Tales from the Middle Kingdom Part 1. The Little Dragon that Could Once upon a time, in a land far away inside the Middle Kingdom and bordering the Land of the Morning Calm, there was born to an ordinary couple, a little girl. Many years later, the couple would tell anyone who asked, that the girl was born smiling; with a chubby head larger than it should be; and eyes that already possessed the serenity of a Buddha and wisdom beyond their years. And they felt that serenity was like a soothing sea of warmth and goodness, and that it enriched the life of their family more than anything ever had, or would. And so, they named her for this gift she brought with her. The little girl with knobby knees had a normal childhood. She would bounce around everywhere, and she was so quick to scamper from room to room that eventually, the parents gave up looking for her. So when the aroma of cooking and freshly-made sweets would float on the warm breeze, the little girl would suddenly be right beside her mother, tugging at her apron… She had an appetite! But even so, her parents noted, she did not grow as tall as other girls of her age. Soon, they despaired. “What will we do if she does not grow taller? She will not become a basketball star. All she does is scamper from corner to corner in our back courtyard, weaving past the furniture and baskets there…” Some important people noticed her athletic abilities though, and remarked, “this little girl will be able to play badminton very well.” The game of badminton was very important to the Middle Kingdom; it was one of the most important sports, and the wise men there recognized that it was a game that made people become complete athletes, and also encouraged them to think, plan and employ strategy to outwit, outlast and outplay their opponents. “This girl has the perfect blend of these attributes” said the wise men. “She will one day be a great asset to our Kingdom; and her name will be on everyone’s lips.” Alas! The Gods has something else in mind. The girl started off like a whirlwind, but suddenly, a serious injury to her waist happened, out of nowhere. She has to remain off her beloved courts, in rehab. The months went by. “How long must I be punished like this? I will go mad if I am not allowed back!” she cried. “Patience, little one” said they... She went back home. Her mother fussed over her, knowing she needed to be distracted. Pretty soon, with all the love and attention, she was back at scampering between baskets and furniture, chasing kittens, swimming in the river, running to the kitchen for more love, and smiling until the sun threatened to burst right through her. The doctors then called for her and, amazed, pronounced “she is healed! We don’t know how, but Buddha be praised, she is as fit as a seal and sharp as a katana.” It is what the head coach wanted to hear. And so, the girl resumed her journey on the long road back to the national training centre. Duelling now with other girls who were younger than her, she was forced to use not just her athletic ability and strength, but her determination, and guile, and deception. Slowly, she overcame many odds along the way, and when she once again entered the national team, they were all waiting for her at the entrance; her old friends, and some new ones, to applaud her for her courage, and to welcome her as one more jewel in the crown. Everyone begins life nestled in the protective embrace of mother and family. Sometimes, that bond endures above all else. That little girl loved her family. And although she was always smiling, she could show her teeth in fury as well. People recognized her temper when they weren’t polite to her parents. She was very protective of her siblings and her family, even as a child. The people of Dandong would remark, “Here is a girl who will defend her home and her people with everything she has! You may cross this little one at your peril.” Some years later, people from other countries were saying exactly the same thing to their players, as they embarked upon a perilious journey to cross swords with the girl. And so was born the legend of Wang Xin: the “Queen of Foreign Wars.”
Wow. I like your storyline so much which revolves around Wang Xin's trial and tribulation as a player. Write memoirs about Wang Shixian (Queen of Asia at the moment lol) and Wang Yihan (Best Player in the World) I am sure Wang Yihan's fable story is much longer
LCW should engage you to write his book, I am sure you would do a marvellous job, I really meant it honestly When I first saw your post, I thought it was my old chekgu 365-words assignment to me during my high school days in good old MAS:crying: WX, if she can read english, should thank you for the time and thoughts you have put into writing this essay and that is only Part 1, more body parts to come and I wonder the number of parts would rival the Harry Pothead saga
Cobalt !! What is your sequel after completing this tale ? Romance of the Wang Kingdom hehehe? If only my design skills were that good and creative, I could think of a poster cover to illustrate your storyline, picture with all the Wangs and Chinese players including Lee Chong wei in it..lol!
Much thanks to everyone for your nice responses! Much appreciated! I will be writing short stories for many players when I find the time (and inspiration :crying and will post them in the relevant sections or sub-fora. The next short story has just been posted. Here is the link. http://www.badmintoncentral.com/for...-Part-2.-The-Anime-Hero?p=1868468#post1868468
The latest in the series of short stories has just been posted. Here is the link: Tales from the Middle Kingdom. Part 3. The Man who bent Time. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Other earlier short stories can be found here: Tales from the Middle Kingdom, Part 2. The Anime Hero Sutras from Siam – The Tuk-tuk Tigress
