For dinner, he turned the leftover rice from lunch into porridge by adding some yam. He stir-fried a plate of vegetables and boiled a chicken leg, then cut it into pieces and briefly soaked it in cold water. After a simple seasoning, he stir-fried it in a wok.
Because of the intense activity in the afternoon, he had finished all the food he had cooked. After eating, he felt that he was only 90% full.
He got up and went downstairs to take a walk to help digest the food.
After returning to his residence, he began to search for Tai Chi videos on his phone, wanting to see if he could increase his experience by watching videos.
Wang An started watching videos attentively.
He realized that most of the popular videos about Tai Chi did not have much substance. They either were about a beautiful woman or a handsome man or tried to sensationalize the content to catch the audience's attention.
Some of these people had only learned the basics and did not even know the most basic stances well. Some of them did not even know the basics and were most likely just trying to get for their videos.
Despite that, he patiently watched any videos he could find.
"Hmm, there seems to be something special in this video."
After watching a man who claimed to have won a Tai Chi competition explain the Wuji Stake, Wang An felt that he had gained an understanding.
[Tai Chi experience +2.]
Then, a notification followed.
"As I thought, watching videos can also increase experience!" After all, this was also a process of learning and improving.
Then, he followed the explanation of the person in the video and combined it with what he had just learned. He practiced the Wuji Stake for a while and really found that he could apply what he had learned.
[Tai Chi experience +3.]
"Not bad, not bad." Wang An immediately followed this person's channel and then looked at the other videos he had uploaded.
The person in the video explained various aspects of Tai Chi, including Tai Chi forms, standing stake, posture, footwork, breathing techniques, and martial applications.
It was a very straightforward explanation without any appeal to a wider audience, which also led to the low click rate of these videos.
Wang An watched the video one after another. Before he knew it, it was already nine o'clock.
[You watched the Tai Chi video and have become better.]
The notification appeared again.
"Not bad. It's good that I have gained something from this. It's time to rest."
He warmed his feet and went to bed to rest. This was one of the rare times that he slept before 9:30 in the past few years. He lay on the bed and closed his eyes. It was difficult for him to fall asleep as his mind was filled with thoughts.
He was thinking about the past, his plans for the future, and what kind of life he would lead in the future.
As he thought about everything, he fell asleep. In his dream, he dreamt that he was healthy, and wandering unrestraint in green mountains and rivers. He was relaxed and felt free.
When he woke up, his room was already bright. The clock on the wall pointed to seven o'clock. There was no alarm to wake him, and he slept until dawn.
"Phew, I haven't slept so comfortably in a long time." He stretched lazily in bed.
Some people said that the best way to maintain one's health was to ensure they had an adequate amount of sleep every day.
The human body is both fragile and resilient. It possesses a powerful self-healing ability. The process of sleep is a period of rest and self-repair.
He did not have to rush, eat breakfast in a hurry, or run to the bus. He felt his busy life of the past few years suddenly slow down.
After washing up, he made breakfast. After eating, he changed into his sportswear and went out to the park again.
On the streets, pedestrians were in a hurry and traffic was heavy. The city woke up early after a short respite.
When he arrived at the park, before the old man, who introduced himself as Li Juewen yesterday, arrived, Wang An started practicing the Wuji Stake.
He focused his mind and relaxed his body. While standing, he slowly adjusted his body and felt the changes. He focused on his legs, back, and center of gravity. He could vaguely hear his joints moving.
Just as he was practicing, Li Juewen arrived. He saw Wang An practicing and did not greet him immediately. Instead, he watched quietly from the side.
After more than twenty minutes, Wang An stopped practicing and heaved a long sigh of relief. He noticed the old man staring at him from the side.
"Uncle Li, you're here."
"Your insight is excellent, and your Wuji Stake is starting to take shape," the elderly person said with a smile. He then pointed out a few errors in Wang An's form.
"Today, I'll start teaching you the Tai Chi form. Tai Chi has various schools or styles, like Wudang, Yang-style, Wu-style, and so on. The most widely practiced nowadays is the health-oriented Tai Chi, which has removed some of the practical martial aspects. I'm teaching you the Yang-style Tai Chi."
Then, he began to teach Wang An Tai Chi moves. It was the simplified method with a total of 24 moves. After Li Juewen gave Wang An a detailed explanation, he began to demonstrate. He moved very slowly and explained while doing it.
"Authentic Tai Chi emphasizes the Thirteen Postures, which comprise the Eight Trigrams and Five Elements, which makes it a total of thirteen. The Thirteen Postures don't focus on fixed routines or postures but rather on the principles and techniques of Tai Chi. In Tai Chi, there are no fixed forms. The movement itself is the law."
The old man spoke of Tai Chi with assurance.
In the morning, the old man practiced the twenty-four moves a few times, and focused on the first six moves. Wang An practiced as he learned, and the old man guided him from the side.
[Tai Chi experience +5.]
[Tai Chi Experience +3.]
Time passes very quickly when one focuses on something, and the morning passed quickly for Wang An.
The old man's phone suddenly rang.
"Sigh, I have to go pick up my granddaughter. We'll continue practicing tomorrow." Li Juewen said with a smile.
"Alright, thank you."
"It's rare for young people to be willing to learn Tai Chi." Li Juewen was happy to engage with a younger individual, which made him feel a few years younger himself.
At noon, Wang An made a small pot of beef stew and stir-fried vegetables.
He looked at his phone and saw two missed calls from the same number. It was the company's department manager. Other than the phone call, there were also several messages.
[Why didn't you come to work today? You know what happens to people who are marked absent.]
[Why aren't you picking up your phone? Do you want to be fired? Call me back immediately after you see this message!]
Wang An smiled.
"I'll go through the resignation procedures in the afternoon."
He slept after that and felt much more comfortable than when he was at work. After waking up, he went outside and scanned the QR code by the roadside and rented a bicycle. He then rode that bicycle to the company.
When he entered the building, he met a familiar colleague and greeted him with a smile. He then went to the manager's office and handed him his resignation letter without saying anything.
Looking at Wang An's resignation letter, the manager's expression turned so ugly that it was as if he had not defecated for a few days and was suffering from severe constipation. He reluctantly signed his resignation letter.
He was planning and venting all his anger on Wang An and threatening to cut all his bonuses, but now that he was quitting, all the words he prepared beforehand became useless. The feeling was akin to gathering all your strength, only to end up delivering a punch to a cotton ball.
Looking at the manager's ugly expression, Wang An was in a very good mood.
In the afternoon, Wang An completed the resignation procedures and did not encounter many obstacles.
A few of his colleagues, who were on good terms with him, heard that he had resigned and invited him to meet up, but he declined. All they did when they gathered together was complain and badmouth their superiors.
The road of life was a long one. If they were fated, they would meet again.
On the way back, Wang An bought a claypot and prepared to eat more stewed vegetables in the future.
Dinner was a pot of porridge and a vegetable dish.
For his sickly stomach, he believed in the three parts treatment and seven parts nourishment method.