“Mr. Spencer, you’re too kind. I should be thanking you for trusting me like this. Now I don’t have to worry about finding a tutoring job for the summer,” Peter Thompson said.

“Ha ha, good, it’s settled then!” Mr. Spencer said happily. “So, when can you come to my house?” Mr. Spencer continued.

“I have to go back to my hometown tomorrow, but I’ll be back this Sunday. Would next Monday work for you?” Peter Thompson replied.

“Peter was raised by his grandfather since he was a child. He’s a filial son. Every winter and summer break, he goes back to spend a few days with his grandfather, then returns to school to work part-time,” Professor Harris interjected.

Since Peter Thompson had been working as a research assistant in Professor Harris’s lab since the start of his freshman summer, Professor Harris was very familiar with Peter Thompson’s situation.

“Good, good, talented and virtuous—young people like this are so rare these days! If my daughter Xuanxuan grows up to be even half as good as you, I’d be over the moon!” Mr. Spencer exclaimed.

Peter Thompson felt a bit embarrassed by Mr. Spencer’s praise and didn’t quite know how to respond.

The three of them chatted for a while longer, and Mr. Spencer and Peter Thompson basically reached an agreement on the tutoring schedule. As for money, neither side brought it up. After all, Mr. Spencer was Professor Harris’s classmate, and Peter Thompson was Professor Harris’s student. Discussing this issue in front of Professor Harris was clearly inappropriate.

After leaving Professor Harris’s office, it was almost five in the afternoon. Peter Thompson put on his Walkman, listening to English dialogues as he strolled along the shore of Huajiachi. When five o’clock came, he went to the school cafeteria for dinner.

There were four cafeterias on campus, but since it was summer break, there weren’t many people around, so only one cafeteria was open. Even with just one open, it still looked pretty empty, and there was no need to line up for food.

After spending three yuan and fifty cents on dinner, Peter Thompson rode his bicycle to Tiesha River Riverside Park near the school.

Tiesha River is a reserve drinking water river for Hangzhou, so it’s very clean. Willows shaded both banks, the grass was lush and green, and there were plenty of benches and pavilions. Even though it was summer, there was a rare freshness and coolness here.

It was just about time for people to get off work, so the park was nearly empty. Even the few people who were there were hidden in the dense shade of the trees.

Peter Thompson found a secluded spot, then sat upright under a willow tree and began his daily evening practice.

The cultivation method Peter Thompson practiced was called “The Longevity Formula,” which he learned from an old man surnamed Ge who lived at the foot of Geling Mountain by West Lake.

Speaking of practicing with the old man, it all started on a day in November 1998, when Peter Thompson had only been in Hangzhou for about two months.

That day was a weekend, and he was taking the bus to a student’s home on Baochu Road for tutoring. On the bus, he ran into George Grant, who would later become his master.

There were no seats on the bus that day, so Peter Thompson hurriedly gave up his seat to George Grant.

When George Grant was about to get off, it started to rain. Peter Thompson had a habit of checking the weather forecast before going out, so he knew it would rain and had brought an umbrella. Seeing that George Grant was elderly and worried he might get sick from the rain—and since the roads get slippery when it rains—kind-hearted Peter Thompson got off the bus early.

“Grandpa, where do you live? Let me walk you part of the way!” Peter Thompson caught up to George Grant and said softly.

George Grant was slightly moved, glanced at Peter Thompson, and said, “I live at the foot of Geling Mountain. It’s still a bit of a walk from here.”

Then George Grant looked at Peter Thompson, as if to see whether this young man was still willing to help. Peter Thompson had thought George Grant lived nearby, but it turned out to be a twenty-minute walk each way, which would make him late for his student’s lesson.

Seeing Peter Thompson hesitate, George Grant said, “Young man, you don’t need to trouble yourself. I’ll just walk slowly on my own.”

Peter Thompson didn’t take offense at George Grant’s slightly sarcastic tone; instead, he silently blamed himself for being selfish. He had a special affection for the elderly, since he was raised by his grandfather.

“No, no, Grandpa, I just have something urgent, so I can’t stay too long. How about this: let me get you a cab, okay?” Peter Thompson said.

“You’ll pay the fare?” George Grant asked, squinting at him.

Peter Thompson was both amused and exasperated by George Grant, but on second thought, it made sense—if he wasn’t paying, surely the old man could hail a cab himself and wouldn’t need reminding.

It seemed this old man’s children weren’t very filial; otherwise, why would he be so reluctant to spend money on a cab? Peter Thompson thought, feeling a bit indignant.

“Of course I’ll pay!” Peter Thompson replied with a smile, not the least bit annoyed.

But as luck would have it, because of the rain, taxis were in high demand and there wasn’t a single empty one. Peter Thompson realized waiting for a cab wasn’t going to work, and besides, it would cost an extra ten yuan. So he went to a phone booth by the road, called his student to apologize and explain he’d be late, then personally escorted the old man home.

All the way, Peter Thompson carefully supported George Grant, holding the umbrella mostly over him, while he himself got soaked.

“Do you want to learn martial arts?” On the way, the frail-looking George Grant suddenly became energetic and asked out of the blue.

“Uh!” Peter Thompson was caught off guard.

Ignoring Peter Thompson’s surprised expression, George Grant bent down and casually picked up a small stone from the roadside.