The couple were dressed in tattered clothes and looked very poor, but the baby in the swaddling clothes on the woman's back had a clean face and was looking at the world with open eyes.
Jian Changnian stood there, trembling all over, tears streaming down her face again. She screamed through her tears, "You ran away because you were afraid of going to jail, but what about my grandmother! Did you ever think that if no one found her, she would just lie there on the cold road and be gone? You have a wife and children, but I'm an orphan!"
Perhaps the noise from the argument was too loud, which startled the baby in the swaddling clothes, and it started crying loudly.
Seeing that the situation was beyond negotiation, the police had no choice but to take the person away.
Qiao Yuchu patted her on the shoulder and handed her a tissue.
The nurse came to call: "The patient has woken up, you can go in to visit."
Jian Changnian wiped away her tears, sniffed, and followed the nurse to change into her isolation gown.
Because she had just undergone surgery, my grandmother could only stay in the ICU for the time being. She was covered in tubes and could only move her eyes, but at least she was conscious. When she noticed my hand holding hers, she gently squeezed it back.
Jian Changnian cried tears of joy: "Grandma, Grandma, that's wonderful! Can you hear me?"
Grandma looked at her, tears glistening in her cloudy eyes. She seemed to want to say something, but couldn't because of the tube in her mouth, and looked somewhat anxious.
Jian Changnian understood, pressed her face into her palm, and stroked it: "Grandma, believe me, I didn't drop out of school to do anything bad. I didn't tell you before because I was afraid you would worry. I was never happy at school. I didn't study the major I liked, and I didn't have any close friends."
"As you know, I've loved playing badminton since I was a child. Whenever I had free time, I would run to the village. I longed for the competition and wanted to win a world championship like the athletes on TV. So when I had this opportunity, I wanted to give it a try. I haven't been home for the past three months because I've been training intensively. Just now, I passed the physical fitness test for the National Badminton Championships, and this weekend I will be participating in the competition as a member of the Binhai Provincial Team."
Jian Changnian sniffed: "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I really just wanted to wait until everything was settled before I told you. I know you want me to have a skill so I can find a stable job in the future. I don't ask for great wealth, just enough to have enough to eat and wear and live a peaceful life."
"But that's not what I want, Grandma. All I want to do is play ball."
As she finished speaking, tears streamed down her face again.
Grandma moved her fingers, seemingly unintentionally wiping away her tears.
The old man's gaze shifted to the outside of the ward.
Several people peered inside through the glass window.
Jian Changnian sniffed, turned around, and smiled at her friends.
"Grandma, we owe them a lot for the surgery. The one in the middle is our coach, surnamed Yan. He's very strict during training, but he's also very kind to us. I was able to get into the Binhai Provincial Team thanks to him."
"The one to Coach Yan's left is Qiao Yuchu, the older sister in the team. We all call her Sister Yuchu. She has always taken good care of me and treated me like a younger sister."
"The guy to Coach Yan's right is Xie Shi'an, the team's big devil. He's very skilled, but he has a bad temper..."
Jian Changnian hesitated for a moment, unsure how to introduce her. After a while, she met the person's gaze. There was glass between them, and Xie Shi'an couldn't hear what she was saying anyway.
She mustered her courage and said, "She is my best friend."
Grandma's gaze swept over them one by one, her eyes filled with gratitude. Qiao Yuchu waved in response, and Yan Xinyuan nodded.
The nurse came in and urged, "Visiting time is here."
Jian Changnian gently hugged her grandmother through the blanket and got up.
"Grandma, get some rest. You must listen to the doctor and get well soon. I'm waiting for you to come and watch my competition."
***
In the days that followed, because the hospital hired a caregiver to look after her grandmother, Jian Changnian was able to free up time during the day to attend training sessions. She worked from dawn till dusk every day, taking the first bus to the training base and then taking the last bus back to the hospital to spend the night with her grandmother after training.
Although there was still some money left from the last fundraising effort, Jian Changnian couldn't bear to rent a room at a hotel near the hospital. She would just make do on a bench in the corridor for the night. Occasionally, if the doctor's on-call room was empty, the kind-hearted director would invite her in to lie down on the bed and rest.
In the past few days, she had been trying to return the lotus lantern to Xie Shi'an, but she hadn't had a suitable opportunity.
Firstly, the training was intense, so they could only meet during training. Secondly, as soon as training ended, she had to catch the last bus back to the city. Several times she missed the last bus, and Coach Yan had to take her back.
Jian Changnian didn't want to bother him too much.
The days passed by one by one amidst sweat, laughter, and tears.
There is less than a day left until the first match of the national competition.
After the morning training session, Yan Xinyuan brought over their team uniforms for this year.
"Come on, one set for each person, take the one that fits your size."
As usual, Jian Changnian took a size S. She opened the package and tried on the top, only to find that the sleeves were a bit short. She then compared it to the pants, which didn't even reach her ankles.
Clutching the clothes, she said in despair, "Coach Yan, what am I going to do if they're too small?"
Yan Xinyuan came over and took a look: "Oh, it is indeed a bit small. This was made to order based on your height during the training camp. Let me see if I can find a size larger."
Yan Xinyuan rummaged through the box for a long time before finally finding a large-sized set and handing it to her.
"There won't be any smaller ones available."
Jian Changnian took it out and tried it on. It was a size too big, but it fit her perfectly. Qiao Yuchu spun her around and marveled at it.
"They're still at the age where they're growing. It's only been a short time, and they've already grown taller."
She gestured to her shoulder: "You've got to this part of me, haven't you? It's just that you only grow taller, not anywhere else."
As Qiao Yuchu spoke, her gaze drifted almost imperceptibly towards her still flat chest.
Jian Changnian was furious and chased after the person all over the place.
"These kids." Yan Xinyuan shook his head helplessly and clapped his hands.
"Alright, that concludes this morning's training. You have half a day off this afternoon, so feel free to do as you please. Just one rule: no drinking alcohol or dining out, and no carbonated drinks either. Also, please be careful. We'll meet here again at 10:00 AM tomorrow to head to the competition venue. Got it?!"
Everyone shouted in unison, "We understand!"
"Alright, let's dismiss!"
Just as Yan Xinyuan was about to turn and leave, someone called out to him.
Jian Changnian ran excitedly to him.
"Coach Yan, do you have any tickets for the game?"
Although Jian Changnian had never participated in a competition of this caliber before, she knew that the organizers would probably give some internal tickets to the participating teams before the competition, and she wanted one to give away.
Yan Xinyuan guessed what she was thinking and smiled.
"You want to give it away?"
Jian Changnian nodded shyly.
"Okay, just one, just one, Coach Yan, please."
Yan Xinyuan readily agreed.
"Okay, come to my office to get it in a bit."
Jian Changnian came out of his office, intending to go straight back to the hospital, when she bumped into Qiao Yuchu, who had just picked up a package from the guardhouse.
"Hey, you're leaving already?"
Jian Changnian nodded: "Yes, I'll go back and take care of my grandmother."
As Qiao Yuchu spoke, she dragged the person towards the dormitory building: "Hasn't Grandma's condition stabilized and she moved into a regular ward? And there are caregivers looking after her. It's still early, why don't you go back to the dormitory, get some sleep, and rest well? Look at your dark circles."
"And your hairstyle, and your clothes. You have a competition tomorrow, you need to tidy yourself up. You haven't showered for days, have you?"
Jian Changnian pulled up her collar and smelled it.
Hmm, that seems to be true.
Qiao Yuchu walked and talked animatedly.
"Don't blame me for not warning you, there will be TV crews coming tomorrow. If you're caught looking disheveled by the reporters, some enthusiastic netizens might make a GIF and play it repeatedly on various social media platforms."
Jian Changnian: "..."
"I'll go get ready right away."
Qiao Yuchu covered her mouth and laughed, watching her enter the dormitory.
"I have some shower gel and shampoo, I'll bring them to you in a bit."
***
Finally washing away the fatigue and dust of the past few days, Jian Changnian felt completely refreshed after taking a shower, and even the muscle soreness from training was relieved a lot.
As she dried her hair, she walked towards the bed and saw the team uniform lying on it.
Jian Changnian had a sudden inspiration. There was a mirror in the dormitory, so why not try it on?
In the morning, Qiao Yuchu said she had grown taller, but she hadn't really felt it yet. Now, standing in front of the mirror, she finally belatedly noticed some changes in her body.
For the past three months, she has been eating at the provincial team's canteen. Because of the rich side dishes and balanced nutrition, she has grown taller, her frame has opened up, her shoulders seem to have broadened a little, and her cheekbones, which had thinned out, have gradually filled in, giving her face a youthful glow.
In addition, constantly training physical fitness and stretching muscles and bones has changed my overall posture, making me look much more upright and energetic.
She lifted her clothes and saw that she had developed abs on her lower abdomen. Her skin was very delicate to the touch, but felt exceptionally firm.
Jian Changnian turned around in front of the mirror again, then grinned foolishly at the words "Binhai Provincial Team" printed on the back of his team uniform.
Just then, someone knocked on the door. Jian Changnian ran over to open it, and it was Qiao Yuchu.
"Wow, not bad, but you need to fix your hair a bit more; your bangs are covering your eyes." Qiao Yuchu's eyes lit up when she saw her, and she handed her a clean apple.
Jian Changnian looked in the mirror and realized that she really didn't have much money to go to the barbershop. She usually had her grandmother cut her hair at home, and it had been more than three months since she last had a haircut, including the training period.
She swept her bangs back: "I'll cut them myself with scissors."
"Hey, what's so hard about that? Give me the scissors, I can do it." Qiao Yuchu quickly finished the apple in her hand and threw the core into the trash can.
Jian Changnian sat upright in front of the mirror, a towel around her neck, while Qiao Yuchu stood behind her with scissors in hand, comparing them.
How long should I cut it?
Jian Changnian thought for a moment and said, "Let's cut it short. Long hair is a hassle to wash."
"Is shoulder height okay?"
"good."
Watching strands of black hair fall down.
Jian Changnian: "I didn't know Sister Yu Chu had this skill."
Qiao Yuchu held the scissors like a professional.
“I also cut Shi’an’s hair when she was little.”
Jian Changnian nodded: "No wonder, Sister Yuchu, have you and Shi'an known each other since childhood?"
Qiao Yuchu straightened her head.