn’t help but be relieved. “That’s good!”
Looking at Grampy, Wen Xinya giggled out loud. “Grampy, why don’t I dye your hair for you! I saw a Traditional Chinese Medicine hair dye formula, from one of Grandpa Du’s medical books, using polygonum root which not only helps to condition hair but also has the qualities of darkening hair.”
Old Mr. Mo frowned and said, “Why dye hair for no reason.”
Shaking Old Mr. Mo’s arm, Wen Xinya said disagreeably, “It’s good to dye hair—it’ll make Grampy look even younger and more energetic.”
Old Mr. Mo’s frown could almost snap a fly. “Graying hair is a natural occurrence, why hide it.”
“Grampy, Grampy, Grampy, just agree with me!” Wen Xinya stuck herself to Grampy’s body and whined.
And Uncle Zhang outside covered his mouth as he laughed uncontrollably. Indeed, there was always one thing to conquer another—no one had dared to go against Old Master’s authority all along. Now, Young Mistress was finally his counter.