Chapter Summaries

After moving away from unfair people, the narrator settled into a frugal routine and made friends by sitting in on CAT classes with Du Le and Bai Zhigao. One night, the narrator heard Brother Wei and Sister-in-law Wei preparing in a hurry and asked what was wrong.

• The narrator saved money by cooking noodles with Chinese cabbage after moving away.
• The narrator, Du Le, and Bai Zhigao sat in on CAT lessons, where Du Le introduced Cai Wen and the narrator met several classmates.
• Du Le joked that Sun Qirui learned English by sleeping with his teacher, prompting Sun Qirui to chase him while Bai Zhigao asked for details.
• The narrator studied technical English late into the night because English was Singapore’s main official language.
• The narrator heard Sister-in-law Wei tell Brother Wei to check his documents and phone, then went downstairs and asked them what was wrong.

Sanhe used a remedy from his master's book to help Brother Wei recover from diarrhea at home. After accepting part of Brother Wei's thank-you gift, Sanhe resolved to keep studying his master's books, which he soon needed again.

• Sister-in-law Wei told Sanhe that Brother Wei had severe diarrhea, and Sanhe roasted garlic according to a remedy in his master's book.
• Sanhe gave Brother Wei the garlic, helped him rest, and offered to take him to the hospital if he did not improve.
• Brother Wei slept through the night and woke feeling well, thanking Sanhe for avoiding a hospital visit.
• Sister-in-law Wei offered to cook for Sanhe, but he awkwardly declined and left.
• Brother Wei gave Sanhe a red envelope, and Sanhe accepted 100 Singapore dollars after refusing the full amount.
• Sanhe resolved to read his master's books regularly, and soon found the knowledge useful again.

After practicing the Sunlight Gathering Practice, the narrator met his next-door neighbor, Mr. Cai, who had been learning qigong and asked him to investigate a possible feng shui problem causing his joint pain. The narrator saw ice-like spikes around Mr. Cai but was more intrigued by the protective qi surrounding him, so he asked what qigong he practiced.

• The narrator practiced the Sunlight Gathering Practice in his courtyard.
• Mr. Cai greeted the narrator and explained that qigong had eased the unexplained pain in his joints.
• The narrator described hidden illnesses and suggested Mr. Cai’s condition might be related to feng shui.
• Mr. Cai asked the narrator to examine the feng shui, and the narrator saw faint ice spikes held back by a ring of qi.
• The narrator asked Mr. Cai what kind of qigong he practiced.

Sanhe visited Mr. Cai to discuss qigong and learned about his practice of Sword-Finger Standing Practice. Sanhe explained that gathering yin to replenish yang was not distinct from gathering yang to replenish yang, leaving the deeper explanation unfinished.

• Mr. Cai told Sanhe that his master, Wu, taught free Sword-Finger Standing Practice classes at a neighborhood center.
• Mr. Cai invited Sanhe to his courtyard for tea, where they discussed qigong and Mr. Cai described learning to project qi with sword fingers.
• Mr. Cai invited Sanhe to accompany him to practice, and Sanhe accepted and introduced himself by name.
• Mr. Cai asked whether qigong replenished yang by gathering yin or by gathering yang.
• Sanhe described Emperor Jiajing's harmful pursuit of yin-gathering techniques and said that, apart from their misuse as an excuse for sexual indulgence, gathering yin to replenish yang and gathering yang to replenish yang were actually the same.

The narrator identified harmful light sha caused by the mirrors and glossy trim in Mr. Cai’s living room, then advised him how to correct it. Mr. Cai made the changes within days, and they arranged to practice the Sword-Finger Art together the following Friday.

• After discussing yin and yang with Mr. Cai, the narrator toured his home and identified the living room’s large mirror and glossy trim as feng shui problems.
• The narrator explained how reflections could create light sha and recommended removing or covering large mirrors and putting away smaller ones after use.
• Mr. Cai asked for an auspicious date and offered a thick red envelope, but the narrator accepted only $100 and left a later thank-you gift to depend on whether Mr. Cai’s health improved.
• Mr. Cai finished changing his home within a few days, and he and the narrator agreed to practice the Sword-Finger Art the following Friday afternoon.

After a month in school in Singapore, the narrator struggled to follow English and discovered that the teacher’s punchline had been in Hokkien. He later answered messages from former classmates, warning Li Guang about Singapore’s English requirements while agreeing that earning money there was possible.

• The teacher joked that his computer-scientist brother had lost his hair from worrying about technological change, and the class laughed.
• The narrator and Naja mistook the teacher’s final line for a foreign English phrase until a Singaporean woman told them it was Hokkien.
• The narrator learned that communicating in Singapore could require familiarity with several languages, including Malay, Indian languages, Thai, Cantonese, and Hokkien.
• The narrator logged into QQ and read messages from former coworkers and university classmates asking about life in Singapore.
• The narrator warned Li Guang that office work required English, and Li Guang replied that he only cared about making money.

Mr. Sanhe learned how to make noodles from Sister-in-law Wei before Mr. Cai took him to practice projecting internal qi with Master Wu. After the simple exercises made him dizzy, Master Wu told him to stand on the outside and rest if needed.

• Sister-in-law Wei showed Mr. Sanhe how to cook noodles with an egg, greens, tomatoes, and soy sauce.
• Mr. Cai called Mr. Sanhe and drove him to the neighborhood center to meet Master Wu.
• Master Wu arranged the students in a circle and led them through warm-ups and basic qi exercises.
• Mr. Sanhe became dizzy and nauseated, so Master Wu told him to stand on the outside and rest if he remained dizzy.

After Master Wu explained why the sword-finger practice had made him dizzy, the narrator realized that old frustration had caused stagnant qi and thanked Master Wu for enlightening him. On the drive home, Mr. Cai described his labor shortage, and the narrator thought of Li Guang as a possible worker for a Singapore job.

• The narrator stopped practicing after becoming dizzy, and Mr. Cai brought him to Master Wu for an explanation.
• Master Wu said the stronger qi in the center of the formation could cause dizziness when someone had pent-up emotions, and advised moving to the edge to adjust gradually.
• The narrator connected his symptoms to lingering frustration from his early days in Singapore and bowed to Master Wu for helping him understand.
• Mr. Cai received a call about a worker shortage at the Block 468 site in Tampines and explained that foreign-worker quotas limited his hiring options.
• After hearing that the job paid S$2,000 a month plus overtime and required educational qualifications, the narrator thought Li Guang could be a suitable candidate.

After Mr. Cai asked him to recommend workers, the narrator saw an opportunity to help foreign students find legal work and earn money by recruiting for Singapore employers. He began researching company law and contacting agencies back home, determined to establish a business despite needing a local director.

• The narrator told Mr. Cai about a strong, hardworking classmate who could fill the job, and Mr. Cai asked him to recommend more workers.
• The narrator recalled his own financial hardship and vowed to help others find a way forward.
• He recognized that arranging legal work visas could help students while giving him a source of income.
• The narrator messaged Li Guang with the news, researched Singapore company law, and contacted major agencies back home about cooperation.
• He learned that a foreigner starting a Singapore company needed a Singapore citizen or permanent resident to serve as a director.

Sanhe agreed to walk Li Xuan home after she explained that men in Geylang had mistaken her for a sex worker and one had followed her to her door. After joking with Li Xuan and Du Le about the request, Sanhe told them about his grand business plan.

• Du Le asked Sanhe to help Li Xuan by walking her home after class.
• Li Xuan explained that men had harassed her on the way home, and one had followed her all the way to her front door.
• Sanhe agreed to walk Li Xuan home, whether or not it was on his way.
• Sanhe joked with Li Xuan and Du Le about the request before telling them about his grand business plan.

Sanhe, Li Xuan, and Du Le discussed starting a company in Singapore, but Du Le lacked confidence and preferred finding part-time work. He then suggested visiting Lingyin Temple for a reading, and the group agreed to go on the day volunteers offered guidance.

• Sanhe explained the visa options and Singapore company law, and Li Xuan asked what kind of partner they needed.
• Li Xuan suggested asking her Singaporean cousin, a permanent resident, to serve as a director in name only.
• Du Le doubted they could start a company and said he would rather work part-time to repay his mother, while Sanhe warned that working illegally could get him sent home.
• Du Le brought up Lingyin Temple and said he had found its guidance effective before.
• Sanhe and Li Xuan agreed to visit the temple with Du Le, who explained that volunteers offered guidance one day a week.

Du Le, Li Xuan, and the narrator visited Lingyin Temple to ask whether their company partnership would succeed, and received the puzzling answer that Heaven would not lend aid. They left without understanding the warning and decided to review their plans before speaking with Li Xuan’s sister.

• The narrator, Du Le, and Li Xuan went to Lingyin Temple and joined the line to ask for guidance.
• The group watched the temple’s fuji practitioners perform a divination ritual.
• The narrator asked whether their company partnership would work out and received the answer, “Great ambitions, but Heaven lends no aid.”
• Master explained that the answer indicated resistance from above, possibly the government, but the narrator doubted this because the paperwork was legal.
• Du Le urged them to pursue part-time work instead, while Li Xuan suggested they review the plan before talking to her sister.
• The narrator compared the answer to an earlier finger-divination result and kept wondering what the warning meant.

Mr. Sanhe joined Master Wu’s practice and discovered he could sense qi projected into water and through sword fingers. Recognizing the warmth from when the Old Taoist opened his heavenly eye, he wondered whether the methods shared a common root.

• Mr. Sanhe went with Mr. Cai to the neighborhood center, where Master Wu was testing students’ sensitivity to qi in glasses of water.
• Mr. Cai and Mr. Sanhe sensed warmth above two glasses, and Master Wu explained that he and a senior female student had infused them with qi.
• During practice, Master Wu asked everyone to project qi toward their left palms using sword fingers.
• Master Wu demonstrated tracing circles above Mr. Sanhe’s palm, and Mr. Sanhe felt a warm sensation like the one from the Old Taoist’s heavenly-eye opening.
• Mr. Sanhe copied Master Wu and sensed the qi more clearly, impressed that he and the other students could project it after only a few hours of practice.

Sanhe arranged for Li Guang to apply for a physically demanding job in Singapore and reflected on his confidence that poverty would no longer hold him back. He argued with Bai Zhigao about whether hard work or luck shaped a person’s future, and hinted that Bai Zhigao would later become a fatalist.

• Sanhe warned Li Guang that the job involved tough physical labor, then collected his résumé, passport, and diploma and sent them to Mr. Cai.
• Sanhe reflected that he could choose a different life but was content with his current circumstances for the time being.
• Bai Zhigao criticized Sanhe for trusting in good fortune, insisting that people shaped their futures through their own efforts.
• Sanhe argued that effort needed favorable conditions and bet that Bai Zhigao would not be as lucky as he was.
• Sanhe recalled that Bai Zhigao later shifted from rejecting metaphysical ideas to becoming a fatalist, and that changing his outlook took considerable effort.

The narrator explained why his physiognomy-based bet about Bai Zhigao had seemed plausible, then heard that Sister Feng’s husband had beaten her for walking the dog late. Back in class, the narrator and Du Le overheard someone ask if another person was being kept, but did not learn who it was.

• The narrator described Bai Zhigao’s sensitive features, restless voice, and unsteady gait as signs that he could not bear good fortune, while noting that his appearance later changed.
• Du Le told the narrator that Sister Feng’s husband had grabbed her by the hair and beaten her for being late to walk the dog.
• Du Le said Sister Feng had cried after the beating, then wiped her tears and gone out to walk the dog.
• The narrator and Du Le returned to class and overheard someone ask, “Does that mean you’re being kept?,” while Bai Zhigao continued talking with Weiwei and the others.

The narrator and Du Le overheard Cai Wen offer Jin Ling'er help finding a wealthy boyfriend, then tried to keep Bai Zhigao from learning what she had said. After class, they escaped Bai Zhigao with excuses, leaving him confused.

• The narrator and Du Le overheard Cai Wen explain that she dated men for money and offer Jin Ling'er an introduction to a businessman.
• Cai Wen told Jin Ling'er that her potential boyfriends could be unmarried, separated, or widowed.
• Class began, and the narrator and Du Le relaxed after pretending not to have overheard the conversation.
• After class, Jin Ling'er spoke to Cai Wen about finding a boyfriend, and Bai Zhigao interrupted to warn that dating was expensive.
• The narrator and Du Le distracted Bai Zhigao with an excuse, then separately made excuses to leave him standing in confusion.

Wang Sanhe visited Li Xuan’s cousin and advised her that artificial flowers could contribute to attracting petty schemers, then spoke with Little Bun about her complaints regarding her Singapore coffee-shop job. He arranged to visit her in Wuluo the next day, where Du Le also said he had something important to discuss.

• Li Xuan asked Wang Sanhe to check why her cousin kept attracting petty schemers, and Wang agreed to visit for half a day’s wages.
• Wang Sanhe examined Li Xuan’s cousin’s home, advised her to remove the artificial flowers, and gave her simple suggestions about arranging the space.
• Little Bun called Wang Sanhe crying because her coffee-shop workplace lacked air-conditioning, attractive surroundings, and handsome coworkers, though the agency had not promised those things.
• Wang Sanhe arranged to visit Little Bun’s workplace in Wuluo with a friend after class the next day.
• Du Le told Wang Sanhe he would meet him in Wuluo at noon and had something to discuss, then hurriedly ended the call.

The narrator met Du Le at Wuluo Coffee Shop, where Du Le asked for help because Sun Qirui feared he had a sexually transmitted disease. The narrator reassured him that it was likely a false alarm, and they went to eat with Little Bun while Sun Qirui agreed to visit the hospital.

• The narrator met Little Bun at Wuluo Coffee Shop and waited for Du Le to arrive.
• Du Le pulled the narrator aside and said Sun Qirui feared he had a sexually transmitted disease after being with an American woman.
• The narrator told Du Le that Sun Qirui's problem was probably nothing serious and advised him to go to the hospital.
• Du Le messaged Sun Qirui, who agreed to go to the hospital that afternoon.
• The narrator introduced Du Le to Little Bun, and they tried her Singapore-style dim sum and sweet vegetable and pork buns.

Sanhe tried to persuade Du Le and Little Bun that working for a company was not necessarily safer than starting a business, while the three of them chatted at Little Bun’s shop. The conversation ended when Sun Qirui called Du Le with news that the test results were ready.

• Little Bun burned her hand while handling a steamer basket, and Sanhe advised her to apply soy sauce to it.
• Sanhe and Du Le told Little Bun they had been scammed out of their tuition money, helping her feel better about her own troubles.
• Little Bun doubted that starting a business was worthwhile because most entrepreneurs failed, and Sanhe challenged her belief that working for someone else was safe.
• Du Le and Little Bun agreed that starting a business was still riskier, then blushed when Sanhe teased them about being in sync.
• Sun Qirui called Du Le to say the test results were back, and Du Le anxiously asked how they turned out.

After reuniting with Sun Qirui, Sanhe and Du Le heard how he had recovered from a health scare and asked about his American girlfriend. Sun Qirui hinted that he was a skilled craftsman, but Du Le failed to understand what he meant.

• Sun Qirui reassured Du Le over the phone that his illness had only been a minor infection.
• Sanhe suggested that Little Bun and Du Le exchange contact details before the friends said goodbye to her.
• Sanhe, Du Le, and Sun Qirui reunited, and Sun Qirui said that surviving his scare had put things in perspective.
• Sun Qirui explained that he and his American girlfriend communicated with gestures, guesswork, and translation software.
• Du Le asked how they were compatible, and Sun Qirui hinted that he was a skilled craftsman, but Du Le mistook the remark for a song lyric.