Xie Shi'an paused in his steps.
An official stepped forward and handed her his business card with both hands: "Badminton is not our strong suit, and the American team has never achieved good results in international competitions. You have made history today. I think you chose to switch to coaching because you still can't bear to leave this arena. So why not stay and work with us to write another chapter in Coach Xie's legend?"
"Furthermore, we are very tolerant of LGBT people and will not interfere too much in your private life. Please be sure to consider it."
Xie Shi'an returned to his apartment with the business card in his hand; the television was still on.
"It is understood that the Chinese national badminton team has started a new round of training. Jian Changnian, who just won the World Championships, has also returned to the Beijing training base. In order to prepare for the Tokyo Olympics starting next year, this training will be a closed-door program for three months. If Jian Changnian can win gold at the Tokyo Olympics, he will become the fastest player in badminton history to achieve a Grand Slam."
...
The Olympics, the Grand Slam, time flies. It's only been three years since I left the competition, it sounds like something from the last century. Xie Shi'an smiled wryly and put his business card on the table.
***
"Chang Nian, when are you coming back? And Shi An, it's been so many years, you should come back and visit. Grandma made braised pork and fried meatballs today. She'll pick you up at the station in a bit."
It's no wonder she called. Jian Changnian usually goes home the day before Lunar New Year's Eve, but this year he's in training camp to prepare for the Olympics and can't leave. He was also very busy and forgot to call her to let her know.
Her voice on the other end of the line was the same as always, with a slight smile: "Grandma, I won't be going back this year, I'm in training camp."
Grandma was taken aback: "Oh... training camp... training camp... work hard... and try to bring back a gold medal next year."
"Okay, the coach is calling me, so I won't say any more. Happy New Year, Grandma, please take care of yourself!"
"Chang..." Grandma wanted to say a few more words, but she had already hung up the phone.
The receiver went dead. The old man sighed, put down the phone, and, leaning on his cane, slowly moved from the inner room to the kitchen. The meatballs in the pot had already burned before he knew it.
There were also many prepared dishes on the table.
Shuncai circled around his grandmother's feet.
The old man scooped the meatballs out, a faint smile appearing on his deeply lined face, but his tone was tinged with sadness.
"They're not coming back, which is fine. We need to focus on important matters. But we've made so much food, so it's just the two of us who will have to eat it, Wangcai."
Jian Changnian received the call in the early hours of the morning. She rolled out of bed and stumbled out without even putting on a coat.
"What did you say?!"
Grandma is in the hospital being treated, please come back quickly!
On New Year's Eve, during the Spring Festival travel rush, train tickets were sold out, and the next available flight was the following afternoon.
Jian Changnian had no choice but to drive thousands of kilometers overnight to get home. By the time he arrived at the hospital, it was already the next morning.
Grandma lay there quietly, covered with a white sheet.
"We did our best, but the patient suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was already beyond saving when he arrived. Please accept our condolences."
The village officials took the person to the hospital.
“Shuncai ran several miles of mountain road to the clinic to call for help. Your grandmother was still knitting a sweater when she passed away... She was very peaceful and didn't suffer much. You... Sigh, please accept my condolences.”
"The old man is of advanced age, so this is considered a happy death. We should hurry up and make the funeral arrangements."
This was the first time she had faced all of this. Like a puppet, she was led to the police station to get her grandmother's death certificate, then to the crematorium for cremation, to buy a burial plot, to take the urn home, to the burial, to hold a feast, to invite the whole village to eat. She was so busy that she didn't have time to grieve.
They stayed until all the guests had left.
She slumped down in the chair her grandmother used to sit in. On the low stool next to her was a ball of yarn and a half-knitted sweater, bright red, glaringly so.
"Grandma, why is it red again? I want a different color."
"Silly child, you should wear red during your birth year to keep you safe and sound and protect you from all evil."
Jian Changnian picked up the sweater and brought it to her nose to smell it. It had the familiar scent of sandalwood that her grandmother used to carry, as if she were still by her side. It was all just a dream.
In a daze, she actually saw her grandmother walking towards the house against the light.
Her eyes instantly welled up with tears, and she got up and chased after the kitchen.
"grandmother!"
Pushing open the door, I saw a meal laid out on the table: fish, shrimp, braised meat, and fried meatballs. A faint aroma of food wafted through the room. Everything was as it had always been, except that Grandma was gone.
Tears welled up instantly, and she slumped into a chair. Looking at the food that had been sitting in front of her for several days, she suddenly picked it up and started stuffing large mouthfuls into her mouth.
"Chang Nian, when are you coming back? Grandma made braised pork and fried meatballs. She'll pick you up from the station in a bit."
"Grandma, I'm not coming home for Chinese New Year this year."
"You said the chili sauce was delicious last time, but we finished it and haven't had time to make any more. Grandma has pickled some vegetables and added shredded meat to it. I'll give you some extra so your classmates can try it too."
"Here, take this. It's your living expenses for next week. If you don't have enough, just call me and Grandma will bring it to you."
"When I start making money, you won't have to stay up all night sewing shoe soles and ruining your eyes anymore. We'll move to the city together, live in a big house, and I'll buy you lots and lots of beautiful clothes and a car. When we're on vacation, I'll take you everywhere. You won't have to worry about anything; you can just enjoy your retirement..."
"Yes, yes, Grandma, we'll wait for that day."
“The elderly person has many underlying diseases, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Has he/she had surgery for a hemangioma before? If you have the means, you should bring him/her to live with you to take care of him/her.”
"Grandma, why don't you stay here? I'd like to rent a place in Beijing so it will be easier to take care of you."
"How can you train and study in peace with me here? Besides, I'm not used to living in the city. I don't even know how to press the elevator button. It's not as carefree as living in the countryside."
"You're a big kid now, don't cry. Just focus on your training and work with Shi'an to bring back more gold medals for our country."
Her grandmother, who had been her only family since childhood, cared for her meticulously and always supported her no matter when or where. Even in her last moments before passing away, she was thinking about her grandmother, who was coming to celebrate her birth year and wanted to knit her a red sweater.
She loved her grandmother so much, so what were the last words she said to her grandmother?
She's not coming back for Chinese New Year this year.
She hung up the phone before she even finished speaking.
As Grandma prepared this feast, she must have felt both how much she hoped her daughter could come home for the New Year and how disappointed she was.
The grief that had been delayed for several days finally arrived, and it was at this moment that Jian Changnian truly realized that her grandmother was gone, her only relative in this world was gone.
The great tree in her heart collapsed, and she became a rootless child once again. From then on, her life had no origin, only a journey home.
Large tears fell into the bowl. Jian Changnian choked back sobs as she ate, but finally couldn't hold back any longer and bent over to wail.
Coach Yan's death did not defeat her, nor did Xie Shi'an's departure; it was her grandmother's death that finally broke the camel's back.
After Jian Changnian returned, she seemed like a different person. She locked herself in her dormitory all day and had no interest in training. Even when Zhou Mu tried to persuade her, he was turned away.
She pounded on the door, shouting, "Jian Changnian, open the door! I know Grandma is gone and you're sad, but what's the point of locking yourself in the house?!"
The door was locked from the inside, and a key was still inserted in the lock, wobbling slightly as Zhou Mu moved it.
She was furious and kicked the door hard.
"Fine, you're not coming out, huh? Then I'm not leaving!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the door was opened from the inside.
Jian Changnian appeared at the door, his bangs so long they covered his eyes. He glanced at her, then walked back without saying a word.
Zhou Mu followed him in, then pinched his nose and came back out. There was practically no room to step inside. Clothes were scattered all over the floor, the trash cans were overflowing, instant noodle containers and empty wine bottles were strewn on the table, and the sink was piled high with dirty dishes, all mixing together to create an unpleasant smell in the air.
She picked up the clothes one by one and threw them on the bed, then rushed over and pulled open the curtains and the window to let in fresh air.
The blinding sunlight streamed in, and Jian Changnian, sitting on the sofa, squinted and subconsciously shielded her eyes with her hand. Zhou Mu, seeing this, became even more furious.
"Have you had enough?! How long are you going to keep giving up on yourself like this? Do you even know the Olympics are just around the corner... If Coach Wan hadn't called today, I wouldn't even know who you are..."
Jian Changnian turned on the TV, holding a can of beer in her hand, and leaned back: "I'm not fighting anymore, let whoever wants to fight do it."
Zhou Mu snatched the beer away and placed it on the table.
"Do you know what you're saying?! Coach Yan is gone, Shi An has retired, and now the only person who can achieve the dream of a Grand Slam is you!"
Upon hearing her mention Coach Yan and Xie Shi'an, Jian Changnian's eyes reddened, and she mumbled, "Yes... they're both gone... Grandma's gone too... It's meaningless..."
"Jian Changnian, you've loved badminton since you were little. But since no one played with you, you would hang the shuttlecock from a tree and play by yourself. Now there are only six months left until the opening of the Olympics. Do you want to give it your all? It's up to you!"
Zhou Mu was also quite angry. He turned around and left, but seeing her nonchalant attitude, he couldn't help but turn back at the door, picked up the bottle of beer, and splashed it at her.
"I think you're really quite drunk!"
After Zhou Mu left, Wan Jing also arrived.
Jian Changnian lay on the bed, her back to him.
"Get up! Come with me to training!"
Jian Changnian lay there, unmoved.
"I do not feel well."
"Then let the team doctor take a look at you."
"No need, I'll be fine after a good night's sleep."
Wan Jing was furious and rushed in, yanking the blanket off.
"How long are you going to lie here? Unexcused absences are grounds for dismissal according to the rules!"
"Then just fire me, it's pointless anyway." Jian Changnian said, pulling the blanket over herself again.
"You..." Wan Jing pointed at her, trembling with anger, wishing he could go up and hit her a couple of times.
"If it weren't for my senior brother's sake, do you think I wouldn't have fired you?! Let me tell you, the transfer order from above has come down, and I'm leaving soon. I will no longer be the head coach of the women's team. Do whatever you want, nobody cares!"
Jian Changnian closed her eyes, a single tear sliding down her cheek: "Let's go...all of you, go..."
Wan Jing stormed out of her room and returned to his office. Frowning, he paced back and forth for a long time. After finishing a pack of cigarettes, he stood by the window and dialed that familiar number.
Xie Shi'an stared at the numbers flashing on his phone for a moment before answering: "Hello, Coach Wan."
It had been three years since the two last spoke on the phone.
Wan Jing gave a wry smile.
"Shi'an, it's been three years. Have you ever thought about coming back?"
Xie Shi'an was silent for a moment: "I..."
“I really wouldn’t have made this call to you unless it was absolutely necessary.”
Wan Jing's voice sounded somewhat heavy on the other end of the line, and Xie Shi'an's heart tightened.
"Has something happened to the team?"
"National team head coach Lao Jiang has retired due to illness, and I have to go and take over his position. The women's team is leaderless, and the Olympics are about to start. I really... can't be in two places at once."