The two of them sat and played chess.
Bai Xu also knew how to play chess. He thought that his skills were passable, so he moved closer to the side to watch.
As he watched, he suddenly felt bad.
The truth was that these two people’s chess skills were not something that he could compare to. It was a good blow to him.
Mo Qingling was born into an aristocratic family and was older than him.
It was normal for him to be better than him.
However, Xiao Hanzheng’s chess skills were so exquisite that he seemed to be slightly better than Mo Qingling. He was surprised and shocked.
When he saw that Shi Qingluo was also focused on watching the two of them play chess, Bai Xu asked cheekily, “You can understand?”
When Shi Qingluo heard this, she raised her eyebrows. “Not only do I understand it, I can also know how to play.”
“When they’re done playing, shall we have a match too?”
This little lamb actually looked down on her.
Mo Qingling and Xiao Hanzheng skills’ had shocked him.
Just as he was about to find his purpose for existing here, Shi Qingluo came knocking on his door. “Sure!”
After waiting for a long while, Mo Qingling and Xiao Hanzheng finally finished playing.
Xiao Hanzheng had won.
Mo Qingling was very surprised.
Obviously, he didn’t expect Xiao Hanzheng’s Go skills to be so exquisite.
He didn’t know that this was because Xiao, a big shot, was suppressing himself and had only showcased half of his previous life’s ability in Go.
It was rare for Mo Qingling to find such a skilled opponent in a small county like Nanxi. He had wanted to play another round.
However, he had heard Bai Xu and Shi Qingluo’s words earlier.
He was curious about Shi Qingluo’s chess skill.
Hence, he gave up his seat. “You two can play in this round.”
Bai Xu and Shi Qingluo didn’t stand during the ceremony. They sat down and started playing.
At first, Bai Xu was calm and had a hint of arrogance, but the more he played, the more serious and hesitant he became.
The result was self-evident. Bai Xu was destroyed to the point that he started doubting his own life.
His chess skills weren’t comparable to Mo Qingling’s or Xiao Hanzheng’s. It wasn’t even comparable to a village girl…
He gave a face that showed that he was born for nothing. “Your Go skills are actually so good.”
Shi Qingluo lifted her chin proudly. “Of course. In front of others, I don’t dare to say that my chess skills are good, but in front of you, I still can say so.”
All those years, she had often been destroyed till she cried.
She had worked hard to train her chess skills in order to achieve who she was today.
Little Bai had actually looked down on her. Of course, she would destroy him till he cried.
Bai Xu uttered under his breath, it was so heart-wrenching.
Mo Qingling was once again surprised.
He really didn’t expect that Shi Qingluo’s chess skills were better than average.
She had not been married to Xiao Hanzheng for very long.
It was obvious that such a high mastery of Go was not something that could be trained in a short period of time.
Then she must have learnt it when she was at the Taoist temple.
He could not hold it in for a moment. “Lady Xiao, shall we play a game?”
Shi Qingluo nodded generously. “Sure!”
She also wanted a friendly match with ancient chess masters.
She had resigned her fate that she could not compete with a big shot like her young hubby.
Hence, the two of them began to play chess. The match was a very tough battle.
After playing for a long time, the match finally ended in a draw.
Mo Qingling’s impression of Shi Qingluo increased by quite a bit.
Playing chess reveals one’s personality.
He realised that this little woman was very magnanimous and played with a tempo in her heart.
There were even gullies in her chest.
“The Xiao couple is very good at chess. I admire both of you.”
Shi Qingluo smiled. “You are flattering me, my lord!”
Then Mo Qingling and Xiao Hanzheng played the second game.
As for Bai Xu, he had already gone to the side to draw circles and shut himself in.
Shi Qingluo saw that the day was coming to an end. She got up and brought Xiao Baili to the kitchen to prepare pots and pans.
Mother Xiao’s cutting skill was good, so she cut the lamb. Each slice was very thin.
As they would be boiling the vegetable, the taste wouldn’t be good after being rinsed with water.
Previously, when Shi Qingluo went out, she had asked Xiao Baili to brew chicken soup.
The soup had onions, ginger, dates, and other condiments available in the county.
Together with some dried wild mushrooms, the soup would taste very delicious.
Shi Qingluo started to prepare the condiments.
In addition to sesame sauce, there was some newly fermented bean curd mixed into a paste, and miso sauce made from soybeans.
She also used miso paste to stir-fry with meat paste.
It was a pity that there wasn’t chill, otherwise, it would taste even better.
During dinner time, a strong fragrance drifted into the courtyard.
Shi Qingluo had already placed an ice basin at the dining area.
By now, the room was no longer hot.
When she saw that Mo Qingling and Xiao Hanzheng had just finished a round, she shouted, “You can eat now!”
Bai Xu was planning to leave, but when he heard that there was a new way to eat the sauce, he stayed as a free rider.
After washing their hands, they sat down and saw that the middle of the pot was a little strange.
The key was that it didn’t need to be put on the fire or on the stove.
The pot would be heated with charcoal.
There was mutton, pork, chicken, and fresh vegetables on the table.
Shi Qingluo brought in a wooden tray with several kinds of dipping sauces on it.
“This is flax sauce. It is best with mutton.”
“This is bean curd sauce, this is miso sauce, and this is meat sauce.”
“Take whatever you wish. You can try it too.”
The dipping sauce that she brought was sufficient for everyone to taste a serving of each sauce.
Other than Shi Qingluo, no one else had eaten like this before.
Mo Qingling smiled and said, “I didn’t expect there to be so many dipping sauces when eating boiled mutton. Let’s taste it today.”
Bai Xu’s interest was piqued. “It’s my first time seeing it too.”
He also saw a business opportunity in it. After all, the Bai family started their business from a restaurant.
Mother Xiao and Xiao Baili did not join in. Instead, they used the kitchen stove to boil food from the chicken soup.
The main reason was to avoid suspicion. After all, Xiao Baili wasn’t engaged yet.
Shi Qingluo stayed behind. Daliang’s men and women weren’t heavily guarded, and there was no rule that prevented women from eating at the dining table with men.
She was a married woman, and her husband was also at her side, so there was no need to avoid suspicion.
If Xiao Hanzheng wasn’t around, it wouldn’t be suitable for her to sit and eat together with them.
Although Shi Qingluo was a modern person, she still had to pay attention to these aspects.
She did not want people to think that she was different.
Moreover, keeping a distance from the opposite sex was what a married woman should do.
This was also a form of respect for her husband.
Of course, she would not go out and eat alone with other men. If her young husband dared to go out and eat alone with a woman, she would tell him to get lost.
At first, they weren’t comfortable with it. After all, they had never eaten boiled dishes together like this before.
But after eating a few mouthfuls, they gradually let it go.
Not only was this a new way to eat, it was also very delicious. It even brought people closer to each other.
Especially when it was dipped in Shi Qingluo’s dipping sauce, the taste was really superb.
On a hot day, the few of them ate the boiled mutton and drank the iced sour plum juice.
They just felt very comfortable.
Even Mo Qingling laid down the burden of portraying himself as a duke of an aristocratic family.
He took the chopsticks and constantly boiled food in the pot.
He loved the flax sauce the most, followed by the beancurd sauce made from sesame oil.
Bai Xu’s favourite was the beancurd sauce, followed by flax sauce.
After eating, Xiao Hanzheng brewed some Gongfu tea to detoxify their body.
After resting for a while, Shi Qingluo went to serve everyone with a bowl of black sesame paste.
“What do you think of this sesame sauce and sesame paste, my lord?”
Although Mo Qingling was already full, he still finished the flax paste. “Very good.”
He sincerely said, “If Nanxi county can make flax sauce, flax paste, and flax oil, I’ll first bring the people to thank you first, Lady Xiao.”
This was the most comfortable meal he had ever had in Nanxi county, and even the food he had eaten in the capital was not as good as this pot of food.
Scholar Xiao’s wife was really capable.
