Chapter 15: Pitch-pot - Rebirth of the Noble Daughter
Chapter 15: Pitch-pot
"Great! Feng Er, you're really something! You can hit the pot bullseye even blindfolded!"
Second brother?
What's going on? Is he showing off again?
Blindfolded pitching? Is he not afraid of someone reporting this to Princess Changlin, and repeating the tragic fate of the past life?
Just as she was thinking about how to deal with him, she saw that Bai Siruo was already excitedly pulling them both over.
The pitch-pot area was set up not far from the warm pavilion.
As today's banquet was a mixed gathering of men and women, the pitch-pot area had attracted a crowd of curious female spectators.
The married women naturally took a keen interest in the unmarried ladies of their families, and some bold ones even started cheering.
Feng Er's arrowhead was as sharp as a hawk's eyes, accurately hitting the copper pot every time, eliciting praises from the surrounding crowd.
The young nobleman who lost nearby, feeling resentful, could only leave in frustration, unable to match Feng Er's skills.
"Boring! There isn't a single skilled player in the Eastern Capital!"
Su Cheng's expression of satisfaction made Susheng grit his teeth.
This kid couldn't go a day without showing off.
"Oh? Second cousin, you say that, but I find it hard to swallow."
Bai Siruo squeezed her way forward from behind, with Feng Jinyao and Xu Mingyue in tow.
Feng Er was still boasting, but then he saw his sister glaring at him, as if warning him not to be too ostentatious.
"Hey hey, cousin, would you like to give it a try?"
"Naturally, but if we're going to compete, let's make it a bit more challenging. I have a few lotus pitch-pots that can be placed on the Water Pavilion Lake. The lake is fed by underground springs, so it doesn't freeze. If cousin doesn't mind, shall we have a water pitch-pot contest?"
Su Cheng applauded, "That would be great. I've heard that Miss Bai's pitch-pot skills are not inferior to Feng Er's. Today, we are fortunate to witness it firsthand."
Bai Siruo smiled brightly at this moment. Riddle-solving might not be her forte, but pitch-pot was her strong suit, and she wanted to show off in front of Wei Lanxuan and the others.
"Cousin, if you're interested, I'll accompany you."
"Second brother!" Feng Jinyao spoke up to stop him, but surrounded by so many people, she couldn't explain the reason in detail.
So she casually found an excuse and said to him again, "Didn't you injure your hand during the hunt? You'd better rest. If cousin insists on competing, I'll do it."
She narrowed her eyes and stared at Feng Er, her warning evident even to a blind man.
This time it was Feng Er's turn to widen his eyes. When did he injure his hand? He didn't know?
Su Cheng was also puzzled. They had been together during the hunt, so how could he not know? He was about to speak up when Feng Er stopped him.
"It's my sister who's concerned about me. My hand really hurts."
Saying that, he clutched his right wrist and cried out in pain, making those who didn't know think he had injured his wrist.
Bai Siruo was also puzzled, what kind of play was this?
Could it be that Feng Er had some secret that couldn't be told to others?
But everything was prepared, and not competing would be losing face.
So she took Feng Jinyao's hand and asked eagerly, "Cousin, can you pitch-pot too? Why haven't I heard of it before? Are you sure you want to compete with me?"
Feng Jinyao, helpless, pursed her lips. She didn't expect this kind of limelight.
But Feng Er was so ostentatious, she couldn't just let it go. If she didn't suppress him, she was afraid they would repeat the mistakes of the past, and how could that be allowed? So she had to go through with it.
"Cousin, rest assured, I do know some, but compared to you, I'm probably far behind."
"Until the results are out, don't talk nonsense. Let me see your skills first. I have sharp eyes, and if you deliberately lose to me, I'll know how to deal with you!"
Frightened by her pretended capriciousness, Feng Jinyao reluctantly agreed, "I'll do my best."
The pitch-pot competition was judged by points.
Hitting the pot bullseye scored one point, hitting the pot ear scored two points, and the most difficult was piercing through the pot, which would score five points if achieved.
However, this move hadn't been seen for many years, so when the rules were established, this step was omitted.
Each person had ten arrowheads, and there was no need to take turns. Soon, the lotus pitch-pots were floating on the lake, drifting along with the underground spring below.
"Cousin, let's begin." Bai Siruo gave the order and took the first shot, hitting the nearest pot bullseye.
The crowd cheered, and even Feng Er looked at her with more appreciation than usual.
"You, little girl, underestimate you." After saying that, he burst into laughter and went to instruct Feng Jinyao on the side.
Although she didn't know why her sister had stopped him from participating, as her elder brother, how could he allow her to fall behind? So he quietly gave her some pointers from behind.
"Keep your mind calm, focus your energy on the tip of your right hand, and aim your eyes, arrow, and heart at that lotus pot. Be bold in your throw."
Nervously rubbing the arrow shaft, this scene reminded her of some past events.
When Wen Mengsheng, who was no worse than Feng Er in pitch-pot, had just gotten married, he had tried to show a harmonious relationship with her, so he had taught her, a completely ignorant novice, very skillfully.
Then, because of the leisure in the back court, pitch-pot had become her pastime for a while. Therefore, her pitch-pot skills were not something ordinary people could compare to, but she never showed them off in front of others.
"Clang." Bai Siruo hit another bullseye. This was her fifth shot, and while the crowd applauded her, they also quietly laughed at Feng Jinyao, who had not yet made a move.
"Miss Feng San can't see clearly? Or does she not have enough strength in her hand? She's about to crush the arrowheads, why hasn't she thrown them yet?"
The one speaking was the young nobleman who had just lost to Feng Er. His eyes were full of revenge, and his tone was naturally unfriendly.
Feng Jinyao glanced at the man, and soon recognized him as a former friend of Wen Mengsheng.
Although he had complimented her face to face in the past, she had overheard him trying to trip her up behind her back several times.
Birds of a feather flock together.
Disgusting!
Turning her head, she aimed and threw several arrows at the pot, hitting the bull
seye every time.
Feng Er was shocked to see this. He had never seen his sister practice pitch-pot before. Could she be a genius!?
With a surprised look in his eyes, he was about to say something when he saw Bai Siruo hit three pot ears in a row, doubling her score and widening her lead.
"Cousin, how about that?" Bai Siruo's eyes showed admiration for Feng Jinyao's skills and confidence in her own abilities.
Encountering such a opponent, Feng Jinyao naturally wouldn't intentionally lose, because that would be the greatest insult to each other.
Concentrating again to prepare for the next throw, she suddenly heard a voice, "Is she Miss Feng San?"
Plunk, the two arrows fell into the water, and Feng Jinyao's heart was in chaos.
It was all because of that person, she couldn't forget no matter how many times she died.
Wen! Meng! Sheng!
It's his voice.
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