Courtyard House: Jia Zhangshi! How dare you hit my sister?

Upon hearing Qin Huai'an's words, Li Yunlong immediately laughed and scolded:

"Hey! You little rascal, you've got a whole set of lies to tell!"

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and wiped his mouth.

"However, what you said makes some sense. Being assigned to a suitable position is a good thing both publicly and privately."

After a pause, Li Yunlong continued:

"That's settled then. I'll take care of this mess for you later. But before that—"

He gestured with his chin towards the chessboard on the stone table next to him: "How about playing a couple of games with Old Li?"

Qin Huai'an knew how to play chess. He nodded: "Okay, sir."

"Let's play a couple of games!" Li Yunlong said with a smile, and then took out the chess pieces from a wooden box next to him.

As the two set up the chessboard, Li Yunlong said while arranging the chess pieces:

"I, Old Li, come from a peasant background and am not a cultured person."

"Playing chess is purely for leisure."

"It's not like Old Li is putting a scallion in his pig's nose—pretending to be an elephant!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Qin Huai'an chimed in, "Commander, I haven't had much schooling either; I'm just like you, from humble beginnings. You're too modest."

"Hahahaha!" Li Yunlong laughed heartily.

"Sure! But let me tell you, even though I come from humble beginnings, when it comes to chess, most people can't beat me!"

"When Lao Tzu led his troops into battle, he emphasized surprise attacks and combining courage with strategy."

"Playing chess is no different from fighting a war! Today, Old Li will teach you a good lesson!"

Qin Huai'an smiled at Li Yunlong's words and did not refute them.

Although he didn't know Li Yunlong's chess skills, he found the man's way of speaking quite interesting—even if his language was rough, being around him didn't feel uncomfortable; on the contrary, it felt quite warm and approachable.

Soon, the chessboard was set up, with the Chu River and Han border clearly marked.

Li Yunlong waved his hand dismissively: "Come on! I'll give you a chance! You can go first!"

Qin Huai'an didn't hold back and chose to advance his pawn as his first move—this was considered the safest opening.

Li Yunlong grinned at the foot soldier and said heartily, "Flying Elephant!"

"..."

Before long, the two had walked more than ten steps.

It must be said that Li Yunlong is indeed quite skilled at playing chess.

Qin Huai'an wasn't exactly a master, but he wasn't a complete novice either.

But now, he had been routed and his defenses were in grave danger.

But besides the chess game, Qin Huai'an also noticed another detail—

Whenever Li Yunlong was thinking, his left hand would unconsciously rub his left knee.

Moreover, on this sweltering day, he intentionally or unintentionally rested an enamel mug filled with hot water on his left knee to keep warm.

Occasionally, a cool breeze would drift through the courtyard, which Qin Huai'an found quite refreshing, but Li Yunlong would almost imperceptibly inhale the cool air, and his knees would tremble slightly.

In the past, Qin Huai'an certainly wouldn't have paid attention to these details.

But ever since he obtained the book "Tian Yuan Needle Classic", he would subconsciously observe these physical signs.

Judging from Li Yunlong's current symptoms, it is clearly a common case of rheumatoid arthritis, also known as chronic leg pain.

This disease is a chronic and stubborn ailment that is extremely difficult to cure.

Whether it was a misperception or not, Qin Huai'an seemed to see a faint layer of grayish-white aura swirling around Li Yunlong's knees.

He wanted to speak frankly—it would also be a good opportunity to try out the ideas in the "Tian Yuan Needle Classic".

According to the treatment method in his mind, with a few acupuncture treatments, Li Yunlong's condition could be completely cured.

But the words caught in his throat—saying them would be too abrupt.

Why would Li Yunlong believe that a young man like him could cure rheumatism?

After a moment of contemplation, Qin Huai'an spoke seemingly unintentionally as he placed his piece:

"Commander, this game of chess is like a battlefield... We're just launching a fierce attack without considering our rear."

Li Yunlong didn't take it seriously and laughed loudly, "Haha! When I fight, I fight head-on breakouts, and I fight the elite troops!"

Then he looked at Qin Huai'an: "Hmm, kid, your playing style is fucking too soft!"

Qin Huai'an smiled, and said meaningfully:

"Sir, you are absolutely right."

"But in war, logistics are also very important."

"If the supply lines are blocked by cold and damp conditions, and ammunition delivery is disrupted, even the fiercest offensive will be difficult to sustain."

He paused, then looked up at Li Yunlong: "If it's going to rain, your old base... probably received the intelligence long ago and started getting upset, right?"

Who is Li Yunlong?

Qin Huai'an's words had a hidden meaning; how could he not understand it?

"Hey! You little rascal!" Li Yunlong laughed and scolded, not holding back at all.

"Are you making fun of me, Old Li?"

He patted his left leg. "This chronic rheumatism of mine is a lingering ailment from the war!"

"When you were young, crossing grasslands and lying prone in the freezing snow, isn't that normal?"

"Don't laugh at Old Li, I've been to the hospital for this, and there's absolutely no way to cure it!"

He took a sip of tea and added:

"But you're right about one thing—my old, rheumatic legs are as unpredictable as the weather forecast!"

"If it ever acts up, it's definitely going to rain!"

Qin Huai'an quickly waved his hand: "Commander, you've misunderstood me."

"I'm not making fun of you; on the contrary, I admire you very much."

He straightened his expression and said, "It's like this... rheumatism is actually not incurable."

Li Yunlong was taken aback, then laughed even louder:

"Hey! You brat! You've got quite the nerve! I've been to several hospitals, and they all say this thing can't be cured!"

"Didn't I just tell you? You're still spouting nonsense!"

He slammed a chess piece onto the board: "Old Li likes to brag sometimes, but I've never seen anyone brag like you before!"

Qin Huai'an quickly explained, "Sir, I'm really not bragging."

"To be honest, when my grandfather was alive, he was a traditional Chinese medicine doctor."

"Back then, many people suffered from rheumatism. He used a set of acupuncture techniques specifically to treat it, and the results were particularly good."

He observed Li Yunlong's expression and continued:

"I've just learned this acupuncture technique. What I mean is... I can try giving you a few acupuncture sessions to see if it's effective."

"Anyway, I'm not charging you any money, so you're not losing anything."

"If that doesn't work, you can curse me—I'll even be shot!"

Li Yunlong burst into laughter at these words.

"You brat! What era are we living in? Besides, this isn't the military, where they just shoot people all the time!"

He stroked his chin, his eyes darting around:

"But what you said isn't wrong... although I don't really believe what you're saying."

"But we won't lose out if you give us a couple of injections."

"It would be best if it could be cured, but there's no real loss if it can't be cured."

He slapped his thigh: "Alright! Tell me, how do you want Old Li to cooperate?"