In the evening, at Qian Quan's home.
Qian Wenlin sat by the bedside, reading a book.
After a while, his wife, Yang Yuhua, finished washing up, wearing pajamas as she emerged from the bathroom.
Qian Wenlin placed the book on the nightstand and began to share with his wife about the conversation he had with the two kids earlier at the entrance of the zoo, reminiscing about practicing qigong in the past.
"I've already mentioned this to Rocky and Linlang," Yang Yuhua candidly replied as she sat on the bed.
"The point I want to emphasize isn't that," Qian Wenlin chose his words carefully. "I want to talk about the changes in Rocky."
"What changes?"
"Do you remember when I told you before that Rocky seemed to have suddenly grown up after receiving his college acceptance letter?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"I had this feeling again today, and even Linglang seems to be in on it. I sense that these two kids are nudging me, using the words I used to teach them as reminders."
However, Yang Yuhua wore an expression of "Why is this hard to understand?" and said, "Is it really that difficult to comprehend? We all grew up from that stage; don't you understand their little intentions?"
"What little intentions?"
"Do you think Rocky and Linlang might end up together in the future?"
"Of course, isn't that the consensus between our two families? A match made in heaven."
"Yes, but think about it. What does Linlang's family do? They run a huge furniture store, and Linlang herself got into Fudan University. The gap is getting wider. Can our son not feel the pressure?"
"You're right. It's possible." Qian Wenlin acknowledged his wife's insight. "Then take some money from the prize money and let me buy the wooden dummy for Wing Chun. I need to show some determination to the kids, motivate them with real actions, and lead by example!"
"So, you beat around the bush all this time just for this?"
"No, it's for our son." Qian Wenlin's fatherly love was steadfast.
"Approved."
"Honey, you're so understanding!" Qian Wenlin praised, gazing affectionately at his wife. "Honey, I feel you look exceptionally beautiful tonight. What's the matter?"
"Stop flattering."
"No, seriously, I won a prize of 50,000 today, and you do not react?"
"Turn off the lights and go to sleep."
"Alright."
...
Qian Wenlin's prize of 50,000 brought about three days of happiness to his family.
Three days later, life returned to its usual calm.
One fact remained: money, indeed, could bring happiness and enhance well-being. However, this kind of happiness was time-bound and had its limits. When that money and the items it purchased became part of your established assets, the extra happiness and novelty began to dwindle until it disappeared, becoming ordinary.
Moreover, people from different economic backgrounds experienced various levels of happiness when receiving the same amount of money. In simple terms, the subjective sense of happiness for a millionaire receiving ten million and an average person receiving ten million couldn't possibly be the same. The former might be happy for a few seconds, while the latter's sense of happiness might last in a high-end state for much longer.
However, in the long term, its impact wasn't as substantial as imagined. Once you buy a luxury car, move into a mansion, and open a few expensive bottles of wine... soon, everything might start feeling mundane.
At the moment, Qian Quan's joy about the unexpected bonus was diminishing, but it hadn't completely faded yet; he was still secretly savoring it.
Of course, the main reason was that he hadn't spent his money yet and hadn't bought the gifts he intended.
According to research, when you genuinely give someone a gift, the happiness you gain isn't any less than that of the person receiving it.
From this perspective, true and enduring happiness comes from loving interactions with the people who matter to you.
However, before Qian Quan purchased the gifts, he received a present himself.
His chess buddy, Mr. Huang, gave him a phone number.
"This number is my son-in-law's private number. Only a few people know about it. When you start studying in Azure Bay and need part-time work or assistance with anything, you can call this number."
Qian Quan now had a better understanding of Mr. Huang. He knew that Mr. Huang's daughter, who was Zhao Baiyu's mother, used to attend high school at Riverside First High School. He also knew that Mr. Huang's son-in-law was involved in business in Azure Bay, and he had quite a significant business.
As for more detailed and specific information, Mr. Huang didn't disclose it, and Qian Quan didn't ask much, either.
Maintaining a sense of boundaries is an essential principle in social interactions.
And in relationships among gentlemen, knowing when to stop's even more important.
"Baiyu will also be studying in Azure Bay in the future. You two might have a chance to hang out together." Mr. Huang seemingly politely mentioned.
"Sure," Qian Quan wouldn't naturally decline. "By the way, is Baiyu into sports? I sense a strong and resolute aura from her."
"You noticed? It seems her skills haven't reached perfection yet," Mr. Huang chuckled.
"What do you mean?"
"She practices traditional martial arts and has trained under Master Gong Xuanzhu. She's already accomplished in some ways but hasn't fully mastered it. Otherwise, others wouldn't be able to tell."
"I see," Qian Quan thought to himself. "No wonder Mr. Huang was so generous in encouraging me to hang out with Zhao Baiyu. She's a martial arts expert who has studied under a renowned master."
...
The day after, the Wing Chun wooden dummy that Qian Wenlin ordered arrived.
It was unclear whether he did it to prove himself to Qian Quan and Ding Linlang or to fulfill his own dream. But since the wooden dummy arrived, he really dedicated himself to practicing every day.
He even bought books and downloaded instructional videos.
Qian Quan and Ding Linlang also joined in, practicing and mimicking strikes on the wooden dummy.
"The Wing Chun wooden dummy is the most advanced skill in Wing Chun. It consists of a total of 116 moves, primarily designed to cultivate combat awareness, enhance coordination between hands and feet, and maximize technical combat proficiency. It only becomes effective in practice after you have a foundation," Qian Wenlin briefly explained.
"Mr. Qian, does that mean you got the wooden dummy too early?" Ding Linlang asked.
"Not really. Doesn't having this prop make me look more professional? Besides, I didn't plan on delving too deep into it. I'm just getting the basic idea," Qian Wenlin replied.
"That makes sense," Ding Linlang nodded, then turned to Qian Quan, "Qian Quan, let's have a competition to see who can learn the basic 'Little Idea' routine first."
"Why do you want to compete in everything?"
"Well, aren't you a genius? Are you up for it or not?"
"I have nothing to fear. If I win, you'll have to call me 'master' from now on."
"Alright, what if you lose?"
"I'll call you 'master.'"
"There's no need for that. If you lose, promise me one thing."
"What is it?"
"I haven't decided yet. I'll let you know when I've made up my mind."
"Agreed."
With those words, they ceremoniously shook hands as a pledge.
The cicadas buzzed, and time flowed like water.
August 10th arrived quickly, a Thursday, and it was payday for Qian Quan.
Factoring in the overtime and all, KFC paid him a little over 1,900.
That wasn't the focal point, though. The real focus was that Qian Quan could finally sensibly buy gifts for his parents and Ding Linlang.
For his father, he bought a pair of handmade leather shoes from a famous leather shoe workshop.
For his mother and Ding Linlang, he picked out a pair of sandals and a trendy white T-shirt, respectively.
He bought them from the only hip fashion store in Riverside.
The total cost of the three gifts was a little over 1,800, leaving him with less than 100. He went to a street vendor to buy himself two pairs of boxer shorts.
When his dad, mom, and Ding Linlang received the gifts, they were genuinely surprised.
"You spent your entire month's salary on this?" his mom seemed a bit concerned.
"Yes, it's my wish. I wanted to use my first paycheck to get you all gifts."
"Didn't you say you were earning money for your college expenses?" Ding Linlang's bright eyes were fixed on Qian Quan.
"Getting you all gifts is also a part of my life," Qian Quan's response was as matter-of-fact as it could be.
Qian Wenlin and Yang Yuhua were filled with contentment. Yang Yuhua turned to her husband.
She said, "Wenlin, I think our son is really growing up."
Meanwhile, Ding Linlang was thinking about something.
"I'll definitely keep this T-shirt for many, many years..."
Late summer was upon them, and the weather was still hot.
Many years later, they would still remember it.
About this summer.
...
