The next morning, Shui Sulan finished practicing her Tai Chi Sword in the courtyard. When she came back inside, she saw her son by the window, running a hand through his hair.
Shui Sulan set down her sword, picked up a fluffy white towel to wipe away her sweat, and began to scold her son as she did.
"What are you preening for so early in the morning? If you wanted to look in a mirror, you should have done it to your heart's content upstairs before coming down! It's already the third of the month, and you're still not at the office? The year has just begun and you're already slacking off. What kind of behavior is that? You can't accomplish anything by working in fits and starts. Talent will only get you so far. It takes enough sweat to water the flower of success, you know?"
