It was still early before lunch. Lu Zheng handed the food box containing the family bucket to Xiao Cui and told her to heat it up at noon.
When he turned back, Liu Qingyan and Shen Ying were already seated together beneath the peach tree, sorting the stones and preparing to start another game.
In Peach Blossom Manor's front courtyard, this great peach tree truly spread its shade like a green canopy, shrouding the heavens and blotting out the sun. Mottled sunlight filtered down, its coolness carrying a gentle warmth that felt wonderfully comfortable.
Beneath the peach tree, the surface of the stone table had been carved directly into a Go board, thirty-eight straight lines crisscrossing in neat horizontal and vertical rows.
Shen Ying and Liu Qingyan sat opposite each other, sorting out the black and white stones.
"Little sister, please go first!"
"Then I won't stand on ceremony."
The two first placed two black and two white stones at the star points. Then Liu Qingyan took White and moved first, approaching the corner.
Shen Ying smiled faintly and placed a Black stone.
Lu Zheng stood calmly to one side and watched, his expression blank and unfathomably profound.
Liu Qingquan watched beside them for a while as well, but found it boring. By then, Xiao Cui had put away the food box and returned to the front courtyard.
Seeing Liu Qingquan with nothing to do, she fetched two carving knives and brought out a basketful of peachwood blocks, eagerly teaching Liu Qingquan how to carve wooden figurines.
"Usually, when Uncle An and Uncle Qian have nothing to do, they also go to Peach Blossom Glade to sell wood carvings and earn a little pocket money to support the manor," Xiao Cui explained as she carved. The knife in her hand