Zhou You cycled to the glasses shop on campus. "Boss, are the swim goggles ready?"
"They're ready. Try them on. The prescription is 500, a bit lower than your actual eyesight," the boss said, handing him the goggles.
The boss, surnamed Zhao, was from Wenzhou. He used to work under his uncle, and when his uncle retired, he took over the shop. Running a store on campus wasn't easy, but after getting to know him, Zhou You learned it was through connections in the logistics department, with good maintenance every year.
With students as the main customer base, the focus was on cost-effectiveness. A decent pair of glasses could usually be had for one to two hundred yuan.
Last time, Zhou You came to buy swim goggles and also got himself a new pair of glasses—top-tier everything in the shop, costing less than 800 yuan. That price would probably only cover the frame of a Tyrannosaurus brand pair.
The shop didn't have swim goggles in stock, but the boss could order a custom pair. After all, Wenzhou people were tight-knit, mostly bringing in relatives and fellow townsmen, forming a vast network. It saved Zhou You the trouble of going elsewhere.
Zhou You had taught himself breaststroke and freestyle. Bilibili was just emerging back then; he used to learn from "Swimming Dream Factory," but after that site shut down and Bilibili took off, it was full of instructional videos, which Zhou You loved.
He learned freestyle from "Dream Awakening Cloud." As the saying went: "Watching without practicing is like never learning at all."
Swimming was a process of constant practice.
It was a great sport—working out the whole body, relieving stress, and treating neck pain. It was arguably the least injury-prone exercise.
The afternoon sun was blazing. Even the faint light filtering through the tree shade felt like it could roast you alive. Zhou You packed his full gear, grabbed some chocolate and mineral water, and headed to the swimming pool cheerfully. In this life and the last, it was his first time hiring a coach to learn swimming—a novel experience.
Changing into swim trunks, showering, and dipping his feet—the whole routine was smooth and practiced. He was no swimming novice.
Among the crowd, he spotted the dark-skinned Coach Wang at a glance. He noticed a girl beside him and thought, "Not bad—better than learning with two guys. A mix of genders makes the work lighter."
"Let me introduce myself first. I'm Wang Ping, formerly of the provincial swim team. My best result was second place in the 100-meter freestyle at the Youth Games," Coach Wang began. "This time, I'm mainly teaching freestyle. You both have some foundation. Swim a lap first, and I'll assess you."
Zhou You gave a brief introduction too. The girl, surnamed Qian, named Qian Li, wore a white two-piece square-neck swimsuit, goggles, and a cap. Her face was unclear, but her chest was average.
After the coach's instructions, they started freestyle. Since the pool was crowded, he had them swim one at a time, so he could watch their technique.
Zhou You, being the guy, took the lead. He positioned himself along the pool wall, pushed off, glided a short distance, then alternated his arms reaching forward while his legs kicked vigorously downward, like a little electric motor—splashing loudly.
Luckily, the pool was only 25 meters, or Zhou You might not have had the stamina to make it to the end.
Qian Li was even worse. She held her breath and plowed forward, her arms flailing like an octopus, her legs still in a breaststroke kick, stopping after a few meters.
Seeing their swimming, Coach Wang had a clear picture.
He said a few words: "You both have some foundation. Zhou You is a bit better. Qian Li, you probably haven't swum freestyle before—it's rusty, but that's okay."
"To learn freestyle well, remember one thing: relax. Relax your whole body."
"First, you both know breaststroke, so there's no worry about drowning."
"Second, you're in good physical shape. Swimming is a sport that needs stamina."
"Finally, I'm a great coach. Every student I've taught has learned."
Zhou You listened, feeling the coach had a knack for it—he managed the students' psychology perfectly, easing the fear of learning, boosting confidence, and even hyping himself up without being off-putting.
"I'll start by teaching you the freestyle mantra."
Freestyle mantra:
One, Body: Float steady in the water, arms cross and pull in turn, legs kick up and down like whips, exhale slow, inhale fast as you go.
Two, Arms: Relaxed recovery, shoulder forward, forearm and palm face the water, speed up along the midline, alternate arms in a continuous pull.
Three, Legs: Power from thighs drives the calves, alternate legs in the kick.
Four, Breathing: Exhale slowly with head in water, turn head and inhale quickly.
"Memorize these lines. The rest is practice. What's the core of any school? The mantra, the inner technique."
"You two might think this is too simple. Let me tell you: True teaching is a single phrase; false teaching fills volumes." Coach Wang joked as he taught, lightening the mood.
Zhou You asked a question he'd long wondered: "Coach, why can't I swim far or long? After a bit, I feel oxygen-deprived, and my breathing rhythm falls apart."
"You've hit the nail on the head. That's what I was about to cover. You both know breaststroke, but honestly, it might make learning freestyle harder because your breathing methods differ," the coach paused, then continued.
"In breaststroke, you lift your head to breathe. Since you swim it slowly, you have plenty of time to inhale and exhale."
"In freestyle, you breathe sideways. You need to breathe while swimming, keeping your body steady and rhythm intact, with shorter gaps between breaths."
"Your biggest freestyle problem is poor breathing rhythm. You're not breathing fully, so carbon dioxide builds up, oxygen can't keep up, and you have to stop to catch your breath."
"Is there a good solution?" Zhou You pressed.
"Of course—that's why you hired a coach, and that's my role."
"When you swim freestyle, you're clearly tense all over, not as natural as in breaststroke. You're worried about sinking, and most importantly, your core strength is lacking."
"This isn't something you can fix overnight. It just means your body is in a sub-healthy state and needs exercise to adjust. Long-term swimming is the best choice."
"Now, let's start today's first lesson."
"Kick with a kickboard. The goal is to get your lower body floating. Speed isn't that important. Key points: keep your legs mostly straight, knees only slightly bent, ankles a bit relaxed, and feel the water push back and down with the tops of your feet."
"Kicking is also called 'whip kick.' Imagine your leg is a whip. Every time you swim, think of your foot lashing out like a whip, striking the water."
"Today's first practice: 200 meters of kickboard kicking."
The pool echoed with the sound of splashing.