CHAPTER 190: CHAPTER 187 [SENIOR BROTHER, HURRY! SOMEONE IS CHALLENGING US!]

Chapter 187 Senior Brother! Hurry Over! Someone is Challenging Us!

Sun Keke’s illness had turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it allowed her to relax a bit.

Old Sun had her take a break from her tutoring sessions, letting Sun Keke rest at home for two days.

Yang Xiaoyi was a civil servant and had to go to work during the daytime. Old Sun, the vice-principal, was also very busy with a ton of preparations for the school’s restructuring before the new term started.

So... Chen Xiaoguo seized the opportunity.

Every day, he gallantly visited Old Sun’s house to take care of his little girlfriend.

Chen Nuo had various ways of pampering his girlfriend. When sick, food was better than medicine for nourishment.

And Chen Nuo could cook—he had spent eight years adrift at sea in his past life. Did you really expect food delivery services out there?

He might not be able to whip up a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast, but he was quite capable of making some common dishes.

On the first day, he boiled chicken soup, using a Sanhuang chicken that he hadn’t wasted a bit of when he visited Sun Keke that evening and cooked it into a rich pot of chicken soup.

Sun Keke was also curious about where the Sanhuang chicken had come from.

Normally, snacks like dried meat floss and millet could be bought at the supermarket in the evening.

But where could one find a prepared Sanhuang chicken?

The truth was...

That evening, a bald man with a corpulent build was at home preparing to butcher a plucked Sanhuang chicken for cooking when he received a call from Chen Xiaoguo.

Over the phone, Chen Xiaoguo just asked one question: "Keke is sick with a fever, where can I find some nourishing food ingredients this late?"

"..."

After consuming the chicken soup, Sun Keke drank two bowls of it and ate a chicken drumstick and a piece of chicken liver.

The rest went into Chen Nuo’s stomach.

Ever since his injury in Japan, Chen Nuo’s body still hadn’t fully recovered, and his appetite seemed to have grown larger, requiring a substantial amount of nutrition from food.

Chen Nuo was aware that his body might have undergone some changes, but now it seemed that this change might not be entirely a bad thing...

It just meant he ate more, consuming half a bowl more rice every meal than usual, and he never left leftovers.

This was Chen Nuo taking it easy, consciously controlling his intake for fear of overstretching his stomach.

If he hadn’t noticed that despite eating so much for several days straight, he hadn’t gained any weight... Chen Nuo would really be worried that by the time his injury completely healed, he would have become a two hundred pound "fatty."

The chicken soup lasted one day.

The next day, Chen Nuo visited the market and brought back two freshly slaughtered crucian carp, boiling them into a soup with added tofu that turned milky white, just like milk.

Chen Nuo meticulously removed the bones from the chunkiest part of the carp’s belly for Sun Keke to eat.

The rest... Chen Nuo lightly poured himself a small dish of vinegar to accompany the fish, and while watching TV, he finished it all.

On the third day, Chen Nuo went to the market again, bought a bag of pig’s trotters, chopped some white radishes, and cooked a pot of pig’s trotter soup.

The fourth day...

Well, on the fourth day, Sun Keke couldn’t take it anymore.

"Are you treating me as if I’m in my confinement period??"

Chen Nuo smiled shamelessly, "It’s something that will happen sooner or later, might as well practice now."

Seeing Chen Xiaoguo’s covetous gaze drifting towards a certain area below her neck, Sun Keke blushed furiously, "I didn’t lose any weight! Happy now?"

"Really?"

"Really!!!"

"Let me check~"

"..."

Checking was naturally out of the question.

Chen Xiaoye was there as well.

Since it was the weekend, Chen Xiaoye, still in kindergarten, was picked up by Chen Nuo and brought directly to the Sun family to keep them company.

At that moment, Chen Xiaoye had already taken off her shoes and climbed onto Sun Keke’s bed, hugging her like a koala.

"Brother, what’s this check thing?"

"Kids should stay out of adult conversations."

Sun Keke glared at Chen Nuo in annoyance, but held Xiao Yezi tighter: "Don’t mind your brother; he wasn’t saying anything nice."

Actually, Sun Keke was very grateful for Chen Xiaoye’s presence.

During the previous days, it had been just the two of them alone at home.

Chen Nuo, that little rogue, was starting to overstep his boundaries. At first, he simply hugged and kissed her.

But then he was progressively becoming more rascally, taking advantage when she was off guard to make his move.

With it being the hot summer season, and considering the heat, Sun Keke was dressed quite breezily at home, which allowed the scamp to take his chance and get a bit fresh with her unnoticed.

Furthermore, Sun Keke could tell his gaze was wolfish at the time.

Inside, Sun Keke felt a mix of excitement, nervousness, and fear.

If Chen Xiaoye hadn’t come today, who knew what that rogue might have done, potentially letting his wolfish instincts take over with her.

This guy was getting bolder with her by the day!

In truth, Sun Keke felt that she had already recovered from her illness.

She no longer had a fever, her strength had returned, and her appetite had improved over the past two days.

Strangely enough, even the problem of insomnia had lessened a lot, almost to the point of being negligible.

She could sleep for seven or eight hours every day.

Furthermore, sometimes after lunch, she’d cuddle up with Chen Nuo on the sofa to watch TV, and as they watched, she could even close her eyes and doze off for an hour or so, enjoying a nap that was quite sweet. Sometimes she’d even have a dream.

Sun Keke’s face, which had been somewhat pale these past days, had regained its rosy, moist glow.

It’s just that her chin was still a bit sharper than before.

But the girl was happy!

Ever since she got together with Chen Nuo, she had never enjoyed such treatment before: Chen Nuo accompanied her every day, taking care of her, always bustling around in front of her eyes. She didn’t have to worry about not finding this guy, not being able to contact this guy, not knowing where this guy had gone off to, or what he was doing...

Every morning, after she woke up and finished washing up, as soon as Old Sun left for work at eight o’clock, Chen Nuo would be at the door, knocking right on time.

Life was just as sweet as honey.

Sun Keke even harbored a thought: If only she had fallen ill like this earlier, wouldn’t that have been nice?

However, it was Friday today.

It was the weekend, and both Old Sun and Yang Xiaoyi didn’t have to work. They could stay home to take care of Sun Keke. Chen Nuo had also told Sun Keke that he wouldn’t come over for the next two days.

This was kind of upsetting!

Chen Nuo left the Sun family’s home at exactly five o’clock—before Old Sun got home from work.

As he went downstairs with Chen Xiaoye, he ran into Jiang Fusheng.

"Hello, Master!" Chen Nuo said with a smile to Old Jiang, who was holding a chessboard, nodding in greeting.

Old Jiang apparently planned to go out for a stroll—being a teacher on summer vacation, it was one of his rare leisurely days.

These days, Old Jiang would carry his chessboard downstairs every evening and head to the small park near the school to look for someone to play chess with.

It seemed he had eaten an early dinner at home and was just about to go out.

Old Jiang’s expression was not very pleasant when he saw Chen Nuo. He snorted, "You still remember I’m your master? I almost forgot I had a disciple like you."

Chen Nuo chuckled a few times.

He himself couldn’t even remember how many days it had been since he last went to practice boxing with Old Jiang in the morning.

"Hello, Uncle Jiang," Xiao Yezi sweetly greeted.

Old Jiang had a completely different attitude toward Xiao Yezi. He quickly tossed the chessboard into Chen Nuo’s arms to free his hands and then picked up Xiao Yezi, saying with a grin, "Ye Zi, why haven’t you come to see Uncle Jiang these days?"

As he spoke, he used his finger to tidy the child’s hair and glanced sideways at Chen Nuo, "You, as her brother, really don’t know how to take care of kids! Just look at Ye Zi’s braids, what a mess you’ve made of them!"

Saying that, he walked away holding Xiao Yezi, "Ye Zi, come with me to the park to play. Uncle will buy you some roasted corn."

What could Chen Nuo say? He obediently followed with the chessboard in tow.

The small park nearby was actually the small grove at the base of the city wall where they practiced boxing every morning.

The Government recently built a long corridor and a small pavilion there, so in the afternoons, there were more elderly men hanging out, chatting, playing chess, and bantering.

In the summer, it was too hot during the daytime, but in the evening, there were a bit more people.

Old Jiang, holding Xiao Yezi, with Chen Nuo following, found a clean spot in the corridor. Old Jiang took out a newspaper from his pocket, laid it down, and let Xiao Yezi sit on it.

He also took out a mosquito coil from his pocket, lit it, and placed it on the ground.

"Ye Zi, don’t run around, you might kick over the mosquito coil."

"Okay!"

Old Jiang then felt in his pocket and handed a ten-yuan bill to Chen Nuo, "Don’t just stand there, go to the park entrance and buy roasted corn for Ye Zi. When you buy it, make sure to peel it back and check if it’s well-roasted! We don’t want it too charred either."

Chen Nuo, who was familiar with Old Jiang’s family, cheerfully took the money and then strolled off.

Watching Chen Nuo leave, Old Jiang switched on a smile for Xiao Yezi, fumbled in his pocket, and pulled out a piece of fruit candy, carefully unwrapped it, and stuffed it into Xiao Yezi’s mouth.

"Ye Zi, would you like to stay and play with Uncle Jiang here tonight?"

"Sure!"

"Not in a rush to go home, are you?"

"...Hmm... not in a rush," Chen Xiaoye replied after a moment’s thought. "Uncle Jiang, can I still catch the 6:30 cartoon?"

Old Jiang patted Ye Zi’s head and laughed, "What’s so good about cartoons? Watching TV too much hurts your eyes. Later on, how about Uncle Jiang teaches you how to do a forward roll?"

"Great!"

Although a chessboard was set up beside him, Old Jiang no longer seemed interested in glancing at it.

Play chess? What chess? Why bother? Could playing chess be as adorable, as endearing, as cute as Ye Zi?

Chen Nuo ran off to the park entrance and found a little corn roasting stall there, a pushcart with a metal barrel on top, while the owner sat idly by on a concrete block.

He bought a cob of roasted corn and a piece of roasted yam, collected his change and started walking back. After a few steps, he ran to a small shop at the side of the road wanting to buy a soda to drink.

But then, seeing the Guangming cream ice cream bricks in the fridge, Chen Nuo’s craving was piqued, and he decided on the ice cream instead of the soda, and with a treat in hand, he walked back.

On his return, from a distance, he could see Old Jiang sitting in the corridor, with a chessboard in front of him, playing against someone.

Huh? The atmosphere... seemed off?

Chen Nuo frowned, quickened his pace, and hurried over.

The man sitting opposite Old Jiang looked to be about the same age as him.

He had broad shoulders and wore a Tang-style jacket with somewhat thinning hair, suggesting he would likely reach a Mediterranean hairline within three to five years.

Sitting there, however, his back was straight as a rod.

He was broad-shouldered and long-armed, with thick-fingered hands that had a rugged air about them.

Two steps behind this old man, stood a burly middle-aged man who was not very tall but exuded solidity. He sported a T-shirt that was stretched tight over his muscular build.

As Chen Nuo approached, Old Jiang played chess while protectively keeping Xiao Yezi behind him.

Upon seeing Chen Nuo arrive, Old Jiang seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, nodding at him, "Back already?"

"Mhm, Master, I bought the stuff."

Old Jiang didn’t look at the items Chen Nuo handed over but waved dismissively, "Take the kid home, I’ll play here for a while."

Chen Nuo squinted, sizing up the old man opposite Old Jiang as well as the sturdy man behind him.

"It’s alright, I’m just bored at home anyway, and it’s been a long time since I watched you play chess. I’ll stay and learn a bit."

"Nothing worth watching, just go home," Old Jiang frowned.

"It’s fine, I just want to watch for a bit," Chen Nuo said with a smile, pulling Xiao Yezi to his side and handing her a roasted corn cob before proudly standing behind Old Jiang, holding a partially-eaten Guangming cream ice brick, munching away while curiously observing the chessboard.

Old Jiang’s expression grew complicated.

At that moment, the old man across the table chuckled softly, "Master Jiang, is this your disciple?"

"...Uh, sort of. He’s been working out with me."

The old man looked Chen Nuo up and down carefully. The way he stood was loose, his stance unstable, and he was leaning against the column of the corridor.

No martial bearing at all!

The old man shook his head with a smile then gently placed a chess piece on the board: "Knight jumps."

Old Jiang seemed distracted, carelessly advancing a pawn.

"This disciple of yours hasn’t put much effort in," the old man said cheerfully. "Don’t you teach him more often?"

Old Jiang snorted lightly, responding indifferently, "What’s the use of practicing martial arts in this day and age?"

"He’s a student at my school. Studying hard and aiming high, getting into a university is what’s respectable."

Glancing at Chen Nuo, the old man tutted, "What a waste, he has the makings of a martial artist but hasn’t been trained. A real pity."

"Not a pity at all." Old Jiang shook his head, casually capturing his opponent’s knight with a cannon on the chessboard, his eyes fixed on the game as he spoke in an apparently indifferent tone, "What kind of society is this? Even if you’re good at martial arts, does that give you extra points in the college entrance exam? Can you put it on your resume?"

The old man responded by using his chariot to take Old Jiang’s cannon, "You seem quite defeatist. That’s not like you."

Old Jiang sighed and scrutinized the chessboard carefully, calculating silently before shaking his head, "Alright, you win this game."

As he was about to mess up the pieces, the old man quickly raised his hand and held Old Jiang’s arm, "The game isn’t over yet."

"I’ve lost a chariot and two cannons, what’s the use in continuing? I concede this round."

As Old Jiang tried to move his arm away, the old man reversed his grip and with a single palm strike, pressed against Old Jiang’s tiger’s mouth, "No, it’s not over."

Old Jiang narrowed his eyes.

He pulled his hand back decisively and stared at the old man, exhaling softly, "Old Song, huh."

"Hmm?"

"Nobody’s left in my lineage," Old Jiang said quietly. "So if you want to fight for supremacy or anything, it’s all yours, it’s all up to you. I’m not interested in competing for those outdated titles. Even if you win, so what?"

"..." Old Song furrowed his brows, his expression complex as he looked at Old Jiang, "You... content with this?"

"What’s there to be discontent about?" Old Jiang seemed to chuckle. "What else is there in my household? A couple of old folks, a poor teacher, and a medicine pot. I spend my days teaching, listening to operas, drinking tea, and reading when I’m free.

"Sometimes I come here to play a couple of games of chess with some retired old men. If someone’s in for a bigger game, we bet three or five bucks.

"Win, and the next day there’s an extra pound of meat for the home.

"Lose, and we go without a dish for a meal.

"I’ve lived years like this, what’s left to fight over?

"What more could I want?

"Nothing, there’s nothing left, it’s all gone long ago."

Old Song’s brow remained furrowed. He looked intently at Old Jiang’s face for a moment, then nodded. He swept his hand across the board, scattering the pieces, and started to tidy them up with a casual tone. "Well, if you’ve lost interest, then there’s indeed no need for contention this time."

"Yeah, they’re all just old relics, nothing worth fighting over," Old Jiang also began tidying up the board.

"Then, hand it over to me," Old Song said, fixing his gaze on Old Jiang’s eyes.

Old Jiang furrowed his brow slightly, but without hesitating for long, he nodded, "Alright, I’ll give it to you."

As he spoke, the old man reached into his chest and pulled out an old jade pendant strung on a cord, tossing it on the board.

Chen Nuo glanced at it, recognizing the jade carving of a tiger’s head.

The jade must have been old; its patina was clear proof that Old Jiang often fiddled with it.

Old Song looked at the Jade Tiger Head on the board and nodded, not immediately reaching for it but said calmly, "Since you’ve conceded... then, one of these days, please send Qiao Yun to represent you, to come and offer incense at my place."

Old Jiang’s expression darkened.

"Is that necessary?" he asked.

"Qiao Yun is Song A’jin’s own daughter, it’s only right that a member of the Song family does it," said Old Song.

Old Jiang took a deep breath before lifting his eyelids to respond coldly, "Song A’jin? Old Song, by lineage, you should be calling him ’Third Uncle Song,’ if I’m not mistaken."

"Our branches have long since split. Song A’jin is Song A’jin, he’s not my clan uncle anymore," Old Song said evenly.

"Take the item, but we’re done playing these martial world games!

"As for the incense offering, forget about it; my wife’s not well and prefers not to go out."

Old Song shook his head, "Old Jiang, it’s not that I want to oppose you. It’s just that... the elders set these rules, and without going through this procedure, things don’t feel settled.

"Qiao Yun has to burn the incense; it symbolizes her household’s final submission, and only then can I face the ancestors."

Old Jiang closed his eyes in contemplation, then shook his head, "Old Song, why bother? Qiao Yun and I are both well along in years, with not even a child between us... just a pair of barren old folk!

"...You wait another decade or two, and we both might just kick the bucket.

"Once we’re gone, this whole branch of the family will be completely extinguished.

"At that time, what grudges, what duels, what bowing down to burn incense, will any of it still exist?

"Why do we need to be so aggressively confrontational right now?"

Old Song shook his head, "Old Jiang, I’ve said it, I still need to adhere to the rules. If you’re not willing to burn the incense, then let’s settle it with our hands."

Old Jiang sighed.

It’s okay to admit defeat, and the item can be given away.

But to burn incense... it’s not possible.

The father of his wife, Song Qiaoyun, that old man never bowed down his entire life.

If Song Qiaoyun were really to kneel at the rival family’s shrine and burn incense, it wouldn’t just be Song Qiaoyun or himself, Jiang, losing face.

It would be burning away the face of Song Qiaoyun’s father, that obstinate old man who had been tough all his life.

Even if I agreed, Song Qiaoyun definitely wouldn’t agree.

This is the bottom line.

A Buddha lives as long as an incense stick burns; a person lives as long as his breath lasts!

"Are we really going to fight?"

"If you don’t burn the incense, then we’ll fight. Whoever loses burns the incense."

Old Jiang pondered for a moment and was about to say something when Chen Nuo’s exclamation suddenly came from behind him.

"Wow! Master! Are you guys talking about a martial world feud?!"

Old Jiang turned around to see this rascal of a disciple with an exaggerated expression, pointing at Old Song and shouting loudly, "Wow, Master! I understand now! Is he here to challenge our school?"

While speaking, without waiting for Old Jiang to react, Chen Nuo had already grabbed the Jade Tiger Head that was thrown on the chessboard, clutched it in his hand, and shouted, "In the martial world, heads can be chopped off and blood can flow, but face cannot be lost! Master! If it’s a challenge...

"Let’s fight!"

Old Jiang almost rolled his eyes in frustration and shouted, "What are you shouting about!"

As he spoke, he snatched the Jade Tiger Head from Chen Nuo’s hand and held it tightly, scolding, "Stop talking nonsense, don’t talk recklessly!"

"But I’m not talking nonsense!" Chen Nuo shouted, "I heard it clear as day, it’s just a challenge, a school showdown! Let’s fight them! If you won’t, I will!"

"Fight, fight, fight, that’s all you know! Fight what!" Old Jiang got angry, "You, who can barely manage the basic training exercises, what are you going to fight!"

"...Uh..." Chen Nuo quickly conceded, blinked his eyes, but then quickly yelled, "Master, I may be lousy at kung fu, but my Senior Brother Lin Sheng is good! Haven’t you always said that I’m not even one-tenth as skilled as Lin Sheng?

"If I can’t do it, let my senior brother take over! Beat them up!"

"I..." Old Jiang couldn’t help but cover his heart with his hand.

But the mischievous Chen Nuo had already stepped back several paces and picked up his phone to make a call.

"Kid, what are you doing?"

"Nothing much, Master, wait a second... Hello!! Lin Sheng, Second Senior Brother!! Hurry over!! Our school is being challenged!!"

Old Jiang was shocked and grabbed Chen Nuo’s mobile phone, "What are you doing!"

He was about to say something to Zhang Linsheng on the other end of the phone, only to find Chen Nuo had already hung up.

"Kid, don’t make a fuss, don’t meddle!!"

Old Jiang’s face was stern as he snapped.

"Old Jiang." Old Song’s expression also showed some displeasure, not pleased to be pointed at by a young man, but he suppressed his temper and said coldly, "Your disciple seems quite impulsive."

"He’s just a child who doesn’t know better. I’ve told you, he’s just following me to keep fit, hasn’t learned any real kung fu."

"...Master, I can’t fight, but my senior brother can! Last time he encountered a thief on Danfeng Street; the thief had a knife, and yet he still fought his way out leaving a trail of blood!" Chen Nuo continued to bicker with Old Jiang.

"You..."

Old Jiang felt like stuffing the chessboard into this scoundrel’s mouth!

"Then there’s no need to say more, Old Jiang! With such a good disciple, your lineage persists. It looks like burning the incense is indisputable!" Old Song finished speaking and stood up. "Let’s follow the rules then!"

After speaking, Old Song gave Old Jiang a salute and turned to leave.

His brawny follower gave Chen Nuo a piercing stare, scoffed, and then followed out.

"..." Old Jiang’s fingers trembled with frustration as he glared at Chen Nuo, "Kid! What’s with your nonsense and meddling!! Always causing me trouble!!"

Chen Nuo, however, grinned and said, "Old Jiang, I couldn’t tell, but you’re actually a martial arts master! The way you were talking just now was like something out of a movie.

"Hey? Since you’re a martial arts expert, why do you only teach me these fancy but useless moves?

"Damn, have you been deliberately scamming my tuition fees?"

"...Get lost!!"

"Alright! I admit my kung fu is poor, I’ll let Lin Sheng help you fight!"

"...Get out of here!!"

This time, before Old Jiang could get furious enough to throw the chessboard at Chen Nuo, Chen Nuo grabbed Chen Xiaoye and turned tail, running off...

[Last day for double monthly tickets!

The battle is fierce!!!

Seeking support!

Charge ducks~~~~~~

BANG BANG BANG~~~]