Back home, Du Qiaolan discussed the matter with Mao Yi—they had to find a proper chess teacher for Tianyou. Ma…
Back home, Du Qiaolan discussed the matter with Mao Yi—they had to find a proper chess teacher for Tianyou. Mao Yi turned to Elderly Liu, hoping the old man could take the boy under his wing. But Elderly Liu simply shook his head with a smile. "He's already beyond what we old men can offer," he said. "If you truly want to nurture him, you'll need someone from the city—a real master." With hope rekindled, Du Qiaolan made her way to the city, asking around for reputable chess players. However, when one of the renowned chess players examined Mao Tianyou, he shook his head and declined. He confirmed Tianyou's talent, but chess is a deep rabbit hole—there's always someone better out there. Without formal training, and starting this late, the road will be hard. Not impossible, but difficult and the cost will be high. The couple was devastated, sighing night after night and blaming themselves for not being wealthy enough to give their son the opportunity he deserved. Tianyou saw it all. After thinking quietly for some time, he came to them with a plan: he asked his father to make him a humble chess table and set it up just outside their front door, right in the middle of the street. "Everyone who passes by could be my teacher," he said. "If each one teaches me a single strategy, then after learning a hundred strategies, I'll go back to the city. Maybe then, a master will see how hard I've worked and be willing to teach me."