Cheng

*Note: Cheng's full name, age, height, blood type, zodiac, etc. source.*

### Meaning

"陈" (*pinyin: chén*) means "to explain" in Mandarin Chinese"小虎" (*pinyin: xiǎo hǔ*) means "little tiger" in Mandarin Chinese

## Personality

Cheng is often seen stuffing himself with food whenever he gets the chance, and sleeps like a log as soon as he lies down. By principle, he never refuses food and keeps on eating as long as there is something left. At Shaolin, there are three meals a day and a warm place to sleep. For Cheng, its paradise. Cheng has known the simple joys, affection, help, complicity, and forthright laughter of large families. Most especially, he has experienced the tenderness of a mother and a father who gave their children vast amounts of love for they have nothing to give. The hardships that have been endured over the years have forged a simple philosophy of life within Cheng, which can be summed in one sentence: be happy with what you have, and take everything that comes when it comes. Concretely, this means that Cheng never complains, neither of the cold, of hunger nor of fatigue.

Cheng is obviously pragmatic; he is a simple guy and a little rough around the edges, but filled with a good farmer's common sense, which is his form of intelligence. His manners may not be refined, but he is truly noble with his habit of sharing whatever he owns--big or small--down to three grains of rice. "Like my mother always said," he likes to repeat with a loud peal of laughter, "It's always better when eaten together." This does not mean, however, that Cheng manifests any kind of particular solidarity with the unfortunate. In this case, he is unlike Hua; he somehow is fatalistic about misery as normal and unavoidable thing. Where Hua suffers from having been deprived by his parents, Cheng does not rebel in any way against his condition in life. He is far from being an idealist. In the heat of the moment, he is more preoccupied with saving himself than worrying about accomplishing some grand exploits (like Tang) or saving the life of strangers (like Hua). He is just as brave as his companions, but is used to fighting to survive; he reacts very often by pure instinct of preservation. Despite this, he always follows the others lead. Cheng is neither a leader nor a loner; his team spirit is what guides him.

Unlike Hua and Tang, Cheng does not know to read. He is not dumb, and he is far from it. He is definitely not intimidated by those who know more than he does. His answers may not be remarkably subtle, but they are frank, direct, and amusingly often right at the end. He is perfectly able to leave an intellectual speechless even though he has never read a book. Cheng knows the earth and animals; he can read Nature and can predict rain and blue skies. He knows which plants heal and which can nourish. He shines with his resourcefulness and astonishes his companions with his handy skills. He is the only one among Hua and Tang who is capable of lightning a fire from nothing, and who possesses a remarkable sense of observation. Cheng never balks at manual labor. In Shaolin, however, is quite a different story.

Cheng is rather fine and is able with combat exercises that rely on endurance, strength and energy are manageable. Cheng handles his weapon like no one else. Master Sanzang has offered him a special stick that into three segments attached to each other by chains. Otherwise, it is known as the three-section cudgel. Nobody can match Cheng's expertise when it comes to twirling his weapon. He can also walk for hours without ever getting exhausted, climb abrupt slopes with a heavy pack on his back, and can chop down trees. On the other hand, the young farm boy is far from the best in exercises that demand concentration, balance, flexibility, precision and subtlety. He has no patience; he is incapable of staying more than ten minutes seated in meditation. When he closes his eyes, he falls asleep and starts to snore. Cheng is too nervous, too brutal, too thick. He has thick fingers, big hands, big feet, and a big head. "Humph! I'm not cut for that girly stuff!" he mutters after each failures. He hates when things resist him. In actions, Cheng is not a fan of complicated plans either. In exchange for twisted tricks and brilliant strategies, he prefers surprise and frontal attacks. "The quicker you do it, the quicker it's over." A bit like a tiger that brutally charges and befalls its adversaries with a single swat of its paw, the tiger happens to be Cheng's totemic aura.

Like the peasant farmers, Cheng is very superstitious. He believes in magic, monsters and maledictions. He prays to the Gods and the spirits in order to obtain their favors, and is always hesitant to break taboos. He spends his time warning his companions about their impiety, but always finishes by tagging along with their mischievous adventures.

## Life before Shaolin

Cheng lives in a small village with his father, mother, grandfather and five siblings and comes from a very large family. Aside from a swarm of brothers and sisters, the boy has a great many uncles and cousins a little bit everywhere at Henan, whom he sometimes meet during his adventures. Hua and Tang are often surprised by the innumerable relatives he encounters. Cheng is the son, grandson, and great grandson of poor farmers. His family has never possessed anything other than an ugly shack of cob built on a parcel of arid land.

### Episode 1

    He pulled a mysterious girl towards him where he was hiding in the tall grass, because she just arrived and didn't know that the village was being raided by the Black Foxes. He told her what was going on and planned to wait after they leave to rescue the villagers locked in the barn. He commanded the girl to keep quiet as he didn't want to get caught. As if on cue, a Black Fox spotted them and they were chased. As one Black Fox was about to strike them with a spear, Cheng pushed over a bunch of bamboo leaning on the wall, catching the Black Fox off guard and they escaped with more Black Foxes chasing after them. They were cornered and the girl used a sheet nearby as a weapon and started attacking. Cheng also used a broom by the barn to to defend against the Black Foxes, his mother calling out to him. The girl introduces herself as Hua afterwhich he rebutted that it wasn't the appropriate time for introductions. Their defense only lasted a while when Cheng's broom was broken by a mace and Hua's whip torn. They gripped each other tightly expected to be struck, then Master Sanzang appeared, disabling the Black Fox. Sanzang gave him a staff for a weapon. Tang announces that he's the governor's son which surprised Cheng. They then engaged the Black Foxes in battle. Later in the battle, he found out accidentally that the staff given to him can become a sectional staff and he wields this one with ease. Tang saves him from an attacking Black Fox which he returned the favor by pushing Tang out of a charging Black Fox's way. He pushed him into a pile of mud though. After the Black Foxes retreated, he borrowed without consent Tang's sword and cut the rope tying the entrance of the barn shut, releasing the villagers. His mother praised him for being brave as did Master Sanzang during dinner. When he was invited to train to be a Shaolin knight, he choked at the food he was chewing. Tang questions this but later consents.

## Life as a Shaolin Wuzang

Episode 2
Cheng together with Tang was dragged along by Hua into the kitchens at night although he was very sleepy. He opposed the idea of sneaking into the kitchen since they weren't allowed to but went anyway. Tang blamed the punishment on him because he hit Master Fong during target practice. Believing it wasn't his fault, he blamed Tang for laughing during that time as well as blaming the wind for losing his aim. Hua called their attentionand they watched from behind the slightly opened door a man sneaking around then jumping on the roof, running away. He was marveling the man's flexibility when a Shaolin ran and cried for help, alerting everyone that Master Sanzang was dead. They rush to his chambers where the masters Fong and Long Tsu along with a doctor was examining him. He was shocked when Hua volunteered herself and them to find the antidote since Master Sanzang was poisoned. They were not sent for this task thus resuming their punishment and continuing thier chores the next day.

Tang again brought up the incident with Cheng's lack of aim to which he again blamed the wind. When a few horsemen passed the gate of the place they were sweeping in, they followed, concealing themselves among the bamboo. Tang drew attention to the bracelet one of them wore and they ran after them but to no avail. They were scolded by Master Fong and told to continue their chores.

Below the bridge just before the exit gate of Shaolin, he along with Tang and Hua, consult each other with the facts they found. He was baffled by the fact that if the man with the bracelet poisoned Master Sanzang, why would he go and find the antidote to which Hua replied that he might keep the others from finding it so they agreed to stop the man with the bracelet. They hid in a covered wagon to exit the gate inconspicuously. In the wagon were baskets of apples which he ate without hesitation. Tang criticized him for being too loud. As the driver got off for a bathroom break, they got the horse and rode off.

   He spots the two horsemen on the floor and remarks that they really weren't searching for the antidote. The other horseman arrives and Cheng asks him who the mastermind was after Hua asks him of his reason. Cheng seemed to be the only nonchalant one in the midst of them being cornered, his arms being crossed and suggesting that they leave but since the others were keen in fighting, he joined them as well. A little while into the battle, the two tied-up Shaolins were freed by an random flying saber and tells the three to go ahead to the Hanging Forest.

They arrive and he comments about how creepy the place looks. They find a boat thanks to Hua and he jokingly warns Tang to be careful. He ends up rowing the boat, complaining to Tang. Tang replied that Hua is a girl and that he just doesn't like getting dirty. As they mentioned the serpent guarding the swamp, the boat was toppled by the emerging giant serpent. He resurfaced and he and Tang call out for Hua. They swim to shore and see Hua carried in a pink sphere to the shore. They ask her how she did it. She replied but gasped in the middle, catching sight of dark figures hanging from the huge tree in front of them. He protests of him going to go get the flower for he has been doing too much of the work. Hua volunteers and the vines lower the animate skeletons down. He stances himself, cracking his neck from one side to another while the skeleton in front of him follows him doing so. They easily defeated them until they regenerated again.

     Cheng was made to get the flower since he was the best climber while the other two cover for him. He swings through the vines and arrives next to where the flower was hanging. Just before he could get to it, a skeleton grabs him by the foot but he easily kicks it off. He tried to grab the flower again. A skeleton flung toward him, he dodges and the skeleton cuts the vines holding the flower, sending it to the ground. Cheng falls after it and shows them the flower and Tang kept it for safe keeping.

Back at Shaolin, Cheng hears that Master Fong and Master Long Tsu have too been poisoned and tells the others thereby still bringing up the question of who is the traitor. The doctor, who got the flower from Tang, burns it, prompting him and Hua to question him but they were held back by Tang.

The doctor and his accomplice were stopped by the Shaolin warriors that came to help them. He and Hua criticize Tang for giving the flower to the doctor when he knew he was the traitor. Tang shows them the real flower and Cheng was half-impressed, half-jesting about Tang's brainstormings.

Later on, all three of them were in Master Sanzang's room, the two other grand masters arrive giving them their thanks. Fong expresses favor on them and Cheng hugs him but makes him lose balance and fall bottom first into a pot of burning charcoal. Cheng jests that what happened was maybe because of the wind again.

### Episode 3

When Lu Yen gosspied about how Hua was a spy of Hei Hu, he and Tang tried to teach them a lesson thereby disrupting Master Fong's lecture. They were sent outside to shovel snow. Outside, he expressed his disagreement to the gossipers to Tang. When they continued to tease her outside, he was stopped by Tang when he was about to fight them. In the evening he and Tang bring Lu Yen who had little clothes on out in the freezing snow. He rebutted to Lu Yen who complained about how he was furious of him attacking Hua. When Lu Yen threatens to call for help, Tang craftily asks him if he wanted his friends to think of him as a whimp since he was in that situation. They previously had flipped a coin to see who would teach him a lesson and Cheng was the winner. Then Lu Yen gave chase.

All the Shaolins were being assembled for an emergency and seeing that Hua wasn't around he and Tang go to her room and find a secret passage uncovered. They went in and followed where the tunnel would lead them. It lead them outside and they see two sets of footprints, a big one and a small one. Cheng deduced that the smaller ones were Hua's and Tang suggested she was following the man whom Master Sanzang was mentioning earlier. The tracks stop as the footprints were covered by the heavy snowfall. They find an inn when Cheng smelled smoke nearby and they run to it deducing Hua might be there, with Tang suggesting they get a hot meal while they were at it. At the inn, Cheng was eating away at a bowl of noodles and Tang was keeping warm by the fire. The Black Foxes suddenly arrive, Cheng whispers to Tang that he was unarmed. The Black Foxes land on the ground floor from the second one near to where they were. As he saw Hua from the balcony, he calls out her name, signalling to the Black Foxes that he and Tang too were Shaolins. Weapons were held against them and Hua joins in. She asks how they arrived and Cheng answers that they followed her footprints. They engage in battle. Cheng resourcefully uses a bowl of noodles, a bench and almost any object near him to distract his opponent since he had no weapons. Fire starts and spread to the entire inn and he saves Tang when debris was falling.

## Quotes

### **Episode 2**

Cheng: "*I knew it, Fong's the **traitor** and my arrow would've stopped him if it weren't for that blasted wind.*"

Tang: "*I thought you were aiming for **the target**!?*"

## Reference

Cheng's Infobox source:

1. ↑ http://www.baike.com/wiki/%E9%99%88%E5%B0%8F%E8%99%8E%5B%E5%8A%A8%E7%94%BB%E7%89%87%E3%80%8A%E4%B8%AD%E5%8D%8E%E5%B0%8F%E5%AD%90%E3%80%8B%E4%BA%BA%E7%89%A9%5D