Chapter 10

That night, Zhu Daodong had the most peaceful sleep since he came to Shumu Ridge Middle School. The nameless Taoist had urged him to try the effects, so he returned earlier than usual, getting into bed before ten o'clock. When he woke up, it was already six in the morning. He couldn't practice the Turtle Breath Technique anymore, and instead of listening to the loud snoring of his roommates, he decided to go to the playground and run a few laps.

The simplified method of the modified Turtle Breath Technique seemed to have some effect. By maintaining a fixed sleeping posture, controlling his consciousness, and adjusting his breathing, he managed to alleviate the troubles that had plagued him for months. As long as he persisted, he believed he would soon be free from these troubles.

Moreover, today was payday. Zhu Daodong felt particularly cheerful. After receiving his salary early, he first bought some alcohol but didn't buy any braised dishes, only a pack of peanuts. Today, Zhu Daodong wanted to "reward" the nameless Taoist and decided to give him a surprise.

Opposite the township government was a restaurant called Haozaijia. Zhu Daodong had passed by it many times but never entered. He knew that the people who ate there were either township officials or wealthy individual entrepreneurs. As a poor teacher, he should avoid such places; otherwise, he wouldn't even be able to afford cheap liquor after a few visits.

Haozaijia had two floors. The first floor was a hall with six or seven round tables, and the second floor had private rooms. At the entrance on the first floor was a counter. When Zhu Daodong walked in, a woman was standing behind the counter, writing and calculating. Seeing a customer, she immediately stopped what she was doing and came out from behind the counter.

"Hello, are you dining alone or do you have a reservation?"

Her voice was pleasant, like a nightingale singing. Her face was oval, with arched eyebrows, a straight nose, and a slender figure. Her lips were red, and her teeth were white. She was well-dressed, with a mature charm that almost made Zhu Daodong unable to look away.

"I want to order two dishes to take away," Zhu Daodong said, regaining his composure.

"Take away? Sure. What dishes would you like?" Liang Qiao smiled. This young man was unfamiliar, speaking with a slightly unstandard local accent, possibly a newly assigned college graduate.

Zhu Daodong looked at the menu. The nameless Taoist's taste was clearly not for light dishes. He quickly ordered two dishes: braised pork and shredded chicken. Seeing that they also offered cooked meats, he added a pork knuckle.

"Please wait a moment, it will be ready soon."

Liang Qiao led Zhu Daodong to a nearby table, wrote down his order, and sent it to the kitchen. When she came back, she had a pot of hot water and quickly made him a cup of tea.

"Have a cup of tea first; the dishes will be ready in a bit."

"Thank you."

"Hehe, I should be the one thanking you."

It wasn't peak dining time, so the braised pork and shredded chicken Zhu Daodong ordered were quickly prepared. Since they didn't have disposable containers, Liang Qiao used plates and prepared a bamboo basket for him. "I don't have disposable containers, so this will have to do. Please return the basket when you have the chance, thank you."

When Zhu Daodong arrived at the usual room in the Sanqing Taoist Temple, he found the nameless Taoist already there. "It's neither market day nor the first or fifteenth of the month. How did you know to sit here? I haven't even opened the bottle yet."

"My ears are not as good as yours, but my nose is definitely better. Don't open it yet, let me smell. Ah, braised pork, and it seems there's also a chicken. Hmm, and a pork knuckle. These are all my favorites. Hurry, these things make my mouth water."

The nameless Taoist initially wanted to show off his nose, but once he identified the dishes, he couldn't wait to start eating. Zhu Daodong quickly laid out the food on the table. As soon as he took it out, the old Taoist grabbed a chicken leg and bit into it fiercely.

At the bottom of the bamboo basket were two pairs of chopsticks and two bowls of rice. Zhu Daodong hadn't asked for these, but it was clear that the owner of Haozaijia was considerate.

"Why are you being so nice today? Braised pork and shredded chicken, did the method I taught you yesterday work?" The nameless Taoist asked with a satisfied burp after finishing the braised pork, shredded chicken, and pork knuckle.

"It did have some effect, but the main reason is that I got paid today. Otherwise, even if it worked, we'd just be drinking alcohol." Zhu Daodong said, somewhat annoyed. Eating with the old Taoist was like a battle; the quick hands got the food, and the slow hands got nothing. He had only managed a few bites before only the broth was left.

"Keep it up if it works. Swallow, the food at this place is really good. We should go there next time."

"Let's skip that. Your appearance would scare away the customers."

Not to mention his unkempt look, his ravenous eating style would scare away many people. Besides, even if they wanted to eat there, they would have to wait until next month's salary. This meal cost Zhu Daodong several dozen yuan, enough for five ordinary meals.

For the next month, Zhu Daodong went back to his dormitory early every night and diligently practiced the simplified Turtle Breath Technique. After a month, the results were quite good. Now, Zhu Daodong had removed one of the cotton balls from his ears.

Zhu Daodong had become extremely proficient with the customized Turtle Breath Technique. Whenever he slept, he naturally practiced it. He discovered that he could now control his hearing, like a high-fidelity speaker with a volume control. He could make it louder or softer as he wished.

Now, in the dormitory, he could hear the sounds from the classroom clearly if he wanted to, or he could choose not to hear them. He could control his hearing at will, unlike before when all sounds would flood into his ears, whether he wanted to hear them or not.

The results after just one month made Zhu Daodong extremely happy. He now knew that the Turtle Breath Technique couldn't make his hearing normal, but with enough practice, he could control his hearing like a normal person. Although he didn't know how long it would take to reach that level, as long as he kept practicing, he would eventually achieve his goal.