After taking a slow sip of tea and leaning back in his chair, Mr. Tang began his story, I think I should begin by telling you a little about Ning Ji Gong, the village where I grew up. It was a fishing village in a small inlet of the island called Changtu, part of the beautiful and exotic Zhou-San Islands about two hundred kilometers off the shore of Zhejiang province.

There were a few dozen families in the village, mostly fishermen. When I was about five years old, I became acquainted with a very old man who came to the village from time to time. His white beard and long, loose hair made him look very old, but when he walked and moved, he seemed as vigorous as a young man. No one knew where he came from. He was very fond of me, and I wandered with him into the mountains and along the ocean beaches, and anywhere else I could follow him. Mr. Tang smiled as he recounted the memories.

As we wandered around, we often played a game. He would tell me the names of different trees, plants, and flowers and explain in a very casual way which ones were edible or what they were good for. Later, if we came across them again, he would quiz me about them and we would keep score. I enjoyed spending time with the old man and I took pride in getting good at the naming game. Every summer I spent as much time as I could with him. What did your parents think of this? asked Jane. Didnt they wonder what you were doing wandering around with an old man?

You know, at that time in the village, adults were busy with their daily work of fishing, selling fish, repairing nets, and maintaining the boats. They did not have much time to pay attention to their children. During the summer, kids were free to run around, and the rest of the year most of us went to school in a neighboring village, about half an hours walk away. Anyway, it was a very peaceful village. There wasnt much to be worried about; the whole village was just like a big extended family. If a child was hungry he could look for something to eat in any house. Parents in general did not worry about their kids even if they were not home by night. They would just think most likely that their kids were staying at a neighbors house. Remember, there were no telephones then.

In all those years, your parents didnt get acquainted with the old man? Jane asked. They knew about him and knew I spent a lot of time with him, but I dont think they ever really got to know him. They didnt seem to think there was anything to worry about. Mr. Tang took another sip of tea, a faraway look in his eyes. All kinds of people were always passing through our village: barbers, tinkers, beggars, monks seeking donations, wandering herb collectors, all sorts of traders. Outsiders did not attract much attention, but most of the people in the village did notice this mysterious old man.

Why was he mysterious? asked Jane. Well, the village dogs always barked at outsiders when they entered the village. However, people gradually noticed that no dogs ever barked at the old man when he appeared. And he always showed up in summer, when we kids were out of school. After Id spent a few summers with the old man, I knew quite a bit about the plants, animals, and insects on my island and the nearby islands. When I was seven or eight, he began to teach me how to climb mountains. I later became the best climber in my village. Even the wandering herb pickers, who frequently had to climb steep cliffs and challenging peaks, were surprised that a young boy like me could outclimb them.

Did you use special climbing gear? Danny added. Oh, no, nobody had any of that back then, Mr. Tang said with a laugh. The old man taught me how to climb mountains without getting tired easily. The secret is to climb with your hands. Climb a mountain with your hands? Jane looked at Mr. Tang with big eyes. The old man taught me that when climbing upward I should put my attention on my arms and upper body, and not on my feet. Of course, you need to watch your step from time to time, when the path is dangerous. Seeing that they were still bewildered, Tang explained further, When you put your attention on your arms and hands as you climb, your chi moves upward. This helps to lift your physical body. If on the other hand, you pay attention to your feet then your energy goes downward instead. This makes it harder to walk uphill, and you get tired more quickly.

Could it make that much difference? Just paying attention to different parts of the body? Jane asked, unconvinced. A big difference. Tang replied. The fundamental concept is that mind leads the chi, and the chi leads the body. As your mind goes up, so goes your chi, and your body easily follows. If your mind is on your feet, your chi goes downward; it makes it harder for the body to move upward.