4: Chapter 4 The Joy of Growing Up

Chapter 4 The Joy of Growth

The curtains drifted gently, letting in a trace of sunlight.

The calendar on the wall was flipped two pages by the wind, rustling.

Faintly, there was also the pattering sound of a turned-on faucet.

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Suddenly.

A harsh "ring-ring" alarm sound broke the tranquil atmosphere.

The sliding door of the bathroom opened with a swish.

Fang Cheng, bare-chested, rubbing a towel with his hand, stepped out in slippers and quickly turned off the alarm.

Taking a glance at the time.

7:30.

He squinted at the morning light outside the window and let out a soft breath.

How wonderful would it be if he could take a refreshing shower after working out?

It was a pity that the rented apartment was too small and lacked a shower room, so he could only simply wipe down his body.

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng couldn't help opening his panel again to admire the fruits of his morning workout.

[Push-up Experience + 18]

[Boxing Experience + 3]

[Focus Experience + 2]

...

[Skill Panel]

[Speed Reading lv1 (28/250)]

[Focus lv1 (65/250)]

[Culinary Arts lv0 (34/100)]

[Cleaning lv0 (75/100)]

[Boxing lv0 (64/100)]

[Push-up lv0 (51/100)]

[Potential Activation (23:09:12)]

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and all his skills showed noticeable growth.

Especially for "Push-up", which consumed most of his energy, the experience bar was already past halfway.

At this efficiency, it wouldn't be many days before he could successfully upgrade to lv1.

After wiping his sweat-stained chest and back.

Fang Cheng wet the towel, washed it again, wrung it dry, and hung it on the rack.

Then, looking in the mirror, he touched his face.

Not knowing if it was an illusion, he always felt his complexion was much ruddier, and his arms seemed to have grown some muscle.

Looking back at the character panel, the attribute values were still the same as before.

Wanting a significant physical improvement from just a few days of exercise was clearly unrealistic.

But upon careful observation, one could find a tiny percentage progress bar on the right side of the attribute column.

Focusing and clicking into it would then pop up a new interface.

A full screen of prompt information was listed here.

...

[You practiced Boxing for 3 minutes, Physique increased by 0.001]

[You practiced Boxing for 4 minutes, Strength increased by 0.001]

[You practiced Boxing for 5 minutes, Agility increased by 0.001]

[You mopped the floor for 10 minutes, Physique increased by 0.001]

[You carried heavy objects for 5 minutes, Strength increased by 0.001]

[You walked 1000 steps, Physique increased by 0.001]

[You walked 1200 steps, Agility increased by 0.001]

[You slept for 7 hours, Spirit increased by 0.001]

[You slept for 8 hours, Physique increased by 0.001]

[You practiced Push-up 5 times, Strength increased by 0.001]

...

Scrolling down, the bottom could still be seen.

Scrolling up, the initial message couldn't be found at all.

Just like skills, physical attributes could likewise be upgraded by grinding experience.

With every workout or movement, they were growing at a slow speed.

It was just that to avoid flooding the screen and distracting the host, they weren't displayed.

"Every piece of information here, every bit of numerical increase, is proof of my hard work..."

Fang Cheng muttered to himself, hope flashing in his eyes like a farmer inspecting the growth of crops.

Although it was a bit slow, many grains of sand make a pagoda, and accumulation makes a mountain; quantitative change would eventually lead to qualitative change.

Especially seeing that the Physique attribute column had reached 99% progress.

His heart became even more fervent, and his fists clenched tightly.

"Hiss—"

Seeming to have moved with too large of a range, pulling a strained muscle, Fang Cheng couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath.

Intense training certainly had its benefits, but post-recovery was a headache-inducing problem.

Over the past two days, Fang Cheng's arms, shoulders, and chest had been aching faintly, sore and weak.

Without the assistance of Focus Skill, it probably would have been very hard to persist.

Because of this, his workout efficiency was reduced quite a bit.

Fortunately, the panel only calculated counts and did not tally the average time spent.

Fang Cheng could choose to slow down his speed and increase rest duration to achieve the same goal.

According to the plan, the prescribed 100 Push-ups per day could be divided into 10 sets.

After getting up in the morning, he tried to complete the training task within an hour and a half.

If physical strength fell short, he wouldn't force it, but make it up during work breaks.

Every night after getting off work, depending on the situation, if he came back relatively early, he would choose to do one or two more sets as extra practice.

The training volume of 100 Push-ups seemed very large.

Actually, when done separately, it wasn't out of bounds.

The main reason for the current situation was still that his basic Physique was too poor.

Fang Cheng bared his teeth and shook his head, simply tidying up the bathroom.

He threw his sweat-stained underwear, briefs, and smelly socks into the creaking old washing machine.

During his student days, because he buried his head in books all day and rarely participated in extracurricular activities, his physical education grades had always ranked at the bottom of the class.

Only after coming out to work and frequently doing some manual labor did his physical quality improve slightly because of it.

When people live in a comfort zone for too long, they get used to it.

After getting used to it, they would muddle along and feel that the world was just like this.

Laziness, desires, lactic acid, dopamine...

In the process of becoming stronger, the difficulties that needed to be overcome were far more than imagined.

"Hang in there; once the cooldown of Potential Activation recovers, this situation should be alleviated."

"And during tomorrow morning's training, I can unlock a new skill..."

At this thought, despite his whole body still aching, Fang Cheng reignited a blazing fighting spirit.

He immediately put on his clothes and walked toward the bedroom.

Next was the time for morning reading and self-study.

Ever since unlocking the "Push-up" skill, Fang Cheng felt as if he had completed a metamorphosis.

Because of this, he completely broke the night owl habit of sleeping late and waking up late, becoming unprecedentedly self-disciplined.

From 5:00 to 7:30, training, resting, washing up.

From 7:30 to 8:30, postgraduate entrance exam self-study.

Then he made breakfast himself, finished eating, and caught the 9:05 bus to go to work on time.

A day's plan starts with the morning.

Fitness doesn't necessarily mean how much one must train or what they must achieve.

The most important thing is to persist every day, defeating that lazy, anxious self full of negative emotions.

...

Da da da.

Two eggs were beaten into a bowl, and oil was heating in the pot.

The blade danced rapidly on the cutting board, dicing green onions, cucumbers, carrots, and chicken breasts into fine bits.

Then he sequentially added the side dishes and seasonings, and poured in all the leftover rice from the rice cooker.

Without a single error, a first, a dispatch, an inner, a content, present, check one by one!

Stir-frying evenly so that every grain of rice was coated with sauce.

Turning off the heat, removing from the pot, and plating.

[Culinary Arts Experience + 1]

Smelling the fragrance of the rice grains in the basin, Fang Cheng showed a look of satisfaction.

Just like yesterday, he simply made a portion of egg fried rice.

"Even if I don't take the postgraduate entrance exam, I'm qualified to set up a breakfast stall; anyway, I definitely won't starve to death in this life..."

The physical exertion made Fang Cheng's appetite extraordinarily good, and he ate three bowls in a row.

Licking the bottom of the pot clean before stopping with lingering reluctance.

You must know that his breakfast portion in the past was only two steamed buns and a bag of soybean milk.

Quickly finishing the meal, he washed the pots, bowls, basins, and ladles.

8:49.

Fang Cheng put on a black fleece-lined jacket, slipped on Warrior sneakers, picked up his shoulder bag, and went out for work.

Walking into the hallway, he saw that Auntie He's home diagonally opposite had also just opened its door.

A burst of a mischievous child's crying and nagging instructions drifted out.

"Xiumei, these two portions have chili added, those don't have any chili, the rice is pressed at the very bottom, remember not to spill the soup!"

"Oh."

Auntie He, wearing checkered padded pajamas, stood at the doorway, carefully instructing her daughter on matters.

Raising her head and seeing Fang Cheng passing by, she immediately revealed a smile.

"A-Cheng, working overtime on Sunday too?"

"Yes, where are you guys getting ready to go?"

"Your Uncle Zhou and his colleagues are working on a homicide case and haven't slept all night. I asked Xiumei to send them some hot soup to warm their stomachs."

While speaking, there was a sudden "clatter" from inside the house, as if a bowl had been smashed, followed by the hurried coughing of an elderly person.

"Aiyoyo, my little ancestor, this is really killing me... Mom, I told you to drink slowly, drink slowly, but you just wouldn't listen..."

The door closed.

In the hallway, Fang Cheng and Zhou Xiumei walked one after the other.

Neither of them had any intention of conversing.

Fang Cheng's pace was relatively fast and he had already walked down the stairs.

Zhou Xiumei had yet to come out from the dimly lit hallway.

She was wearing a white down jacket and cotton trousers, wearing a blue cloth hair band on her head, and her neck was wrapped in a woolen scarf.

The bloated attire did not make her plump and robust like her mother; instead, the whole person appeared much more sluggish.

Her slender fingers carried two large plastic bags, and her brows slightly furrowed, full of cautiousness.

There were estimated to be a dozen boxes of packaged food in the bags.

It was evident that the weight was indeed very heavy, making it somewhat strenuous.

Fang Cheng looked back.

Seeing this situation, he walked back up again and took the package bags.

"I'll help you take it to the station."

At the moment their fingers touched, Zhou Xiumei's shoulders shrank slightly, wanting to refuse.

"No need..."

Raising her head, she happened to meet Fang Cheng's bright eyes, and instantly, like a startled fawn, lowered her head to shift her gaze.

"Thank you."

Her response, as fine as a mosquito's buzzing, made it unknown whether Fang Cheng heard it.

Her face, however, seemed dyed with a layer of morning glow, and her earlobes hidden by long hair were even somewhat burning hot.

Fang Cheng didn't pay too much attention, only feeling a bit sympathetic toward this sickly neighbor sister.

Speaking of which, on the first day they moved to live here, the two had already known each other and played together.

From elementary school to middle school days, they were also always accustomed to going to school and coming home together in company.

It seemed that starting from the high school branch separation, the two gradually became estranged.

Afterward, he was admitted to Dongdu University, and Zhou Xiumei suspended her schooling at home due to illness, so they rarely spoke alone.

Sunlight passed through the cliff-like tall old buildings on both sides, illuminating the streets alternately bright and dark.

Walking out of Jiuchang Street, Fang Cheng withdrew his reverie and glanced at the girl who lagged behind him by half a body length.

Her feet wearing small white shoes stepped over the pitted sewage, silently following behind.

Her long hair hung down smoothly on her shoulders, emitting a faint fragrance of shampoo.

A cold wind blew, stirring up a few strands of hair, gently caressing her smooth forehead and jade-carved cute nose.

It also concealed her eyes sparkling like black gems, as well as the blush on her cheeks that had not completely dissipated.

Even though he still had to catch the bus, Fang Cheng did not appear very anxious, accompanying her as she walked slowly.

The street was very narrow, with many breakfast stalls set up on both sides.

Xiaolongbao, egg pancakes, glutinous rice cakes, lard and dried shrimp wontons—the aromas of various foods drifted into his nose.

Some neighbors who woke up late simply wore slippers and wrapped themselves in cotton robes, sitting by the stalls and eating heartily.

Together with Zhou Xiumei, walking in this old street that hadn't changed in over a decade.

It seemed he could see his childhood self and a little girl with braided pigtails picking up bottles together, selling them for money to buy candy cakes.

Fang Cheng shook his head and smiled.

Many people reminisced about childhood mostly to reminisce about that carefree state of mind.

But he was different, nor could he indulge in the past and escape reality.

Because he had to actively shoulder more responsibilities.

Walking out of Jiuchang Street, the station was not far from the street entrance.

A No. 13 bus pasted with a medical beauty breast augmentation ad happened to drive over.

Going to the club and the Jiangbei District Police Station were not on the same route.

Fang Cheng handed the package bags back to Zhou Xiumei and exhorted a sentence:

"Remember to walk slowly on the road, pay attention to vehicle safety, I'll go to work first."

Zhou Xiumei's eyes dazed for a moment.

Their relationship seemed not to have been this harmonious for a long time.

She immediately lowered her head in embarrassment and responded in a soft voice:

"Mm, you too..."

Fang Cheng showed a smile, turned around, and ran toward the arrived bus.

Zhou Xiumei raised her head, her mouth slightly opened, wanting to say a bit more.

In the end, she only gazed at the back walking onto the bus, without saying it out.

Under the refraction of sunlight, her eyes were soft and bright, yet suffused with a misty haze.

Always feeling that Fang Cheng seemed to have changed somewhat somewhere...