When it came to swimming, Ruan Xiaowu finally had the courage to raise his head and say, "How can you learn to swim in water where there aren't even any fish? Our seventh brother can stay underwater for seven days and survive by eating fish and shrimp."
I stroked my chin, pondering: Could it be that Ruan Xiaoer can only stay in the water for 2 days, while Ruan Xiaowu can stay for 5 days, hence the names? Doesn't that mean the greater the skill, the lower the seniority?
Of course, Ni Siyu didn't take Ruan Xiaowu's statement seriously; she thought it was just an exaggeration. She said, "You mean muscle training? I train on the treadmill every day, and I haven't stopped lifting dumbbells."
After I explained to Ruan Xiaoer and the others what a treadmill was, they were unconvinced and said, "Why would you run to the shore to practice swimming?"
Ruan Xiaoer said, "Where we're from, when a child is just learning to walk, the adults pick them up, throw them into the water, clap their hands, and leave. When they come back, the child is probably—"
I replied, "Drowned?"
"You can play in the water now. So, Xiaoqiang, you're not even as good as a toddler who's just learned to walk."
Ni Siyu opened her big eyes and said, "I've been swimming since I was little. But my dad taught me the theory for a long time before he let me get in the water. I practiced leg movements by holding onto the railing for a month."
Zhang Shun said, "Your father must be a big fisherman who doesn't care about small money—that would just delay his fishing!"
"My dad is a coach on the provincial swimming team, but I think he's not as good as you guys. Can you teach me to swim?"
Zhang Shun said, "Little girl, with your swimming skills, you definitely won't drown." As he said this, Zhang Shun gave me a disdainful look, "What's the use of learning even more?"
Ni Siyu: "The competition, I've always wanted to win the provincial championship."
Zhang Shun and the Ruan brothers looked at each other, then asked in unison, "What's there to compare?"
I quickly explained, "It's a competition to see who can swim the fastest, and they use all sorts of different styles. Like the frog stroke, the dog paddle, and so on."
Ruan Xiaoer said in surprise, "You've been learning this since elementary school, just to be faster than others?"
Ni Siyu said naturally, "Is there something wrong with it? My major is freestyle swimming."
Zhang Shun and the Ruan brothers remained silent. In their eyes, proficiency in swimming was essential for survival and combat, the last line of defense for their stronghold, and a choice born of necessity. It's hard to say whether they truly regarded this skill as something sacred, but learning it solely to outrun others was clearly seen as a form of desecration. It's difficult to explain to them what sportsmanship, "higher, faster, stronger," or "new Beijing, new Olympics" means. This is the difference in perspectives brought about by changing times; even if they could pilot spaceships, they still wouldn't be considered people of this era.
Ni Siyu had been excited and full of anticipation; a pretty girl like her probably rarely got rejected, right? But when she saw the expressions on the three men's faces, she immediately realized that it was hopeless. Although she didn't know why.
We remained in this silent stalemate for a while, then Zhang Shun pushed the Coke cup away, stood up, and said, "Xiao Qiang, let's go."
What a pretty girl! All she wants is for you to teach her how to swim. You're not Wang Zhihe's heir, asking her to hand over the secret recipe for stinky tofu. Besides, teaching swimming is better than teaching fencing. You get to see such a stunning figure every day and you're still not happy? You're so stubborn. But I can't help it. I'd like to teach, but Ni Siyu probably wouldn't agree. Uh, definitely not.
When we had walked about ten steps, we suddenly heard a loud crash behind us. Turning around, we saw Ni Siyu smash a cup on the table, the black cola splattered starkly against her pale skin. She shouted angrily, "I know why you won't teach me! Is it because I'm disabled?"
Crippled? I looked her over carefully again, but I couldn't tell. Could she be a stone woman?
Ni Siyu suddenly stood up and walked quickly past us. I saw two lines of tears streaming down her cheeks. Only then did I realize that she was limping when she walked fast. She walked far ahead of us, wiped her eyes, turned back, the tears gone, a sad smile on her lips, and said softly, "The doctor said my legs were no longer suitable for any exercise, but I didn't believe him and insisted on proving him wrong. But now it seems he was right. I won't swim anymore." She wiped her eyes, slowly turned around, and walked towards the exit.
Zhang Shun and the other two exchanged bewildered glances. Zhang Shun whispered, "I didn't know she had a problem with her leg." Ruan Xiao'er said, "I didn't know either. That's not why we're not teaching her." Ruan Xiao'wu said, "Seeing how upset she is, why don't we teach her?"
Ruan Xiaoer: "This girl has such a bad temper. Just to spite a doctor, she's been soaking in the water for so many years. If she gets scolded or beaten a few times in the future, she'll surely die."
Seeing that there was a chance, I shouted at Ni Siyu's retreating figure, "Are you afraid of being beaten or scolded?"
Ni Siyu turned around in astonishment, tears still wet on her face: "What?"
"If you can't swim fast, you get a beating; if you can't hold your breath, you get a beating—the three of them are much harsher than me."
Ni Siyu was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly burst into tears. She knelt down happily by the pool, covered her face and sobbed uncontrollably.
Ruan Xiaowu walked to her side, wanting to pull her but not daring to reach out. Looking at Ni Siyu's white arms, he murmured, "We can teach you, but I have a request."
Ni Siyu hurriedly looked up at him.
"...You should wear more clothes from now on."
Stubborn... stubborn... I muttered to myself like an old monk chanting Buddhist mantras as I walked. Teaching such a pretty little girl to swim, and he wants her dressed like a frogman. If I were the teacher, my requirement would be that she wear a sexy bikini...
Later I learned that Ni Siyu's leg was congenitally defective, scientifically known as congenital left (right) limb muscular atrophy, similar to polio. The condition worsens with age, manifesting as unilateral limb weakness and eventually loss of mobility. Ni Siyu's father insisted on defying fate and taught her to swim from a young age. Now, unless Ni Siyu walks briskly, it's barely noticeable that she has a leg problem, which is already a miracle.
Ni Siyu was incredulous when Zhang Shun and the others told her it was her first time at the swimming pool. She was a VIP member, though of course, she didn't have to pay because of her father's connections. The training Zhang Shun and the others were going to give her would be moved to the provincial sports team's swimming pool from 7 pm to 9 pm. Later, I learned that this was when her father took the whole team out for outdoor activities. Although Ni Siyu was a formal member of the swimming team, she didn't participate in training often; she was essentially a part-time member with a goal: the provincial freestyle championship.
We agreed to meet again outside. At the entrance of the swimming pool, Ni Siyu, dressed in a refreshing tracksuit and wearing basketball shoes that only boys would wear, looked much more cheerful than the black mermaid. Ruan Xiaoer exclaimed in surprise, "I didn't even recognize you with your clothes on!" Passersby looked on, then shook their heads and sighed as they walked away.
The four of them left immediately. I was originally thinking of going with them, but Zhang Shun said, "Xiao Qiang, you shouldn't go today. I think you're capable enough."
So I had no choice but to return to the bar, fuming. It wasn't open yet; most of the heroes had left, except for Zhang Qing and Yang Zhi, who remained to protect Zhu Gui from further trouble. The rest of us just had to wait for Shi Qian's message. Wu Yong returned and took command of the central army, waiting for him to contact Song Qing.
Zhu Gui said Shi Qian had returned and was catching up on sleep. His trip hadn't been in vain; following his innate intuition, he'd tracked the eight people to a beer stall where they'd eaten late-night snacks. This confirmed they were a group. Then, apparently, they'd almost gotten into a fight after their meal, showing they weren't exactly innocent bystanders. Finally, and most importantly, after much enticement from Shi Qian, the stall owner recalled a name they'd been whispering about: Liu Xuan.
"Is it really that amazing?" I asked skeptically, reaching out to grab Shi Qian, who was sleeping on the sofa, but only managing to grab a nightsuit. Shi Qian, instantly jolted awake and leaped several meters away, simultaneously producing a small razor blade and looking around warily. It seemed his professionalism and spirit hadn't changed despite the change of environment.
When he saw it was me, he put away the knife. I said, "Brother Qian, you've worked hard, investigating all night, haven't you?"
Shi Qian waved his hand and said, "Those are all easy. I've already found out the approximate address of one of them. In three days at most, that kid Liu Xuan will be a piece of cake!"
"You must have gained a lot from staying up all night!"
Shi Qian suddenly revealed a smug look and said, "This is nothing. I finished all these things before 2 o'clock. The biggest gain is..." Shi Qian habitually looked around, reached into his pocket and said, "Yesterday I stole a peerless treasure - a luminous pearl!"
My heart jumped into my throat immediately. A priceless treasure! A luminous pearl... Could it be such a coincidence? Shi Qian stole it... Could it be a steamed bun?
Shi Qian put his hands in his pockets but hesitated to take them out, as if he wanted to keep me in suspense until he was satisfied: "I could have come back earlier, but I don't know what that family does, they don't sleep in the middle of the night, I waited for them until after 3 a.m."
That makes it even more plausible. Xiang Yu and Qin Shi Huang could talk about this topic every day.
"Later, I spent a lot of time figuring out how to get in. We usually don't use the front door, as it's easy to get blocked inside; but the windows are made of glass, and breaking them would be too noisy."
I chimed in, "Let me teach you a trick: next time, buy a roll of plastic tape, cover the entire glass with it, then smash it with a hammer, and there won't be a sound."
Shi Qian thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Brilliant! I didn't expect you to be an expert in this field, Xiao Qiang."