BÀBA'S TRAINING PART 2

After hanging her brothers' new practice robes and training shoes by the hearth to dry, the family made their way to the wooden table in the courtyard. The morning air was still crisp as Li Hua watched her mother carry out steaming bowls from the kitchen, setting down a simple but nourishing breakfast of pork bone soup, steamed rice, pickled vegetables, and boiled eggs.

Through the kitchen doorway, Li Hua could see her mother drawing water from the large vat by the hearth to brew tea, and a smile crossed her face as she remembered secretly adding two handfuls of spirit water earlier, when her brothers were undressing. Her mother relied on this stored water when her father wasn't around to use his abilities.

Her brothers, now somewhat recovered from their dramatic performance and impromptu shower, were already reaching for second helpings, their earlier exhaustion forgotten in favor of their appetites. Her father too had an extra helping of rice.