A third-tier city in southern China.
Spring flowers are blooming, the breeze is blowing, and it is the most beautiful April day in the world.
"I went shopping," Zhang Wenying said, pushing a bicycle to go out, and turned back to shout into the house.
"Be careful," her husband's reminder came from the kitchen in the house. After a pause, Gao Jianguo shouted from the courtyard window, "Remember to bring a newspaper back."
"Got it."
As she agreed, Zhang Wenying had already gone out.
It is said to be a county seat, but it is actually a built-up area of a county-level city, next to a prefecture-level urban area. After years of development, it has long been connected.
Sunshine is the first batch of villages to be transformed into residential areas when the county was removed from the county and established as a city.
Gao Jianguo's ancestors have lived here for generations, and the streets are all acquaintances.
Zhang Wenying went out with a bicycle, and was used to greeting every neighbor along the way.
Everyone in the community is familiar with the child of the Gao family. This child has been smart since he was a child and has excellent academic performance. He has always been a child of other families in the community. The junior high school and high school are the best schools in the city.
But then, he didn't want to go to a famous university in the capital, and he didn't want to have a good future in China. He said he was watching the World Cup and shouted that he wanted to revitalize Chinese football.
At that time, how many people thought that this child was a fool for reading.
Just like the bear of Chinese football, is that something you can revitalize?
Everyone thought that this child was wasting his time.
But who would have thought that after two years of silence, news suddenly came out that he had become the head coach of some of the world's top football clubs, and that he had become a great figure.
At first, everyone thought it was a rumor, but later, newspapers in the city, the province, and even the capital came to interview and published it.
For a time, Gao Shen's reputation in the community changed again.
This made Gao Jianguo, Zhang Wenying, and his wife walk in the community with their waists straight.
...
"Wenying, how about grocery shopping?"
"Yes, Xiuhui, are you going too?"
"Let's go together."
As soon as they arrived at the intersection, Zhang Wenying ran into her neighbor Lin Xiuhui.
It is really fate, Lin Xiuhui's husband Su Zhijun is also an old resident who has lived in the sunshine for generations.
At first, the two families did not have much contact until the children of the two families were assigned to the same class when they went to kindergarten, and this was considered to know each other.
Coincidentally, they were in the same class in kindergarten, and in elementary school, they were in the same class, and they were both excellent in both character and study. Later, they were admitted to a key middle school in the city at the same time, and they were in the same class again. In the end, after the two took the college entrance examination, they went to the capital to go to university.
Then it was different.
For some reason, Gao Shen wanted to go abroad to study sports, but his future was uncertain, while Su Qing stayed in the capital and was admitted to a graduate student in a prestigious university, with a bright future.
However, in the past ten years, the relationship between the two families has become closer and closer, and Zhang Wenying and Lin Xiuhui have become middle-aged best friends.
"Wenying, our old Su said this morning that your family has won the game again," Lin Xiuhui said with a smile.
"Really?" Zhang Wenying also laughed. Neither she nor Gao Jianguo were fans. They had to go to work during the day, so how could they watch the game at midnight?
"I heard that this time it was in a championship game and won a team called Milan. Anyway, I don't understand it. I heard it in a confused way, but I heard that it is very powerful, and there is a chance to compete for the world number one."
Zhang Wenying didn't understand either, but since Su Zhijun said it, it was definitely not wrong.
When Gao Shen went to Spain to coach that team, Su Zhijun said that he is a fan. Later, when many newspapers came to interview, Su Zhijun helped him deal with it. He is in business and has more experience in this area.
"If you want me to say, now our community is the most promising of your family." Lin Xiuhui praised.
"Where? If I had to choose, I hope he can be like your Su Qing, well-behaved and sensible, without parents worrying."
"Boys, you have a lot of ideas and like to toss. This is a good thing. Our old Su doesn't know how much he envies you."
...
The two of them chatted all the way.
They went to the vegetable market to buy vegetables and stopped for a while when they passed the newsstand.
The eldest sister of the newsstand recognized Zhang Wenying and when she saw her coming, she immediately called out.
"You don't need to choose today. Look at the covers of these newspapers. All of them are your son. Why don't you have one of them?"
Isn't it?
From the National Daily, to the City Evening News, to the Metropolitan Daily, all of them were on the front page, and some even published a large-scale photo of Gao Shen and the Real Madrid players celebrating the promotion together.
Zhang Wenying hadn't seen her son for a long time, so she couldn't help but stare blankly.
Seems to be thin.
"Big sister, two copies of each of these newspapers." Lin Xiuhui said with a smile.
She watched Gao Shen grow up since he was a child, and when she saw that this child was promising, she was also happy in her heart.
"How does this work?" Zhang Wenying reacted, and immediately paid for it.
"Okay, are you still polite to me?"
After thanking them, the two pushed their bicycles again and chatted all the way home.
As soon as they got to the door of the house, before the bicycle stopped, they heard the phone ring in the living room.
"Lao Gao, there's a call." Zhang Wenying shouted inside.
"Go ahead, I'm busy."
Zhang Wenying just took down the vegetable basket and hurriedly walked in three steps and two steps, talking while walking.
My husband is this kind of gentle temperament, he doesn't do anything in a hurry, and he won't be in a hurry even when the sky falls.
She came to the living room, put down the vegetable basket, grabbed the phone, and answered.
"Mom."
The familiar voice of Gao Shen came from the other side of the phone, and Zhang Wenying's hand trembled so much that she almost dropped the receiver.
"Gao Shen." Zhang Wenying lost her voice, then she turned her head and shouted at the kitchen, "Lao Gao, Lao Gao, it's our son's call, our son's call, hurry up."
...
Gao Shen made the call from a hotel in Milan.
He calculated that this time should be more than seven o'clock in the country, and his parents should be preparing for breakfast and have not yet gone to work.
Hearing the frantic voices of his parents on the phone, he was moved for no reason.
Although it was a time-travel, his parents were still the parents in his memory, and they loved him a lot from childhood to adulthood.
The only conflict should be when he decided to study abroad, his parents were strongly against it, and they had a fight about it, but in the end, they still asked Su Qing to send him money.
Since coaching Real Madrid, Gao Shen has always been very busy. He is so busy every day that he has no time to call home.
Taking time out this time, he just wanted to ask if his parents wanted to come to Europe to watch him play.
On the phone, the parents heard that the team he coached had the opportunity to compete for the highest honor in professional football in the world. They were also very happy, but they panicked at the thought of going to Europe to watch football matches.
"You know, the farthest place in our life is to go to the provincial capital, let alone go abroad. Back then, when you were going to the capital to go to university, we didn't know what to do, so we won't go this time."
Zhang Wenying also supports Gao Jianguo's decision. They all have a genuine fear of going abroad.
This is also the reason why they strongly opposed Gaoshen to study abroad.
The answer from his parents was also expected by Gao Shen. In fact, he guessed it before calling, and he didn't force it. He just told his parents a few words and cared about some of their recent situations, such as work.
"Dad, Mom, if you feel tired, just quit your job." Gao Shen suggested.
"Resign?" Father laughed over the phone. "How can it be so easy? We are not old enough to retire."
""That's right, if we quit now, what can will we be doing? You've earned a little money now, but it's not spent, so you have to save some. Later, your dad and I will make it up for you and go to the city to buy a house."
"Don't you know that you're going to get married soon? Houses in an old residential area like ours aren't appealing to women. If they don't buy a house outside, who will marry you in the future?"
Gao Shen smiled bitterly on the phone. He really couldn't explain to his parents how much money he had now, and he couldn't explain what had happened to him. It was likely they wouldn't understand.
But his heart was still warm.
He is the only son in the family, and everything his parents do is for him.
Sometimes, thinking about it, from the time he went to college to now, the time he spends at home has become less and less, and the things he has to do, his parents do not understand more and more, and he no longer discusses many things with his parents as he did when he was a child.
Recently, he didn't even have time to make a phone call.
There is a saying in his hometown: "Have two children, one will become a talent, and the other will stay by your side."
Not to mention, some people truly believe in this idea.
...
They kept talking until it was almost time for work, and then his parents hung up the phone.
Gao Shen recalled many things that happened when he was a child, and unconsciously thought of Su Qing.
Su Qing, whose name doesn't reflect her personality at all, is a bit cold.
The two had been in the same class since kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school, and high school, and later they were admitted to the same university.
No matter how you look at it, it seems like a childhood sweetheart story, right?
Actually not; the relationship between the two was still very weak, a bit like familiar strangers.
It probably had something to do with their personalities.
Su Qing was very beautiful, really beautiful. From childhood to adulthood, she was recognized as the school flower, the goddess in the eyes of countless male classmates, the object of secret admiration, and the top student in the eyes of teachers. She could get along well with anyone, and naturally, that included Gao Shen.
But behind this good relationship, there seemed to be an insurmountable distance.
So, from childhood to adulthood, he never heard of her having a boyfriend or falling in love.
In those years, Gao Shen went to school with her, often running out of living expenses, so he would borrow money for food from Su Qing. She didn't mind, but she always seemed to maintain a distant relationship, like one between classmates, seatmates, or carpool buddies.
At best, it didn't make Gao Shen feel embarrassed.
The two had been together for many years, but their relationship remained as plain as water. The only thing that made Gao Shen remember her was when he wanted to study abroad and fell out with his family, he went to Su Qing to complain.
At that time, she was preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination. After listening to Gao Shen's complaints, she just said something lightly.
"If you want to go, then go. If it doesn't work out, come back in three years."
Later, she went back to their hometown for some business, and Gao Shen's parents, for some unknown reason, changed their minds. They gave her some money to bring to Gao Shen, which enabled him to go abroad.
After that, there was no contact.
Gao Shen originally wanted to call her to see if she wanted to come to France to watch the football game.
But then again, she probably wouldn't come.
Forget it, he decided not to call her.