Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space

A night of good dreams, and the next morning, as the first light tinged the sky and the rooster crowed, Mr. Wang was already in the courtyard practicing boxing with his son and his disciples.

In the room, Little Ping’an, half-asleep, heard the "Ha... Hei... Keep your base..." sounds from outside, and with a start, he immediately jumped up and crawled towards the window.

Zhang Guoqing was woken up by him, listened for a while, glanced at the sky outside the window, and waved at him, "Son, go back to sleep. We’ll practice horse stance at five o’clock."

"Dad, I went to bed early last night."

Hearing the implied meaning in his child’s words, Zhang Guoqing sat up, "Then should Dad take you outside?"

"No need, I’ll just watch. You and Mom keep sleeping."

Zhang Guoqing saw him staring intently outside, smiled and shook his head, and continued lying down, "They’re practicing their martial arts. It’s not good to watch, it’s against the rules."

"I didn’t intend to learn secretly. I’m observing what the differences are between Grandpa Wang’s martial arts and the ones the grandfathers in the Big Courtyard practice."

Zhang Guoqing didn’t argue, but a man should always be open and aboveboard in his actions. With that in mind, he got out of bed again.

"Come on, Dad will take you outside."

"Aren’t you going back to sleep?"

"Can’t help it, with such a diligent son, I as a father can’t be too lazy."

Ping’an hugged his dad’s neck and giggled with his mouth covered. He even turned his head to look at Zhou Jiao, who was sleeping on the kang bed, and winked at his dad—wasn’t his mom being a bit lazy?

"You little rascal!" Zhang Guoqing patted his butt.

After washing up, Ping’an started practicing the horse stance in the courtyard. Initially, he had been watching the three practicing martial arts, especially the fight between Uncle Wang and Lin Quan, but gradually he retracted his gaze and focused on practicing his breathing.

This breathing technique, according to his mom, was a mental method, used in conjunction with his boxing, serving as an auxiliary function. Of course, he overheard it in the Big Courtyard.

Hmm, this shouldn’t count as secretly learning. Who told him to have sharp ears and hear that grandpa teaching his silly grandson from so far away?

Mr. Wang, having lived his whole life, wasn’t a genius but was certainly shrewd. Since coming back from the mountains, he noticed this little kid had inherited Zhang Guoqing’s Divine Power. Watching the child’s horse stance posture, he really wanted to take him as a disciple. But alas...

Ping’an, finishing his horse stance, saw that Mr. Wang and his companions hadn’t left. He made up his mind and started practicing boxing. Hmph, let them see what real boxing is! Of course, it’d be even better if they could point out any mistakes.

His grandpa always said that you must listen to criticism; those are your shortcomings. Correct them if reasonable, ignore them if not. Develop a mastery of various techniques through learning.

"Little one, how long have you been practicing?"

Ping’an finished his set of moves and cheerfully looked at Lin Quan, "For a year now."

"Not bad."

Mr. Wang waved him over, and when he hopped in front of him, he patted the child’s head, "Practicing martial arts is good for fitness and health, but this isn’t your path."

Ping’an understood the elder’s meaning, but his mom had said, he was only five. He nodded confusedly, obediently saying, "I will remember Grandpa’s words."

Looking at his blinking eyes, Mr. Wang was reminded of Zhang Guoqing as a child, and burst out laughing, "You little rascal, you’re just like your dad."

Ping’an chuckled along with him. How could he not resemble his dad, like an outsider? What a joke! Hmm, considering the compliment, he’d forgive him.

"Your boxing form is good, but too aggressive. Right now it doesn’t matter, but in the future, when sparring, be mindful to avoid accidents. Have you learned the meridian map?"

Normally, kids probably wouldn’t know what a meridian map is. But knowing that Zhou Jiao is skilled in medicine, and not mediocre at that, as her son, she would surely give him pointers when he started martial arts. If Mr. Wang wasn’t mistaken, the boxing skill must have been passed down by the child’s maternal grandfather.

His stance and moves catered to deadly techniques. An ordinary person can’t master a hundred skills without life-and-death encounters. Such boxing techniques are reserved for direct descendants.

Ping’an tilted his head, "Meridian map? Is that acupuncture points? There are too many, I can’t remember them all. My mom said I’m still young, to take it slow, no rush."

Mr. Wang nodded slightly, "Your mother makes a good point. However, anyone practicing martial arts should know some medical skills, it could save a life in emergencies." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Saying this, he noticed the child’s respectful gaze and felt a surge of pride, blurting out, "I have a body refining formula, gives to your dad later. Soak in it once a month, and you’ll never get sick."

Ping’an excitedly jumped into his arms, "Grandpa, you’re the best."

Seeing his own moment of regret evaporate, Mr. Wang laughed heartily. Worth it!

"Grandpa, do you still soak in it? If you lack any herbs, ask my dad for help, and I’ll help you inquire at home too."

Mr. Wang patted him, "Good kid!"

"Good Grandpa!"

Zhang Guoqing witnessed it all from the side, knowing full well that his son’s key question was about ’Do you still soak now?’ Zhou Jiao’s formula only benefited children up to 18, after that, it’s ineffective. The boy was thinking about his maternal grandpa.

As expected...

"Grandpa, does Grandpa Wang still soak too? Aren’t the herbs expensive? If they are, it would be tough for you. With so many uncles, can you keep up with everything?"

"Just soaking once a month, it’s not as costly as hospital treatments. This formula, when I give it to you, should not be shared, only used within the family, understood?"

Ping’an nodded rapidly, eyes sparkling at the white-haired yet spirited elder in front of him; indeed, what his dad said was true. This grandpa was a true master!

Ping’an’s eyes rolled. Since he was given such a great gift, he couldn’t be stingy.

What could he contribute?

He thought hard for a moment, then his eyes lit up, having found an idea!

"Grandpa, here, the red pine nuts are warm in nature and sweet in flavor. They nourish the yin, calm the wind, moisten the lungs, and assist bowel movements. They can treat wind-dampness, dizziness, dry cough, vomiting blood, and constipation."

Mr. Wang, intrigued, watched the little kid in his arms fluently reciting like reading, and raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"And there’s lion’s mane mushroom, which also has unique medicinal values. It’s neutral in nature, sweet in flavor, aids digestion, and benefits the heart. It treats indigestion, gastric ulcers, antral gastritis, stomach pain, and bloating."

Zhang Guoqing sheepishly rubbed his nose. Son, no matter how much you say, the grandpa might not buy much, as everything within hundreds of miles has been secured by your dad.

"Grandpa, you should buy more to take back. My mom said that medicine is three parts poison, and food supplements are better than medical treatments."

Mr. Wang nodded with a smile, "Your mom makes a lot of sense."

"Right? My mom’s incredible. My grandpa said ever since she came home, they never went to the hospital, those medical doctors don’t match up to her."

Mr. Wang laughed and asked, "Why doesn’t your mom study medicine? She’s suited for this field."

"I asked my grandpa, and he said medical studies involve surgery, and one slip might accidentally hurt herself. Plus facing bloody bodies all the time, would make her nauseous and unable to eat, she’s too thin, her body couldn’t handle it."

Mr. Wang laughed heartily.

Seeing this, Ping’an regrettably slapped his forehead. Why did he casually reveal such private matters?

He quickly added, "However, my grandpa also said, for the people, my mom could study traditional Chinese medicine in her spare time. The medical skills passed down from our ancestors won’t be inferior to those bad guys in the United States."

"That’s very true. Our traditional Chinese medicine has a 5,000-year history, starting with Hua Tuo..."

Listening to Mr. Wang’s lengthy discourse, Ping’an sighed in relief. A proud expression often leads to speaking too much! He still needs more learning.