Feng Wanlin put down her shopping basket, took off her coat, and hung it on the coat rack.
Turning around, I saw the two of them chatting enthusiastically, and jokingly asked them a question.
"What are you all talking about? It's so lively."
Xiao Weiguo immediately shut his mouth, but Bai Zhenxuan chuckled and said.
“We’re talking about when you’re getting married, you’re not getting any younger, and you’re always out having fun.”
As he spoke, the old man seemed to glance at Xiao Weiguo intentionally or unintentionally.
Feng Wanlin wasn't shy at all with Old Bai. When the old man teased her, she rolled her eyes at him.
"I do want to get married, could you introduce me to someone?"
The old man laughed heartily, pointing at her and cursing her with a smile.
"Didn't I introduce you to someone? The last person I introduced you to, what did you say about them? Like a mule tied to a manger. It made that young man too ashamed to show his face for days. Would I dare introduce you to someone else?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Weiguo almost burst out laughing. He quickly covered his mouth with his hand.
Feng Wanlin pushed him from behind.
"What are you laughing at? That guy last time was not only effeminate, but he also had to be very proper in everything he did. He even lectured me for smoking. I'm not short of a father, I'm not short of a partner. Why should I need his help?"
Xiao Weiguo quickly sat up straight, wanting to laugh but not daring to, his face turning red.
Old Bai feigned a sigh and shook his head.
"You sharp-tongued girl, you'll never get married."
"Hmph, if I can't get married, I'll come here every day to freeload and see who gets annoyed."
Feng Wanlin snorted, picked up the groceries she had bought, and turned to go to the kitchen.
Since Feng Wanlin had offered to stay for dinner, Xiao Weiguo couldn't very well get up and leave. Looking at the time, it wasn't even 3 PM yet, and he couldn't just sit there doing nothing.
So, Xiao Weiguo spoke up.
"Master Bai, I saw you playing chess with someone just now, and I'm itching to play too. I wonder if I could ask you for some pointers?"
The old man's eyes lit up immediately when chess was mentioned.
"Young friend, you are also proficient in chess? That's wonderful! We only played one game today before Old Liu cheated and ran away. I haven't had enough yet."
Xiao Weiguo quickly waved his hand.
"I wouldn't say I'm an expert; I just enjoy playing a few games occasionally. I have read a few chess manuals, so I have some understanding of endgames."
"Let's go, let's play a few rounds."
The old man couldn't wait any longer. He pulled out a chess box from under the table and led Xiao Weiguo to the grape trellis in the yard.
The two men sat facing each other, set up a chessboard on the stone table, with Xiao Weiguo playing red and Bai Zhenxuan playing black, and began to play the game seriously.
Chess is not difficult to learn; some people can learn it in a few minutes. But to master it is extremely difficult.
This is an ancient intellectual sport with a profound cultural heritage, dating back thousands of years in China. It is highly strategic and intellectually demanding.
Xiao Weiguo and Bai Zhenxuan are actually just ordinary people in this regard. In terms of skill level, neither of them is particularly high; they are only slightly better than the average person.
That's why the two fought so fiercely, and Xiao Weiguo didn't hold back just to please Bai Zhenxuan.
It can be said that they have already given their all, but the game will still take a long time to play and it will be difficult to determine a winner.
In chess, the key is to play when both sides are evenly matched; only when the skill levels are similar can the game be truly exciting.
If one player's skill level is significantly higher than the other's, the game becomes meaningless.
In no time at all, you rearrange the plates, then who would want to play with you anymore?
As soon as he sat down at the chessboard, Bai Zhenxuan seemed like a different person, his face full of excitement, and he kept shouting and panting.
"Kid, this chain of horses is interesting. Let's see how I break it. I'll advance my pawn."
"Hmph, you're trying to take my cannon with that move, aren't you? You're still too green. Rook across the board, if you dare to take my cannon, I'll move it to the bottom, and you'll be dead for sure."
Xiao Weiguo was also giving it his all, but he was exhausted. The old man's chess skills were about the same as his, but his words were much more eloquent.
He kept shouting and yelling across from me, his mouth was like a machine gun, it was really distracting.
Xiao Weiguo lost all three games in a row, but the old man's victories were not easy either, each game was won by a narrow margin.
Before they knew it, it was already around five o'clock. After winning another game, Bai Zhenxuan finally stood up.
"Sigh, you're still a bit lacking. You'll need to practice more in the future. Let's call it a day."
Xiao Weiguo gave a wry smile.
Is this a matter of skill level? If you could just shut up, it's not certain who would win or lose.
He now finally understood why those old men had warned Bai Zhenxuan to remain silent while watching the game before they started playing.
That mouth is incredibly lethal on the chessboard.
Turning my head, I saw Feng Wanlin with her sleeves rolled up, picking and washing vegetables.
Xiao Weiguo quickly went over.
"Sister Lin, let me do it."
Feng Wanlin tossed her long hair and looked up at him.
"You take a break first. After I finish washing the vegetables, you can start cooking. I still remember the food you cooked last time."
After she taught him, Xiao Weiguo remembered.
Last year, Feng Wanlin went to his house to deliver the property deed and had a meal there, which she cooked herself.
"Sister Lin has such a good memory, let me help you wash."
As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves, took out the other dishes, and threw them all into the sink.
Bai Zhenxuan glanced at them, said nothing, and slowly went back to his room to drink tea with his hands behind his back.
After washing the vegetables, the two went into the kitchen together. Based on the available ingredients, Xiao Weiguo quickly decided on four dishes and a soup.
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