If You Don’t Go To Hell, Who Will? - Chapter 59

In order to surprise Zhong Yuan’s grandfather, Zhong Yuan and I quietly escaped from city B to Shanghai without letting anyone know.

It was said that Zhong Yuan’s grandfather had already retired after a successful career and now lived a leisurely life in an ordinary neighborhood. He spent his days idly, either playing chess with the local elderly men or boasting about his son and grandson. This was what they called “living in seclusion amidst the bustling city.”

When Zhong Yuan and I arrived at his grandfather’s place, unfortunately, the old man was not at home. Only his aunt, who took care of his daily life, was there. Zhong Yuan called her Aunt Yang.

Aunt Yang said, “Your grandfather has gone to the nearby pavilion to play chess with Uncle Zhao. Today, he’s determined to seek revenge against old Zhao.”

Zhong Yuan rubbed his forehead and sighed. “He hasn’t settled his score with Grandpa Zhao yet.”

Aunt Yang laughed and said while holding my hand, “Settle what? There’s no settling with him. Today, if you win a game, tomorrow he wins one, and if he loses, he has to go home and throw things around. Just a few days ago, he smashed an antique bowl from the Qing Dynasty in a fit of regret. Then, Uncle Yang got him a Ming Dynasty porcelain plate with red glaze and branch peony design to calm him down.”

I shrank my neck; it seemed like this old man had a temper.

Seeing my reaction, Aunt Yang smiled and said, “Don’t worry, although he smashes things, he doesn’t curse at people, except for scolding Young Master for not visiting him.”

Zhong Yuan muttered, “…”

After chatting with Aunt Yang for a while, she went out to buy groceries. Zhong Yuan and I got bored sitting at his place, so we decided to go look for his grandfather.

The pavilion Zhong Yuan mentioned had a group of elderly people playing chess, but we didn’t see grandfather Zhong as described. After inquiring, we learned that Grandpa Zhong had lost the game and left in a huff with Uncle Yang. One of the elderly men looked at Zhong Yuan with a mischievous smile and said, “Your grandfather is getting less and less competent. He abandoned the game in less than half an hour.”

This was probably Grandpa Zhao. At that moment, Grandpa Zhao held a chess piece high, confidently eating one of the opponent’s cannons. I was curious about this skilled player, so I grabbed Zhong Yuan’s hand and stopped to watch the chess match closely.

Grandpa Zhao’s black pieces had a significant advantage. His two rooks, a cannon, and a horse were poised to attack in the opponent’s territory. In contrast, the red pieces were struggling, having just lost a cannon. Now they were left with only one rook and two advisors, with the rook trapped at the rear and unable to cross the river.

The grandfather playing the red pieces stared at the board, creating a tense atmosphere as if the city were under siege.

Zhong Yuan didn’t seem particularly interested in the game. He just smiled and said to Grandpa Zhao, “Grandpa Zhao, you’re becoming more impressive.”

Grandpa Zhao, after hearing this, laughed heartily, displaying his arrogance.

I carefully observed the chessboard for a while and then pinched Zhong Yuan’s hand, whispering to him, “It seems like the winning chances for the red pieces are better.”

Unexpectedly, Grandpa Zhao’s hearing had improved today, and he frowned, looking at me with displeasure. “What did you just say, young lady?”

“I… um…” I hesitated, trying to retreat.

But as I took a few steps back, Grandpa Zhao called me back, saying, “Come here. I want to see where the red pieces have a better chance of winning.”

Reluctantly, I approached, not daring to sit down, and pointed at the chessboard, explaining, “Although the black pieces are pressing hard, they haven’t completely dominated yet. The red pieces have a rook and two advisors guarding the rear, so they can hold out for a while. After all, the red pieces also have two horses, which can put pressure on the black pieces.

Looking at the overall situation, the black pieces are left with only two rooks to attack, while the red pieces have a strong defense with one rook and two advisors. There’s a saying in chess: “Two rooks against two advisors won’t work.’ This means the red pieces have a strong defensive position. As for the black pieces, their rear is almost empty, with only two elephants and one advisor, none of which can block the horses effectively. So, the red pieces’ two horses can potentially force the black pieces into a corner.”

A bystander questioned, “Are two horses stronger than two rooks in an attack? Besides, they still have a horse and a cannon.”

I shook my head again, saying, “Not quite. In chess theory, there’s a saying, ‘With two rooks in front and a horse leading the way, fear not eight opponents.’ This illustrates the potential of the horse, especially when used in coordination with two horses. They can attack and defend, fight, and escape. Looking at the current situation, the black pieces might only have two rooks that can be effective, while the horse and cannon are somewhat restrained by their own or the opponent’s pieces. When it comes to offense and defense, the red pieces have two strong horses and the ability to hold the fort with one rook and two advisors. There’s another saying in chess: ‘Two rooks can’t defeat two advisors.’ This shows the strong defensive position of the red pieces. As for the black pieces, while their front is strong, their rear is vulnerable, making them much more dangerous than the red pieces.”

As soon as I finished speaking, there was suddenly silence all around. I immediately felt a bit nervous, thinking that I might have been too presumptuous. Chess is a complex game, and it can be as shallow or as deep as you want it to be. Losing my face in front of these people wouldn’t be a big deal, considering I was young, and they probably wouldn’t take it too seriously. However, if Zhong Yuan’s grandfather found out…

While wiping my sweat, I couldn’t help but wonder if Zhong Yuan’s grandfather would look down on me for this.

Zhong Yuan patted my shoulder and asked in a low voice, “Who taught you this?”

I stared at the chessboard and replied, “My dad.”

My dad really enjoys playing chess, and since it’s just the two of us at home, he often forces me to practice with him. Of course, these practice sessions usually end with my defeat. The one time I did win was because I secretly moved one of his pieces. After that, he thought it wasn’t worth it and let me play with just a rook, a knight, and a cannon…

At this moment, Grandpa Zhao fell silent for a moment and asked, “So, according to you, the black pieces are doomed?”

“Not necessarily. The black pieces have a strong offense. If they act quickly and decisively, the outcome is uncertain.”

“Talk is cheap.” Grandpa Zhao’s tone remained disdainful, but his confidence had waned a bit.

“Yeah, I was just making things up,” I said with a forced smile, pulling Zhong Yuan to try to make our escape.

However, I was once again stopped by the eccentric Grandpa Zhao, who held a chess piece and tapped the board, saying, “Finish this game with me. If you can’t beat me, you can’t leave.”

I sighed and reluctantly sat down. Chess, after all, isn’t so easy to predict in terms of winning or losing. Most of what I said earlier was just nonsense. Apart from playing chess with my dad and a few games against a computer, I had never played chess with anyone else. All the chess theory and strategies I knew were learned under my dad’s guidance. I’m not particularly intelligent and don’t think deeply about things. Besides having a good memory and knowing some chess patterns, I don’t have any significant advantages.

Luckily, I had some good luck, and before Grandpa Zhao could checkmate me, I managed to force his lonely king into a corner.

In the end, Grandpa Zhao straightened up and grumbled, “I lost. Not bad, young lady. You played well.”

“Where, where? I replied modestly. One should never be too arrogant in front of their elders, as my dad repeatedly taught me.

Just then, a burst of hearty laughter suddenly rang out, nearly causing me to fall off my chair. The person laughing loudly was an elderly man with graying hair and a rosy complexion. Standing behind him was a middle-aged man who was looking in our direction, appearing rather… surprised?

At this moment, Grandpa Zhao, in an irritated tone, said, “You can try it too. I don’t believe you can beat her.”

The elderly man laughed arrogantly again and said, “She’s my granddaughter-in-law. If I want her to lose, she’ll definitely lose!”

Onlookers: “…”