Elder brother's garrison

Mu Chenglin, whose mind was racing, was taken aback by the company's words.

"Uh... Miss, you won again?"

"hold head high."

"..." Mu Chenglin stared blankly at the cards in the company's hand.

Amazing! Not only did they win, but they even arranged the order of the mahjong tiles perfectly.

"Can't a person win twice?" Qiye asked curiously, looking at Mu Chenglin's astonished expression.

"...No." Mu Chenglin shook his head and rubbed his face. "Okay, let's play one more round then."

After shuffling the mahjong tiles for the third time, Mu Chenglin cautiously glanced at the company, worried that they might win again with a perfect hand.

Fortunately, when the company flipped over its mahjong tiles this time, a look of disappointment was clearly visible on its face, indicating that its hand seemed particularly bad.

That makes sense. After all, luck is conserved. There are times when you get a perfect hand, and times when you get a terrible hand. What's more, someone who gets two perfect hands in a row might have to be unlucky for several days before they can recover...

Mu Chenglin thought with some regret, and casually played a card.

"East wind."

"Ah! I won!" came the company's excited voice.

"..." Mu Chenglin looked at the company in a daze, "They won again?"

"Hmm, I'm missing the East Wind for my Big Four Winds." Qiye flipped over the mahjong tiles, revealing his hand, and asked Mu Chenglin with an innocent look, "Isn't this hand pretty amazing?"

"..."

There was silence.

Faced with the company's newbie's remarks, Mu Chenglin surprisingly didn't reply. He just nodded silently and gave the company a somewhat awkward smile.

That's a Grand Slam, even rarer than Thirteen Orphans! How could it not be amazing...?

The rustling sound rang out again.

The hands that were rubbing the hemp fibers trembled slightly.

The period that followed was probably the most unforgettable time of Mu Chenglin's life.

"Eighty thousand."

"Ah, I won! A pure suit!"

……

"Ready to win".

"Self-draw! Four concealed triplets!"

……

"Hahaha! I finally won! I've finally won!"

"What a coincidence! My Nine-Treasure Lotus Lantern is also missing this!"

……

“…Yao…Yaoji”.

"I won! I'm ready to win with a thirteen-sided hand and double the yakuman!"

……

In the living room, with each joyful shout from the company, Mu Chenglin's face grew paler and paler.

No matter how much Mu Chenglin struggles, tries to escape, or racks his brains to avoid it, the company can always come up with all sorts of amazing hands that Mu Chenglin would never have been able to win even once in hundreds of rounds.

All sorts of hands, like Pure One Suit, Big Four Winds, Thirteen Orphans, Small Three Dragons, and Big Three Dragons, were drawn out one after another from the company's hands. Most of them were big hands that had already been won before the game was clear.

Mu Chenglin persisted for less than an hour before feeling as if he had been holding on for an eternity, his mind becoming hazy.

who I am? where am I? What am I doing?

Who is this person across from me?

Is this a movie?

Mu Chenglin was covered in sweat, his eyes vacant.

—Mahjong, the god of mahjong… Ahh…

Even though he was at a mahjong table, Mu Chenglin felt a sense of helplessness, as if he were trapped in a quagmire.

No matter how much you struggle, you can't stop yourself from being swallowed by the bottomless quagmire, nor can you slow down the sinking of your body.

Thoughts seemed to slow down, freeze, and then fall into darkness.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Suddenly, the drowsy Mu Chenglin was awakened by the crisp sound of mahjong tiles being slammed onto the table.

"Hula!" The company's crisp voice rang out beside Mu Chenglin.

Mu Chenglin shuddered, and his hazy eyes immediately cleared.

Ah, my hands are so sore...

What Mu Chenglin saw was his own hand raised high, ready to slam the mahjong tiles onto the table.

As my vision cleared, a sense of fatigue and emptiness welled up inside me.

Mu Chenglin then realized that he was soaked in sweat, and his forehead was covered with a layer of cold sweat.

It felt as if one second ago, I was carrying immense pressure, and the next second, as something finally shattered and crumbled, the burden on my shoulders collapsed into nothingness, leaving me feeling completely relaxed.

Yes, although Mu Chenglin's hands were sore and aching, and his whole body was soaked in sweat, he felt surprisingly relaxed. He felt a joy akin to having overcome countless hardships and finally achieved enlightenment, seeing through the illusions of the world and reaching an indescribable, supreme state of being.

"Chenglin, what's wrong?" The concerned voice of the elders of the Mu family rang in Mu Chenglin's ears.

Mu Chenglin turned his head and saw his second uncle and other elders standing beside him, their brows furrowed and their eyes full of worry.

"Ah, Second Uncle... I'm alright..."

"Sigh... I never expected Cheng Lin to like mahjong so much..."

"Mahjong?" Mu Chenglin was taken aback, then realized he was still holding mahjong tiles in his hand. He glanced at the neatly arranged mahjong tiles in front of him, thought for a moment, and said, "Oh... this junior does find this somewhat interesting..."

"Sigh... As expected, since that's how it is..."

“However, the seniors need to discuss the election of the family head, so we shouldn’t let this toy delay us for now.” Mu Chenglin suddenly smiled nonchalantly, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and gently placed the mahjong tiles back on the table.

It was something insignificant to let go of.

It felt like a heavy burden had been lifted off my shoulders.

"Speaking of which, this is clearly not the time to play mahjong, so why have I been sitting here playing for so long... Thinking about it now, it seems I haven't thought things through, and I'm afraid I've disappointed you seniors..."

After putting down the mahjong tiles, Mu Chenglin looked somewhat dejected. He lowered his head and pondered, reflecting on his actions throughout the day, only to suddenly realize the seriousness of the problems he had encountered.

The elders of the Mu family looked on with delight as Mu Chenglin fell into a state of self-reflection.

"Huh? Second Uncle? Why are you looking at a junior like that?" Mu Chenglin noticed the elders' gazes and looked at his second uncles awkwardly.

"Hey!" Second Uncle slapped his thigh hard, pointing a trembling finger at Mu Chenglin, "You...you..."

"Uh, junior..."

"Aha!!!! Oh my!!" Second Uncle slapped his thigh, gaping as he roared with laughter at the other elders of the Mu family. "This kid! He's lucky! He actually managed to reach such a high level just by playing mahjong!! Such incredible luck! Absolutely incredible luck!! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha the Mu family is blessed this time, truly blessed!!!"

Second Uncle laughed loudly, and without saying a word, went up and hugged Mu Chenglin's neck, pulling him off the mahjong table.

"Come on, come on, it's nothing, it's nothing, hahaha, you've finally made something of yourself, Cheng Lin, have a few drinks with us tonight!"

"This junior is not a strong drinker, I'm afraid... and besides, the affairs of the head of the family seem to be more important right now..."

"Forget about being called the head of the family! You're the one! I'm asking you now, who disagrees?"

"No one disagrees!!" the elders of the Mu family said in unison.

"..."

A group of old men, with a loud rumble, dragged Mu Chenglin, who had no idea what was happening, out of the living room, their laughter carrying away on the wind.

The bewildered newbie and the company were left standing by the mahjong table.

Xiaobai turned her head and looked at the mummy flower beside her.

The mummy flower has been standing here for a long time.

"Sister Naihua... does this mean Mu Chenglin has given up mahjong?" Xiaobai asked.

"Yes and no." Muna Hana smiled, looking at Shiro.

"what do you mean?"

"Cheng Lin is one of the few promising talents in the family. He has been studying the classics since elementary school. Although his abilities are outstanding among his peers, he seems somewhat pedantic and inflexible in his actions. He is easily tempted by things like mahjong, which is why the elders in the family have always been worried about him. Now that I am retiring, the family is passing the position of head of the family to him, and those people are actually quite concerned."

"what……"

"I thought you just wanted to help him quit his mahjong addiction, but I never expected that you would actually help Cheng Lin get over this mental hurdle. After playing these few rounds of mahjong, Cheng Lin probably didn't even realize that he has now... become a saint."

"???" Xiaobai was dumbfounded.

"Simply put, although Cheng Lin wasn't beaten to the point of wanting to vomit at the sight of mahjong by your ship girls as we initially requested, his current mindset and self-control are vastly different from before. It's as if he's grown from a child into an adult in an instant. Mahjong may be fun for him, but it's just mahjong now, and it won't affect his becoming the head of the Mu family anymore." Mu Naihua smiled at Xiaobai, "They say mahjong is the king of all poisons, but I never expected it to have the function of tempering one's character."

"This ship girl, Sister Bai..."

"She's truly a lucky star," Konohana exclaimed sincerely.

Chapter 910 Chirp!

The meaning of "mummy flower" is expressed quite clearly.

Initially, all the elders of the Mu family, including Mu Naihua, only hoped that a player with a perfect hand would come along and teach Mu Chenglin a lesson, so that he would give up mahjong for the rest of his life and devote his limited life to serving the people.

This is a poor choice.

As Mu Naihua said, Mu Chenglin is one of the most outstanding young people in the Mu family. In addition, he works hard and doesn't aim too high. So, with his accumulated training, he is not lacking in the ability to become the head of the family.

However, the position of head of the family is not simply a civil servant position; ability alone is not enough. Mu Chenglin is upright and peaceful, with a pure and innocent heart, making him simple and resolute. This is both his strength and his weakness. The elders of the Mu family saw this, which is why they always held some reservations about Mu Chenglin, until Mu Naihua resigned, leaving them with no other choice but to consider Mu Chenglin.

Mu Chenglin was simply too naive and straightforward. Once he fell for the temptations of desire, he couldn't pull himself out of it on his own in a short time. That's why even a single time Mu Chenglin played mahjong, it would cause his elders in the Mu family a great deal of anxiety.

After all, no one can say for sure how many "mahjong" players Mu Chenglin will encounter in his lifetime.

Therefore, when the elders of the Mu family initially recommended Mu Chenglin, they only hoped that Mu Chenglin could maintain the Mu family's prosperity for several years, just like Mu Naihua. Their requirements were quite lenient, and they did not expect too much.

However, surprises often happen when no one is prepared.

After playing several rounds of mahjong with the company, Mu Chenglin felt an absolute sense of powerlessness and despair from her. Realizing that he could no longer beat her in the game of mahjong, Mu Chenglin experienced a brief period of setback and confusion... and then had an epiphany.

The realm of thought is such a strange thing. It is a realm that many people cannot see through and reach even after a lifetime of vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist scriptures, and even if they are willing to practice asceticism for a lifetime. Yet, some people suddenly become saints while eating, drinking, using the toilet, or even playing mahjong.

Having achieved enlightenment, Mu Chenglin put down the mahjong tiles. His mind was clear, and from then on, mahjong was just mahjong. His true vision of life would no longer be hindered by any mental obstacles. At this moment, Mu Chenglin transformed from a substitute for Mu Naihua into a promising talent worthy of the support and cultivation of the entire Mu family.

—To be able to elevate a life experience to the level of playing mahjong, isn't that infuriating?

"Admiral, why did he stop fighting?" Enterprise turned to Shiro and asked.

"Maybe they've just gotten bored," Xiaobai said with a smile to the company.

Xiaobai didn't fully understand what Munaihua said, but she roughly understood that she had done a good deed and that Mu Chenglin would stop being addicted to mahjong.

“…Oh, that makes sense.” After listening to Xiaobai’s words, the company nodded with a sense of feeling. She looked at the mahjong tiles in her hand and said, “Winning all the time feels like it’s all the same few ways to win. It seems pretty boring.”

The company has given up mahjong, and it seems the novelty has worn off.

After enduring the grueling military training, Mu Chenglin's current level of moral character is indeed high. However, compared to a corporate role, he still seems to fall short.

The company's laid-back attitude is probably unmatched by many in the world.

Since they consciously began to achieve their desires, the company has long been without ambition.

"So, Admiral, what brings you here to see me today?"

"It's already finished."

"what?"

"It's just playing mahjong."

"...Just a few rounds of mahjong?"

"correct."