By five in the afternoon, An Bao's mental fatigue had eased somewhat, but his mind felt tense and inflexible—likely due to the newly provided cerebral cortex. An Bao was no longer surprised by such changes.
The toads announced:
"Now begins the second trial: exercise. An Bao must perform seventy consecutive push-ups, each executed with strict form, without pause, in one continuous set. The deadline is for you to decide, but once set, it cannot be changed. The moment you assume the starting position for the first push-up, the trial begins. Pass, and you succeed; fail, and you move to the third trial."
An Bao thought it over. He could barely manage seventy-one push-ups, but not without pausing, so he needed more training. Since he could set his own deadline, he decided to attempt it one month later. In the meantime, he substituted dumbbell bench presses for push-up practice.
On the third day of the second trial, his mother asked him to accompany her to the market. As a foreign bride, she couldn't read Chinese characters, didn't ride a motorcycle or drive, and often relied on An Bao when going out. For these three days, An Bao's cerebral cortex had remained tense, his thinking sluggish.
He had to endure the daily frustrations nonetheless.