20demayo Chapter 151
Chapter 151
He took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, pulled one out, and lit it. The smoke rose in the morning light, pale blue, mingling with the surrounding white mist.
"Lin Feng, come here."
Lin Feng walked over.
Sun Jianguo took a drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled.
"Kid, I have a few words to say to you."
Lin Feng looked at him.
"First," Sun Jianguo held up one finger, "don't be afraid of hard training. The training intensity of the provincial team is much greater than that of the sports school. You definitely won't be able to keep up the first time you go. It's okay if you can't keep up, just grit your teeth and keep going. Keep going one day at a time, one week at a time. Don't give up on the first day."
"Secondly," he held up another finger, "don't get injured. You're not the kind of player who relies on his body; you rely on your brain. If you get injured, your brain can still function, but if you injure your body, even the best brain won't help. Be careful to protect yourself during training; if you feel unwell, say so, don't force yourself."
"Third," he held up his third finger, "remember who you are. You came from the Beichuan Cement Stadium, not from the provincial sports school. You may not be as technically skilled as them, but you can endure more hardship. No one can compare to you in that respect."
Lin Feng looked at Sun Jianguo.
This man in his forties had half his hair turned white, wrinkles on his face, and scars on his arms. He had worked as a blacksmith in a textile factory for over a decade, and every day after get off work, he would teach a complete stranger to play ball on a cement court, refusing to charge a single penny.
"Uncle Sun, I've got it."
Sun Jianguo stubbed out his cigarette and stood up.
"Alright. Get lost."
Lin Feng looked into his eyes.
Sun Jianguo's eyes were a little red, but he blinked hard and the redness disappeared.
"Uncle Sun."
"Um."
"thank you."
Sun Jianguo waved his hand, turned and walked away. After a few steps, he turned back.
"Hey kid, keep your pager on. Call me if you need anything."
Lin Feng nodded.
Sun Jianguo strode away, his gray tank top growing smaller and smaller in the morning light until it disappeared around the street corner.
Zhou Jianguo walked over.
He stood in front of Lin Feng, a head taller than him. The morning light shone from behind him, hiding his face in shadow, making his expression difficult to discern.
"Lin Feng".
"Uncle Zhou."
"When you get to the provincial team," Zhou Jianguo said, "remember one thing."
Lin Feng waited.
"Don't be afraid. You are stronger than them."
Lin Feng was stunned for a moment.
Zhou Jianguo said, "You trained on the cement court for three months and beat Zhao Lei. You trained at the sports school for one month, and Zhang Weiguo said you improved the fastest. The software you wrote is used by hundreds of people across the country. You are better than them."
He stretched out his hand.
Lin Feng looked at the outstretched hand and grasped it.
Zhou Jianguo had large hands with thick knuckles and a strong grip. But his handshake was very gentle, unlike Sun Jianguo's vigorous shaking; he just gave it a light squeeze and then let go.
"Let's go."
He turned around, picked up his ball, and walked to the three-point line.
Raise the ball.
Throw—swish.
Then he cast another one.
Throw—swish.
Lin Feng stood on the sidelines, watching him shoot five balls, all of which went in.
Then he turned around, hugged his ball, and walked home.
He turned back halfway there.
Zhou Jianguo is still investing.
Thump, thump, thump—swish.
Thump, thump, thump—swish.
The sound carried far, far away in the morning air.
When Cheng Yuxin got home, she had already prepared breakfast.
Porridge, fried eggs, steamed buns, pickled vegetables.
Lin Feng sat down and picked up his chopsticks.
Cheng Yuxin sat opposite him, holding a bowl of porridge in both hands. She didn't drink it, just held it and watched him eat.
"Lin Feng".