Chapter 105 Going into the water is not as good as going to the sea
"Come on, come on, I'll join too!"
"Go? I know that, I've studied it."
"Golden corners, silver edges, grass belly, stand two, split three, split three, split four."
...
Niu Tielan sat on a small stool by the side of the boat, holding a cup of hot tea. He glanced at the three people making a scene, showing no intention of getting involved.
Doesn't she know her own daughter? A terrible chess player, all she does is cause trouble.
She sipped her hot tea, gazing at the endless expanse of flat land on both sides of the river. She could see densely packed rice paddies, likely the second harvest at the end of the year. No wonder the Jiangnan region has been prosperous since ancient times.
The land is flat and wide, with a temperature higher than to the north, allowing for two harvests a year, and abundant water resources.
So this is the kind of place she was born in.
Although she hadn't officially arrived home yet, Niu Tielan already felt a sense of peace.
Although the situation is not stable now
Such a smooth road on both sides is only an hour's journey away, while the mountain stream waterway takes an hour or so, and then it gets dark.
Niu Tielan looked at the amiable boatman beside him. He had dark skin and strong arms, clearly someone who spent a lot of time in the water and was an excellent swimmer.
And there are six people on the boat with such a boatman.
Including them, there were ten people on the boat in total, but Liang Jishui did not count them.
As the boat entered the canyon, the sky grew dusky, and with no one around, the enormous vessel resembled a giant turtle. One wonders, then, who would be the one to capture whom?
Right now, neither side takes the other seriously.
They chatted and laughed all the way, just like ordinary passengers and boatmen.
Niu Tielan sighed softly
The last time she ever took a risk in her life was when she left the Song family mansion with Song Jin. Back then, she planned for a long time before finally finding the right opportunity to leave and go to such a small place as Si'an County.
Back then, she ventured alone, tense and cautious the entire time. This time, it was a group of people. Although she was still nervous, she couldn't help but feel a little more excited.
She took another sip of hot tea to calm herself down.
Suddenly, a cloak appeared on her body, blocking the slightly chilly wind.
She turned around and met Qu Maoze's smiling face. He took a step forward, stood sideways in his direction, and asked, "Are you cold? Do you want to go back and rest?"
Niu Tielan gloated: "How good is her chess?"
Qu Maoze's face stiffened, and he sighed softly, "What a stinky chess piece."
Every move she makes is a regret, yet she won't let you have a chance to regret it. She stubbornly persists even in games where defeat is inevitable. She can play ten games in the time it takes to play one, and you can't even criticize her.
Qu Maoze placed his hand on Niu Tielan's shoulder and whispered, "Whatever you want."
Niu Tielan's gloating vanished, and she slapped his hand away, annoyed: "How are you like me? I don't even like playing this game. It's really funny, you're like me in all the good things, and like me in all the bad things, huh?"
Qu Maoze chuckled and readily accepted: "Alright, go with me, okay?"
Niu Tielan rolled her eyes and glanced at the stool next to her: "Don't stand there blocking my view."
Qu Maoze curled his lips, lifted the stool and sat down on the spot, shielding himself from most of the cold wind. His half-disheveled hair fluttered in the wind, somewhat messy, yet appearing exceptionally carefree.
He said, "The water level is high and the wind is light here in Guangning Prefecture. If we go back, past Wuling, even the best boatman will have to hold onto the pole, or you'll fall to the ground."
Niu Tielan's eyes flickered slightly.
Qu Maoze smiled again: "Once you're better, I'll take you to a lake to swim. We'll go there sometime in the future."
Niu Tielan was somewhat resistant: "I'll get a tan."
It wasn't just a little bit dark; there was a river in their town, and those kids often went swimming there. They'd go in clean and fresh all day and come out pitch black.
Seeing her expression of being afraid of the dark and loving beauty, Qu Maoze chuckled, but didn't say anything about being beautiful even when tanned.
While dark skin has its own charm, he definitely prefers fair skin.
Her entire body was as white as jade; the stain of black added a flaw, but she was still beautiful.
Qu Maoze: "You can go in the evening, when the moon is full."
Niu Tielan was tempted, but seeing his meaningful look, she suppressed it and said angrily, "If you want to go, go yourself. If I want to learn, I'll have Jinjin teach me."
Qu Maoze was speechless, wanting to say he wasn't that beastly, but then he thought about that scene for a moment...
Under the bright moonlight, on the shimmering lake surface, figures floated.
Yes, he really is a beast.
His thoughts stirred slightly, and Niu Tielan immediately understood. Embarrassed and annoyed, she stomped on his foot, got up, moved her chair, and went to the other side.
...
Meanwhile, Song Jin was still "seriously" playing Go with Qi Zheng. Their Go skills were evenly matched, but their moral standards... well...
"No, no, I downloaded the wrong one, I'll start over."
"Hey, you made that mistake yourself, it has nothing to do with me."
"We won! We won! Hold out your hand!"
...
Song Jin excitedly counted on her fingers, her phoenix eyes sparkling, clearly harboring a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Qi Zheng lowered his head, looking at the messy black pieces on the chessboard, and his own white pieces, which were clearly missing seven or eight, and remained silent.
Song Jin slammed her hand on the table, speaking with righteous indignation: "Don't you understand the principle of accepting the consequences of a bet?"
At her insistence, Qi Zheng extended his hand, palm up. The calluses on it were shallow yet firm, the result of countless days of sword practice; even the fingerprints were remarkably faint.
It's a bit rough, not exactly pretty.
Song Jin glanced at her own, and realized it was about the same. She tried to crack her knuckles, and said, "Are you ready?"
Qi Zheng said quietly, "Come on."
Song Jin grinned, gathered her strength in her hand, and slapped it hard.
With a snap, redness spread from where their palms touched, all the way down to their wrists.
Forces act in pairs.
Song Jin scoffed, then glanced at Qi Zheng's expressionless face and pursed her lips.
boring
Thinking this, she was about to withdraw her bright red hand when, with just a slight movement, the large hand that had been behaving obediently quickly covered hers, grasping her slightly smaller hand and holding it tightly.
Song Jin raised an eyebrow: "Want to compete with me in strength? Okay, come on then."
Qi Zheng's lips twitched, but he remained silent. Under her eager gaze, he gradually increased the pressure between his fingers, then inserted them into her fingertips. She slowly loosened her grip, and their fingers intertwined.
Song Jin looked at the tightly clasped hands, blinked, and subconsciously tried to pull away, but couldn't.
He gripped it tightly, unless he used a great deal of force.
Wow, learning something new and applying it right away!
Song Jin reached out her other hand and poked the back of his hand, lowering her voice to avoid being seen by the other side: "What are you doing?"
Qi Zheng stood upright and serious: "Taking the pulse"
Song Jin was amused and annoyed. She grabbed his wrist, but it was too strong to pull easily. She then used her fingernails to pinch it: "The pulse is here."
Qi Zheng stared at her with his dark eyes: "Listen carefully."
The two held hands tightly, palms pressed together, their pulses throbbing beneath their skin.
One fast and one slow
One beat, then two, and gradually, the previously distinct pulses merged together, like the fluttering of butterfly wings, subtle yet carrying a tingling sensation.
Song Jin became somewhat uneasy and wanted to pull her hand away, but seeing Qi Zheng's calm demeanor, her competitive spirit surged up again.
Why are you so upset? It's just holding hands, it's no big deal.
She remained motionless, chin tilted back, staring back with slightly wide eyes, her grip tightening.
The two of them just stared at each other, their clasped hands gradually turning red, the veins on them bulging.
It's unclear who loosened their grip first, but they both simultaneously released their hands, then looked at each other with slightly flickering eyes.
Song Jin gently squeezed his hand: "Hey, after all these years out there, haven't you had any close female friends or casual affairs? You're so old now, even if you have, it's not a big deal."
It's just an ex, it's perfectly normal.
Song Jin tightened her grip on his hand, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly. She spoke of indifference, but the fierce intent in her eyes spoke volumes.
If you dare to do it, I'll smash your head.
Qi Zheng's palms twitched, his eyelids drooped slowly, and he remained silent for a long time.
The cracking sound of the joints gradually increased.
He looked up, a smile flashing in his eyes, tinged with obvious helplessness: "Do I look that free?"
At that time, he was dealing with a lot of troubles, had no fixed abode, and a complicated background, so he didn't have the energy to think about these things.
and
Qi Zheng sighed, "Twenty isn't considered old."
He was found last year when he was not yet nineteen and had not yet started a family or established a career, so it's not surprising, is it?
Song Jin squinted: "Are you sure? It's not too late to admit it now."
If anything else goes wrong in the future, she'll definitely smash his head in.
Qi Zheng nodded: "Confirmed"
"Things shouldn't happen more than three times," Song Jin said, immediately asking for a third confirmation.
Qi Zheng interrupted her, asking in return, "Yan Sheng and Shu Chenghao should have already headed to the capital for the imperial examination next month. What about you?"
Song Jin was surprised: "Shu Chenghao? He passed the exam? Is the imperial examination this easy these days?"
That's her playboy buddy, isn't it? Passing the imperial examination and becoming a scholar? Is that reliable?
Qi Zheng: "...They all went. Yan Sheng was the top scholar in the provincial examination, and Shu Chenghao was lucky; he came in last place and has a chance to participate in the metropolitan examination."
But things will get difficult after that.
Song Jin didn't think that much about it. In her opinion, Shu Chenghao passing the imperial examination was already incredibly lucky; any more could be done next time.
Yan Sheng
Although I knew he was good, this is just too good!
Shocked, Song Jin excitedly stood up, ran to Niu Tielan's side, and hugged her.
"Your Majesty, do you know? That silly boy Shu Chenghao actually passed the imperial examination! Although he was at the very bottom of the class, he still passed. If he hadn't been in jail last time, I would have suspected that his family bribed someone. And Yan Sheng, that kid is the top scholar in the provincial examination! How do you have such good judgment? You truly are my mother..."
Yan Sheng's family was dirt poor. If it weren't for Niu Tielan's discerning eye, he would never have been able to go to school.
It's important to understand that for impoverished families, education isn't just about the cost of books; it also means losing a laborer.
Yan Sheng's success today is inseparable from Niu Tielan's help with his studies, and also from Song Jin's acquaintance with the former dean of Wenyuan Academy, which gave him the opportunity to interview.
Now that he has passed the imperial examination with top honors, Song Jin is still very proud.
Looking at her pure excitement, Niu Tielan didn't know whether to feel relieved or helpless.
Back in Linxi Town, the mother and daughter had no background and were both women. Even if they had some family wealth, they couldn't resist Song Jin's ostentatious behavior from a young age, which would hinder her marriage prospects.
Although Yan Sheng came from a poor family, he was intelligent, good at studying, and handsome, making him Niu Tielan's most favored son-in-law.
He also took it to heart
Unfortunately, Yan's parents, siblings, and other relatives were difficult to get along with, and they became smug before he even achieved any official rank, which made Niu Tielan lose interest in them.
She didn't care about Song Jin's feelings; she was just worried that Song Jin would take it to heart and get hurt or wronged.
Looking back now, she overthought things.
Niu Tielan sighed: "I know."
Song Jin hugged her, pressing her head against hers, and asked in surprise, "Mother, how did you know?"
Niu Tielan was speechless: "Have you forgotten what Song Xingzhi does?"
The man appeared carefree and frivolous, but he was actually quite perceptive. In his short time in Si'an County, he had already guessed her thoughts and kept an eye on the situation there.
As soon as the list of successful candidates for the imperial examination was released, I told her.
As for why he didn't tell Song Jin...
Niu Tielan replied matter-of-factly, her voice indifferent: "You didn't even ask, so what's there to say?"
Song Jin's accusing expression faded, and she scratched her head; it seemed she really hadn't asked.
During that time, she was busy worrying about her mother and the family shop, and she was even arrested and detained for a few days. How could she have time to think about them?
Song Jin quickly convinced herself, proudly raising her chin: "Before, we treated him like a future big shot, but now, it's their turn, hehe. Mother, do you think they'll have to kneel and bow when they see me in the future?"
Niu Tielan couldn't bear to look at the smug look on the man's face, cruelly shattering her beautiful dream.
"Those who held official titles and ranks did not kneel before officials."
Song Jin immediately lost interest and pouted, "This is boring."
But in just a few moments, her eyes darted around, clearly plotting something. She darted back to the chessboard, leaned on her hands to get closer to Qi Zheng, and whispered furtively, "When you see them in the future, you must make them bow to you. I'll stand in front of you then, okay?"
Seeing her serious expression, Qi Zheng remained silent for a long time before pushing the neatly arranged chess box towards her: "One more game."
Song Jin indicated that not refusing meant agreeing. She laughed arrogantly, sat back down, picked up a chess piece, and placed it in the center: "Come on, I'll definitely win this game again."
Qi Zheng remained silent.
He knew he had lost completely.
When a scholar encounters a soldier, reason is useless.
Although he wasn't a scholar, she was definitely a top-notch soldier.
...
The four of them went about their own business, leisurely as if they were out for a trip.
The six boatmen spent the afternoon observing from various spots and were quite certain that these were a group of young masters and ladies out for a stroll. They had all been spoiled at home for too long, were naive and clueless about the ways of the world, and had no sense of caution whatsoever.
But it won't be long before they realize the dangers of the world.
The boatman, Lang Lihei, who had been constantly complained about for his smell and ordered around to fetch water and make tea, watched the increasingly turbulent river and the darkening sky. His smile gradually turned sinister. He picked up a bamboo pole and tapped the deck of the boat, the dull thud echoing outwards.
One, two...
Everyone responded, and then, in just a few moments, the boat that had been moving forward suddenly changed direction, heading towards the crevice in the mountain stream on the other side, eventually coming to a stop wedged between the rocks.
The surrounding waters were turbulent and deserted, with only steep and precipitous cliffs.
On the boat, Song Jin stopped playing chess, picked up Liang Jishui, who was slumped over and pale, and brought him to Niu Tielan's side. She whispered, "Mother, if anything really comes to a head, just use him as a shield. Losing an arm or a leg is a minor issue; we can afford to raise him."
Liang Jishui, who had been vomiting several times due to dizziness, sat up in shock in his deathbed, his eyes wide, weakly saying, "Wait, wait, my arm, can my arm still be saved?"
This is not a small problem at all.
Seeing the seriousness in Song Jin's eyes, Niu Tielan chuckled, "I'll be fine, don't worry."
Qu Maoze smiled and said slowly, "Jinjin, don't worry. Although your father is getting old, he can still protect your mother without any problem. Just play without worry."
The mother and daughter glared at him together.
Niu Tielan: "What do you mean by 'playing'? Is this what you call playing?"
Song Jin: "What are you yelling about? Believe me or not, I'll teach you a lesson first!"
Qu Maoze sighed, "Alright, Princess, please go about your business. I will take good care of Madam, even at the cost of my life."
That sounds weird.
Song Jin gave a light snort: "Remember what you said, I'll be back in a bit, Mother, be a good girl."
Niu Tielan: "...Let's go quickly."
After settling everyone in, Song Jin strolled back unsteadily.
Over there, Qi Zheng stood alone by the boat, while three boatmen approached him. Compared to their previous honest and amiable demeanor, they had all changed their tune, taking off their shirts to reveal their muscular upper bodies, and approaching him with wooden sticks and short knives in hand.
Not forgetting to maintain her persona, Song Jin shrieked in alarm, "What are you doing?"
Qi Zheng's lips twitched. He turned around and looked at the three shirtless men. His brows furrowed, and his expression gradually turned cold and stern: "Why aren't you wearing clothes?"
Didn't you see there were two other women?
The three men's ferocious expressions froze, as if they had misheard.
There were three of them, and they had knives in their hands. This reaction doesn't seem right, does it?
The leader, Lang Lihei, grinned menacingly: "Kid, even if you're skilled in martial arts, there are three of us. Don't be so arrogant."
not to mention
The three of them laughed.
Footsteps echoed from the cabin, and moments later, six more people emerged from the ship, precisely divided into two groups: one surrounded Qi Zheng, while the other attacked Song Jin and Niu Tielan.
To catch the thief, first catch the king. Although Qi Zheng, this 'guard,' is only one person and certainly can't beat so many of them, they are not the kind of reckless people. Why make things so complicated when a simple solution is possible?
Unfortunately
Song Jin was just waiting for them to make their move. She looked at the people rushing towards her, and was about to attack when she stopped, raised her hand, and sincerely asked, "Do you usually kill people?"
In the tense situation, Song Jin's question was particularly unusual, especially given her calm demeanor, leaving the boatmen who rushed up puzzled.
Lang Lihei frowned, his gaze sweeping over the four men's faces. Seeing their identical nonchalant expressions, a sense of unease crept in. But then again, there were many of them, and each one was a seasoned veteran.
He grinned menacingly: "Kill? Of course I'll kill you! I'll kill delicate, spoiled young ladies like you. I'll catch you and cut off all your flesh to feed the fish."
Song Jin said with some regret, "I hate people like you who talk big."
If that's truly their intention, she'd be willing to kill them outright, leaving only a few alive.
Now
"Fine," she said, glancing at the group of large men, twisting her arms and smiling wryly, "It'll at least allow me to stretch my muscles a bit."
As soon as she finished speaking, she rushed forward with lightning speed, twisted the person, threw them to the ground, and broke their leg with a sharp crack. A scream rang out, and the person instantly lost the ability to resist.
Song Jin didn't linger. Her intention wasn't to fight, but to keep everyone here. She slid to the ground, grabbed a fishing net, and scatter it. Silver needles flew from her hand, piercing their shoulders and necks. In moments, the group collapsed, clutching their necks and heads in terror, their expressions dazed.
Lang Lihei's pupils contracted instantly, and he instinctively darted towards the outside of the ship.
Unfortunately, Qi Zheng was right next to him. He leaped up, but his back foot crashed heavily onto the boat, his only pair of pants falling back down, exposing most of his buttocks.
Song Jin's whistle rang out the next second: "Hey, not bad! Tell me, with all such great figures, it would be so much better if you went into the adult entertainment industry. It would be legal and compliant. Why go into the water? This isn't legal."
Lang Lihei, enraged, pulled up his pants, his neck stiff, his face full of grief and indignation: "A bet's a bet, we admit defeat. Tell me, who sent you?"
The other groans also rose up in indignation and defiance, looking exactly like innocent people who had been tortured into confessing.
Song Jin was shocked
No, does that sound right?
Who is the robber?
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