Chapter 8: Taiji Coach (Part 1)

  How can I get in touch with Feng Qianru is a question.

  If it weren't for the summer break, Peng Yuanzheng could have thought of a way, but now it's exactly the summer vacation, and Feng Qianru is not even in school. As the saying goes, "A noble family is as deep as the sea", how can this Miss Feng from the Feng family be someone that ordinary people can meet?

  Even someone like Wang Biao, a Beijing cadre's son, would have had few opportunities to interact with Feng Qianru.

  Wang Biao couldn't figure out what Peng Yuanzheng wanted to do with Feng Qianru, but he was also powerless.

  Peng Yuanzheng stayed at Wang's house for a night, but still couldn't think of a way to meet Feng Qianru. However, an unintentional remark from Wang Biao made Peng Yuanzheng's heart skip a beat.

  Wang Biao said that Feng Qianru is a member of the Tai Chi team at Jinghua University, and during the summer vacation, she might often go to the school's training hall for intensive training. Peng Yuanzheng decided to go to his alma mater early tomorrow morning to try his luck.

  The next morning, Peng Yuanzhen went alone to his alma mater, Jinghua University, which he had left less than a month ago.

  Under the red wall and green tiles, the ancient color and fragrance of the carved beams and painted pillars of the school gate give people a first impression that is not a school but a government office, which is exactly what sets this top-notch century-old university apart from others.

  He entered the familiar campus and rushed all the way to the training hall area located in the southwest corner.

  On the left side, an open basketball court is in full swing with two teams competing fiercely. On the right side, a competition arena has many people practicing qigong to the accompaniment of elegant music, which is extremely popular nowadays. Of course, there are also over ten people practicing Tai Chi for morning exercise.

  From the mid-to-late 1980s, a nationwide qigong fever swept across China. People practiced Wuqinxi, Yijinjing, Lohan Qigong, and later Xianggong. In just a few years, the number of qigong enthusiasts reached over 60 million, with dozens of qigong newspapers and magazines, numerous academic works on qigong, qigong hospitals, and qigong performances sprouting up everywhere. The taiji quan craze was actually a byproduct of this qigong fever.

  Peng Yuanzheng walked around, but didn't see Feng Qianru's figure. The people practicing Tai Chi were mostly old men and women, seemingly retired teachers or school staff.

  Peng Yuanzheng wandered around the training venue for two hours, but still didn't see any sign of Feng Qianru, so he had to leave with a sullen face. However, he didn't give up and continued to come early on the third day, quietly sitting by the side of the competition arena waiting in ambush.

  For four days in a row, Feng Qianru did not show up.

  Just as Peng Yuanzheng was about to give up and think of another way, on the fifth day at 10 am, he was about to leave the training venue when he saw seven or eight young men and women wearing white Tai Chi uniforms walking shoulder to shoulder from a distance on the shaded path, apparently students of Jinghua University.

  Peng Yuanzheng's eyes widened as he looked around, and his mouth twitched with excitement.

  Feng Qianru's impression in Peng Yuanzheng's mind was indeed fixed on the mature, charming and noble businesswoman of her previous life, but as a perceptive person, he still recognized at a glance the Feng Qianru who belonged to this era, slightly green and full of youthful vitality.

  Although the white duck tongue cap covered her bun hair and half of her face, her absolutely beautiful face and noble temperament could not be hidden. The large black sunglasses only allowed Peng Yuanzheng to see the perfect arc at the corner of her mouth, but she exuded a confident and reserved elegance.

  At the same time, Peng Yuanzheng also found a familiar face, his junior schoolmate from the Chinese department, Jiao Nianbo.

  Jiao Nianbo carried a portable cassette player, and the group of male and female students quickly lined up on the field. As soon as Jiao Nianbo started playing the music "Cloud Water Zen Heart", everyone began to practice Tai Chi.

  There are many styles of Tai Chi, but the Tai Chi that is popular in colleges and universities does not actually belong to any style, but rather a new-style Tai Chi revised by the National Sports Commission, focusing on fitness and performance.

  Peng Yuanzheng watched from the side for a while, shaking his head secretly. The Tai Chi Fist had been practiced to this level of superficiality by them; it couldn't be said that this was not a tragedy for this national treasure.

  Jiao Nianbo and his teammates had been practicing for half an hour when their coach Gu Chunting finally arrived.

  Gu Chun-ting clapped his hands and Jiao Nianbo immediately ran over to turn off the music, then everyone laughed and gathered around.

  "...Everyone must remember: Tai Chi emphasizes lightness, agility and steadiness, combining hardness and softness. Each movement should be light, steady, not floating or stiff, with external softness and internal firmness. The release of power should be complete, rich in elasticity, and brute force should not be used...Today, we won't learn new movements, let's review the first 16 forms. First, practice together twice, then each person will practice once, I'll guide you individually. Alright, that's it."

  Gu Chun-ting waved his hand, indicating Jiao Nian-bo to play music again and continue practicing.

  Soft and elegant music, like a few white clouds floating leisurely in the vast sky, but in Peng Yuanzhen's view, the Tai Chi fist of Jiao Nianbo and others was fundamentally incompatible with the music and could not achieve that harmonious state of unity between heaven and man.

  He wrapped his arms around his chest, slowly approaching the edge of the court, with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. If it weren't for taking advantage of getting close to Feng Qianru, he would never have made such a showy move.

  As a result, many team members noticed his existence, and Jiao Nianbo even directly recognized Peng Yuanzheng.

  Gu Chun-ting furrowed his brow, glanced at Peng Yuan-zheng, and waved him away, indicating that he should move further away and not disturb the team members' practice. But Peng Yuan-zheng had come with a purpose, how could he possibly retreat?

  Peng Yuanzheng clapped his hands and laughed casually, "You're practicing like this is not going to work. It's all form and no spirit, let alone achieving the harmony of rigidity and flexibility, or the movement of the body following one's intention. After a round of practice like this, it's just a bunch of fancy moves, and apart from sweating profusely, you won't even achieve the goal of strengthening your body."

  Peng Yuanzheng's interruption made it impossible for the others to continue practicing. Gu Chunting angrily pressed the button on the recorder, looked up at Peng Yuanzheng and scolded, "Who are you? What are you doing here causing trouble?"

  Feng Qianru was apparently the organizer of this group, she frowned and walked forward to glance at Peng Yuanzheng, "What are you doing? Which department are you from?"

  Jiao Nianbo also came over and frowned, saying, "Peng Ge, what are you doing here? Didn't you graduate and return to Xin'an?"

  Peng Yuanzheng smiled, "I came to Beijing on business and just dropped by the school to take a look. Xiaobo, you're going to participate in the 50th anniversary celebration performance, right? The flower rack is pretty good, but it's not quite like the real thing, can't get much out of it."

  "What do you know?" Gu Chun-ting waved his hand dismissively. Before he could finish speaking, Peng Yuan-zheng took over and said calmly, "Tai Chi, I understand a bit, although it's just superficial, but it's better than empty show."

  Gu Chun-ting was furious and almost stormed off in a huff.

  Gu Chun-ting claims to be the orthodox successor of Yang-style Tai Chi, is the vice president of Beijing Tai Chi Association, and also a well-known Tai Chi master in the suburbs of Beijing. If it weren't for Feng Qianru's invitation, he wouldn't have been willing to waste his time teaching a few college students.

  Peng Yuanzheng shot a glance at Gu Chunting, who was annoyed, and then swiftly pressed the button on the recorder. With a calm and peaceful mind, he began to practice his boxing moves in sync with the music's rhythm. His movements were extremely elegant and beautiful to watch, with smooth transitions between techniques that made it hard to distinguish reality from illusion. As he continued, his movements became more powerful and majestic, each move having its own unique flair, flowing naturally like a gentle stream, yet swift as a stormy rain.

  Jiao Nianbo and other team members were stunned, while Feng Qianru's eyes shone brightly as she gazed quietly at Peng Yuanzheng who was punching, her mouth curled up in a shocked arc.

  The music stopped, Peng Yuanzheng's fists scattered the wind and gathered, standing upright on the spot with a calm demeanor. He bowed his fist to Gu Chunting and said, "A moment of excitement, I've made a fool of myself!"

  Gu Chun-ting was a connoisseur, and he knew that the young man's Tai Chi skills were extremely deep. But as an authority on Beijing-style Tai Chi, known for his reputation, how could he lose face in front of this sudden, unknown young stranger? So he coldly smiled and said, "Young fellow, this is just fancy footwork, a deceitful facade."

  Peng Yuanzheng secretly observed Feng Qianru with the corner of his eye, seeing her standing there with a thoughtful expression, so he gritted his teeth and bowed to Gu Chunting again, saying "Please instruct me further, teacher!"