Noodles boiled in plain water

I had arranged to meet Mr. Cai on Friday evening to practice. Since I had no classes that afternoon, I got ready at home ahead of time.

It was best not to eat for an hour before or after practicing, so I had dinner a little early.

Once again, it was my specialty: noodles boiled in plain water.

Sister-in-law Wei was home that day too. When she saw how I cooked my noodles, she couldn't help saying, "When you cook noodles, it's best to wait until the water boils before putting them in."

"Oh? Is that how you do it?" I scratched my head awkwardly.

Seeing that I lacked even basic common sense, Sister-in-law Wei couldn't bear to watch anymore. "How about I cook them for you this time, and you watch?"

Before I could refuse, she had already started as she spoke.

I didn't even know how to help, so I just stood blankly to one side, then took another two steps back and kept my distance so I wouldn't get in her way.

Watching Sister-in-law Wei's practiced movements as she cooked, I had just one thought: What a wonderful homemaker...

No wonder Sister-in-law Wei had wanted to cook a bowl herself to show me. Her bowl of noodles overturned everything I thought I knew about cooking them.

My noodles consisted of water, noodles, and salt, with a cabbage leaf at most.

But Sister-in-law Wei added an egg, leafy greens, tomatoes, and savory soy sauce.

Red, green, white, and yellow mingled with the light broth, sending up wisps of ethereal steam.

It was like a little fairy appearing and disappearing amid swirling mist, dressed in rainbow robes, untouched by the mundane world.

And beside it sat the pale bowl I had just cooked...

Without a comparison, my noodles looked all right.

Only when I compared them did I realize they were so ugly I couldn't bear to look, a pitiful sight that was hard to swallow.

I was impressed with myself. How had I managed to eat them so happily for so long...?

Although I still hadn't learned how to cook a beautiful bowl of noodles, getting to eat such an ethereal bowl left me deeply touched.

Not long after dinner, Mr. Cai called. "Mr. Sanhe, shall we head out?"

I went downstairs, brimming with delight.

Mr. Cai drove me to the neighborhood center.

I was still very curious about projecting internal qi. This was the legendary art of shaping qi into a sword!

What man didn't dream of being a hero?

Before long, we met the Master Wu whom Mr. Cai had mentioned.

He looked about fifty, with a slim build, average height, and regular features. Nothing about him stood out. He was perfectly ordinary.

So ordinary that once he disappeared into a crowd, you would never find him again.

When we arrived, there were still a few minutes before class, and Master Wu was working on an older woman's body.

Projecting internal qi worked by stimulating the circulation of qi and blood, opening the meridians, and expelling pathogenic qi.

Master Wu advocated practicing and cultivating on your own, so he focused on teaching.

Only a few people with weaker constitutions would ask him for a little assistance, if they saw that he had time.

More and more students trickled in. Most were longtime students who had practiced with Master Wu for years.

When class started, everyone formed a circle in the small square. Master Wu had Mr. Cai, me, and some of the other newer students stand in the middle, while the longtime students stood around the outside.

After warming up, we moved into a half squat, held an imaginary ball, felt for qi, formed sword fingers...

Every movement was simple-so simple it was ridiculous.

I couldn't help wondering whether we could really develop qi this way.

Before long, I felt dizzy and nauseated and couldn't stay on my feet. I slowly straightened my legs, lowered my hands, and sank my qi into my dantian.

Master Wu had been watching everyone's condition the whole time. As soon as I straightened up, he came over and said softly, "Try standing on the outside first. If you're still dizzy, squat down and rest."