Love Treasury - Little Chess Player

Author: Zou Jingzhi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-04-01
Features: Zhou Guoneng, a young chess player from Runan, heard that the chess master Miao Guan in Lin'an was exceptionally skilled and went to challenge him. However, he found that Miao Guan not only had extraordinary chess skills but was also strikingly beautiful. Guoneng was determined to win both the game and her affection, but Miao Guan treated him with icy indifference, leaving Guoneng in a awkward situation. Hong Fu, an artiste from the Liu Yun Temple, greatly admired Guoneng and used the excuse of learning chess to become close to him. Miao Guan, who had been detached from Guoneng, now secretly developed feelings for him. Miao Guan and Hong Fu agreed to play a game of chess, with the winner having the right to marry Guoneng. Unbeknownst to them, they met in a match of evenly matched skill, resulting in a rare and unprecedented draw. One was a beautiful maiden from the brothel, and the other was a talented and charming artiste. How could the young chess player handle this situation?
Content of the book: The sound of children reading aloud excitedly echoed from the village private school: "When a person is born, their nature is good. Natures are similar, but customs create distance." Through the window, one could see the children swaying their heads as they recited the "Three-Character Classic": "Jade left uncarved remains rough; people left untaught remain ignorant of righteousness. As a child, one must be diligent; learn from teachers and friends, practice etiquette." An old scholar, holding a ruler and beating a rhythm, listened intently as the children recited, lost in the moment. He glanced at Zhou Guoneng—a nineteen-year-old youth also wearing a student's hairpin, blending in among them, reading aloud with a loud and rough voice: "The three primordial forces are the sun, moon, and stars; the three lights are the sun, moon, and stars." His voice was loud and coarse, distinct from the others.