live-in son-in-law

·Chapter 3 Poem

Time flew.

Before he knew it, three months had passed since he’d arrived in this ancient world. Spring had slowly melted into the height of summer. Gardens, rockeries, pavilions, courtyards, streets, painted boats—Ning Yi was gradually getting used to this place. But a lot of the time, he was just… bored.

Maybe he was too used to being busy. Now, with no computer, no work, nothing to do, he often felt restless. The Su family was perfectly happy with his boredom. After all, the whole point of bringing him in as a *live-in husband* was to give Su Tan’er a reason to stay in her own home instead of marrying out. And that reason worked best if he wasn’t causing trouble. Still, overall, he was enjoying this slow life—wandering around, observing ancient customs, checking out the local women, letting his mind drift. Most often, he’d see something and instinctively calculate how much profit could be made, how to turn it into a business.

“I’ve been a CEO for too long. I’ve lost it”, he’d laugh at himself. But those were just passing thoughts. He’d tuck them away and move on.

Compared to his easygoing routine, his nominal wife Su Tan’er was clearly swamped. But no matter how busy, she almost always came home on time for meals. In that sense, the ancient world had its perks. Women couldn’t act as freely as men, and the pace of work wasn’t as suffocating as in modern times. There were no laptops, no constant flights, no torrent of information to manage. In an era without instant communication, you couldn’t really become a workaholic. You always had time to rest because after you gave an order, the other side hadn’t even processed it yet.

She probably thought he was genuinely simple-minded. Whenever they ate together, she was always the one starting conversations, sharing news, keeping things lively. Ning Yi would respond casually. After years in business, he’d mastered the art of sounding engaged even when he wasn’t. He was way better at it than her. Every time they had a meal, it reminded him of *Mr. & Mrs. Smith*.

After dinner, if it rained, they’d usually stay in their own rooms. Su Tan’er would read, sometimes play the zither or do embroidery. He’d just read, write, or zone out. Occasionally he’d sketch out business models or hypothetical stock market plays like he used to, but then he’d lose interest. Unless something urgent came up, Su Tan’er might take the carriage out. On clear days, Ning Yi usually went out wandering, and she’d go check on the family shops. They went their separate ways.

The maid Xiao Chan always followed him. After these few months, she’d basically become his dedicated attendant—arranged by Su Tan’er, no doubt. Xiao Chan clearly tried to build a rapport with him, chattering away while tidying up, sharing bits of gossip or updates about where the young mistress had gone or what she’d done. It was obvious she admired and liked Su Tan’er, who treated her servants well. Ning Yi usually just nodded and smiled in response. When they went out, the girl always trailed behind him. Sometimes he felt bad and would stop at a teahouse to rest and snack. She’d pull*** (broken silver) from her delicate little purse to pay. It gave him the feeling of being a pampered young master in ancient times.

Modern life wasn’t that different. He hadn’t swiped his own card to buy anything in years… Heck, he hadn’t really gone shopping himself in ages.

Lately, he’d taken to watching people play chess by the Qinhuai River.

It was a quieter street on the outskirts, not too busy. No major shops—just vendors with carrying poles. Not many pedestrians either. Under a tree by the river, an old man often set up a chessboard. Sometimes a few other old men would watch; sometimes scholars stopped by. There was a tea stall nearby. Once, when he and Xiao Chan were tired and resting there, he’d casually watched a game. Both old men were highly skilled. *This is ancient times for you*, he thought. *Even random old-timers are this good*. After that, he started coming often. One old man was always there; the opponent changed. But over time, he recognized the regulars. The skill level was generally high.

This kind of mental exercise was one of the few forms of entertainment he could find here. Actually, the Qinhuai River was known as the most luxurious and lively area, full of pleasure boats and courtesan houses. It lit up all night. As he walked around, he often heard romantic gossip. But he had to be careful. As a *live-in husband* of the Su family, that kind of fun was basically off-limits. Not that he minded—in his previous life, he’d already experienced every kind of luxury and excess. He wasn’t very interested now.

Then one day, the sky was overcast but not yet raining. He and Xiao Chan went to the tea stall. Two old men were playing. After a while, a servant came over and said something to one of them. The old man nodded. “Old Qin, something urgent at home. This game…”

“It’s evenly matched. Shall we call it a draw?”

“That would be best…”

After a few more polite phrases, one man left. The other began clearing the board. Ning Yi finished his tea and stood up. “Nothing to watch now. Xiao Chan, pay up.”

As Xiao Chan reached for her purse, the old man spoke up. “Young master, you’ve been coming often to watch. You must have some insight into the game. Would you care for a round?” *No opponent. Just grabbing whoever’s around.*

“Uh…” Ning Yi glanced at the sky. “I’m average… Sure.”

He sat down opposite the old man. As they collected the pieces, the old man asked the usual questions—where he was from, etc. Ning Yi answered vaguely. After guessing for color, Ning Yi took white and made the first move without ceremony. *Tap.*

“Hmm, this opening…” The old man glanced at him, frowned slightly, and followed.

They played about a dozen moves. The old man’s frown deepened. “If I may ask, young master, who taught you to play?”

“I learned from manuals. Self-taught.”

“Ah, no wonder…”

After that, the old man didn’t say much. Under the tree by the river, they played in silence. Xiao Chan sat to the side, occasionally checking the sky. She didn’t understand Go at all—only that the old man took longer and longer to think, his wrinkles deepening. Sometimes he looked up at Ning Yi or shook his head briefly. On the board, white’s forces spread aggressively, while black’s formations crumbled.

After a little over an hour, the old man resigned. He looked Ning Yi over carefully. Ning Yi still wore that faint, amused expression. “Your skill is… remarkable, young master. But your methods… might they be somewhat…” The old man searched for words. Ning Yi, collecting the pieces, smiled. “The goal is to win. It’s like two armies clashing. Why fuss over methods?”

“Go is a gentleman’s pursuit…”

“You think you can judge a person’s character by how they play Go?” Ning Yi said casually, picking up the stones. “Is it accurate?”

The old man paused, thought for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile and helped clear the board. “Not very accurate, no.”

With the board put away and rain threatening, Ning Yi and Xiao Chan headed back toward the Su residence. Along the way, Xiao Chan kept glancing at him with surprise. “Did you win, young master?”

“Yeah. Probably shouldn’t go back there to watch games anymore.”

“Why not?”

“Didn’t you see? He thinks I’m a bad guy now.”

“He thinks you’re a bad person just because of a game?” The girl looked back. “It must be because you won and he’s upset… What a sore loser.”

She was just saying it. The old man was clearly cultured and wouldn’t get angry over a loss. But in this era, Go had a certain etiquette. Friends played openly, with restraint. They avoided aggressive or undignified tactics. To Ning Yi, though, chess was just a mental battle. And with the gap in strategic knowledge, despite the old man’s high skill, Ning Yi’s relentless tactics crushed him. It gave Ning Yi a small sense of satisfaction—a modern man outsmarting an ancient.

When they got home, Su Tan’er was also returning. The maid Xing’er was directing people carrying bolts of fabric—probably new inventory, brightly colored and patterned—up to her room. Seeing them, Juan’er came downstairs holding a large wooden box. “Young master, young master! The young mistress heard you like playing chess. She saw this today and bought it for you!” Actually, it was a gift someone else had given her—a Go set she had no use for. Ning Yi was surprised. “Well, thank her for me.”

“You can thank her yourself!” The girl giggled and ran back upstairs. Ning Yi shook his head and carried the set to his room. *Who am I supposed to play with here? I don’t know anyone.*

Upstairs, Juan’er imitated Ning Yi’s voice: “Young mistress, the young master said, ‘Thank her for me.’” Su Tan’er, who was going over account books, tapped her lightly on the forehead. The master and servants had grown up together; though hierarchy was observed, they were as close as sisters. But when Su Tan’er was busy, jokes were best kept short. After reviewing the books, she examined the new fabrics. Soon, Xiao Chan and Xing’er came in. Seeing Xiao Chan, she smiled. “Did you go out with the young master to watch chess again today?”

“Yeah.” Xiao Chan shook her head. “I don’t get it.”

“I don’t care for Go either.” Su Tan’er stretched. She’d been out all morning and was finally able to relax a little. She picked up a piece of rice paper from the desk and frowned at Xiao Chan. “Did the young master really write this poem?”

Xiao Chan had brought it that morning. She leaned over to look. “Yes, I saw him write it. He said he was practicing calligraphy.”

Su Tan’er studied it a few more moments before putting it down. Xing’er, who hadn’t seen it yet, came over curiously. All three maids had learned some poetry and math. They scrunched up their faces as they read:

*Three lotuses float on jade pool…

Raft holds lovesick thoughts, dew beads…

Wet sand wall, dusk secluded, dawn silent…*

“What does it mean?”

In his room, Ning Yi was gathering draft pages to throw away or burn. He’d written ten pages practicing calligraphy yesterday and just realized one was missing. After a moment, he laughed softly. “No way you’d understand it…”

Then, a thunderstorm broke.

Summer rain came down hard. The sky darkened like evening amid the roaring downpour. But pushing open the window to see the gardens and residences soaked in rain had its own peaceful charm. From his view, he could occasionally see Su Tan’er and her maids moving about in the room across the way. Soon, Xiao Chan came over with some colorful fabric swatches. Ning Yi was at his desk examining the new Go set. “Young master, the young mistress said this is new silk. She asked me to measure you for new clothes. Which color do you like?”

“Whatever.”

“Can’t just be ‘whatever’ for new clothes,” she muttered, taking out a soft tape to measure his height and build. Ning Yi gazed out at the rain, then at the young girl beside him.

“Busy this afternoon?”

“Not really.”

“Let’s play chess.”

“I don’t know how to play Go.”

“Not Go. I’ll teach you *Gomoku*.”

“*Gomoku*?” She looked up at him, puzzled. She’d never heard of that game…

So, that usually quiet little courtyard soon began to echo with a young girl’s cheerful exclamations that afternoon. Though generally calm and mature, Su Tan’er was only eighteen, and her three maids were just fourteen or fifteen. When something fun came along, they couldn’t help but get excited. In the room across the way, Su Tan’er sat by the window reading. Xing’er and Juan’er sat on small stools embroidering. Occasionally, they’d hear a distant cry of “I won! I won!” through the sound of rain and couldn’t help looking up curiously. After this happened a few times, Xing’er pricked her finger with a needle, sucked the tip, and peered toward the other room in confusion.

“What’s gotten into Chan’er…?”