Re-birth: The Beginning after the End - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: BÀBA’S TRAINING PART 2

After hanging her brothers’ new practice robes and training shoes by the hearth to dry, the family made their way to the wooden table in the courtyard. The morning air was still crisp as Li Hua watched her mother carry out steaming bowls from the kitchen, setting down a simple but nourishing breakfast of pork bone soup, steamed rice, pickled vegetables, and boiled eggs.

Through the kitchen doorway, Li Hua could see her mother drawing water from the large vat by the hearth to brew tea, and a smile crossed her face as she remembered secretly adding two handfuls of spirit water earlier, when her brothers were undressing. Her mother relied on this stored water when her father wasn’t around to use his abilities.

Her brothers, now somewhat recovered from their dramatic performance and impromptu shower, were already reaching for second helpings, their earlier exhaustion forgotten in favor of their appetites. Her father too had an extra helping of rice.

Li Hua smiled as she watched her family eat, their chopsticks moving in practiced motions between bowls. Despite her own smaller appetite in this child’s body, she found comfort in these shared moments. Her mother caught her eye across the table and wordlessly added another spoonful of soup to Li Hua’s bowl, the same caring gesture she’d made countless times before.

After breakfast, their father led them to the back of the courtyard behind the kitchen.

“Watch carefully,” their father instructed, assuming a horse stance with his feet shoulder-width apart.

In her previous life, Li Hua would have been analyzing muscle groups and calculating optimal angles. Here, her father taught the traditional way, speaking of breath control and natural energy awareness—the fundamental building blocks that any martial artist, cultivator or not, must master. He demonstrated a series of basic stances: the horse stance for stability, the bow stance for flexibility, and the cat stance for agility. Each position was held with perfect stillness, his breathing steady and controlled.

“Your muscles should feel like iron, but your movements should flow like water,” he explained, demonstrating the proper way to breathe—deep and steady, drawn from the lower abdomen. Where she once would have thought in terms of oxygen efficiency and cardiovascular endurance, she now found herself appreciating these ancient training methods. This wasn’t the spiritual energy cultivation of immortals, but rather the time-tested foundations of martial arts that had been passed down through generations.

The children mimicked his poses, their small frames trying to match his precise positions. While her brothers struggled with the unfamiliar positions, Li Hua’s muscle memory from years of combat training helped her maintain balance, though she deliberately added small imperfections to match her age.

“Remember,” he continued, adjusting Li Wei’s stance with a gentle touch, “breathe in through your nose, deep into your lower belly—the dantian or your inner core—then release slowly through your mouth. Feel how this proper breathing gives strength to your movements.” He demonstrated the technique, showing how correct breathing could enhance even the simplest martial arts stances.

Their father lit an incense stick, its thin trail of smoke rising in the morning air. “Hold each stance until the incense burns one mark, then move to the next. Three complete sequences.” Li Hua knew from her modern knowledge that this would be roughly thirty seconds per stance, but she appreciated the elegant simplicity of measuring time this way.

When they had mastered the basic stances, he introduced them to qigong—flowing movements that seemed deceptively simple compared to the high-intensity interval training she’d once practiced. Yet she could feel something different in these exercises, a deeper connection between body and breath that her modern training had never addressed.

“For the final part of your training,” he said, leading them toward the kitchen building, “you’ll find three stones stacked behind the kitchen. Each of you will lift your stone—remember, with your legs, not your back—and walk one complete circle around the building before setting it down. Five times in total.” He demonstrated the proper lifting technique, his movements smooth and controlled. “The key is to be gentle and steady. This isn’t about speed, it’s about control.”

Their father straightened, surveying his children with a mix of pride and consideration. “Any questions before I head to the fields?” he asked, his eyes moving from one child to the next, making sure they all understood their morning tasks.

The siblings shook their heads in unison, eager to show they had paid attention to his instructions.

“Good,” he said, gathering his tools for the day’s work. “I need to check on the winter wheat,” he added, ruffling each child’s hair in turn. “Remember what I showed you. And no slacking off just because Bàba isn’t watching!”

The siblings watched as he made his way toward the front courtyard, his silhouette disappearing behind the kitchen building.

Once their father’s footsteps faded into the distance, the siblings exchanged determined glances before settling into their stances once more. Without needing to speak, they had all silently agreed to push beyond their father’s instructions, choosing to hold each position not by the measured burn of the incense stick, but until their muscles could endure no more.

Starting with the horse stance, Li Hua felt the familiar burn build in her thighs. Li Hao was the first to break, his legs shaking violently before he stumbled forward with a frustrated grunt. Li Wei followed shortly after, leaving Li Hua to hold on for a few more seconds before allowing herself to falter, careful not to show too much endurance for her age.

They moved to the bow stance next, their breaths coming in controlled pants. This time, Li Wei was the first to drop, his back leg trembling too much to maintain the position. Li Hao and Li Hua fell out of the stance almost simultaneously, though Li Hua had deliberately timed her collapse to match her brother’s.

The cat stance proved the most challenging, testing their balance as much as their strength. Sweat dripped from their foreheads as they struggled to maintain the position. Li Wei wobbled first, then Li Hua let herself follow, while Li Hao managed to hold on for several more heartbeats before finally lowering his leg.

“One more set,” Li Hao encouraged through heavy breaths, his voice steady despite his obvious exertion. The morning sun cast long shadows across the courtyard as they moved through the sequence their father had taught them.

When they finished the final stance, Li Wei collapsed dramatically onto the ground. “My legs feel like noodles,” he groaned, but there was pride in his voice—he’d completed the full set without breaking form.

Despite their trembling muscles, they moved into the qigong sequence their father had taught them. Their movements flowed like water, arms rising and falling in gentle arcs as they gathered and dispersed qi. Li Hua felt the subtle energy moving through her meridians as she coordinated her breath with each movement—inhaling as her hands rose toward the heavens, exhaling as they descended toward the earth. Her brothers followed the rhythm beside her, their faces etched with concentration as they worked through the flowing positions.

The sequence was deceptively simple: embracing the tree, parting the clouds, and pushing the mountain. Yet each movement demanded perfect control, testing their already exhausted muscles in new ways. Li Wei’s movements were careful and methodical, while Li Hao’s natural athleticism showed in his fluid transitions. Li Hua matched their pace, feeling the familiar comfort of these ancient movements even as she carefully maintained the appearance of a child still learning the basics.

As they completed the fifth set of the sequence, the morning sun had climbed higher in the sky, reminding them of the day’s remaining tasks. Li Hao wiped the sweat from his brow and gestured toward the kitchen building. “Come on,” he said, already moving forward with determined steps. “Let’s get started with the stones before Māmā comes to check on us.”