Old man in 053 Park

  After I and Mao Mao returned to the room, it was a reunion after a long separation, a round of cloud-like fog-like rolling in bed, Mao Mao didn't get angry with me because of tonight's events, this is what I like about her, if it were an ordinary woman, she wouldn't let go without making a big fuss, Mao Mao is absolutely unparalleled in this aspect.

  The next morning I got up early, and last night I had a big fight with Mao Mao, even though I was trained, this feeling is still a bit tired, it's better to exercise well, after all, it's been a while since I left the troops, my body is almost useless, some things need to be familiarized again, so I came to the park alone for a run.

  The air this morning was particularly comfortable, I ran for a while in the park and still couldn't get into the spirit of things. So I sat down on a chair at one side to watch an old man practicing Tai Chi. The old man must have been over sixty years old, he was alone there listening to music as he practiced. After doing some Tai Chi boxing moves, he started practicing with a Tai Chi sword. The tape player on the ground played soothing music that gave people a sense of unity with nature.

  An old man saw me watching him practicing Tai Chi on one side, looked at me twice, "Young man, do you want to come over and practice with me?"

  Seeing the old man waving at me, I couldn't refuse. After all, we can't be those who don't know how to appreciate favors. Moreover, he is an elderly person, and I still understand the principle of respecting the elderly and loving the young. I quickly agreed and ran over, "I think it's interesting to watch you practice, but I won't learn this boxing technique, following you to practice would be a joke!"

  The old man smiled and said, "It's okay, I can teach you if you don't know. This Tai Chi Fist is a good thing, maybe you can't feel it now, but as you practice for a long time and get older, you will naturally understand the truth in it."

  "Alright! I'll leave it to you then, senior!"

  "I'll go first and you follow me, the key to this is a state of mind. Once your mindset is right, it will naturally be done well." The old man said as he started doing it.

  I started making gestures next to the old man, drawing a tiger by the side of a cat.

  "The Taiji is born from the infinite, it's the mechanism of movement and stillness, the mother of yin and yang. When it moves, it separates; when it's still, it unites. This is the main essence of Taiji. Many people practice this skill, but some people spend their whole lives without understanding its true essence." The old man explained to me on the side.

  "Then isn't Tai Chi just a waste of time? It's better to learn some other martial arts, isn't it?" I asked in puzzlement.

  "Tai Chi is not just a martial art, it also contains many principles for dealing with people and society. Tai Chi is about finding balance within oneself and with others, just like the world has both good and bad people, and it's impossible to have only one or the other. As long as things are within a certain range, that's balance. If someone tries to disrupt this balance, naturally there will be someone who will restore equilibrium."

  I was listening to the clouds and fog, feeling that there is still some truth to it. "I understand now, just like what's said in 'Three Kingdoms', the great trend of the world, after a long separation, they must unite, after a long unity, they must separate, this is a rule, just like Qin unified the warring states, but ultimately lost its own empire, the change of dynasties are all just for pursuing a kind of balance, a balance with the people."

  The old man smiled and continued, "Not bad, this is also a kind of understanding. Tai Chi emphasizes mutual complementarity, using four ounces to move a thousand pounds, winning with weakness over strength. However, when dealing with an opponent, there's also the concept of one strike to kill. Sometimes you can entangle, but at the moment of certain death, you'll make a decisive attack, just like this fast and slow movement that always leaves people bewildered."

  I listened to the old man's words and felt it was also a matter of course. "Thank you, sir, for your teachings!"

  "If you're willing to learn, I'll be here every morning. You can come find me anytime!" The old man had finished his exercise and started packing up his things.

  "Thanks a lot, old man! How about we find a place to grab something to eat?"

  "Alright! I'll say it clearly, I didn't bring any money today, so you're going to have to pay for this meal!" The old man said with a smile.

  "It's nothing! A small matter! These aren't even worth mentioning!" I hastily patted my chest and said.

  We found a breakfast shop next to the park, the kind that has a few tables and chairs on the side, a small cart. People who exercise in the park early in the morning are used to eating here before going home, business is very good here.

  We simply ordered some buns, soy milk and tofu pudding.

  The old man ate for a while, looked at me and said, "There is a murderous aura on your body, but it's not the kind of murderous aura from the underworld. It's the kind of solemn killing aura that soldiers have. Do you think I'm right or not?"

  I smiled and said, "Old man, you're joking! Why did you say I'm a soldier?"

  The old man burst out laughing, "Don't look at me like this now, I used to be a soldier too, after all, I also carried a gun and fought in battles. The aura of a military person is something that's ingrained in their bones. Those who have learned martial arts and ordinary people are different. The kung fu taught in the army and in society are also different. The goal of folk martial arts is to defeat one's opponent, while what the army teaches is how to kill one's opponent. A person with blood on their hands, the bloody aura on them can't be hidden."

  The old man also said that he was right, I think it must be a bluff. Soldiers' way of walking is different from the beginning, and after a long time, it will become a habit. I think let's talk more and see what other secrets this old man has. "Old man, I really did serve in the army, and I have killed people too. This can't be seen by your eyes, if you can still see something else, I'll really admire you."

  The old man finished eating, stood up and laughed, "Haha! You young fellow still want to test me? Be careful at night, your body is your own, don't overwork yourself. Four times in one night isn't bad, but if you exhaust yourself, it's not easy to recover. This thing should be done in moderation, everything has its limits, exceeding them won't necessarily be a good thing." After finishing speaking, he patted my shoulder and said, "I'm leaving, don't waste the meal money!"

  The old man then left directly.

  I watched as the old man walked away, and immediately turned red with embarrassment. "Indeed, you do have some ability, but can't you say such things in a softer tone?"

  I'm still quite capable of eating, so I wolfed down eight buns, two bowls of tofu pudding, and two bowls of soy milk. The old man only had three buns and a bowl of soy milk.

  I paid the money and started walking back, and also brought some food for Mao Mao.

  The things here are really good, last night we played a bit crazy, Mao Mao probably hasn't gotten out of bed yet, and she also called in sick this morning, should get some rest.

  I think the old man is indeed a superior person, we newcomers have many shortcomings, society is a large collective, there are many superior people who do not want to be famous everywhere, I think I should learn some things well, anyway this task also got a lot of funding.

  Number Seven only gave me 500,000 yuan and said that the rest of the money was invested by them. The reason is that we can't do this kind of thing forever, one day we have to live in the sunlight, now investing some things, can make our future days better.

  I don't care about the salary, it's already a lot, let alone for the country. There are some things in life that are more important than money.