Division Commander Qin didn't take his cigarette and shook his head with a smile: "Do you know the background of this couple?"
"What background? A team leader and a doctor. Their family conditions are indeed good, but the sports school is also a coveted opportunity that many can't get, and... these aren't even the biological parents."
"Hmph," Division Commander Qin snorted through his nose. "They call them uncle and aunt, but the relationship they have is just like with real parents. Moreover, that uncle isn't an ordinary team leader, and that aunt isn't an ordinary doctor either."
Division Commander Qin had just overheard the perks Gao Zhiqiang mentioned.
For an average family, those were indeed decent.
But the life Jiang Chengzhou had lived over the past few years was certainly no worse, if not better, than what the sports school could offer.
Given the achievements of this couple, if they wanted to support a child, they could find far better paths than the sports school.
Gao Zhiqiang was from the sports world and didn't understand these details, so he pressed for more information, still reluctant to give up hope.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhilan had returned home.
Jiang Chengzhou was washing his face at the faucet.
"Where's your sister?" Su Lang looked into the yard and asked.
Jiang Chengzhou wiped his face. "She fell asleep. I put her in her room."
Lin Zhilan found a chair and sat down, waving him over. "Chengzhou, come here. I need to talk to you."
Her expression was serious. Jiang Chengzhou shook the water from his hair, pulled up a chair, and sat across from her.
"Do you like playing basketball?"
"Yeah, I do."
"Today, a sports committee official took an interest in you and wants to recruit you to the sports school to focus on basketball."
Lin Zhilan wasn't one to beat around the bush, so she got straight to the point.
Jiang Chengzhou frowned. "Sports school? No. Basketball is just a hobby for me. I plan to apply for the military academy."
Several military academies had merged and been established last year, and he had seen the news in the newspapers. He already had his plans set.
"It's just as well you don't want to go," Lin Zhilan said, letting out a relieved smile.
Su Lan reminded him, "Going to sports school and then joining the military sports team could also lead to a recommendation for the military academy."
Jiang Chengzhou glared at him, then turned to Lin Zhilan with a coquettish tone. "Aunt, look—Uncle's trying to get rid of me again."
Lin Zhilan nudged Su Lang with her elbow and told Jiang Chengzhou, "Ignore him. If you don't want to go, then don't. I'll go decline that official later."
"Great!"
Jiang Chengzhou didn't regret passing up the sports school opportunity at all.
Lin Zhilan and Su Lang weren't too disappointed either.
For one thing, Jiang Chengzhou was still young, and they couldn't bear to let him go.
For another, athletes have to endure immense hardships to achieve results, and the thought of him leaving home alone to train was just as hard for them to accept.
Most importantly, he didn't want to go. The fact that he already had a clear plan for his future was what truly impressed and delighted Lin Zhilan and Su Lang.
After lunch, the whole family planned to go watch Han Mei's competition.
As they stepped outside, the Han family next door came out too.
Wang Xiuzhi looked very nervous, chattering endlessly at Han Mei, urging her to do her best in the competition.
Commander Han remained silent, but he seemed more serious than usual.
They exchanged greetings. Linlin wrapped her arms around her father's leg, and Su Lang scooped her up.
Lin Zhilan teased him, "Your daughter has legs of her own, you know."
"Right here," Linlin said, lifting her little foot and pointing it at her father.
“Dad saw that.” Su Lang patted her calf and said to his wife with a smile, “The school is too far, so I’ll carry her this stretch.”
Ever since Linlin started school, Su Lang felt that the child was growing up too fast.
In a few more years, he probably wouldn’t be able to carry his daughter anymore.
Su Lang even found himself thinking ahead: when he got old and his daughter was busy with work, who knew how long it would be between each visit.
Cherish this, Su Lang reminded himself.
While he could still hold her, he’d hold her as much as he could.
Linlin, of course, wanted her dad to carry her—who would want to walk?
Nestled in her father’s arms, she looked at him with innocent eyes and then flashed a smile at her mother.
Lin Zhilan had had enough of this father-daughter pair. She exchanged a glance with Jiang Chengzhou, and the two quickened their pace.
Su Lang quickly hurried after them, bouncing Linlin in his arms and making her giggle.
Commander Han’s family was completely stunned.
Because they had never seen anything like this.
People can’t imagine things beyond their experience, and the same goes for happy families.
How could anyone live such a life?
It was like studying medicine—you had to first learn what was normal to recognize what wasn’t.
For the first time, Wang Xiuzhi felt that her own family was not healthy.
At the very least, Commander Han had never carried his daughter. At home, he was almost like a stranger to his two children.
And Liang Ping would never reach out to hold her hand the way Jiang Chengzhou did.
Wang Xiuzhi used to think that Liang Ping and Han Mei had difficult personalities—not lively, not open.
But now, thinking back...
Wang Xiuzhi swallowed hard. Could the problem be with her?
But there wasn’t time to dwell on that now. What weighed most on Wang Xiuzhi’s mind was still the competition.
As they walked, she kept reminding Han Mei of things.
Commander Han was lost in his own thoughts. Liang Ping was kicking a pebble along the path, still riding the high of winning that morning’s match.
None of them noticed that Han Mei’s head had been drooping lower and lower.
The afternoon events started with the older students.
Han Mei’s group was scheduled later.
Lin Zhilan was still looking forward to seeing how Han Mei would perform. She’d staked out a good spot by the track early on.
“Aunt,” Jiang Chengzhou said with a frown, nodding toward Han Mei’s direction, “What’s going on with her? Why is her face so pale?”
Lin Zhilan looked over and was also taken aback.
When they had run into each other at the gate earlier, Han Mei’s complexion had been normal.
But now her face was as white as a sheet.
She wasn’t naturally pale to begin with—having worked in the fields with Wang Xiuzhi all year, her skin was usually a healthy wheat color.
But right now, there wasn’t a trace of color on her face.
“Su Lang, you stay here and watch the child. I’ll go check on Han Mei.” Lin Zhilan handed the camera bag to Su Lang.
Su Lang was about to say something when Jiang Chengzhou said, “Let me go with Aunt.”
Jiang Chengzhou was almost as tall as Lin Zhilan now, a young man half-grown.
Su Lang nodded, gave a few instructions, and made room for them to leave.
Han Mei might be nervous—and she might be afraid of him. Su Lang knew if he went over, it would only make the girl even more tense.
Lin Zhilan and Jiang Chengzhou wove through the crowd and came up beside Han Mei.
A few children nearby, who were also waiting to compete, were watching the others and didn’t notice her. Han Mei stood alone, isolated.
“Han Mei?”
Lin Zhilan called softly.
Han Mei lifted her head abruptly and instinctively stepped back.
“What’s wrong? Nervous?” Lin Zhilan asked.
Han Mei shook her head, then nodded.
Jiang Chengzhou said, "Nothing to be nervous about. If we lose, we lose. It's just a game."
Han Mei glanced at Jiang Chengzhou, then looked down at her own Warrior brand sneakers.
