Chapter 799 - 275: I’ll Make Him Kneel on the Washboard (2)

At the grocery store, Jie Jingchen stopped his bicycle and turned to look at Qin Mei behind him. "What do you want to eat tonight?"

"Sweet corn garoupa nuggets, crispy roasted pork belly, ginger and scallion abalone hot pot, and rich chicken and shark fin soup," Qin Mei rattled off without hesitation.

"..." Jie Jingchen.

These were all dishes Qin Mei used to eat in Xiangjiang, all prepared by master chefs. Jie Jingchen only knew how to make home-style cooking.

’He had asked what she wanted to eat, not for her to order with complete abandon.’

Qin Mei poked Jie Jingchen in the waist. "What are you spacing out for? Can’t you get the ingredients?"

"Forget about not being able to get the ingredients; even if I could, I wouldn’t know how to cook them." Jie Jingchen was well aware of his own limitations.

Qin Mei burst out laughing with a "Pfft." "I’m just teasing you. Just buy whatever. I’m not a picky eater."

Jie Jingchen was at a loss for words. ’Not a picky eater? She’s the pickiest eater I know, okay?’

Jie Jingchen parked the bicycle and was about to help Qin Mei off, but she hopped right off the back seat and patted her slightly wrinkled pants. "You go get the groceries. I’ll watch the bike."

"Everyone here is a neighbor. No one’s going to steal a bicycle," Jie Jingchen said, smiling at Qin Mei.

"Just go. I’ll wait for you," Qin Mei said, giving Jie Jingchen a little push.

Jie Jingchen didn’t insist and turned to walk into the grocery store.

Qin Mei saw two old men playing chess under a tree with a few others watching, and she strolled over to them.

It was dinnertime, so most of the women were at home cooking, while a few children occasionally chased each other around, playing.

Qin Mei stood behind one of the old men. His chess skills weren’t just bad, they were atrocious. Even as a bystander, Qin Mei found it embarrassing to watch.

"Grandpa, you can’t make that move. You’ll lose if you do," Qin Mei couldn’t help but say.

The old man was receptive to advice and didn’t look down on her for being young. His opponent, however, dismissed her for the same reason.

Under Qin Mei’s guidance, the old man started turning the tide, and his opponent no longer dared to underestimate him, suddenly becoming energized.

One of the onlookers, a white-haired old man, couldn’t help but lecture her, "Young lady, a true gentleman watches a chess game in silence."

"But I’m not a gentleman," Qin Mei replied, completely unabashed.

"Old Li, leave her be. Old Man Huang, get up. Let the girl play against me," said Old Qin. "Playing with a lousy player just makes your own skills worse. This girl gives me the thrill of meeting a worthy opponent."

"Old Qin, that’s against the rules," Old Man Huang said in a stern, righteous tone, yet he readily stood up and gave his seat to Qin Mei.

"..." Qin Mei.

’Old man, if you had even hesitated for a few seconds, I might have actually believed you were a man who follows the rules.’

"Didn’t you just say it was against the rules?" Qin Mei asked meekly.

"You have to be flexible. Rules are rigid, but people are adaptable," Old Man Huang said with a cheerful laugh, pushing Qin Mei down into the seat. "Go on, girl. Wipe the floor with him."

He won ten games out of ten. If this chess set wasn’t his, probably no one would even play with him. It was just no challenge.

"Leave it to me," Qin Mei said, puffing out her chest with the solemn air of a hero marching off to a battle they would not return from.

Qin Mei didn’t disappoint Old Man Huang. The game that had been a guaranteed loss was on the verge of a turnaround under her direction. Now that she had taken over, she truly did wipe the board with her opponent.

"This round doesn’t count. Let’s play another," Old Qin said, unwilling to accept the loss.

"Girl, play him. If you win, the credit is yours. If you lose, the blame is mine," Old Man Huang declared, getting fired up.

"Is there prize money if I win?" Qin Mei asked.

"Nope," replied Old Man Huang.

The corner of Qin Mei’s mouth twitched. ’No stakes? Then what’s this about the win being mine and the loss being his? Is it for glory? What’s the difference between that and just being a sore loser?’

"Game on," Qin Mei said, rolling up her sleeves.

When Jie Jingchen came out from his grocery shopping, he only saw the bicycle; Qin Mei was nowhere in sight. Just as he was wondering where she’d gone, he heard her voice.

Following the sound, he looked over and saw a few old men gathered around a stone table under the tree. Peeking through a gap in the crowd, he spotted Qin Mei.

Qin Mei was playing chess with a bunch of old men. Jie Jingchen felt a sense of resignation as he hung the net bag of groceries on the bicycle’s handlebars.

Jie Jingchen stood behind Qin Mei for a moment, then quietly moved to stand behind Old Qin. ’Old Man Huang is a terrible player, but Old Qin isn’t. He’s actually skilled. When she was coaching Old Man Huang earlier, Old Qin must have deliberately gone easy on them. That’s why she won so easily.’

Now that Old Qin had seen that Qin Mei knew how to play and had a few tricks up her sleeve, he naturally wouldn’t go easy on her this time.

As Old Qin held a chess piece and pondered his move, Jie Jingchen leaned over and whispered something in his ear. Instantly, Old Qin’s eyes lit up.

Qin Mei looked up and glared at Jie Jingchen. ’Well, would you look at that. He’s actually siding with my opponent.’

"Girl, what are you glaring at Jing Si for?" Old Qin glared back at her on Jie Jingchen’s behalf.