“But treating the illness should come first,” Shen Xi said.
Xu Zhilan looked at her with anticipation, “Didn’t you say playing Go is also a form of treatment?”
With that said, Shen Xi could no longer refuse. She slowly put down her medical bag and said with a smile, “Alright.”
Soon, the Go board was set up by everyone.
Shen Xi took out the stones and explained to Xu Zhilan what 'qi chang li guan' and 'chong tiao jian fei' were, along with other basic Go terminology and moves.
Xu Zhilan listened very attentively and tried to replicate the moves herself. The others watched with great interest.
Even Qin Xiuzhi, sitting in a single armchair, straightened his back to observe. He knew a little about Go, having sent Qin Siye to learn it when he was young.
Indeed, Doctor Shen explained things very clearly.
Twenty minutes later, Shen Xi said, “Old Madam, let’s stop here for today. Learning too much at once will be hard to digest.”
“Good,” Xu Zhilan replied with a smile.
She was actually very engrossed and her interest was piqued, but she didn’t want to take up Shen Xi’s time, so she agreed to stop.
Unexpectedly, Qin Si Yue, standing beside her, said, “Doctor Shen, just explaining like this, Grandma won’t be able to remember it. Why don’t you two play a game? You can only truly master it through actual play.”
“Si Yue, don’t tire your grandmother too much,” said Jiang Jie, standing beside Qin Xiuzhi.
“Grandma, are you tired?” Qin Si Yue didn’t even look up, instead looking down at Xu Zhilan.
“No, I’m not tired. Actually, I want to play a game too,” Xu Zhilan said softly, looking at Shen Xi.
Shen Xi had no choice but to agree. “Alright! Old Madam, I’ll take black, and you take white. Let’s begin!”
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhilan beamed with delight.
The two began their game, and Shen Xi, wanting to boost Xu Zhilan’s enthusiasm, played defensively, giving her opportunities.
Soon, Xu Zhilan managed to surround a large portion of Shen Xi’s territory. Just as she was celebrating, Shen Xi placed a stone, and the situation on the board immediately reversed.
Wherever Xu Zhilan moved, Shen Xi pursued her.
In a short while, the two had created a “long dragon,” leaving Xu Zhilan in a difficult position, beads of sweat on her forehead, unsure where to place her next stone.
“Old Madam, this is called 'niu yang tou' (twisting the sheep’s head). When faced with such a situation, you must promptly…”
Shen Xi deliberately let her experience the feeling of being cornered and attacked, using this opportunity to teach her how to handle such a predicament.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted her.
“Grandma, what are you doing?”
Everyone looked towards the sound and saw Lu Yu Shan and Su Cheng Yu, each carrying gifts, walking in one after another.
“Oh? What a coincidence, you two came together?” Qin Si Yue glanced at them, asking in surprise.
“We met at the entrance,” Su Cheng Yu explained softly, looking deeply at Shen Xi.
After greeting everyone, the two presented their gifts to Qin Si Yue.
It turned out to be Qin Si Yue’s birthday, which explained why almost all the Qin family members were present.
Lu Yu Shan walked over to Xu Zhilan and looked at the Go board, saying,
“Grandma, you’ve been caught in a ‘niu yang tou.’ You can’t continue playing like this. The more you play, the more territory you’ll lose. You should decisively give up this area and start developing a new territory.”
Everyone was astonished at Lu Yu Shan’s insightful comment.
Did she also know how to play Go?
“Cheng Yu, come and see, is Yu Shan correct?” Qin Xue Lan said to Su Cheng Yu.
Su Cheng Yu had learned Go as a child but gave up after reaching the third dan.
However, he should be able to judge the basic moves of a beginner.
“Yes. It is indeed as Miss Lu said,” Su Cheng Yu replied, taking a step forward and looking down at the board.
“Miss Lu?” Hearing him utter these words, Shen Xi felt a surge of nausea.
Had they been putting on such a show in front of everyone for the past five years?