But the turtle breathing technique that Unknown Elder specially tailored for Edward Brooks was even simpler, with only one posture, somewhat similar to the sleeping position Unknown Elder had just demonstrated, except that both hands didn’t need to be placed on the shoulders but rather on the navel. In addition, you only needed to use your mind to control a few acupuncture points related to the ears, such as the Yamen point, Tinggong point, Ermen point, and Yifeng point. For the Yamen point, you had to use your mind to activate it, while the other points needed to be closed off, so they wouldn’t become too active...

Chapter 10: Regulating Hearing

That night, Edward Brooks had the best sleep he’d had since coming to Shumuling Middle School, because Unknown Elder urged him to go back and try out the results, so he returned earlier than usual and was in bed before ten. When he woke up, it was already six o’clock the next morning. After waking, he couldn’t practice the turtle breathing technique anymore; rather than stay in the dorm listening to others snore like thunder, he might as well go run a few laps on the track.

It seemed that this improved, simplified turtle breathing technique from the old Daoist really did have some effect. Just by maintaining a fixed sleeping posture, controlling his consciousness, and adjusting his breathing, he was able to alleviate the troubles that had plagued him for months. As long as he persisted, he believed he would soon be free of this problem.

Moreover, today was payday. Edward Brooks was in high spirits because of this happy occasion. After getting his salary early, he first went to buy some liquor, but this time he didn’t buy any marinated dishes, just a bag of peanuts. Today, Edward Brooks wanted to “reward” Unknown Elder, determined to give him a surprise.

There was a restaurant called Haozailou across from the township government. Edward Brooks had passed by it many times but had never gone in. He knew that those who could afford to eat there were either township officials or wealthy business owners. As a poor teacher, he thought it best to stay away; otherwise, if he went too often, he wouldn’t even be able to afford cheap liquor.

Haozailou Restaurant 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, and when Edward Brooks walked in, a woman was standing behind the counter, writing and calculating. Seeing a customer enter, she immediately stopped what she was doing and came out from behind the counter.

“Hello, are you dining alone or making a reservation?”

Her voice came before she did, melodious like an oriole singing. Looking at her face, she had an oval face, curved brows like hooks, a prominent nose bridge, delicate lips and a slender waist, red lips and white teeth. She also had a great figure and dressed very well—everything was just right, accentuating her mature charm, making it hard for Edward Brooks to look away.

“I’d like to order two dishes to take away,” Edward Brooks composed himself and said calmly.

“Takeout? Sure. What would you like to order?” Julia Lane smiled gently. This young man looked unfamiliar and spoke the local dialect with a slight accent, probably a recent university graduate assigned to some unit.

Edward Brooks glanced at the menu. Clearly, Unknown Elder wouldn’t prefer light dishes, so he quickly ordered two: braised pork and shredded chicken. Seeing that they also offered cooked food, he added a pork knuckle.

“Please wait a moment, it’ll be ready soon.”

Julia Lane led Edward Brooks to a nearby dining table, wrote down the order, and took it to the kitchen. When she came out, she was carrying a pot of hot water and quickly made him a cup of tea.

“Have some tea first. The food will take a little while.”

“Thank you.”

“Hehe, I should be the one thanking you.”

It wasn’t the peak dining hour, so the braised pork and shredded chicken Edward Brooks ordered were ready quickly. There were no disposable containers here, so Julia Lane used plates and even prepared a bamboo basket for Edward Brooks. “I don’t have any disposable containers here, so this is the best I can do. Please return the basket when you have time, thank you.”

When Edward Brooks arrived at the usual room in Sanqing Daoist Temple, he found that Unknown Elder was already there. “It’s neither market day nor the first or fifteenth of the month—how did you know to be here? I haven’t even opened the liquor bottle yet.”

“When it comes to ears, I’m not as good as you, but when it comes to my nose, you’re no match for me. Don’t open it yet, let me smell... Ah, braised pork, and there’s chicken too. Hmm, is that a pork knuckle? These are all my favorites. Hurry, this stuff is making my mouth water.” At first, Unknown Elder wanted to show off his keen sense of smell, but as soon as he recognized the food, he couldn’t wait to dig in.

Edward Brooks quickly set the food on the table. As soon as he took it out, the old Daoist made his move, grabbing a chicken leg in a flash and taking a big bite.

At the bottom of the bamboo basket were two pairs of chopsticks and two bowls of rice. Edward Brooks hadn’t asked for these, so it was clear that the proprietress of Haozailou Restaurant was very thoughtful.

“Why are you in such a good mood today? Braised pork and shredded chicken—did the method I taught you yesterday work?” Only after he’d nearly finished the braised pork, shredded chicken, and pork knuckle did Unknown Elder burp contentedly and ask with a grin.