The Self-Cultivation of a Reborn Massage Therapist

Chapter 22 Beginning

5 month 9 day.

The National Championships and National Team Selection Trials were held in the Weightlifting Hall of the Training Bureau of the State General Administration of Sport.

The national championships were routine, but due to a sudden injury to a top-tier national team athlete, a qualifying tournament was added after the national championships, specifically for the women's 58kg category. Two months later, the Olympics.

Early morning, in the dormitory building.

Zhao Xiaochui was packing his supplies. He had made a list beforehand, making sure to prepare everything that he would need or might need during the competition.

His customer, his girlfriend, is about to face one of the most brutal sporting events in the world.

He doesn't understand why humanity allows this sport to continue.

On this planet, the most exciting and fiercest matches of this sport are not in the World Cup or the Olympics, but in the Chinese Civil War.

In the dormitory, everything was packed into suitcases, all from the brand Horizon, distributed by Li Ying's logistics team.

Zhao Xiaochui's gaze fell on the neatly folded flag—made of spring spun fabric, commonly known as flag cloth—and it was a five-star red flag. He gently stroked it and carefully put it away.

"Ding-dong-"

The phone rang.

"Go Zhao Xiaochui!"

It was a message from Liu Li.

Zhao Xiaochui flashed a bright smile, pushed open the door, and set off.

…………

The KTV and the girls' dorm room after get off work were filled with a sense of languor and exhaustion.

The room was a mess. Coats and scarves were piled haphazardly on the sofa, empty drink bottles and snack bags were scattered on the coffee table, and several pairs of high heels lay askew on the floor. The girls' beds were piled high with dolls and designer bags, but Guoguo's bed was remarkably clean, containing nothing but a few piles of clothes.

At this moment, she lay on her back on the bed, listening to the girls' chattering, but her eyes were fixed on Liu Li, who was adjusting the television.

"OK OK."

When CCTV-5 aired, Liu Li happily returned to Guo Guo's side, and their beds were next to each other.

Guoguo glanced at Liu Li, then reached out and pulled her close.

"These past few days haven't passed yet."

A strange look flashed in Liu Li's eyes, but she said with a smile, "After all, he's going to be competing, so I didn't bother him."

Guoguo looked at the girl with a complicated expression and patted her hand to comfort her, saying, "We are ultimately a little different from him."

“I can’t see anything different in his eyes,” Liu Li disagreed. “We are KTV employees, he is a massage guy, we are friends, that’s what he thinks and does, otherwise why would he care about our ID cards?”

"That……?"

"It's my fault. I only wanted to be bed partners and didn't think about anything more. He initially wanted to take things further, but I rejected him."

Guoguo asked in surprise, "Why?"

"Didn't they say the KTV was going to be demolished? We don't even know where we'll end up in the future."

As soon as he finished speaking, the TV switched to the game.

"It's begun, it's begun."

"Where's the little hammer? Have you seen the little hammer?"

"Wow, this CCTV commentator looks so familiar."

"Little hammer, little hammer, I see him."

"Why is he still limping?"

"Where is it? Where is it?"

"Uh, it was just a fleeting moment."

"..."

…………

The massage parlor, 9:20 AM. It's still early before opening, and Old Gu, who's on duty cleaning, has already given up on cleaning the floor.

Because there were quite a few people in the shop, besides all the blind masseuses and the chubby receptionist, there were also several regular customers, all crammed into the small massage parlor.

The LCD TV on the wall was already broadcasting behind-the-scenes footage of the competition.

Occasionally, Zhao Xiaochui's solitary figure could be seen sitting on a small stool.

The three chubby receptionist sisters gathered at the front desk, chatting as they looked around.

"Old Chen, do you know what he's planning?"

"He wanted to try his luck and find an expert with good character who was willing to mentor the next generation, and spend some money to pass on the knowledge and skills."

After answering the question, the chubby receptionist turned to another colleague and asked, "Old Lin, how about we get Little Hammer a high school diploma?"

The group of sisters consisted of three people: the chubby receptionist, Lao Qian, and Lao Lin.

Old Lin smiled and took out a file bag: "We thought of the same thing. This is a school for children of migrant workers in Chaoyang District. Have Xiao Chuizi confirm the student status. If there are no problems, I will take care of the rest. The certificate can be issued as early as July."

The chubby receptionist clapped his hands and said happily, "Even if we can't find a successor, we'll let Little Hammer take the self-study exam, Old Lin..."

"It's all in the document bag," Lao Lin said with a smile. "The self-study exam application guide and relevant professional materials are all in the bag."

Looking at the two excited people, Lao Qian asked with some doubt, "How long does it take to get a professional certificate by taking this route?"

"If everything goes smoothly, it takes 3.5 to 4 years to become a licensed assistant physician and 6 years to become a licensed physician."

As Lao Lin finished speaking, the group of women suddenly fell silent.

The chubby receptionist sighed, "Besides, whether it's self-study or adult college entrance exams, you have to take classes for Chinese, math, English, physics, and chemistry, and you have to spend money on each of them."

"If Little Hammer can't make money, what's the next step?"

"..."

Old Qian patted his old friend reassuringly and pointed to the TV: "It's started, let's watch the game."

…………

In the street office, Secretary Liu arranged the work and lazily drank tea while watching TV.

My niece sat to the side.

"Are you free at work today?"

Yu Xiaoning didn't speak, but carefully searched for that figure on the television.

Secretary Liu sighed and asked again, "How are you feeling?"

"Professor Jiang was still worried, so he specifically ordered several more tests. The indicators were stable, so he agreed to try conservative treatment instead of surgery."

"The indicators are stable?" Secretary Liu's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly. What kind of monster has this wretched street encountered?
"Didn't Chiang Kai-shek ask?"

“I asked,” Yu Xiaoning glanced at her uncle, “and I told him that I had been taking the medicine prescribed by the old Chinese medicine doctor for a month and wanted to continue for a while longer.”

"Smart!" Secretary Liu nodded approvingly.

Yu Xiaoning shook her head: "Not just me, everyone is very smart."

Then she sighed, "Let's watch TV. I hope this child won't be discouraged."

Secretary Liu was surprised: "Are you so sure? I heard that their two children are already dating."

"That girl Li Ying, she's so selfish and forgets the greater good. She's suffered several times because of this, but she still hasn't changed."

"Little Hammer is easygoing and sincere, but not stupid."

"He has no relatives or friends in the capital, so he must be careful. If he finds a path difficult to take, he will definitely turn back immediately. He has the resources to start over!"

Yu Xiaoning finally saw a familiar figure on TV. She stared at the screen in a daze: "Although this child has nothing, if Li Ying thinks she can control him, she has miscalculated. She doesn't know that when facing Zhao Xiaochui, she has no room for error!"

How could someone who could use such vulgar language to curse a woman like her, and who could reject a woman like her without hesitation, be an ordinary masseuse?

In the eyes of this energetic young man, she saw passion, perseverance, and a firm yearning and pursuit of settling down in a big city and living a better life.

"here we go."

(End of this chapter)