"When I was young, things were pretty much like they are for you two now. There were fewer sports students back then, though, so we actually had more chances to compete. I even went abroad for an exchange program.
"Of course, that's nothing compared to you, a bona fide athlete who's won awards and brought honor to the country."
At dusk, three young people sat at a roadside food stall on the outskirts of the city, eating skewers and listening to Teacher Li talk about his youth.
Since Niu Niu needed a favor, he'd already downed a bottle of liquor without being asked. With that to loosen things up, the conversation flowed smoothly.
Teacher Li rested his cane across his lap, his refined face full of nostalgia.
When he learned that Sister Pomegranate had retired after winning the national championship, he'd even raised a toast to her. He clearly knew how to conduct himself, without a trace of the arrogance people claimed martial artists had.
But there was no doubt he'd seen a lot in life.
He said he was only thirty-nine, but his hair was already graying. He was always smiling as he spoke, making him seem remarkably approachable. Yet that approachability clashed with the impressive skill he'd just shown. If Niu Niu and Pomegranate hadn't come looking for him at their grandfather's suggestion, they'd have taken him for an ordinary, cheerful middle-aged man if they'd run into him on the street.
"Teacher Li, were those moves you just showed us from a Southern style?"
Sister Pomegranate had also had a few drinks. Seeing that they'd nearly finished chatting, she steered the conversation to the point and asked:
"What style are you best at?"
"A little of everything. I've studied all sorts of things."
Old Li laughed heartily and