Literary Master 1983

Chapter 251 Finally, we got to play bridge (Part 2)
"Play cards? What kind of cards?" Yu Qie didn't react at first.

“Of course, we’ll play bridge!” Ma Shitu said.

Yu Qie immediately realized what was happening.

Oh, that bridge game.

All that bridge practice between the two of them really paid off; they've been waiting for this day.

Could it be caused by my thesis on yen loans?

Yu Qie asked Ma Shitu, "What's the reason I'm being asked to go? The dam, the thesis, or 'Returning to One's Roots'?"

Ma Shitu shrugged: "You're asking me? Who should I ask?"

Alright, there's zero information to provide. The master and apprentice hadn't slept all night; they were getting quite excited just thinking about it.

Playing bridge was a popular form of entertainment in the 1980s. A little-known fact is that among the earliest members of the International Bridge Association in mainland China were people like Mr. Qiao.

Many prominent figures around the world enjoy playing bridge, from the fledgling investor Warren Buffett to the Earl of Mountbatten in England, and even Bill Gates, who is currently preparing to start his own IT business—all are skilled bridge players. It is, to some extent, an internationally recognized social game.

China also has a dedicated bridge association and bridge players, who at this time were already able to go abroad to participate in international competitions.

Finally, we got to play bridge!

"Should we play Southwest Bridge, the local bridge style of Sichuan Province, or international bridge?" Yu asked.

Ma Shitu waved his hand dismissively, saying, "It's fine with them. Let's just play cards, talk less, and think more."

Then, Ma Shitu looked Yu Qie up and down, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Yu Qie, we're just playing cards, nothing else... Don't be nervous or too unrestrained, just keep a calm mind."

Old Ma set a rule—just focus on playing cards and don't think about anything else.

“Okay!” Yu Qie readily agreed.

------

To the west of the Forbidden City, there are two interconnected lakes, Zhonghai and Nanhai. Connecting these two lakes leads to the place Yu Qie is going to this time.

It's not that mysterious; it's just a big park. In my past life, when Yu Qie came to Beijing for tourism, he wandered around the entrance.

As long as you don't step inside, the staff at the entrance won't bother you. Many college students come here to take photos and joke around.

The following day, Yu Qie and Ma Shitu went in by car and then walked along the lake. The place was lush with trees and blooming with flowers. In the distance, they could see the pavilions of the Forbidden City and the skyline of modern buildings in Beijing.

As Ma Shitu walked, he introduced things to Yu Qie:

“During the Liao and Jin dynasties, this area was developed specifically as a residential area. It was called ‘Zhaigong’ at the time. Yes, that’s the place. It was also requisitioned during the Republic of China era and became the Presidential Palace. I was teaching at the time and saw the news in the newspaper. I thought to myself, what’s so good about this place? Why is it always being requisitioned?”

"And then?" Yu Qie asked.

"Then, decades later, I came here to give a report. After walking around for a while, based on my experience, I suddenly realized that this place was relatively safe, and geographically speaking, it was relatively isolated. Of course, this also meant that it took us a long time to get in..."

"How many times have you played cards here?" Yu Qie asked Ma Shitu.

"Ten times...dozens of times?" Ma Shitu was dumbfounded.

"The difference in these numbers is too big," Yu Qie complained.

Ma Shitu explained: "Every time I come here, I chat and play cards at the same time. Sometimes the people playing cards change, and they are not the same group at all. Sometimes we suddenly stop for a while and then continue. The latest we play is until four or five o'clock in the morning... Do you think this counts as once or several times?"

Oh, no wonder.

Yu Qie then asked, "What's the etiquette like when we play cards here? Are there any taboos?"

"Of course it exists, but you have to observe it yourself. I won't tell you yet."

Walking along the lake were not only the master and apprentice, but also their bodyguards. These men had bulging temples, ears with no sharp edges, and thin but well-proportioned figures, making them look like they were good fighters.

This is a top-tier martial arts master, someone who genuinely knows kung fu.

Kung Fu star Li Lianjie played a bodyguard in this film, but it's unknown whether he could beat the real person.

Needless to say, they went through various checks along the way. Everyone inside knew Ma Shitu and Yu Qie, and they were all very friendly towards him. In short, they rested for about ten minutes from the main gate to the inside, and they weren't left waiting.

It was the officer in military uniform who first said:

"Comrade, please wait a little longer, Mr. Qiao will be here soon."

Then, Mr. Qiao's daughter came to greet them: "Excuse me, please wait a little longer, we'll be right there, right away."

Ma Shitu and Yu Qie waited and waited, actually half an hour passed, and finally a table was set up, with eight stools and four pots of tea. Qiao Gong walked in and said, "Brother Ma, I'm sorry for being late."

Then he said to Yu Qie, "Yu Qie, we meet again. I asked your teacher to invite you. You happen to be in the capital. Ma Shitu has been to the capital many times, but I heard he rarely sees you. This makes me seem like I don't know how to behave."

"—So, I specially invited you here to play cards," Qiao Gong said with a smile.

It's hard to describe Yu Qie's feelings at this moment. Perhaps in other people's eyes, Yu Qie is already an incredible figure, and Jiang Wen is willing to be Yu Qie's devoted servant. But as the book "The Turbulent Thirty Years" says, in this era, the person in front of him is the one who "gave the era a shock".

"I've also read your new novel, 'Falling Leaves Return to Their Roots,' it's well written."

"How does it compare to 'The Way Out'?" Yu Qie asked proactively.

When the Mao Dun Literature Prize was awarded, Qiao Gong said that this was his favorite novel.

Sure enough, Qiao Gong immediately shook his head: "Then 'The Way Out' is still better written. My enthusiasm for this novel is partly due to my personal feelings. I haven't read a traditional novel in a long time, but after reading yours... hey, it's not so boring. I tried to pick up some other novels and read them... none of them are as good as yours."

This statement is undoubtedly a strong assessment.

If Wang Meng heard this, he would probably break out in a cold sweat—his mind is currently filled with all sorts of literary works, and he's specifically trying to write something that's not very easy to understand.

Ma Shitu listened, raised an eyebrow, and felt a little amused.

Then, Mr. Qiao's own daughter joined him on the court, forming a four-person team to begin the official competition. This was international bridge, a game that the Yenching University Bridge Association mainly enjoys playing. The requirement was that the four players were divided into two teams, North-South and East-West, to compete against each other.

Yu Qie and Ma Shitu are partners, and opposite them is another pair of partners.

Bridge is a scoring system, played round after round, making it very addictive. Simply put, the first player agrees on a score to achieve beforehand, and the second player tries to defend it. If the first player reaches the score, it's called a winning trick; if the second player successfully prevents the first player from reaching the score, it's a successful defense.

...The rules can be very complex, and there are many ways to play. The reason why this game is so popular internationally is similar to that of Go. It originated from the common people and was a product of the working class. Then it gradually attracted the wealthy and powerful. Later, a series of cultural figures became fans of bridge, which led to the development of "bridge philosophy" and "bridge ethics." Bridge style became linked to personal character...Playing bridge began to become a very sophisticated activity.

Subsequently, its league was developed quite well. As early as before World War II, the first World Championship for bridge was held, and bridge associations were established in various countries (including China).

George R.R. was a bridge enthusiast. Wherever he went, if he encountered a skilled bridge player, he would invite them to play a game. Due to the global popularity of bridge, these games also had a social aspect, and sometimes they were played purely for social purposes.

After several rounds of back and forth, the situation began to become clear. In short, Ma Shitu played terribly, and Yu Qie was going to lose.

"Snapped!"

With the last card played, the opponent reached the score first, and the first round ended.

We really lost.

Yu Qie was speechless. At first, Lao Ma played recklessly, and Yu Qie thought Lao Ma was playing the favor card and letting his fellow villager win, but later he realized that Lao Ma was really a bit of a pushover.

Baochai, my Baochai, if you were here with me, with your mechanical brain, how could I be beaten so badly that I couldn't fight back?

Mr. Qiao was also someone who loved to review and analyze his work, and so was his daughter.
This is terrifying. After the game, the father and daughter would bring up the controversial hand again, and then study it with serious expressions. Then, Mr. Qiao would speak up: "Why did you play like that in this hand?"

"I don't know..." Ma Shitu said in a panic.

Qiao Gong then began to lay out the cards, recreating the scene from that time: "Brother Ma, you could have played like this, or like this... either way you could have continued playing, but you chose to play like this, how could you not lose?"

Ma Shitu blushed and said, "I haven't played for a while, so I'm a bit rusty."

Qiao Gong laughed heartily: "Yu Qie must be unwilling to accept defeat. You played too cautiously, Brother Ma. When it's time to bid, you should bid decisively... As long as you're not wrong in judging the situation, don't be timid."

Ma Shitu nodded and said, "I'll learn from this experience and try again."

Yu Qie temporarily believed what Lao Ma said.

Then, three more rounds came. Except for the second round, when Yu Qie had an exceptionally strong hand and won by sheer luck, he lost every other round.

The interesting thing about bridge is that even if you have a lot of strong hands, you can still lose if you bid too cautiously. Ma Shitu happened to be a very cautious player, so when he should have won, he didn't get enough points and was overtaken later.

Yu Qie pondered it over: This is a once-in-a-lifetime strategic opportunity, and you, Lao Ma, can't seize it?

No wonder Mr. Qiao enjoyed playing this game so much; he probably especially liked this kind of game of strategy that involved prolonging the battle and waiting for the right opportunity.

Nie Weiping, who was playing Go in Tokyo, had previously been invited to play bridge, probably more times than Ma Shitu. Whether Nie was playing on personal connections or was genuinely not very good at it—the end result was that Nie lost to Qiao Gong in bridge many times.

Back in Tokyo, Yu Qie and Lao Nie played bridge together, and Yu Qie asked about this: "Lao Nie, I heard you always lose. Are you really bad at it, or are you just pretending?"

Old Nie told the truth: "They definitely can't beat me, but their skill level is really high. If I hold back even slightly, I'll be surpassed; if I hold back too much, it will be obvious."

So, was my teacher, Ma Shitu, "pretending to be confused," or was he truly unable to win?

They played all afternoon until 6 p.m.

Qiao Gong's daughter urged him to eat several times, but Qiao Gong was in high spirits and didn't want to eat. He then asked Yu Qie and Ma Shitu, "Are you two going to eat? Or should we pack up and go eat?"

As long as Yu Qie and Ma Shitu show even the slightest sign that they're still willing to play, well, this game won't end.

The four of them chatted casually throughout the meal, but not a single word was about work. Furthermore, nothing related to work was discussed during the meal either.

No wonder Lao Nie and Ma Shitu love playing cards.

With free food and drinks and no worries about saying the wrong thing, of course he was happy to play cards. Qiao Gong was very happy that day; he basically won all day. Later, when Yu Qie and Qiao Gong became teammates, they also won more than they lost. The only loser of the whole game was Ma Shitu.

The moon was high in the sky, and it was already dark when Yu Qie and Ma Shitu came out.

Qiao Gong's daughter, Qiao Nan, accompanied the master and apprentice for a while, then couldn't help but chuckle and said, "My dad doesn't know his limits when he plays cards. He loves to play, but he rarely plays for this long. The last time he played for this long was when Yang Xiaoyan came to the capital. He, Ms. Yang, and several other leaders played against each other for four or five hours straight!"

Yang Xiaoyan is an American of Chinese descent and a world bridge champion. She currently serves as an advisor to the Chinese national bridge team.

Yu Qie was a little surprised; that Master Qiao had been fighting for quite a long time today.

Emerging from the "Great Park," they found someone already waiting, having arranged a car to take Yu Qie and Ma Shitu back to Gulou Street. Yu Qie didn't say anything in the car, but as soon as they got out and the door closed, Yu Qie asked Ma Shitu, "Teacher Ma, was it like this the last few times you went to play cards?"

Ma Shitu asked, "What do you mean?" He thought Yu Qie was blaming him for playing poorly, and couldn't help but defend himself, "I just wasn't playing well today. Let's play a few more times, and you'll see me win..."

Unexpectedly, Yu Qie was talking about the card game itself: "We played cards all afternoon, and we really just played cards. We didn't talk about anything else. Was it always like this?"

Ma Shitu nodded emphatically: "When it's time to have fun, don't talk about work. That way we can play for a long time without any pressure."

"Then why call me here? Why not call someone else?"

"I just admire you," Ma Shitu said dismissively.
-
From July 7th to August, Yu Qie would join them for card games every two or three days, for varying durations. Ma Shitu's luck improved somewhat, but he still lost more than he won. Playing cards with Ma Shitu was always enjoyable; it was most interesting to play with someone who was stubborn but lacked skill, as he always managed to make his fellow villagers laugh heartily.

Once you figure out each other's playing styles, the game becomes more mechanical, and there's always a strategy with the highest win rate.

Yu Qie plays this way. Qiao Gongte loves challenging himself, so he's always on the opposite side of Yu Qie. He's figured out how to deal with Yu Qie. However, every time he finds a way to defeat him, Yu Qie will increase the difficulty. Ma Shitu is also bad at playing, which makes it so that their team loses despite giving it their all. It's so addictive for Qiao Gongte.

“Yu Qie! Your playing style is very different from your teacher’s. Your teacher is cautious, but sometimes too cautious; you are sure to win with one strike, but you also have to take risks and need to be especially patient. Fundamentally, I still prefer your method.”

"You're a novelist, how would you describe your card-playing style?"

Without a second thought, Yu Qie decided to "hide his abilities and bide his time."

Qiao Gong's hand trembled slightly as he picked up the cards. He nodded and said, "Well said."

Upon hearing this, Ma Shitu licked his lips. He had terrible luck and poor skills, yet he was still defeated by Yu Qie, who was desperate.

Instead, Qiao Gong laughed heartily: "That's more like a young person."

Meanwhile, Yu Qie's paper and subsequent report continued to generate buzz within the small circle of economics; on the other hand, "Children of Heaven" finally premiered simultaneously in Shanghai and the capital, sparking a nationwide movie-going frenzy. People rode bicycles from Gulou Street to the Forbidden City, seeing long queues along the way; asking anyone at random revealed...
"Comrade, what are you doing?"

The person replied, "I'm watching a movie. The theater said that five percent of the ticket price will be donated to Ali's sister. Every time I watch a movie, I'm donating again."

Because he went to play cards too many times in a short period of time, when Qiao Gong had free time, he simply called Ma Shitu or Yu Qie and asked them to come over. However, Ma Shitu and Yu Qie had different schedules, so Yu Qie rode his bicycle to play cards by himself.

Are you going to Central by Yamaha heavy motorcycle?
That's definitely not possible.

That day, Yu Qie received another phone call. He put on a denim shirt, hopped on his Bridgestone bicycle, and rushed to his destination.

(End of this chapter)