Chapter 152: To Observe the Game is to Observe the Person

The two of them walked into the kitchen together. The Yan family’s kitchen lacked an exhaust fan, and the air was thick with the smell of cooking oil.

"Mom, is there anything else I can help with?" Yan Rushan asked.

"No, no." Song Man turned around, glared at Yan Rushan, and scolded, "Why did you bring Yuxiu into the kitchen? The fumes are too heavy. You men just don't know how to be considerate. Yuxiu, go join the old man and the others for a game of chess. Don't come in here. These are the last two dishes; they’ll be ready in a moment, no need for your help."

Zhong Yuxiu opened her mouth to speak, but Yan Rushan pulled her away. "Alright, then we’ll head out. Thank you for your hard work, Mom. I’ll do the dishes after we eat."

"Fine, just get out of here."

"Then, Auntie, we’ll head out first. Sorry for the trouble." Before being led away, Yuxiu managed to squeeze in a polite remark.

Once outside, Yan Guofeng and Yan Hejun glanced at them. Yan Guofeng asked, "Dashan, is the food almost ready?"

"Almost," Yan Rushan nodded, leading Yuxiu over to watch them play chess.

Yan Guofeng nodded, his gaze landing on his future granddaughter-in-law. "Yuxiu, do you know how to play Chinese chess?"

"I know a little bit," Zhong Yuxiu replied with a smile.

"Too modest!" Yan Guofeng chuckled. "Come, let’s have a round. Your uncle here is a terrible player and moves so slowly; if you aren't patient, playing against him will drive you mad."

Yan Hejun looked embarrassed. "Dad."

"Dad what? Just move aside, go away." Yan Guofeng glared at him irritably, waving his hand as if shooing a fly.

Yan Rushan looked at Yuxiu. "Do you know how to play?"

"Let's try a round." Her eyes were bright and smiling, looking so delicate and soft that Yan Rushan’s heart softened. "It’s okay if you don't know, I'll help you."

"Okay," Zhong Yuxiu nodded. Encouraged by Yan Guofeng, she sat down in the spot Yan Hejun had vacated.

Yan Hejun nudged his son. "Go get two chairs."

Yan Rushan glanced at Zhong Yuxiu, fetched a chair for his father, and then sat down behind Yuxiu. They were on a sofa, with a small table between the two players, which was quite convenient. Yan Hejun glanced at his son, then turned his attention back to the chessboard.

"Do you want to restart?" Yan Guofeng asked.

"Restarting is a waste of time. Let's just play on, Grandpa Yan, what do you think?" The pieces on the board were evenly matched, though she was currently in a disadvantageous position.

Yan Guofeng said, "Are you sure? All your pieces that could move freely are currently pinned."

Not restarting meant fighting a bloody path out of a desperate endgame.

"It’s fine, winning or losing isn't the most important thing."

"Alright then, your move. Cannon check."

She observed the board's layout. She was playing Red, and the Black cannon was checking her from the flank. The Black chariot spanned the board, lingering beside the two cannons and pinning her two chariots. If a chariot moved, the Black chariot would surely capture the Red cannon.

Furthermore, the opponent wasn't just using one cannon, but a double-cannon setup; one misstep would lead to a total loss.

She used her elephant to block the cannon, creating a stalemate. In the second move, she sacrificed a pawn to free her chariot and arranged her horse to capture the chariot. In the third move, she pushed her pawn line to pin the opponent's two cannons. Step by step, she turned the disadvantageous game around, leaving Yan Guofeng completely baffled.

Without using her mental energy, she could still survey the entire board and had laid four or five traps. The tide had turned, and now it was her turn to pressure him.

"Check." The chariot lay in wait, ready to strike, and the cannon loomed threateningly in the front. The Black chariot was forced to block the path of the main general; in this situation, saving the general meant losing the chariot.

In just five moves, Yan Guofeng’s brow furrowed tightly. Zhong Yuxiu’s tactics were sweeping and bold, showing a great sense of the bigger picture, and her traps were open, unavoidable schemes. Now that he was in check, sacrificing the chariot to save the general was inevitable—it was just a shame to lose the chariot.

Yan Guofeng used his guard to block the chariot's attack, and Zhong Yuxiu seized the opportunity to capture the chariot. With one chariot gone, she regained a bit more mobility.

Yan Rushan frequently looked at his beloved, her focused and attentive expression deeply moving. Then he looked at his grandfather, whose brow was furrowed and whose face was tense. In comparison, his grandfather was clearly struggling, trapped in a dilemma.

"Grandpa, Dad, Big Brother, Sister-in-law, dinner is ready."

At the loud call, Yan Guofeng snapped out of it and moved another chariot to pressure her horse. Unexpectedly, as soon as he moved, he saw the horse protected by the Red chariot, and his own chariot faced the threat of being captured by her other horse.

With the Black chariot gone, Zhong Yuxiu captured it with her horse.

Over the next few turns, Zhong Yuxiu played with calculated precision, deploying one open strategy after another. Soon, Yan Guofeng’s Black pieces were reduced to just the general, a few pawns, one guard, and one elephant. Zhong Yuxiu still had two chariots, a cannon, and her horse was intact; though she had lost one guard, her elephants were all there. No matter how you looked at it, Yan Guofeng was facing a losing game.

When the last guard and elephant were captured, and the general was pinned in check, Yan Guofeng smiled and shook his head. "Comrade Yuxiu is truly formidable."

Watching a game of chess is like watching a person. Throughout the match, Zhong Yuxiu used only open, honorable strategies, showing a broad and grand perspective. Even when you knew you were stepping into a trap, you couldn't help but feel admiration rather than resentment; it could only be said that his skills were inferior.

Yan Guofeng couldn't be more satisfied with such a granddaughter-in-law.

"I lost. Let's go eat. We'll play a few more rounds after dinner."

"Grandpa Yan, you are the one who is truly amazing. I just had the advantage of seeing your playing style in advance; I don't deserve such praise." The games Yan Guofeng played with Yan Hejun had obvious patterns that Zhong Yuxiu understood at a glance. Since Yan Guofeng had never seen her style or logic before, she had truly held the upper hand.

"A loss is a loss. Your grandfather isn't someone who can't handle losing." Yan Guofeng waved his hand and stood up to head to the dining room, saying as he walked, "Even if I knew your style, what of it? I'm old, and my mind doesn't move as fast as you young people's—it wouldn't matter."

Yan Ruhai had watched the end of the game, and hearing his grandfather's words, he couldn't help but chime in, "Grandpa, Sister-in-law's logic made my head spin. I think even in your younger years, you might not have been able to beat her. If you don't believe me, ask Big Brother and Dad. You always say Dad is a terrible player, but I think you're pretty much the same in front of Sister-in-law."

Zhong Yuxiu: "..." *Child, you're asking for a beating.*

Yan Hejun pursed his lips in a faint smile, which vanished in an instant.

Yan Rushan was speechless. Yan Guofeng, having his dignity stripped away by his grandson, kicked him in the shin. "Shut your mouth, and go help your mother serve the dishes. Hejun, Dashan, you two go as well. Yuxiu, come on, let's talk at the dinner table. Tell me more about your chess methods so I can learn them and go beat those old fossils."

As Yan Guofeng walked ahead, Zhong Yuxiu looked at Yan Rushan.

Yan Rushan nodded. "Go ahead, I'll go help Mom with the dishes, you go talk to Grandpa."

"Alright." Casting a glance at the three men, Yuxiu turned and headed to the dining room.

Yan Guofeng sat at the head of the table, and Zhong Yuxiu chose the seat she had used previously, the second one on his right.

"Come, tell Grandpa how your brain turns so fast. One tactic after another, broad and open—truly impressive."