Zhou You drove his Wrangler, taking Wang Ping to the hospital.
Along the way, Wang Ping kept muttering, "Brother You, take me along, Brother You, take me along."
Wang Ping knew that anyone who could swim at the Jade Lake Guesthouse was generally from a well-off family, and he assumed Zhou You relied on his family too, with a decent background.
He didn’t expect Zhou You to say he did it all on his own, which earned him a bit of admiration and envy from Wang Ping. Ordinary people without connections or opportunities rarely struck it rich.
Zhou You deeply understood this, so he also admired Wang Ping. Back in the day, he hadn’t had that kind of savvy and couldn’t let go of his own fragile pride.
As they spent more time together, the two got along well. With the economy growing faster and people becoming more aware of swimming and fitness, opening a swimming pool—whether an outdoor one in a residential complex or a high-end hotel facility—was basically a sure way to make money.
When the time came, Zhou You could chip in a bit more startup capital and go into business with Wang Ping. He wasn’t aiming to get rich, mainly to have another explanation for his own funding sources.
Wang Ping would definitely have to contribute some money too. If he didn’t put in cash, he wouldn’t be fully committed—that’s just how many people think. Building a shared interest isn’t just about making money together; it’s also about losing money together.
Otherwise, a business that only makes money but can’t handle losses won’t last long. It’ll fall apart sooner or later.
There was no rush for now, since the peak season had passed. Jumping in now would only mean bigger losses.
When the time came, Zhou You definitely wouldn’t have time to manage things, so he’d have to let Wang Ping handle most of it.
At the hospital, the two headed straight to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Physiotherapy Department and found it wasn’t too crowded.
Dr. Liu wasn’t old, just in his thirties. If Wang Ping hadn’t brought him, Zhou You wouldn’t have sought out Dr. Liu either, because in most people’s minds, hospitals are for treating illnesses. For a massage, you’d go to a massage parlor.
But professional massage and wellness massage are very different. Professional techniques can alleviate the harm exercise does to the body, while regular massage parlors don’t have that skill. They just make you feel good, but whether that feeling actually helps your body recover is uncertain.
Dr. Liu was familiar with Wang Ping. As he massaged Zhou You, he chatted with Wang Ping, "What have you been up to lately? You haven’t come to see me."
"Just busy with random stuff. I’m a swimming coach at a few pools now. The training intensity isn’t as high as before, so I don’t come here as often."
Dr. Liu asked, "Zhou You, your fatigue is from swimming. If you’re not careful, your shoulders might get injured later. Make sure Wang Ping keeps an eye on you."
"It’s not just my shoulders. Sometimes I feel a bit of pain, and my knees and ankles are a little uncomfortable too. Please take a close look at those areas," Zhou You said honestly. He had to take care of his own body.
"It’s fine. You’re still young, and your body recovers quickly. Just be careful and don’t push yourself like a professional athlete," Dr. Liu said, having seen plenty of swimmers with strains.
He gave Zhou You a full-body massage, focusing on the key areas. Afterward, Zhou You felt much more relaxed all over. Professionals really were different.
Dr. Liu said, "For this kind of relaxation massage, you don’t need to come to me. Just find a reliable shop. The hospital mainly focuses on treatment, but coming here is definitely better than a small place."
"Our hospital massages are short and cheap, with fixed national rates, mainly for therapeutic purposes. You can also go to a massage parlor for a relaxation massage, which helps relieve mental and physical fatigue."
"Can you recommend some? You’re the expert. A lot of roadside shops aren’t legitimate, and I wouldn’t dare go there. If the massage goes wrong, it could cause more problems," Zhou You asked with interest.
"There are quite a few. I have some fellow apprentices who run massage shops outside. You can go to them later. Some focus on treatment, others on wellness. You can choose for yourself," they chatted as they went.
Nowadays, fewer people with professional training go into massage therapy. It’s time-consuming, energy-draining, and doesn’t pay well. Even after years of medical study, finding a job isn’t easy.
Plus, the time for giving massages each day is limited. One person takes at least 20–25 minutes, and at most, you can handle about ten people a day. Any more, and your body can’t keep up—massage is still physical labor.
The alternative is to become a high-end sports rehabilitation therapist, but that path is even harder. There are only about a dozen such people nationwide.
Dr. Liu said, "I also do acupuncture. Want to give it a try?"
Zhou You thought about it and declined. He joked, "I’m not at the point where I need acupuncture yet, am I?"
Dr. Liu laughed heartily. "No, just checking if you’re interested."
It felt good, but the session was too short to be satisfying. Back in the day, foot baths or blind masseur massages were at least 60 minutes, and you could even doze off for a bit.
Since returning, he hadn’t gotten a massage. It seemed his spending habits hadn’t changed yet. No, he had to go today. People need to learn to reward themselves. Waiting for others to do it wasn’t the way.
Zhou You drove around the streets with Wang Ping, looking for a decent, legitimate massage parlor.
Zhou You teased Wang Ping, "You professional athletes never went to other massage places?"
"Bro, we were all poor kids. How could we afford fancy places?" Wang Ping said helplessly. "Some others went, but they never took me, and I couldn’t exactly ask."
"Alright, we’ve got nothing to do anyway. Let’s just drive around and pick one that looks good," Zhou You said casually.
There were three criteria: legitimate, good technique, and decent quality.
The first was obvious from the outside; the other two required trial and error.
They drove to Huaihe Road and spotted a Thai massage parlor with a big entrance, three stories high. "Alright, let’s try this one."
As they walked in, two greeters shouted, "Welcome!" startling Zhou You, the country bumpkin.
*What are you, sneaking in? Why so nervous?*
"First time here. Give us an introduction," Zhou You said, confidence backed by money.
"Hello, we specialize in Thai massage. Our therapists are professionally trained, with techniques including stepping, stroking, pressing, pulling, tugging, and kneading. You can try it first, and the therapist will explain more."
"Alright, recommend two with good skills."
They followed the guide into a room. "Give us separate rooms, quiet ones."
After a short wait, a young female therapist came in carrying a small basket with towels, essential oils, and other necessities.
Zhou You was tired. He lay face down on the bed and said, "Go ahead, start massaging. Talk as you work."
The young therapist said, "I’m therapist No. 3. I’ll begin now. If anything feels uncomfortable, please let me know."
Starting from his head, she massaged slowly, and Zhou You closed his eyes.
No wonder—besides professional massage, wellness massage was so popular. It really did feel much better. Unlike treating an illness, this was purely about comfort.
Nice. He’d have to try all kinds of massages.
Wishing all readers a happy Dragon Boat Festival in advance.
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