abnabooks Chapter 21: Nurturing the Play, Nurturing the People, Nurturing That Breath of Air
Chapter 21: Nurturing the Play, Nurturing the People, Nurturing That Breath of Air
In the following days, Lu Cheng's name was no longer displayed on the signboard at Deyun Tea Garden.
This is called "nurturing the play".
In the world of Peking Opera, leading actors are a rare breed.
That's why those cabbages by the roadside are piled up there for sale every day.
A truly great actor might only show up once every ten days or half a month; that's called "warming up their voice," and it whets the audience's appetite.
If you perform every day, the audience will get tired of it, and it will become worthless.
In the past few days, the snow in Beiping City has melted and fallen again, then melted again.
In the courtyard of Qingyun Class, the old locust tree's bare branches pierce the sky.
Lu Cheng wasn't in a hurry.
Besides practicing stances and forms twice a day without fail, he would spend the rest of his time sitting under the eaves, holding the white wax spear in his hands and wiping it with an oilcloth over and over again.
Cleaning a gun is also like cleaning your heart.
Shunzi and Xiaodouzi, these two little guys, are now Lu Cheng's "two generals".
I got up before dawn and stood in the snowdrift in the "Three-Body Stance".
This task is tedious.
With my legs slightly bent, I stood for an hour straight, my thighs and calves cramping and aching as if a thousand ants were biting me.
But neither of them dared to move unless Lu Cheng called a halt.
"Master Cheng, I... I can't feel my legs..." Little Bean grimaced, his voice trembling with tears.
Lu Cheng sat in the rattan chair, holding a yellowed script in his hand, without raising his head.
"It's right if you don't feel anything."
"That's to replace your clumsy, rigid strength."
"When you can stand until your thighs stop aching and you feel a warm sensation running up your heels to your lower back, that's when you've finally grasped the basics."
Lu Cheng put down the script and looked at the two children.
In the past few days, he has thoroughly reviewed the principles behind his martial arts skills.
In the early stages of Chinese martial arts, there are three levels of principles.
Overt strength, covert strength, and neutral strength.
This "manifest strength" is both the entry point and the foundation.
It's like crushing and reshaping all the bone fragments in your body, twisting the scattered strength in your limbs into a single rope.
When ordinary people fight, they rely on the momentum of their arms swinging in a wide arc.
When someone who has mastered Ming Jin throws a punch, it's as if their entire body weight is pressing down on the target.
Before the punch arrives, the wind comes first.
When it hits the air, it makes a crisp sound; that's a sound that's priceless.
That's the sound of muscles and bones resonating together!
Only when you reach this stage can you be considered a formal disciple of the martial arts school and be qualified to receive an apprenticeship certificate and be included in the family genealogy.
As for internal strength...
That's training down to the pores.
With a single thought, one closes all the pores of the body, preventing the leakage of qi and blood, and containing one's strength without releasing it. Striking someone is like hanging a painting, injuring their internal organs invisibly.
That's the skill level of a "head instructor" in a large martial arts school.
That's Lei Laohu, whom we met at Tongheju before. If he really mastered the hidden strength, Lu Cheng's dream of winning that day would be just a pipe dream.
"Right now, I can only be considered to have just entered the Ming Jin realm."
Lu Cheng knew what was going on.
The system-given [Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound] is a shortcut to internal cultivation.
Given enough time, as the internal organs strengthen, this hidden power will naturally develop.
"Alright, let's call it a day."
Lu Cheng said it casually.
The two children, as if granted a pardon, plopped down on the ground, rubbing their thighs and groaning.
"Uncle Guan has cooked some cornmeal porridge, go and have some."
"Thank you, Mr. Cheng!"
The two children got up and ran.
Lu Cheng watched their retreating figures, a slight smile playing on his lips.
At that moment, the courtyard gate was pushed open.
Lu Laogen pushed his beloved "Speedy" rickshaw in.
However, today, the old man was accompanied by a young man in his early twenties.
Wearing a tattered coat with cotton showing, his face red from the cold, he was helping Lu Laogen lift the back of the car over the high threshold.
"Sir, please slow down. This car is valuable; don't damage the axle." The young man smiled kindly and worked quickly.
"Hey, thanks to you, Shuanzi."
Lu Laogen parked the car and took out two hot sesame seed cakes from his pocket and handed them over.
"Here you go. Haven't eaten yet? It's fresh out of the oven."
The young man named Shuanzi swallowed hard, then waved his hand and shrank back.
"No way, it's no trouble at all. Sir, I think your car is really nice. If I had the money, I would be happy to rent one, even if it meant running myself ragged all day."
Lu Cheng put down his script and glanced at the young man.
He has a large frame, big hands and feet, making him a good fit for pulling a cart. His eyes are also bright and clear, revealing a kind and gentle nature.
"Come in and have some water," Lu Cheng said.
Shuanzi looked at Lu Cheng and seemed a little flustered, scratching his head.
"No, no, Mr. Lu. I have to go. The commission for that rickshaw dealership is too high, and I really can't pay it this month... I heard that Jucheng Motorcycle Dealership in the south is hiring guards, providing meals and even paying silver dollars. I want to try my luck there."
Upon hearing this, Lu Laogen's expression changed.
"Jucheng? Shuanzi, that place is not clean; it's a den of wolves that eat people."
Shuanzi gave a bitter laugh, and the light in his eyes dimmed.
"Grandpa, there's meat in the wolf's den. My old mother is waiting for medicine at home. I'll do anything for money. I can't just watch my mother starve to death with all my strength."
After saying this, Shuanzi Chong and his son Lu Laogen bowed deeply, then turned and ran into the cold wind.
Lu Laogen watched his retreating figure and sighed deeply.
"What a fine young man, what a pity... In this world, it's hard for good people to survive."
Lu Cheng stared thoughtfully at the swaying courtyard gate.
"Dad, why are you back so early today?"
Lu Cheng smiled. Lu Laogen usually couldn't stay idle and would only come back around mealtime.
"Hey, don't even mention it."
Lu Laogen parked the car under the porch and carefully wiped the handlebars with a white towel.
"Things aren't going well at the car dealership today."
"What?" Lu Cheng raised an eyebrow.
"I heard from some old friends that Jucheng Auto Shop in the south of the city has gone crazy lately."
Lu Laogen lowered his voice, looking somewhat nervous.
"That big truck driver of theirs, what's his name, 'Iron Arhat' Master Wan, has announced that he's going to clean up the car market."
They say that we "individual buyers" who buy our own cars and work independently have broken the industry rules and are stealing business from car dealerships.
"In the past two days, several of my guys who work independently have had their cars impounded and have been badly beaten."
At this point, Lu Laogen's hand trembled slightly, and a hint of fear flashed in his eyes.
This is the survival rule for people at the bottom of society.
Even if your son becomes a star and makes money.
But in the eyes of those "car tyrants" who dominate a region, manage hundreds of cars, and employ dozens of thugs.
You are still a piece of fat meat.
Or rather, it's a thorn that must be removed.
Upon hearing this, Lu Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
Jucheng Auto Sales.
That was one of the largest car dealerships in the southern part of the city, with a car dealership worth 17,000 yuan. They were real big shots in the underworld.
The thugs he kept under his command were far superior to those street thugs like Lai San.
He was a ruthless character who dared to use knives and bail people out of government offices.
"Dad, please rest at home for the next few days."
Lu Cheng took the towel from his father's hand, "It's freezing cold, a little money won't make a difference."
"That won't do!"
Lu Laogen was displeased upon hearing this and stiffened his neck.
"If this car isn't driven for a day, the bearings will rust."
"Besides, this is a legitimate business. We make a living with our skills, and we're the family of a star that Master Jin is promoting. Even if he's arrogant, can he really bully us?"
"He's just trying to scare those poor, down-and-out people."
Although Lu Laogen said that, he wiped the car even harder, as if to embolden himself.
Lu Cheng didn't try to persuade him any further.
He knew his father's temper.
This car represents my father's life and his dignity.
Letting him lock his car up at home and let it gather dust is worse than killing him.
"Then please be careful."
Lu Cheng patted his father's shoulder and then silently pressed his fingers on his father's back.
A surge of energy passed by, helping to clear the blockages in the father's blood and qi.
"If something happens, you can abandon the car, but you have to come back."
"I know, I know. Your dad has been pulling a cart for thirty years, I know more about the ways of the world than you do."
Lu Laogen waved his hand, looking completely unconcerned.
……
Two days later.
The sky was overcast.
The north wind whipped up the withered leaves and dust from the ground, swirling and lashing at people's faces.
It was evening.
Lu Cheng was inside the house working on his new play, "Picking the Slippery Cart".
This play tells the story of Gao Chong, a general of the Southern Song Dynasty, who struggled to lift an iron chariot and eventually died from exhaustion.
This is the most skillful and also the most tragic scene in martial arts plays.
To portray Gao Chong's domineering aura of "strength to uproot mountains and spirit to cover the world," skill alone is not enough; one must also possess the resolute determination of "no regrets even in death."
"Clang!"
Just then, the courtyard gate was suddenly kicked open.
Lu Cheng was startled. He threw down the script in his hand and rushed out of the house.
Lu Laogen stumbled in.
The blue cotton robe that he usually cherished so much that he wouldn't even let it get wrinkled was now covered in footprints and mud, and had a large tear at the shoulder, revealing the old cotton inside.
His face was covered in bruises, and there was blood at the corner of his mouth.
The key is.
That "fast-footed" rickshaw that he cherished as his life...
I didn't bring it back.