"Oh dear, Dad needs to earn money to support the family. You don't need money to learn to swim, do you? You don't need money to get married in the future, do you? Besides, the company is really busy lately, negotiating new business, and Dad really can't get away. Your mother hasn't been feeling well lately either. When the finals come around, Dad will definitely make time to go to Beijing to watch you compete, okay?"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Zhen immediately replied.
What's wrong with my mom?
"Your mother has a slight cold, but don't worry, it's nothing serious. She's already seen a doctor and is taking medicine."
"That's good. Tell my mom to take care of herself, wear warm clothes, and take her medicine on time. Also, it's settled then. You come to Beijing for the finals to watch me win the championship, and then we'll go home together."
"Okay, son," Mr. Cheng suddenly said, moved by the moment.
"What's wrong, Dad?"
Mr. Cheng smiled and was about to speak when several men holding sticks and looking menacing appeared at the entrance of the alley not far ahead. He looked back and saw that his retreat was also blocked by a car.
He hung up the phone hastily.
"It's okay, son. Dad has work to do, so I'll talk to you later. Take care of yourself. Bye."
Before he could finish speaking, his phone was snatched away, and several young men in suits came over and started punching and kicking him.
The car door opened, and a middle-aged man wearing sunglasses got out, picked up his phone from the ground, and raised his hand.
The thugs then stopped what they were doing.
"I heard your son is a great swimmer and is about to win the national championship. Congratulations!"
Mr. Cheng struggled to lift his head from the ground; his glasses were knocked askew, and his nose was covered in blood.
"What...what do you want to do to my son?"
"Of course, the son should pay for the father's debts. Your son has a bright future. If you can't afford to pay, then let your son pay for you."
The man crouched down and patted his face with his phone.
Mr. Cheng panicked and immediately grabbed his wrist, pleading through tears, "No...don't...don't let my son know...he's just a child, he doesn't have that much money! I still...I still...I still have a house, I'll mortgage the house to you too!"
The man let go, throwing him to the ground and tossing his phone aside before getting up.
"Wouldn't it have been better to do this earlier? We've had our brothers come looking for you again and again. Three days, I'll give you three days. If we don't see a million after three days, we'll go to Beijing to find your son."
"Also, don't even think about hiding from your debts. We heard your mother lives alone in the countryside. If we can't find you, we'll come over to your house for a visit and say hello to the old lady."
After saying this, the man led his thugs away.
"Let's go."
Mr. Cheng got up from the ground, picked up his phone. The screen was broken. He wiped it clean, put it in his pocket, took off his glasses, wiped the blood off his face, and then staggered towards home.
Mrs. Cheng welcomed them inside.
"Oh dear, what happened? Why is your face all bruised and swollen?"
Mr. Cheng sat down on the sofa, and Mrs. Cheng brought a first-aid kit from the bedroom and gave him some basic treatment for the wound on his face.
Mr. Cheng hissed softly.
"It's nothing... I just stepped off the stairs at the company entrance and tripped."
"At your age, you don't even watch where you're going. What if you fall and hurt yourself?" Mrs. Cheng complained as she carefully applied ice to his wound.
"Alright, I can do it myself. Is the food ready? I'm a little hungry."
Mr. Cheng took the ice pack from her and pressed it to his forehead.
Cheng's mother got up and looked at him sitting on the sofa in his dirty clothes.
"Get up, get up. Look how dirty your clothes are. Take them off and I'll wash them for you. Dinner will be ready soon. Go take a shower first, and be careful not to get water on the wound on your face."
Mr. Cheng took off his coat and handed it to her.
"Okay, sure."
After everyone went into the bathroom, Cheng's mother was about to put his clothes into the washing machine when she reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone with a cracked screen.
"Why is your phone broken too?"
Mr. Cheng raised his voice from inside the bathroom.
"Oh, I was holding my phone when I fell and it hit the ground. Do you have a spare phone? Can I have one?"
"Honestly, at your age, you're still causing so much trouble. Where am I going to get so many spare phones? Use mine for now."
After taking a shower, Mr. Cheng went back to the bedroom to change his clothes. Through the half-open door, he saw his wife busy in the kitchen. He quietly walked over, opened the drawer under the wardrobe, and searched for the property certificate.
Cheng's mother set out the bowls and chopsticks and called out.
"What are you looking for? Hurry up and come out to eat."
Mr. Cheng was startled, but his expression remained calm and composed.
Honey, where's our property certificate?
Cheng's mother pushed open the door and entered, her face full of suspicion.
"Why do you need the property ownership certificate?"
Mr. Cheng got up and put his arm around her, helping her sit on the bed.
"The company has been having some cash flow problems lately, you know. I applied for a loan from the bank, but it requires our house to be mortgaged..."
"Cheng Yong!" Cheng's mother pushed him away.
"Are you crazy?! To fill the hole your company is in, first you sold the car, and now you're even selling our house! Are you trying to leave the three of us homeless and sleeping on the streets?!"
"Oh, my wife." Mr. Cheng pulled her over again, hugged her, and comforted her gently.
“It’s not a sale, it’s a legitimate mortgage with the bank. Once the loan matures and we pay it off, the house will still be ours.”
"What if you can't pay it back?!"
"How could that be! We've been together for so many years, don't you believe in my abilities? I can start from scratch and make the company even better. Everything I'm doing now is for you and our child to have a better life."
The two fell in love on campus, got married after graduation, and Cheng's father started his business from scratch. She had seen how hard he had worked and how much effort he had put in. Hearing him say this now, and seeing the new gray hairs at his temples, she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.
"Of course I believe you, but mortgaging the house also..."
"Honey, just trust me. You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub. The company is facing a little difficulty right now, but as long as we work together, there's no obstacle we can't overcome," Mr. Cheng said, making a gesture as if to kiss her cheek.
Cheng's mother pushed people out.
"You're so old, all sticky and fussy. Eat first!"
"The property certificate?" He still managed to steal a few pecks, finally bringing a smile to the woman's face.
"I'll get it for you after you finish eating, is that alright?"
***
Zhou Mu lay on his bed in the dormitory, scrolling through sports news. The more he scrolled, the angrier he became. He registered several alternate accounts to confront those haters.
"Huh? Fix a match? Then show me how it's done."
"Others don't deserve to participate in the World Championships, but you do. Others play with rackets, but you play with a keyboard and your mouth."
"Jiang Yunli is letting the water out? I think you're out of your mind. Shake it clean and wash your mouth before you speak."
"No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. It's just a mistake, and it's precisely the time when we need encouragement. Instead of cheering for the Chinese team, you're slandering the athletes behind their backs, accusing them of match-fixing. Do you know how much effort Xie Shi'an put in to get here?"
After Zhou Mu finished sending the messages, she added all the people who had insulted her to her blacklist, but she still felt unsatisfied looking at her phone.
She thought for a moment and then dialed Xie Shi'an's number.
The call was answered quickly.
"Hey, Shi'an, are you alright?"
“It’s me, Chang Nian.”
Zhou Mu was startled when he first heard her voice.
"Why did you answer the phone? Where is Shi'an?"
Jian Changnian glanced at the training ground, where Xie Shi'an stood with his hands behind his back in front of Wan Jing.
His voice resounded throughout the entire venue.
"Look at your performance on the court today! Who do you think you are! Did I recruit you to the national team just to embarrass you?! This isn't some national tournament, this is one of the highest-level badminton events in the world, I'm begging you to be more proactive, okay?! Do you know what people are saying about you and our national team right now?!"
"You're not just smearing one person, but also your predecessors!"
She covered the receiver tightly and said.
“She was getting scolded, so I was holding her phone for her. When I saw you calling, I answered it.”
Zhou Mu felt a pang of sympathy, knowing that she must be having a hard time right now.
"Is Shi'an alright? I watched today's game too. He did make a few mistakes, but it wasn't necessary..."
Jian Changnian continued, "Yes, although he was not in good form, he tried his best to catch up in the third game, but still lost the game by two points, and was scolded terribly."
Zhou Mu lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"I wish I could go to the stadium to watch your match. You should comfort Shi'an and help her get back into shape. I believe she can definitely win the championship!"
Jian Changnian knew exactly what was going on and gave a wry smile.
"I reckon no amount of comforting will help; we'll have to get Yu Chu to step in."
Chapter 69 Car Accident
Jian Changnian hung up the phone and inadvertently glanced at her chat interface with Qiao Yuchu, which was still stuck two days ago.
In the past two days, they haven't sent a single message, not even a greeting or a casual chat.
Jian Changnian sighed and put her phone away.
When it was time for a meal, Wan Jing punished her by making her clean the training room.
After everyone left, Xie Shi'an threw down his cleaning tools and started packing up his golf bag.
Jian Changnian watched her movements, and while she was wiping the floor, she got up from the ground and said.
"Where are you going? Aren't you going to work?!"