Gao Zhiqiang’s brow finally relaxed completely.
There shouldn’t be any problems with Han Mei’s political background check. Gao Zhiqiang had already spoken with Commander Han, and they agreed that once he took Han Mei to the hospital tomorrow for a simple medical checkup, as long as nothing was off, she could start trial training at the sports school.
No sport was easy, and track and field was especially tough.
Hard work, discipline, talent, and potential—all were essential. If a child was fussy, afraid of hardship, or couldn’t keep up, they’d have to be sent back.
When Gao Zhiqiang visited the Han family for a home interview, Wang Xiuzhi treated him to a fine meal.
She even made a special dish of braised pork.
This was something they only cooked for the New Year back in their hometown.
The pork belly was first boiled, then deep-fried, and finally steamed until it was tender, flavorful, rich but not greasy.
“Girl,” Wang Xiuzhi called Han Mei from the kitchen, handing her a bowl filled to the brim with braised pork. “Take this to Doctor Lin’s house.”
Han Mei stared at her as if she didn’t recognize her mother.
Wang Xiuzhi bent over, scrubbing the wok. “Go on. If it weren’t for Doctor Lin pointing the way for our family, you wouldn’t have this chance.”
Han Mei’s lips moved, but she said nothing. She picked up the bowl and headed out.
Lin Zhilan’s family was also preparing to eat. When they saw Han Mei coming with the bowl, they were taken aback for a moment.
Han Mei set the bowl on the table. “My mother told me to bring this over.”
“Okay, thank your mother for me.”
Lin Zhilan emptied the braised pork into her own bowl, then shepped half of the marinated pig ears from the table into Han Mei’s now-empty bowl.
“This is my own blend of spices,” she said. “It tastes pretty good. Take it back for your family to try.”
Han Mei quickly hid her hands behind her back. “I don’t want it. I just came to deliver something.”
Lin Zhilan smiled. “Take it. It’s a courtesy in return.”
Han Mei hesitated, then took the bowl.
When Wang Xiuzhi saw her daughter bring back the pig ears, she couldn’t help scolding her. “I send you to deliver something, and you come back taking stuff from them?”
Han Mei placed the bowl of pig ears on the table and turned to her mother. “Doctor Lin said it’s a courtesy in return.”
Wang Xiuzhi was momentarily speechless and said no more.
“Doctor Lin?” Gao Zhiqiang glanced toward the door. “That’s the wife of that Captain Su, isn’t it?”
Commander Han nodded and refilled his glass.
Gao Zhiqiang sighed. “It’s a shame. I wanted to recruit their son for the basketball program at the sports school, but the parents weren’t keen, and the kid didn’t want to go either.”
“Not keen?” Commander Han and Wang Xiuzhi said in unison.
They couldn’t understand why anyone wouldn’t be keen.
The sports school offered free room and board, and the state would assign jobs afterward. Such a great opportunity—how could you just let the child’s wishes decide?
Gao Zhiqiang shook his head. “Their family is too well-off. They don’t want to put the kid through hardship.”
Commander Han suddenly felt his throat go dry. He tilted his head back and downed the liquor in his hand.
Wang Xiuzhi glanced at her daughter, her hand holding the rice bowl trembling slightly.
Other families didn’t want their kids to endure hardship—but theirs did, and they were thrilled about it.
This contrast suddenly made the parents feel a pang of unease.
Han Mei listened but no longer cared.
Jiang Chengzhou had a better fate than she did—he was born with everything.
She couldn’t compete.
So she wouldn’t.
Because there was no need. Jiang Chengzhou had his destiny, and she had hers.
She just needed to walk her own path well.
“Han Mei…” Commander Han suddenly spoke.
Han Mei looked up from her bowl of rice, meeting her father’s eyes.
“Do you… want to go to the sports school?”
Han Mei took a bite of rice. “Yes, I do.”
Commander Han swallowed hard. “Sports school will be tough, you know.”
Han Mei furrowed her brow, a little confused by her parents.
Just earlier, they were the ones who wanted her to go—now they were saying things like this.
“I’m not afraid of tough times.”
Commander Han continued, “And you’d have to live at school alone. You wouldn’t be able to come home for a long time.”
By now, Gao Zhiqiang sensed something was off. Was this a change of heart?
“Commander Han, we’ve already agreed, haven’t we? I’ve submitted the child’s paperwork.”
Commander Han, unsure why, suddenly said to Han Mei, “If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to.”
“Husband?” Wang Xiuzhi exclaimed in surprise.
Han Mei shot up from her seat. “I want to go!”
Commander Han’s face turned stern. “Did you just hear me? Sports school is grueling, and you’ll rarely see your parents.”
Han Mei frowned at him. “Are you feeling sorry for me?”
In their family, they didn’t talk about such things. Commander Han was caught off guard—he couldn’t bring himself to say anything sentimental.
But Han Mei understood now.
She kept her brow furrowed as she looked at him. “I told you, I’m not afraid of hardship. Back in the countryside, I worked in the fields every day—I can endure it. And not seeing you and Mom often doesn’t matter much. Before we came to the military base, didn’t we hardly ever see you anyway?”
Han Mei was terrified of her father.
But she was even more afraid of not getting into sports school.
After delivering that long speech, she looked calm on the surface, but under the table, her legs were trembling.
It was also the first time Commander Han had heard his daughter speak at such length.
To him, those words were nothing short of an indictment.
Yet he couldn’t argue back at all.
Seeing that he wouldn’t respond, Han Mei grew anxious and turned directly to Gao Zhiqiang. “I want to go to the sports school. Will you still take me?”
“Of course I would,” Gao Zhiqiang said, glancing at Commander Han with a pout. “But that depends on your parents agreeing. Otherwise, I’d look like I’m kidnapping a kid!”
“Dad!”
Han Mei shouted, desperate. “I want to go to the sports school! Why do you have to compare me to Jiang Chengzhou? Why don’t you compare yourself to his uncle?”
“I…”
Commander Han was struck speechless.
“Let the girl go, dear,” Wang Xiuzhi said, breaking ranks with her husband for the first time.
Wang Xiuzhi felt uneasy hearing her daughter’s words.
But all she could think about was one thing: the sports school guaranteed job placement. If Han Mei trained hard, she’d get a job and eat from the state’s grain supply.
In their hometown, no woman had ever achieved that.
Since arriving at the military base, she’d felt out of place talking to Lin Zhilan. Aunt Hehua was a generation older, and the person she got along with best was Liu Chunhua.
But even Liu Chunhua had a job.
She lived a lively, bustling life—way better than Wang Xiuzhi.
Wang Xiuzhi figured she was stuck with her own lot, but she wanted Han Mei to become someone like Lin Zhilan, someone like Liu Chunhua.
Not someone like her.
In the end, Commander Han agreed to let Han Mei join the sports school.
Throughout their conversation, Liang Ping had stayed quiet.
Only at the very end did he speak up to Gao Zhiqiang. “Uncle, I can run pretty fast too. Can you take me in as well?”
Gao Zhiqiang looked at Commander Han. “Well…”
Liang Ping couldn’t contain his eagerness. “Or how about this—take me to the track and test me out right now?”
Commander Han and Wang Xiuzhi said nothing. Gao Zhiqiang had Liang Ping stand up and first assessed his height and build.
“How old are you?”
“Thirteen.”
At that, Gao Zhiqiang shook his head. “I’m afraid not. You’re too old.”
