However, although Yunxuan knew how to play Go, her skill level was limited, so while she was slightly surprised that Chen Bing could easily defeat her, she didn't think much of it.
It wasn't until another heavyweight contestant appeared that she truly realized just how strong Chen Bing was.
"I'm back." On a weekend noon, after the senior students of Shangping Experimental High School began their short holiday, Shang Zhengxin could also go home for a hot meal, rest, and then start the next week's work.
But today, he sensed something was amiss as soon as he entered the room.
shoe.
There is a pair of children's shoes, and they belong to a boy.
He stared intently at the shoes like an eagle for a while, then walked expressionlessly through the entryway into the living room.
Welcome home.
"Welcome home, Dad."
His wife and daughter greeted him with smiles as usual, and Shang Zhengxin smiled back. Then, he turned his gaze to the handsome little boy beside them.
"Hello Uncle Shang, I am Chen Bing, a classmate of Shang Yunmiao. I am here to disturb you today."
Like a lion surveying its territory, Shang Zhengxin was slightly displeased that this young lion cub had appeared in his home. But he was, after all, human, and humans must wear a mask of pretense and understand the ways of the world.
"Yes, you are welcome to come to my home."
He wouldn't stoop so low as to argue with a child. So, Shang Zhengxin chose to reply politely.
Chen Bing? Shang Zhengxin had some recollection of this name; he had heard it from his wife and daughters several years ago.
The last thing I heard from them was that they moved next door to us about two weeks ago, right?
Because Shang Zhengxin is usually very busy with work, he doesn't get home until after 9 p.m. most of the time, except on weekends. Therefore, he has never greeted Chen Bing's family.
"Here, these are grapes I bought on the way. Take them, wash them, and eat them."
After handing the bag to Yunxuan, Shang Zhengxin went back to his bedroom to change his clothes. Then he poured himself a glass of water. Only after doing all this did he slowly walk over to Chen Bing and his daughter.
Oh? Go? Did Xuanxuan teach them when she was bored?
Shang Zhengxin stood to the side, occasionally taking a sip of tea, sometimes squinting his eyes and shaking his head, looking unfathomable.
"Eat grapes."
Just then, his wife suddenly appeared beside him, holding a fruit platter filled with glistening purple grapes that had been washed with water.
Shang Zhengxin opened his mouth, indicating that Yunxuan should feed him.
The sweet and sour grapes, skin and all, went into his mouth. After finishing, Shang Zhengxin spat the grape skins and seeds into his hand and then threw them into the trash can.
This is what family status is all about.
"Bingbing, ah, Auntie has peeled it for you."
?
Shang Zhengxin felt a little awkward, but his mood improved slightly after seeing his wife feed their daughter a piece as well.
It seems that this is just a privilege for children.
"Chen Bing, ah, I'll peel one for you too." Shang Yunmiao's chubby little hands then fed Chen Bing another one.
Um?
Seeing this, Shang Zhengxin felt he could no longer stand idly by. He coughed heavily twice, and after attracting his daughter's attention, he said with a smile, "Miaomiao, Daddy wants to eat grapes too."
The sweet little girl then grabbed a handful of grapes with both hands and skipped over to him.
"Here you go, Dad. Is this enough?"
"That's enough, that's enough."
Looking at the grapes in his hand, Shang Zhengxin replied with a wry smile.
This is not what he wanted.
Just then, another pair of small hands held a peeled grape and offered it to him.
"Here you go, Uncle. Thank you for buying the grapes." The hand belonged to the meticulous Chen Bing, who could vaguely discern Shang Zhengxin's feelings from his expression.
Adhering to the principle of being kind to others, Chen Bing decided to take the initiative to show him goodwill.
If this behavior were done by a teenager or young adult, it might seem a bit obsequious, but Chen Bing is an innocent five-year-old. So it gives off a much better impression.
After accepting the grapes from Chen Bing with slightly mixed feelings, Shang Zhengxin's mood improved a little.
Well, although this child is "but," he is still sensible.
Since you're so sensible, I'll reluctantly teach you how to play Go.
"Miaomiao, move aside a bit, let Daddy play a game with this kid."
Shang Yunmiao obediently stepped aside.
"I was just about to tell you, Bingbing is really good at Go," Yunxuan said, who was watching the game from the side.
Shang Zhengxin disregarded her warning.
Can a five-year-old be good at Go? Being able to play at all is already quite good; it shows some talent.
So he simply nodded and, to take care of the children, suggested, "Let's use this as a starting point and play a small nine-by-nine game."
Chen Bing readily agreed.
In the following minutes, the black and white pieces were intertwined, and Shang Zhengxin's mood changed accordingly.
Is this opening move really aggressive for a beginner? I could easily cut off your pieces with just one move. But he's just a kid, so I'll let him have it.
Well, although the playing style was a bit aggressive, it was still quite commendable overall, and it was worth showing my true skills.
Hmm? This kid's got some skill; he actually managed to slay my little dragon. To achieve this at such a young age is truly remarkable.
Huh? You can play it like that? Then my pieces are gone?
"Uncle Shang, we're playing a nine-by-nine game. If you place your piece here, it looks like it'll go out of bounds." Because Shang Zhengxin's piece had gone outside the boundary, Chen Bing, adhering to the rules, kindly reminded him.
After being reminded, Shang Zhengxin secretly wiped away a bead of sweat, then had no choice but to place his pieces elsewhere and watch helplessly as his large group of stones was cut off.
eat.
The white pieces, unable to escape, were cut in half, and their fate was obvious.
The outcome of this game is equally obvious.
"I told you Chen Bing was amazing, didn't I?"
"Dad's food is terrible, it's not as good as mine, it was all eaten up."
Hearing these words, Shang Zhengxin felt slightly embarrassed. He had been playing Go since he was a teenager, and although he hadn't played for a long time and wasn't as good as his peak amateur 5-dan level, he should still be at least a 4-dan level, right?
This level of skill is clearly very high among ordinary people. How could he have lost to a five-year-old child?
"Uncle, were you letting me win just now? It felt like you weren't playing very seriously at the beginning."
Just as Shang Zhengxin was falling into self-doubt, Chen Bing, understanding and considerate, suddenly spoke up.
These words provided a plausible explanation for Shang Zhengxin's crushing defeat; in other words, they gave him a way out. The fiercely competitive old Shang nodded, tacitly agreeing with Chen Bing's words.
Afterwards, the two played another round of standard 19x19. This time, Shang Zhengxin did not underestimate his opponent and instead unleashed his best skills in a fierce battle.
In the end, he won by a significant margin.
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