I Am Ip Man, I Can Take on Ten

Although Hao Shuai knew from the story that Ip Man was currently destitute—his wife was pregnant, he could not work, he had no students to teach Wing Chun to, and he could not even afford the rent—he had always assumed it was merely written that way for the plot. No matter what, Ip Man had once been a rich second-generation heir. He should have had some savings.

But seeing Ip Man's complexion and expression now, Hao Shuai realized that Ip Man was truly living in poverty.

Still, Ip Man's poverty was a good thing for Hao Shuai. After all, money was the one thing Hao Shuai lacked least.

If money could buy him all of Ip Man's ultimate techniques, Hao Shuai would have loved to throw the cash right in front of him on the spot.

"Master, your Wing Chun is so formidable, and you only charge five dollars a month?" After learning that the tuition was only five dollars, Hao Shuai felt it did not match Ip Man's worth and proactively suggested a higher price. "Isn't that too cheap? How about charging more?"

"No, no, five dollars is enough. If it's too expensive, no one will pay to learn martial arts," Ip Man refused.

Hao Shuai thought about it and found that reasonable. Although five dollars a month was nothing to him, the economy was in a slump now. Even a senior clerk only earned three hundred dollars a month, and five dollars was enough to feed an entire family for a day.

If the fees were too high, no one would come to learn boxing. Ip Man could not possibly take Hao Shuai as his only disciple.

Hao Shuai directly took out two hundred dollars from his trouser pocket and handed it to Ip Man.

"This is?" Ip Man looked at the money in his hand in confusion, unable to understand what Hao Shuai meant.

"Master, this is three years' worth of tuition," Hao Shuai explained.

When Ip Man heard that Hao Shuai was paying three years of tuition at once, he hurriedly refused. "There's no need to pay so much all at once. You can pay monthly."

"Master, I'm paying three years in advance to show that I won't give up halfway, and to demonstrate my determination to learn martial arts." At that, Hao Shuai bent one knee and cupped his hands. "At the same time, I sincerely ask Master to pass on the essence of Wing Chun to this disciple."

Hao Shuai's "determination"—his power of money—deeply moved Ip Man. He hurried forward to help Hao Shuai up and said happily, "Good, good. Since you want to learn, I'll certainly teach you with all my heart. Let's start learning now."

Seeing Ip Man accept the money, Hao Shuai breathed a sigh of relief. "Master, I need to take care of some personal matters first. I'll come back tomorrow morning to learn."

"That's fine. Just come straight up tomorrow!" Seeing that Hao Shuai had business to attend to, Ip Man did not insist. It was getting late anyway, and he could go home and tell his wife that he had taken on a disciple and earned some money, which would make her happy too.

"Thank you, Master."

After bidding Ip Man farewell and coming down from the rooftop, Hao Shuai hailed a rickshaw and went to a nearby police station to register his Hong Kong residency. At the time, Hong Kong's residency management was extremely lax. No matter where someone came from, they could immediately obtain local residency as long as they registered at the local police station. This policy remained in place until it was abolished in the 1970s.

Hao Shuai had specifically registered for residency so he could buy property in Hong Kong. After all, he would be staying for several months. He could not keep living in hotels, and he did not have much faith in the standards of Kowloon City's hotels at the time. Buying a house outright seemed more convenient.

After leaving the police station, Hao Shuai sold off a batch of jewelry at several places. Once he had money, he wasted no time buying a furnished ninety-square-meter house on Wing Lung Street through an agent, ready for immediate move-in.

After giving the agent a twenty-dollar bonus, the agent enthusiastically helped Hao Shuai hire a cleaner and buy daily necessities and bedding.

Hao Shuai had no plans to buy kitchenware. He intended to freeload meals from his master. It seemed that Master's wife Zhang Yongcheng was quite a good cook.

Besides that, Hao Shuai bought several sets of clothes from a clothing shop, suitable for everyday wear and martial arts practice in this era.

After finishing all that, Hao Shuai ate a large bowl of noodles downstairs, went home to practice his telekinesis for a while, and then went to bed.

Though Hao Shuai was usually lazy and laid-back, whenever he decided to do something, he would give it his all and strive to do it as well as possible.

So early the next morning, when the sky was only beginning to brighten, Hao Shuai did not laze in bed as usual. Instead, he got up, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and took care of his business.

Once he was ready, Hao Shuai left home, had breakfast at a street stall downstairs, and packed a serving for Ip Man as well.

When he reached the rooftop, Hao Shuai saw Ip Man already practicing on the wooden dummy.

"Xiao Shuai, you're here!" Ip Man beamed upon seeing Hao Shuai.

He could not help but smile. The previous night, his landlord had happened to come by to collect rent. The money in Zhang Yongcheng's hands had not been enough to pay it, but Hao Shuai's two hundred dollars had relieved their urgent predicament. Otherwise, Ip Man did not know how he would have faced that situation.

It could be said that Hao Shuai had saved Ip Man's dignity. Naturally, Ip Man felt a measure of gratitude and joy toward him.

Hao Shuai sympathized with the man. Poverty had forced a martial arts grandmaster into such a state. It truly was the misfortune of the times.

"Morning, Master." Hao Shuai smiled. "I brought you breakfast."

"I've already eaten. Thank you, Xiao Shuai," Ip Man said sincerely.

Hao Shuai assumed Ip Man was thanking him for the breakfast. Only Ip Man knew that he was thanking Hao Shuai for the tuition.

"Xiao Shuai, before formally learning Wing Chun, let me explain what Wing Chun is," Ip Man said.

Wing Chun was an extremely scientific and systematic martial art. Its strength lay in close-quarters combat.

Its punches were fast and its defense tight. Its stances were flexible, its advancing and retreating quick, and it combined attack and defense, defending and attacking simultaneously. It emphasized the balance of hardness and softness while consuming little energy. Wing Chun used a method of generating force called "Inch Power" for both attack and defense.

Its theory and internal principles emphasized the centerline, keeping the elbows in, pursuing the form toward the face, attending to both sides, retaining what came and sending off what left, and charging straight in after releasing the hands. It attacked and defended in the shortest distance and time possible.

The primary hand forms of this art were Phoenix Eye Fist and Willow Leaf Palm. Its main forms were the three sets of Little Idea, Seeking the Bridge, and Biu Jee, along with the wooden dummy.

Its basic hand techniques centered on Three Side Hands, along with Crushing Hand, Lifting Hand, Breaking Parry Hand, Sinking Bridge, and Sticky Strike. Its main stances included Four-Equal Horse Stance, Three-Character Horse Stance, Chasing Horse Stance, Kneeling Horse Stance, Independent Stance, and others.

It was a martial art that combined internal boxing with close-range fighting. Grounded in real combat, its chief characteristics were varied techniques, flexible application, springy punches, short bridges and narrow stances, and skill in generating Inch Power. Its methods included broad sidesteps, slight forward and backward tilts, plowing, blocking, spreading, warding off, feeling, swinging, pulling, judging the situation and remembering it firmly, and keeping the center with bent arms. It was marked by techniques such as connecting, intercepting, sinking, thrusting, warding, wrist fingers, sticking, feeling, pressing and swinging, stealing, leaking, and the body movement and footwork of the Two-Character Clamping Yang Stance. Through the sensitive feel of the skin and muscles on the arm bridges, it brought out the force of internal boxing through Inch Power.

"Our Wing Chun combines attack and defense. Every attack and strike aims to knock down the opponent in the shortest possible time."

"Look, this is the Spreading Strike."

"Deflect and strike together—the Sun-Character Straight Punch."

"Do you understand?"

"..."

Ip Man was a highly conscientious master and very patient. Whenever Hao Shuai did not understand something, he patiently explained it over and over again.

Hao Shuai also learned with great seriousness. He was not a dull person to begin with, so he learned quickly. Thus, the master was satisfied and the disciple fulfilled. In only half a day, the two had developed a bit of master-disciple affection.

Before they knew it, noon had arrived. Hao Shuai knew Zhang Yongcheng would bring Ip Man food, so he first said goodbye to Ip Man, went down from the rooftop, found a restaurant, and packed several meat dishes.

When Hao Shuai returned to the storeroom, he saw Ip Man sitting in a chair eating. Beside him sat a beautiful pregnant woman with a gentle and graceful temperament. On the table were a plate of greens and a plate of fried eggs.

Seeing Hao Shuai return, Ip Man introduced them. "Xiao Shuai, this is your Master's wife, Zhang Yongcheng. Yongcheng, this is the disciple I've taken, Hao Shuai."

After the introduction, Ip Man asked, "And didn't you go home?"

"I went downstairs to buy food. I didn't know Master's wife would bring you a meal," Hao Shuai answered as if unaware. "Since Master's wife is here too, let's eat together!"

With that, Hao Shuai took out the roast goose, braised pig trotters, and char siu he had packed and placed them on the table.

"How could we accept this? You should eat it yourself," Ip Man declined.

Having a master with such strong pride and such thin skin, Hao Shuai had to consider his self-respect at every turn just to treat him a little better. Thinking of how Ip Man had even felt embarrassed to collect tuition in the story, and would delay payment when his students had no money, Hao Shuai felt utterly exhausted!

"Master, I was afraid there wouldn't be enough, so I bought a lot. How could I possibly finish it all alone? Wouldn't it be a waste to throw away what I can't finish? Besides, you're my master. As the saying goes, 'A teacher for a day, a father for life.' Isn't it only right that I show you filial respect?" Hao Shuai persuaded him solemnly.

"Fine, then. I'll let you spend money on us this once." Since Hao Shuai had put it that way, Ip Man could only agree.

"Come, Master's wife, eat with us. Please help me serve a bowl of rice. Thank you!" Hao Shuai said to Zhang Yongcheng.

"Xiao Shuai, here's your rice." Fortunately, although Zhang Yongcheng was a woman, she was not as fussy as Ip Man. After serving Hao Shuai his rice, she began eating directly.

Taking the bowl, Hao Shuai lowered his head and began eating in large mouthfuls. After practicing all morning, he had long since grown hungry.

After the meal, Hao Shuai wanted to help Zhang Yongcheng clear the dishes, but she refused. Then Ip Man called him over to continue explaining the parts Hao Shuai had not understood earlier.

When Zhang Yongcheng had finished washing the dishes and came down from the rooftop, Hao Shuai said something to Ip Man before following her down and catching up with her. He took out three hundred dollars from his pocket and handed it to Zhang Yongcheng. "Master's wife, you know I came to Hong Kong alone, with no family or friends here. I live by myself and can't be bothered to cook, so I'd like to trouble you to add one more pair of chopsticks for lunch and dinner from now on. This is this month's food money."

"It's only right for me to cook for you. There's no need to give money, and this is far too much," Zhang Yongcheng declined.

"It's only right that I pay for meals. Otherwise, I'd be too embarrassed to eat here in the future. Besides, Master's wife knows I have a big appetite and like meat, so I hope you can buy more meat."

"All right, then. I'll accept the money. Hurry back upstairs," Zhang Yongcheng said as she took it.

"Goodbye, Master's wife!"

For the following week, Hao Shuai studied Wing Chun with his master every day. From time to time, he bought fruit, cigarettes, and alcohol for his master and Master's wife, making Ip Man feel quite embarrassed. He could only devote himself wholeheartedly to teaching Hao Shuai.