America: A Prodigy of Stereotypes

"Try to pick up this stick."

The old man pointed to the golden cudgel.

He reached out and touched the golden cudgel lying horizontally on the stand.

When Li Qun touched the stick, he felt that the stick was warm.

The first time I used force with one hand, the golden cudgel moved slightly.

Li Qun gripped the golden cudgel between his hands, lifted it with force, and released it two seconds later.

"What a heavy stick." Li Qun turned to look at his father with his hands empty.

"It's already very good."

“This stick is indeed heavy,” the old man laughed.

"Come on, I'll teach you kung fu."

"Come with me."

The old man first closed the pawnshop door, then had Liqun follow him upstairs to the rooftop.

Old Man's pawn shop also has three floors. There are a few potted plants on the rooftop, and a wooden dummy in the middle of the rooftop. The floor is very clean.

"Do you have any basic knowledge?" the old man asked, sizing up Li Qun.

"I have learned the 24-form Tai Chi Chuan."

Type it out for me.

Li Qun walked over, spread his legs, toes shoulder-width apart...

He learned the 24-form Tai Chi Chuan in a physical education elective course in college before he passed away, and he got full marks on the final exam.

After finishing a round of Tai Chi, without pausing, my father simply nodded indifferently.

"Where did you learn that from?" Dad asked.

"At school."

"So that's how it is."

"Come, I'll teach you Chen-style Tai Chi, my Tai Chi."

My father's Tai Chi teaching method was very direct. He personally adjusted Li Qun's body posture and movements, providing one-on-one careful guidance.

Li Qun was so engrossed in his father's Chen-style Tai Chi movements that he forgot about time.

As it got dark, Dad stopped the car and told Liqun to go home, saying that he would stop teaching there for today.

"When you come tomorrow, bring a piece of dried meat, some celery, a handful of lotus seeds, a handful of red dates, a handful of red beans, and a bag of dried longan," the old man said, patting Liqun on the shoulder.

"I see."

"Dad, is fresh pork belly okay?" Li Qun asked.

“Cured pork, sausage, and ham are also fine. I know your uncle runs the Yellow Crane Tower restaurant; they have them,” Dad replied.

Liqun nodded.

Is Dad planning to stew some meat?

Oh no! I missed dinner!

Chapter 8 There's an awesome party on Saturday.

I got scolded.

Liqun was lectured by her uncle and aunt, who were of different genders.

Not only did he forget to go home for dinner, but he also took it upon himself to learn kung fu from Old Man Chen, which infuriated his uncle and aunt.

"Forget it, what's done is done. Tomorrow I'll take Shu with me to become an apprentice."

"If you want to learn kung fu, just tell your uncle, he knows it too!"

"Didn't your mother tell you? Before your grandfather opened the Chinese restaurant, he ran a martial arts school."

Li Qun was eating wonton noodles when his uncle, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, spoke to him.

"Well?!"

Liqun almost choked to death.

"Uncle, you know kung fu?"

"Ha, who in Chinatown doesn't know a few moves?"

"But you're really something, managing to get Old Man Chen to take you as his apprentice. He never takes on apprentices."

"Is Old Man Chen very powerful?" Li Qun asked.

"He's impressive. Everyone in the older generation in Queens' Chinatown knows how formidable he is."

"Once, three thieves broke into his shop. He took a bullet to the shoulder and dealt with them. The police and ambulance arrived, but he waved them off and walked to the hospital himself."

"We're closed tomorrow afternoon, so we've arranged a discipleship banquet for you."

My uncle came downstairs and started working in the kitchen.

"What era are we living in? Still learning kung fu..." My aunt's displeased eyebrows spread like a roc spreading its wings, exuding a heroic air.

"Aunt..."

Li Qun looked over, and his aunt turned around and went up to the third floor. A moment later, she came down carrying six or seven guns.

Three pistols, three rifles, and one shotgun. Each has a different paint job, making them quite adorable.

"Snapped!!"

My aunt placed a box of 9mm Glock pistol bullets on the table; the box contained 90 rounds.

"Liqun, do you know how much this box of bullets costs?"

Li Qun shook his head in fear.

"Seven dollars and fifty cents a box." My aunt was referring to US dollars.

"Two boxes, fifteen yuan. Enough to punch one hundred and eighty holes in your body."

“Learning kung fu is useless,” Auntie said, pointing at Liqun.

After speaking, Aunt picked up the pink-painted Glock pistol and handed it to Liqun.

"I'll take you to the shooting range next month."

Li Qun nodded timidly, while his cousin Shuangxi chuckled to himself.

……

At six o'clock in the morning, Li Qun got up to go to the toilet.

After wiping his bottom, there was no toilet paper left in the bathroom, so Liqun opened the bathroom cabinet to look for toilet paper.

He saw a Remington shotgun in the cabinet, with toilet paper next to it.

"Is this my aunt's gun?"

"Hidden guns in the toilet, it's strangely reassuring."

After washing his hands and having breakfast, Li Qun went to school.

On the bus, Li Qun was deep in thought.

I feel like I know nothing about my uncle and aunt. I search through my memories but I can't find any stories about my parents in this world.

Stereotypes are formed when a certain type of event repeatedly occurs within a specific group and becomes entrenched. Li Qun began to have doubts; perhaps everyone overseas from Aurora University really does know kung fu.

After getting off the train at the stop, Liqun walked towards the school.

Peter Parker rode his bicycle past Li Qun, slammed on the brakes, and pushed his bicycle alongside Li Qun.

“Peter, you missed the school bus again?” Li Qun asked.

“I don’t want to take the school bus anymore,” Peter replied.

"Watch your bicycle."

"I know."

“I heard that you taught Fleiss a lesson yesterday.” Peter turned to look at Li Qun.

"Where did I discipline him?"

“Didn’t you embarrass him?” Peter asked.

"Who told you that?"

“My neighbor, Mary Jane.”

"Oh."

Mary Jane, Peter's crush, is also a classmate at Midtown High School. In Li Qun's opinion, Mary Jane isn't very smart; she wouldn't have gotten into Midtown High School based on grades alone. However, her good looks make her a favorite on the school's cheerleading team.

“What did she say about me?” Li Qun asked Peter.

"She said you know kung fu."

"They even asked me if I would participate in the Queens street fighting tournament."

“I checked, and the street fighting tournament is a street competition covering all boroughs of New York City; it’s not an underground boxing event. Tickets are $100, registration is $1,000, but the borough champion gets $100,000, and the overall champion gets $500,000,” Peter said excitedly.

Who organized the competition?

"A big boss named Wilson."

“Wilson Fisk?” Li Qun frowned.

"I think that's the name."

“Even if I knew kung fu, I would never participate in this street fighting tournament,” Li Qun said seriously.

"You think there's something wrong with this fighting tournament?"

"Can I really get the prize money?" Li Qun asked Peter in return.