I slowly stepped out of the formation and tried again, but I was still dizzy. So I simply stopped practicing and crouched at the edge of the training ground to watch the others.
Mr. Cai looked at me in puzzlement, but it was not a good time to talk. Once everyone had finished, he came over and asked, "Why did you stop early?"
I described how I had felt, and Mr. Cai asked, "Can you stand up now?"
I slowly stood up to check. Huh? I was fine now?
Mr. Cai took me over to Master Wu. Before either of us could speak, Master Wu smiled and asked me, "Have you been stewing over something someone did lately?"
"Huh?" I did not catch his meaning.
Master Wu explained, "I generally put new students in the middle of the formation. The sensation of qi is strongest there, which helps open up the meridians and qi channels throughout your body.
"But if you've been stewing over something, being somewhere with a stronger sensation of qi can suddenly speed up the flow of qi and blood, making you dizzy and nauseous. You can move to the outer edge, where the sensation is weaker, and adjust slowly."
"Oh... so that's why."
Once Master explained it that way, I understood.
When he first mentioned stewing over something, nothing had come to mind.
Thinking about it now, things had kept going wrong when I first arrived in Singapore. Perhaps some pent-up frustration had blocked my qi without my noticing.
But I was easygoing. Once something was over, I forgot about it.
I had forgotten what happened, but the qi was still stagnant inside me. After living with it for so long, I had grown used to it. When the blockage suddenly cleared, I could not adjust.
No wonder the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon said, "All illnesses arise from qi."
Life depended on that breath of qi. When it did not flow smoothly, all manner of illnesses arose.
No wonder both Taoism and Buddhism placed such importance on sitting in meditation and observing the breath.
Even emotional fluctuations we barely noticed could cause qi to stagnate, leaving us completely unaware.
No wonder the Buddha said in the Forty-Two Chapters Sutra that wealth and lust were like licking honey from a blade.
Wealth, lust, fame, and gain stirred people's emotions and disrupted the flow of qi and blood. The harm they sowed could prove fatal.
Most illnesses in life were caused by emotions.
Only then did I truly understand the emotional therapy described in the Tianyi Notes.
I bowed deeply to Master Wu.
That bow was not just for Master Wu's simple yet miraculous practice and the blessings it brought to others. It was also because his words had awakened me, clearing away my confusion and bringing me a sudden understanding.
On the drive home, Mr. Cai took a work call through the car's hands-free system.
"Boss, we're short of people at the Block 468 site in Tampines tomorrow," a brisk female voice said.
"Ask A Kun to lend you two people first. Work overtime tonight and tomorrow night to catch up. Keep posting the recruitment ads on all the platforms for a few more days too," Mr. Cai instructed.
After hanging up, Mr. Cai chatted with me. "Singapore is too small. Everywhere is short of workers."
"Why not hire people from China? Wages in China are low. Plenty of people want to work abroad but can't find an opportunity!"
"Ah," Mr. Cai sighed. "We can't just hire foreigners as we please. There are quota restrictions. We have to hire six Singaporeans to get one slot for a worker from China, and my company has used up all its slots."
He continued, "We do still have SP slots, but applying for an SP requires certain educational qualifications."
Educational qualifications?
That immediately brought Li Guang to mind. He was a bona fide graduate of a C9 League university. His qualifications would not be a problem.
"How much does it pay?" I asked.
"The monthly salary is S$2,000, with overtime paid separately at one and a half times the normal rate. That's not a low salary, but my company builds outdoor stages. Locals don't want to do it because it's hard work. Foreigners with educational qualifications aren't too keen on it either."
S$2,000 meant a monthly salary of over ten thousand yuan, plus overtime. Compared with the two or three thousand paid back home, that was very good money indeed.
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