Yingniang refused to be outdone and hugged Li Jin's arm, "My father and I will be a team!"
Xiao Yi glanced at Li Jin, "What do you want to compete in?"
Li Jin waved his hand, "No competition, we are just playing a game!"
"Teacher, tell us quickly, how do we play?" Duoduo was jumping with joy.
Playing games was something every child loved.
Duoduo naturally was no exception.
Seeing Duoduo's excitement, Xiao Yi tossed the Go piece in his hand back into the bowl.
"Speak, what do you want to do?"
Li Jin pointed at the Go board, "Let's play Five-in-a-Row."
"Five-in-a-Row? What kind of game is that?" Xiao Yi frowned.
"Teacher, what is Five-in-a-Row? Hurry and show it to me." Duoduo looked around eagerly.
Yingniang looked back at her father. Seeing him nod, she turned around to explain.
"Duoduo, Five-in-a-Row is played with Go pieces."
Duoduo was confused, "Go is Go, why is it called Five-in-a-Row?"
Li Jin smiled.
"It is just a simple little game played on a Go board. Whoever connects five of their pieces in a line first wins."
"Horizontally, vertically, or diagonally all count. Whoever does it first wins." After explaining, Li Jin even demonstrated it with Yingniang.
"Oh! So that's how it is! I understand now," Duoduo clapped her little hands.
"Father, let me play!" Duoduo volunteered.
Xiao Yi had deeply studied Go. After hearing Li Jin's explanation of the rules, he found it incredibly childish.
Naturally, he was not going to play it himself.
So, he simply gave an "Mm."
Li Jin poked his daughter, "Since the Princess is playing, you play a few rounds with her."
"Alright! Duoduo, you take the black pieces, you go first."
Duoduo knew that Yingniang knew how to play Five-in-a-Row, so she did not decline and immediately placed her first black piece.
Yingniang followed suit and placed one as well.
Duoduo focused on her own game and placed another piece right below her first black piece.
Yingniang hesitated for a moment, then placed a white piece below Duoduo's black piece, cutting off its path.
Without hesitation, Duoduo placed another piece above, and Yingniang blocked that too.
Duoduo continued playing horizontally. This time, Yingniang did not block her but placed a piece off to the side instead.
Just as Duoduo was about to play according to her own plan, she suddenly felt a breeze blow past her head.
Huh? Why was there wind inside the carriage?
Duoduo turned her head to look and saw Xiao Yi reading a Go manual, acting as if nothing had happened.
"Duoduo, hurry and play!"
Seeing Duoduo pause, Yingniang anxiously urged her on.
Duoduo turned back to the board. All her pieces on the board were blocked off.
And because Yingniang had been blocking her, her own pieces were scattered everywhere.
Where should she place her piece so that she could connect five?
Suddenly, Duoduo noticed a spot she had overlooked.
If Yingniang placed a piece there, she would have three in a row.
Looking at Yingniang's expectant face, Duoduo thought for a moment and placed her piece somewhere else.
Yingniang couldn't wait and slapped a white piece down on that exact spot.
"Duoduo, I won!" Yingniang bounced happily.
Duoduo looked at the board curiously, "How did you win, sister?"
"Look, I have three here. If I place one here, and you block this side, I can place one here and make it five."
Duoduo nodded in sincere admiration, "Sister, you are so amazing!"
Yingniang's face flushed red with excitement.
"Don't worry, you just started playing. Once you understand it, I won't be able to beat you!"
Duoduo nodded, "Sister, let's play again."
"Okay!" Yingniang reached out to separate the pieces, and the two started over.
Duoduo won this round.
And the next round, Duoduo won again.
The round after that, Yingniang won.
As it went on, Duoduo won most of the time. For every two or three games Duoduo won, Yingniang would win once.
Instead of feeling frustrated, Yingniang became more determined with every setback.
Li Jin didn't notice at first, but after two or three games, he saw through it.
Duoduo was intentionally letting Yingniang win!
The worst part was that his daughter hadn't noticed at all and was even teaching Duoduo how to win.
Li Jin covered his eyes, unable to bear the sight.
"Pfft!" Li Jin saw the cold sneer on Xiao Yi's lips.
"Your Highness, how about we play a round?" Li Jin issued a challenge.
Xiao Yi didn't even bat an eyelid, "Not interested."
Li Jin wasn't ready to give up, "Is Your Highness afraid of losing to me?"
Xiao Yi turned a page of his Go manual, completely unmoved.
Duoduo had just won against Yingniang when she saw Li Jin winking at her.
She immediately tugged at Xiao Yi's sleeve, "Father, reading in the carriage is bad for your eyes."
Seeing Xiao Yi put down the manual to look at her, Duoduo explained obediently.
"Teacher said it's bad for the eyes and can easily cause myopia."
"Myopia?" Xiao Yi repeated the unfamiliar word.
"It means you can't see things clearly and have to get very close to see them. Nearsightedness," Li Jin explained.
Xiao Yi looked at Li Jin with a face full of disdain, "I will not play such a childish game of Five-in-a-Row."
Li Jin gathered the pieces on the board.
"Come on, it's exactly these simple games that test true skill."
"Besides, the two children can understand it too."
"The Go Your Highness plays, Duoduo can play too," Li Jin retorted directly.
Li Jin looked at Xiao Yi's highly punchable expression and was left speechless.
"Fine, you and the Princess are both exceptionally smart people, alright!"
"Since that's the case, Your Highness, you command Yingniang, and I will command the Princess. Let's see which team wins in the end, how about that?"
Xiao Yi looked at Yingniang, his brows furrowing slightly.
Just now, although he was reading the Go manual, he had seen every move the two girls made clearly from the corner of his eye.
Yingniang only knew how to play rigidly. The only reason she could win was purely because Duoduo was letting her.
He wasn't afraid of formidable opponents, but of foolish teammates.
Li Jin was afraid that the sharp-tongued Xiao Yi would say something unpleasant and deal a blow to Yingniang's confidence.
"Your Highness, you aren't afraid to bet, are you?"
"As a leader, you can't just guide capable people to victory, can you?"
"That would only show that it's not you as the leader who has the skill, but your subordinates who are capable on their own."
Xiao Yi rubbed his fingers together, "Your goading is useless on me."
"If you want to play against me, fine, but I am going to increase the difficulty."
Hearing Xiao Yi agree, Li Jin naturally nodded, "Go ahead."
"After one game is finished, we don't clear the board. We keep playing, and we compete to see who wins the most times overall!"
Li Jin understood, "Deal."
Duoduo and Yingniang swapped seats, both thrilled by the adults joining in.
This time, Li Jin suggested that Duoduo and Yingniang play rock-paper-scissors to decide who would take the black pieces and go first.
Xiao Yi sneered and directly told Yingniang to take the white pieces.
Yingniang was a little hesitant. Duoduo smiled at her, picked up a black piece, and placed it right in the middle of the board.
Holding her piece, Yingniang didn't know what to do.
"The opponent has already made a move. If you don't respond, are you planning to throw away your piece and surrender?" Xiao Yi's tone was unkind.
"That's right! Just place it anywhere, Yingniang. If you lose, it just means the Prince of Pingyang has no skill!" Li Jin advised his daughter.
