Chapter 548: Kill a Man in Ten Steps
The meal was enjoyed by everyone, especially Liou Qingcheng’s family of three.
Lin Tian naturally did not go hungry, as he had Yan Xinrou’s Ten-Complete Great Replenishing Soup to enjoy, which no one would fight him for... because it was made by Yan Xinrou herself.
And it was such a big pot, enough for him to have two servings.
After filling her belly, Liou Qingcheng slumped in her chair, tilted her head back, looking nothing like a goddess, and said, "Lin Tian, your cooking is so good that if I get fat, what will I do?"
"Then you should cook yourself; you surely won’t get fat."
"I’d rather get fat!"
Liou also leaned back in his chair, rubbing his round, rolling belly, but not losing his grandeur, looking at Lin Tian, he said, not too heavy and not too light, "Hmm, the cooking skills are basically passable. But there’s still room for improvement."
"Stubborn old man! You were the one eating the most fiercely!"
After undercutting him, Yan Xinrou said with satisfaction, "Your cooking is not bad. It’s just a bit behind mine; if yours is 100 points, then I am 101."
Lin Tian looked at the half pot of Ten-Complete Great Replenishing Soup in front of him and remained silent for a long time.
In the art of showing off, I, Lin, have lost.
Hearing Yan Xinrou talk about her cooking, the expression on Liou’s face became quite colorful. Holding back for a long time, he said, "Lin Tian, come over to cook more often when you get a chance, show more of your skills."
"Hmm, I agree with this. If you do well, I’ll reward you with a little red flower. The kids in kindergarten all vie for it," Yan Xinrou said seriously.
"...Can I, Lin, be coaxed into cooking just for a little red flower?"
...
After dinner, the task of washing the dishes was left to the mother and daughter, while Liou called Lin Tian to the living room.
The two sat across from each other, and Liou asked, "Can you brew tea?"
Lin Tian was first taken aback, then nodded lightly, "Just a little, I’ve just started learning."
Then, he began to imitate Zhao Xuefeng’s style, pretending to warm the utensils by rinsing the teaware and then draining it. Meanwhile, he waited for the water to boil.
The two of them chatted idly, and when the water reached the second boil, about 85 degrees, Lin Tian lifted the kettle with one hand and poured the boiling water into the cup, along the cup wall, filling it to seven layers full.
Raising the kettle high, letting the boiling water flow straight down, using his wrist’s strength, lifting and lowering the kettle up and down three times, immediately releasing a very special fragrance that refreshed the mind.
This brewing method is elegantly called the ’Phoenix Three Nods,’ a tea ceremony etiquette that expresses respect to people and to the tea.
These were all taught to him by Zhao Xuefeng; even though he only learned it once, he still managed to do it with a semblance of skill.
Then it was time to serve the tea, using a tea tray to deliver the cup to Liou Zhengming, placing it in front of his right hand, and finally making a gesture inviting him to drink tea.
Liou Zhengming nodded in satisfaction, then extended his right hand to gently tap on the table, making a crisp sound.
This is also a tea ceremony etiquette, indicating thanks.
He lifted the lid, brought the cup to his nostrils, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply, then slowly sipped half a cup.
He let the tea diffuse from the tip of the tongue to the root and back, repeating three times, filling the mouth with the tea’s fragrant sweetness. Only then did he slowly swallow it, leaving the refreshing and sweet taste of tea in his mouth.
"Hmm, this tea brewing is... average, the control of heat is lacking, the water is too soft, and many details aren’t done well, there is much more to learn."
Liou laughed proudly, finally finding something this kid wasn’t proficient in. That entire set of actions was just show after all.
"Then please teach me more in the future, Dad," Lin Tian said with a smile, quickly refilling Liou Zhengming’s teacup.
"Hmm." After Liou nodded his agreement, he realized something was amiss. By agreeing to teach him, didn’t that mean I accepted him as my son-in-law?
But now, it’s too late to back out. The guy even called me Dad.
"Do you play Go?" Liou asked again.
An old saying goes: The game of Go is like life, the quality of one’s game reflects one’s character.
Liou wanted to get a sense of what kind of person Lin Tian was from another angle, as he would only hear what Lin Tian wanted to say directly from his mouth.
Lin Tian shook his head helplessly, "I don’t, that game is too sophisticated, I’ve never learned it. But I know some chess."
Liou didn’t mind and nodded, "Then, let’s play chess."
"Red moves first, you go ahead," Liou Zhengming gestured for him to move, then added, "Just to be clear, there’s no ’letting’ in chess between father and son, otherwise, it’s pointless."
"Alright."
Lin Tian nodded, having never intended to go easy, he picked up the ’knight’ and made his move.
Liou Zhengming didn’t mind and moved a pawn forward.
...
"Checkmate! Dad, you lost again. But you said there’s no fun in holding back, you can’t be upset."
The ’knight’s hoof’ landed on the ’king’s head, ending the game.
After five consecutive battles, the two fought intensely. To be precise... it was Liou who was defeated completely.
Liou’s style in chess was quite aggressive, much like his personality. He was always on the offensive!
But he didn’t anticipate that Lin Tian, who seemed mild, would have such an open and strategic chess style, and every step was filled with hidden meaning.
At first, Liou wasn’t convinced and went for exchanges with Lin Tian, but he kept coming up short, always trading major pieces for minor ones.
But Liou found it exhilarating, he loved this life-or-death style of play.
Yet soon, he realized something was wrong. Lin Tian’s chess moves were just too unpredictable. Usually, it left him baffled, and by the time he realized what was happening, he had very few pieces left to use.
After losing the first game, Liou learned from it and chose a more cautious playstyle.
But he was still pursued by Lin Tian, with no place to hide, leaving him sweating anxiously.
And he still lost.
In the third game, Liou started defending, no matter how Lin Tian played, he focused on defense.
Every time Liou thought his defense was impenetrable, Lin Tian’s pieces, even ’pawns,’ seemed to transform into assassins, ready to take a piece away with any slight negligence.
The most frustrating part was, he couldn’t counterattack!
Liou lost the third game too, but he wasn’t convinced, so they played two more games.
These two games were the most exhausting games Liou had ever played in his life, and the longest, often leaving him scratching his head without coming up with a secure, feasible strategy.
What Liou didn’t know was how forward-thinking Lin Tian’s strategy was, being able to see ten steps ahead. Even in playing LOL, he could get a pentakill as a support.
Just a chess game, wasn’t it easy enough?
Liou Zhengming looked at the chessboard in front of him and sighed deeply, "The Yangtze River waves pushing the waves ahead!"
In Liou’s mind, if he had to describe Lin Tian’s chess style, the three lines of poetry from Li Bai’s "The Knight’s Journey" were the most fitting.
The silver saddle shines on the white horse, swift as a meteor.
A kill within ten steps, traversing a thousand miles without stopping.
Once the deed is accomplished, he brushes off his clothes and walks away, hiding his name and achievements.