“Brother-in-law is right,” my younger sister spread out the competition roster, laying out each event. Having recently learned about our elder brother’s situation with Xue Miaoyin, she wanted to join our efforts to help him win his future wife. “Elder brother, if you miss this opportunity, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
“But…” my elder brother was still hesitating. “I really don’t know which event I could participate in.”
“Let’s go through them one by one,” I picked up a roster. “Gambling is out, not something you can master quickly.”
“No, no,” my elder brother shook his head vigorously. “You know I’m not good at riding horses.”
“Lifting weights?”
“Lifting weights? Although my brother has decent strength, it’s only good for chopping vegetables and firewood. I’ve heard Nanrui has many strong men, so he’d definitely be at a disadvantage,” my younger sister objected.
I tossed it aside. “What about this? Speed walking.”
My elder brother still shook his head. “I walk slower than a Lantern Festival parade.”
“How about this,” Anjin picked up a roster. “Mechanical arts.”
My sister and I exchanged a glance, thinking this was quite feasible. In the three-country competition’s mechanical arts, contestants demonstrate their ability to dismantle mechanisms with their hands, with the fastest time winning. Our elder brother, meticulous in his cooking, had developed quick and precise knife skills, giving him the dexterity and flexibility perfect for mechanical arts. He habitually tried to shake his head but was intimidated by our collective gaze.
I wrote “Xiao Wang” on the roster and solemnly handed it to Anjin.
“But—” my elder brother looked at us expectantly.
I asked earnestly, “Don’t you want to get married?”
My elder brother nodded without hesitation. “But—”
“Stop with the ‘buts’! Are you going to watch Miaoyin marry someone else?” my younger sister gave him an exasperated look.
My elder brother’s face reddened with anxiety.
“But—what is mechanical arts?”
We three looked at each other for a moment. My elder brother clutched his head: “Maybe hunting or speed walking. I’ll train hard these two months.”
“I have an idea!” my younger sister suddenly slapped the table. “We can ask Sitian to help, and have the Tang clan’s young master teach elder brother mechanical arts.”
