Ushiha took out the Go board that Lanqin had given to the two sisters. It was a small, square Go board made of ebony wood, with white paint drawn on it. It was very similar to a Go board, but it was not as big as a Go board and had fewer squares.
"Isn't this Go?" Fourth Master asked, looking at the Go board.
"Master, this isn't Go. Go has many more squares than this," Lanqin said to the Fourth Master. The maids all lowered their heads and left, leaving this precious time to the family.
"Father, you don't even know how to play Connect Four?" Bechuk asked, tilting his little face up.
"Hmm, Father doesn't know how. How about Bechuk teaches Father?" Fourth Master raised his hand and touched Bechuk's smooth and soft chubby little face.
“Father, you’re silly! Bechuk, teach Father.” Bechuk’s three-year-old voice was soft, delicate, and sweetly innocent, melting hearts.
"Alright, Father's Bechuk will teach Father how to play Connect Four." Fourth Master picked up Bechuk and placed her chubby little body on his crossed lap.
Lanqin sat opposite Fourth Master with Wuxiha in her arms. The two of them, each holding a child, continued their work late into the night.
Fourth Master quickly understood how to play this game of Gomoku. Compared to Go, this game was much easier to play and suitable for children. However, it wasn't very simple or childish; adults could also play it.
"Father, be careful!" Ushiha was already quite proficient at playing Gomoku, and he captured several of Fourth Master's pieces in a row.
"Father, eat your sister's piece!" Bechuk said impatiently.
"Alright, Father will take her pieces!" Fourth Master patted the back of Bechuk's head reassuringly.
Fourth Master was actually letting her win to avoid discouraging Wuxiha's enthusiasm. In reality, with his intelligence and chess skills, how could he possibly lose to a little girl who was only five years old?
Lanqin had already seen through Fourth Master's "trick" of deliberately letting him win the game, and teased, "Come on, Wuxiha, let your mother play a game with your father. You and Bechuk go play with your dolls."
Fourth Master raised an eyebrow and glanced at Lanqin, thinking to himself: Do you think I'm afraid of you? And what's with this rag doll?
The mere mention of rag dolls made the two little girls restless. They immediately scrambled out of Fourth Master and Lanqin's arms and went to find their dolls. It turned out that Lanqin had already asked Cui Niang and the others to make a whole set of rag dolls of different sizes for the two little girls using rice and soft wool, and even made all sorts of little clothes, which Wuxiha and Bechuk had a great time playing with.
"Master, let's begin!" Lanqin said, placing her hands crossed on the small table.
"Hmm, I'd like to learn a thing or two from you, sir." Fourth Master looked at Lanqin's slightly upturned lips and smiled.
The two began a silent battle, their eyes glued to the small Go board. The black and white pieces, like Go stones, moved unpredictably across the board. Lanqin made a series of moves, forcing Fourth Master to suffer repeated setbacks and no longer dare to underestimate her Go skills.
Fourth Master discovered that although this small game of Gomoku (Five in a Row) lacked the grand scale and strategic depth of Go, which concealed the spirit and tactics of a decisive battle, it was quick and easy, allowing players to immediately discern the strategies and thought processes of the player.
Fourth Master discovered that Lanqin's mind worked very quickly; she had dug a hole for herself in no time, and then, with a thud, she fell right into it.
"I never expected Qin'er to be so good at Gomoku," Fourth Master said very seriously.
“Master’s chess skills are also excellent, able to devise a strategy for me in such a short time. If we continue like this, I’m afraid we’ll be playing until dawn,” Lanqin said.
"Then I'll give you a three-point handicap. Let's see if you can win," Fourth Master said.
"Why should I be the one to do this?" Lanqin said indignantly.
"Otherwise, you'll have a hard time beating me!" Fourth Master said.
"Not necessarily, let me take another look at the chessboard!" Lanqin thought to herself: You're too arrogant. Just watch, I'll beat you.
After saying this, Lanqin picked up a white piece from her chess box and placed it in the game. Then, she quickly cut off several of Fourth Master's black pieces. After she rearranged the pieces, the layout of the game changed again.
Fourth Master's face stiffened. His composure just moments before was now gone, and looking at the chessboard, it was clear he couldn't win.
"My lord, do you still want me to have your way?" Lanqin asked with a smile. She was quite pleased to see the Fourth Master's discomfiture!
Fourth Master looked up at Lanqin's smug expression and said, "I've lost to you."
Lanqin looked at the smile on Fourth Master's lips. This was the first time Fourth Master had smiled in front of Lanqin since Hongjun passed away.
"I'm done playing, I'm tired! I'm sleepy." Lanqin suddenly reached out and pushed the chess pieces off the board, ruining the game.
"We were almost winning, why give up?" Fourth Master said.
"Does winning or losing really matter that much? The most important thing is the joy you experience while playing chess," Lanqin said, stretching lazily.
“That makes sense, good, call for water!” Fourth Master said, looking at Lanqin.
The two little girls had gotten tired of playing and had already been taken away by their nanny to rest. As soon as Lanqin called for water, the maids who had been waiting outside immediately brought in basins of hot water.
Since Hongjun passed away, the Fourth Master has naturally stopped going into the inner quarters. Even if he goes somewhere, he only looks around and then goes back to the front yard to sleep.
After the two men washed and dressed with the help of the maids, they went to bed.
"Qin'er. Hongjun is gone. Of the princes left by Lady Li, only Hongshi remains. I think it's best to send him to the Fujin (principal wife) to be cared for, so as to avoid any mistreatment," said the Fourth Prince.
"Why must it be raised by the Fujin?" Lanqin asked, frowning.
“Yu Ning has already raised him. Geng Shi now has Hong Zhou, Wu Shi has Na Min, and Wu Ya Shi is pregnant. There is no suitable person left.” Fourth Master had become accustomed to confiding his worries to Lan Qin.
Mentioning Uya made Lanqin feel immediately uncomfortable. Uya had used Consort De to put pressure on her, and now that she was pregnant, she was using her pregnancy as an excuse to come and provoke her time and time again. Luckily, the Fourth Prince had suppressed her last time, otherwise, who knows how arrogant she would have become.
"It seems only the Fourth Prince's wife can do it!" Lanqin said calmly. She knew that the wheels of history were destined to turn, and she was just a woman; how could she possibly stop them? Hongshi was raised by the Fourth Prince's wife.
"Yes. The Nian family is causing trouble today. They want you to transfer the Second Princess's husband to the capital. You didn't agree," the Fourth Prince said.
"So, Master, you've come all the way to my place. Did you suffer some injustice at Sister Nian's place?" Lanqin said, turning to the side and propping her head up with one hand.
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