To make up for the debt owed to Lin Qingping and Gu Juncheng

Finally, with Wu Tianjiao's encouragement, a decision was made: best of three rounds, and the loser would have to use their special skill to defeat the opponent.

Wu said, "My dad has a lot of amazing skills!"

"Really?" Lin Qingping laughed. "Then we're in for a feast for the eyes today!"

Yunqi joined in the fun, saying, "Uncle Wu, everyone who sees this gets a share!"

Old Wu laughed and scolded him, "You little rascal!"

Master Wu was quite serious about playing chess and did not show any restraint because Lin Qingping was a junior. Lin Qingping's chess skills were quite good, which was thanks to her experience in her previous life.

In her past life, she was a native farmer who gradually built her restaurant business, which involved cultivating connections. As a woman, she managed to stay unscathed in the world of fame and fortune and never had any improper relationships with any men, which took a lot of effort.

She put a lot of thought into what the other person liked and how to cater to their preferences, gradually integrating into the circle and learning some skills that made it easier to have common ground when communicating with others.

Later, what she used to run a business gradually became her hobby. From being forced to learn it at the beginning, she later studied it because she liked it, and over the decades she has gained considerable expertise.

The same applies to playing chess.

Moreover, Lin Qingping's chess style is gentle, cautious, and full of hidden dangers; he always has a backup plan.

This is completely opposite to Wu Lao's chess style.

Wu Lao was more inclined to be decisive and ruthless, charging into battle.

Lin Qingping lost the first round.

She didn't dare to be careless and played even more cautiously in the second game. As expected, she won.

"Huh?" Old Wu was quite surprised. How could a young girl like you play chess with such maturity and composure?

The third game became even more intense.

In the end, Master Wu lost.

Wu Tianjiao laughed heartily.

Old Wu looked a little sullen. "You're so happy that your old man lost?"

Wu Tianjiao was particularly mischievous in front of her father, saying, "Who told you to play chess with everyone you can find? You'd better hurry up and prepare your special move!"

Old Wu snorted and stormed upstairs.

"Are you angry?" Lin Qingping stuck out her tongue at Wu Tianjiao, but she knew that Old Wu was not really angry. On the contrary, it was this kind of genuine old man who was particularly adorable.

Yu Chengzhi then chimed in, "Student Lin, when playing chess with elders, it's always better to be humble and let them win so they're happy, especially someone as respected as Elder Wu."

It means Lin Qingping, you really don't know how to behave. Others are begging to get closer to Elder Wu but don't even have a chance. In a game like this, who isn't aiming to lose? And you still dare to win?

Yu Chengzhi was a little smug: Now that he's put his words to the test, Lin Qingping's impression on the Wu family will be much worse, right?

The atmosphere in the Wu family's residence suddenly became quiet for a moment.

Wu Tianjiao glanced at him again, then smiled and said, "It's alright. My dad isn't like that. He just likes it when people play chess with him seriously."

Yunqi patted Yu Chengzhi on the shoulder and said with a smile, "You're overthinking it. Uncle Wu isn't that kind of person."

Sure enough, Old Wu called them upstairs.

It's time to show off your special skills!

Old Master Wu had already spread out paper upstairs, intending to write a piece of calligraphy to present to Lin Qingping.

Old Wu pointed at Gu Juncheng, "Come here, grind the ink for me."

Gu Juncheng smiled generously, walked over, and stood next to Elder Wu to begin grinding ink.

Everything was normal at first, but after a moment of contemplation, Wu Lao was already thinking about how to structure the composition and how to begin writing.

Suddenly, Gu Juncheng's elbow, which was grinding ink, was bumped, and the ink stick slipped from his hand.

Gu Juncheng reached out quickly and grabbed the ink stick immediately, but several drops of ink still dripped onto the Xuan paper.

The snow-white Xuan paper was starkly stained with a few drops of black ink, which was quite jarring.

Old Wu, who was already ready to start writing, was slightly taken aback when he saw the drop of ink.

Yu Chengzhi, who was standing next to Gu Juncheng, immediately stepped forward with a smile, as if trying to smooth things over for Gu Juncheng. "Uncle Wu, please don't be angry. Lin's wife is from the countryside and is not very good at elegant things like calligraphy. She doesn't know how to grind ink and has never done it before. Please forgive her."

After saying that, as if she were very familiar with Gu Juncheng, she said with a look of concern for Gu Juncheng, "You should apologize to Uncle Wu and say that you did it by accident."

Lin Qingping isn't stupid, okay?

Yu Chengzhi, that scumbag, is trying to smooth things over on the surface while secretly stirring up trouble. Doesn't she understand what he's really up to?

Her eyebrows shot up, and Gu Juncheng, who was standing opposite her, shook his head at her, signaling her to keep quiet.

Yu Chengzhi secretly gloated: "See? He bullied this roughneck, and he didn't dare utter a sound! Country bumpkins are country bumpkins! Besides, even if he did speak up, so what? Claim he pushed him? Heh, do you have any evidence? He won't admit it! He can even turn the tables, saying this roughneck did something wrong, and he was just trying to help him, only to be dragged into it..."

Gu Juncheng readily agreed, smiling as he said to Old Wu, "Uncle Wu, it was my fault."

"Hey!" Old Wu slammed his pen on the table. "Since you were careless, you're the one who has to clean up this mess."

Lin Qingping wanted to intervene on behalf of her husband again, but this time Wu Tianjiao stopped her, shaking her head to indicate that she should leave it to her.

Lin Qingping suddenly realized that perhaps Elder Wu was testing him?

She quieted down and calmed herself to see what Gu Juncheng would do.

Anyway, if Gu Juncheng can't solve this problem or if Elder Wu is not satisfied with the result, she will definitely get her revenge!

"Alright, I'll give it a try." Gu Juncheng didn't say much, just stared at the few blobs of ink.

Old Wu simply gave up his position to him.

Gu Juncheng stood by the table for a moment, pondered, and then picked up the calligraphy brush.

He splashed ink and began to write in a flamboyant style on the soiled Xuan paper.

Lin Qingping's eyes were wide open, like copper bells.

She knew that Gu Juncheng wrote well with a fountain pen, his handwriting was strong and powerful, but she really didn't know that he could write calligraphy, and write it so well!

What's most ingenious is that he cleverly covered all the ink blots on the paper without affecting the structure of the characters or the overall layout of the calligraphy work.

He wrote: The mountains and rivers are safe and sound, and the country is prosperous and the people are at peace.

After finishing the last stroke of the character “安”, Old Wu clapped his hands and laughed heartily, “Good! Good! Good!”

Looking at Gu Juncheng with eyes full of affection, he said, "The calligraphy is good, these characters are even better! What have we struggled for our whole lives? Isn't it all for these eight characters? Comrade Gu! Well done!"

Gu Juncheng smiled slightly.

He was not talkative or fond of showing off, but Lin Qingping understood his smile. The meaning behind his smile was: This is also the responsibility we are fighting for.

Lin Qingping's eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

For him, for his ideals and responsibilities.

Old Wu was very pleased and said to Gu Juncheng, "Speaking of your rural background, I just remembered something."

Lin Qingping: ? ? ?

Wu Tianjiao laughed and whispered in Lin Qingping's ear, "Looks like my dad wants to show off his vegetable garden again."

Old Wu glared at her, "You're talking badly about your father."

"How is that a bad thing?" Wu Tianjiao said with a smile. "Don't you always show off two things? Your chess skills and your vegetable garden?"

Old Wu himself laughed and beckoned Gu Juncheng to come downstairs.

There's a small vegetable garden in the backyard downstairs, where a lot of vegetables are grown.

Old Wu led Gu Juncheng to the cucumber patch, pointed to the small cucumbers, and asked, "Can you take a look? Why aren't these cucumbers growing taller?"

Gu Juncheng looked at it carefully, then turned over the soil in the ground and kneaded it in his hands.

“Uncle Wu, the temperature is too high,” Gu Juncheng said. “We need to find a way to cool it down. We can build a sunshade net or a sunshade shed, and spray water on the shed. Also, Uncle Wu, the soil is too wet. Cucumbers are quite sensitive to humidity.”

“My dad was worried they would get thirsty from the heat, so he kept watering them,” Wu Tianjiao said.

These words naturally earned Wu Lao another reprimand, but Wu Lao looked at Gu Juncheng with even more satisfaction.

"Alright!" Old Wu said, "I originally wanted to give you a piece of calligraphy, nothing special, just something to have some fun, but it's impossible now. That calligraphy has become your specialty, and I'm actually planning to keep it. So, I'll give you some fruits and vegetables that I grew myself! Pick them yourselves, pick them yourselves, pick whatever you like!"

"Uncle Wu? Then I'll really pick them?" Lin Qingping said with a smile.

"Pick it!" Old Wu waved his hand.

"Alright!" Lin Qingping went into the vegetable garden and started picking loofahs and cucumbers, and Gu Juncheng went in to help.

Yu Chengzhi felt very uncomfortable standing to the side.

I originally wanted to embarrass that rough, country bumpkin!

As a result, he stole the spotlight!

"Dad, Juncheng, what are you doing?" A man's voice came from upstairs.

Wu Tianping leaned half his body out of the window.

Old Wu frowned as soon as he saw him. "Didn't you come back with Xiao Gu? Where have you been? I haven't seen you for so long! Xiao Gu even came over!"

"Hehe." Wu Tianping chuckled, "Juncheng and I are practically family! We came back together. I just went to Meili's house to deliver some things first."

"Who says you're anyone's friend! Little Gu is your savior! He really saved your life! You little rascal!" Old Wu laughed and scolded.

Yu Chengzhi was completely stunned.

what?

He had always assumed that this country bumpkin had come to the Wu family because of Lin Qingping, while Lin Qingping had somehow become acquainted with Wu Tianjiao…

It turns out that this roughneck was on good terms with the Wu family's son? And was even his savior!

No wonder...

He looked terrible, and for a moment he felt like a clown, as if all the things he had done before were just him slapping himself in the face.

Lin Qingping and the others didn't care what he thought; they were focused on picking vegetables in the garden. Later, even Old Wu himself went into the garden to help them pick some.

After the vegetables were picked, everyone, including Lin Qingping and the others, as well as Old Wu, was covered in mud on their hands and feet, but they didn't seem to care at all. Instead, they were all very happy.

Yu Chengzhi was even more at a loss.

After washing her hands upstairs, Lin Qingping said, "You all showed off your special skills today. Although I don't have any special skills, I'll also make a fool of myself. My specialty is cooking."

Yu Chengzhi felt a surge of contempt again: She was still a rural woman; even as a college graduate, she couldn't escape her rural ways.