“Cousin, come quickly!” Yuan Wan turned her head searching for Ming Zhaohuan but couldn’t find him. When she looked back and saw him still sitting in his original spot, apparently talking with Shi Jianli, she paused slightly before calling out with a laugh.
“Let them play to their heart’s content first. If I join now, they won’t feel any sense of accomplishment,” Ming Zhaohuan first replied to Shi Jianli, his tone gentle yet carrying undeniable pride.
Then he turned to Yuan Wan, “You all play first. I’ll join you shortly.”
Hearing this, Yuan Wan quietly concealed her disappointment and turned to watch Ming Yuelin play Pitch-pot.
“Head arrow in mouth, You Chu, four points!” Tian Feng announced loudly, his booming voice making the atmosphere particularly lively.
Shi Jianli nodded slightly at this, then turned holding a small basket of cherries to watch the crowd gathered around the game. From time to time, she picked up one or two cherries, putting them in her mouth to bite, some juice staining her lips.
Ming Zhaohuan also looked toward his younger siblings playing Pitch-pot, his gaze inadvertently falling on her crimson lips, momentarily lost in thought.
Realizing what he was looking at, he raised his eyes, brushing past her cool, elegant features before quickly lowering his head to drink tea.
The slightly cool tea flowed down his throat, his Adam’s apple bobbing as the chill in his chest suppressed the abnormal palpitations in his heart.
Soon came Tian Feng’s scoring voice from nearby: “Second arrow in ear, one point, total five points!”
“Third arrow leaning on the pole, no points, total five points!”
Leaning on the pole meant the arrow entered the pot at an angle without fully going in.
“Fourth arrow in mouth, two points, total seven points!”
…
“Last arrow Ending Hit, six points, total twenty points!”
“Excellent!!” The spectators all cheered.
Ming Yuelin lifted her chin proudly, “How about that? Even with a leaning arrow, I didn’t miss a single shot. Impressive, right?”
“Impressive,” Ming Zhouqing praised supportively. “My turn next.”
“Here, making way for you!”
The excitement continued for quite some time, with Tian Feng’s scoring announcements ringing out intermittently.
After watching for a while, Ming Yuelin ran over, took the basket from Shi Jianli’s arms and set it down, pulling her up: “Pear Sister, come play too. Don’t just sit there.”
After pulling her up, she turned to Ming Zhaohuan, “Big brother, you should play a round too and show us your skills!”
“Alright.” Ming Zhaohuan stood up and followed behind them.
“Make way, make way! Our master archer is here!” Ming Yuelin pulled Shi Jianli along, pushing Ming Zhouhe aside to make space for Ming Zhaohuan.
Just then, Ming Zhouwu finished his turn and was looking for the next player.
Tian Yu, who was collecting arrows, placed the arrow tube at the throwing spot.
Ming Zhaohuan bent down to pick up an arrow, weighed it in his hand, then aimed at the pot’s mouth and threw it.
“You Chu, four points, total four points!”
“Lian Zhong, two points, total six points!”
“Triple Hit, two points, total eight points!”
“Quadruple Hit, two points, total ten points!”
The spectators all clapped and cheered, “Excellent!!”
…
“You Zhong, six points, total twenty-six points! Double the entire pot, total fifty-two points!!”
“Big brother, you’re amazing!” Ming Yuelin exclaimed excitedly, looking at Ming Zhaohuan. “Third brother was just one arrow away from a full pot, but you got them all!”
Ming Zhouhe crossed his arms and chuckled, “When you praise big brother, do you have to use me as comparison?”
“Hehe~” Ming Yuelin turned to give him a guilty smile, then pulled Shi Jianli again. “Pear Sister, your turn.”
Pear Sister was very accurate with arrows – perhaps she could achieve a full pot too.
Shi Jianli smiled and nodded slightly, “Mm.”
Tian Yu picked up the arrows, and Ming Zhaohuan casually took them, placing them beside Shi Jianli’s feet.
Shi Jianli bent down to draw an arrow, steadied herself, raised her hand to aim at the pot’s mouth, and effortlessly tossed it in.
“You Chu, four points, total four points!”
The second arrow also entered the pot’s mouth.
“Lian Zhong, two points, total six points!”
The third arrow similarly went into the pot’s mouth.
“Triple Hit, two points, total eight points!”
Drawing the fourth arrow, as she steadied herself, Shi Jianli lowered her gaze, slightly tilted her wrist downward, and threw it with force.
The arrowhead struck the edge of the pot’s mouth, emitting a crisp sound.
“Fourth arrow narrowly missed, no points, total eight points!”
“Fifth arrow narrowly missed, no points, total eight points!”
Ming Zhaohuan glanced at her hand, then her expression, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
Ming Yuelin, seeing this, comforted, “Pear Sister, don’t be nervous.”
Shi Jianli turned to look at her and smiled. “Alright.”
She bent down to draw the sixth arrow, tilted her wrist slightly to the left, and threw it again.
“Sixth arrow Guan Er, one point, total nine points!”
“Seventh arrow Guan Er, one point, total ten points!”
“Eighth arrow narrowly missed, no points, total ten points!”
Ming Yuelin watched with bated breath, looking even more nervous than Shi Jianli.
Beside the rockery outside the garden wall stood two middle-aged men—one tall and imposing, the other upright and elegant, their brows bearing some resemblance.
“That young girl is quite interesting. Whose family is she from? I haven’t seen her before.” Ming Weisheng, the Duke of An, watched the commotion with surprise and asked his younger brother with a smile.
Compared to his eldest son, who could occasionally return home two or three times, Ming Weisheng had been guarding the border for a full six years.
Ming Weishen, with his hands behind his back, replied, “The one playing Pitch-pot now?”
“Yes.”
“My wife’s sister’s daughter. Both her parents passed away, so she had no choice but to seek refuge here.”
Speaking with pride, he added, “She excels in the Six Arts and Eight Refinements, no less capable than any young man.”
Hearing this, Ming Weisheng looked at Shi Jianli with even more curiosity.
“Ninth Valiant Arrow, one point, total eleven points!”
Shi Jianli looked at the pot, reached for the final arrow, but accidentally knocked over the arrow tube.
Ming Zhaohuan, being nearby, stepped forward to help pick them up. As he bent down, he whispered, “Why hold back?”
Shi Jianli paused as she took the arrow, flexed her wrist, and calmly replied, “My arm got tired, so naturally, my aim wavered.”
Ming Zhaohuan glanced at her lowered eyes, smiled, and nodded, though it was unclear whether he believed her or not.
Shi Jianli took aim and cleanly threw the final arrow. Soon, a “clink” sound was heard.
“You Zhong, six points, total seventeen points!”
“Bravo!!” The onlookers cheered generously.
“Pear Sister, you’re amazing!” Ming Yuelin laughed as she pulled her back.
Shi Jianli looked at her. “You’re the best at cheering people on.”
“You really are skilled; I only scored nine points,” Yuan Wan also praised with a smile.
After Pitch-pot, they played games like Shuanglu Cards and Liubo chess until the sun set behind the western hills, then dispersed.
On the way back, Shi Jianli walked side by side with Ming Zhouhe.
Ming Zhouhe asked, “Cousin, you deliberately missed the pot, didn’t you? Why?”
He knew her accuracy—when she first arrived at the estate, she had intentionally missed in archery too. After observing her for a while this time, it wasn’t hard to notice she was purposely throwing outside.
Shi Jianli moved closer to him and whispered, “Aunt told me that Guogong Furen intends to pair Second Cousin with Yuanjia Biao Jie.”
Having said this, Shi Jianli didn’t elaborate further.
Unfortunately, Second Cousin doesn’t seem to have any feelings for Yuanjia Biao Jie. It’s actually the Eldest Cousin that Yuanjia Biao Jie has taken a liking to, though it’s unclear what the Eldest Cousin thinks about this.
Upon hearing this, Ming Zhouhe understood the purpose of this small banquet. He chuckled softly and leaned in to whisper, “They won’t succeed.”