Stringy Wind in the Ear - Chap 70
Following in behind the leader was a middle-aged man, who looked to be almost fifty years old, with some silver hair on his temples, a slightly dark complexion, and was a bit fat. However, he had a kind face, and when he smiled he looked like Maitreya Buddha, and looked very friendly.
The man extended his hand and introduced himself: “Hello, my name is Wang Nanfeng, and I’m the coach of the national team.”
Song Yang was surprised and delighted and stretched out his hand to shake his hand: “I often hear my master mention you!”
“Really?” Wang Nanfeng walked into the room with a smile, “What did he say about me?”
Song Yang said honestly: “They are all compliments!”
It was not very late, so Wang Nanfeng didn’t bother to exchange pleasantries with him. He just asked him if he was willing to go to Beijing with the national team to participate in the trials.
Song Yang was stunned by this unexpected good news: “With, with the national team members?” He was afraid of misinterpreting the other party’s meaning, so he asked specifically: “With my master and the others?”
Wang Nanfeng nodded: “Yes, there will be a World Championship next year. The main purpose of this training camp is to select the athletes for next year’s World Championship.”
“World Championships!?” Song Yangguang’s features brightened when he heard these three words, “But isn’t this quota selected from the outdoor championships and championships?”
“You know a lot about it.” Wang Nanfeng explained, “Before, the selection was based on national competitions, but the rules have changed in the past two years. The country hopes to give more opportunities to young athletes, so they will also select people from the Youth Olympic Games and indoor competitions.”
The World Championships is a top-level event on par with the Olympics, held every two years. The country attaches great importance to it. In the archery event, each country will send six athletes, three men and three women.
If we use the entertainment industry’s talent shows as an analogy, the National Championships, Youth Olympic Games, and Indoor Games are equivalent to auditions. First, the top athletes in the country are picked out, and then layers of selection are carried out among these people. The six left in the end are equivalent to the boy and girl groups who debut as the center, put on team uniforms, and go to battle for the country.
This year’s National Championships and Youth Olympic Games have ended. Li Xun stood out and won a place in the National Outdoor Championships.
What follows is the World Championship trials, which will last for more than four months. The process is completely closed and athletes are not allowed to go out until they are eliminated.
The competition is as complex as a talent show, where participants must first pass a high-intensity physical test, and then compete in four stations.
The sites are Beijing, Chengdu, Hainan and Qinghai.
Talent shows compete on singing and dancing, appearance, audience appeal, and even background skills, whereas tryouts are fair and only compete on one thing, which is the athlete’s strength.
The reason for dividing the race into different stations is to test the athletes’ ability to respond on the spot in different environments and weather conditions. A group of people will be eliminated at each station, and the final six people who get the quota will have to stay in the plateau for four to twelve weeks of training, and can only return to low altitude areas three weeks before the competition.
Song Yang asked: “That means if I’m selected, I won’t be able to go home or attend classes until the World Championships are over?”
Wang Nanfeng: “Yes.”
Song Yang counted with his fingers.
The World Championships will be held in June next year, which means it will be seven months away. Even if he is eliminated in the first round, he will not be able to go home for more than a month. He has never lived in another place for so long since he was a child, but he is still a little excited to think about staying with Li Xun for so long.
Wang Nanfeng spoke earnestly, like a high school class teacher: “During the selection process, we will conduct ultra-high-intensity physical training, strength training and professional training for the athletes, starting at five o’clock every day and ending at nine o’clock in the evening, so it is basically impossible to balance academic studies. Considering that you are not a student of a sports school, your professional courses must be very busy, so I told you in advance.”
Song Yang was embarrassed. The timing was awkward. If he wanted to go, he would not be able to take the Level 6 exam next month, nor would he be able to participate in the final exam. Although the possibility was extremely small, if he really went to the World Championships, it would be like giving up his sophomore courses.
The team leader also reminded: “This selection process is quite torturous. The people competing with you are all top players in the country. If you are eliminated halfway, all the time before will be wasted, so you should think carefully before deciding whether to participate.”
“That’s right.” Wang Nanfeng added, “Besides that, you’d better discuss it with your family.”
In fact, it is not difficult for a person to make a choice. It is like tossing a coin. The moment the coin is tossed, the answer is in your heart. What is really difficult is the consequences of a failed choice.
Song Yang lay on the bed and thought carefully. The worst result would be to be eliminated in the fourth round and waste four months of time. The best result would be to represent China and compete abroad. Regardless of whether he could win a prize or not, this was a rare opportunity in life.
Throughout an athlete’s entire career, how many opportunities will he or she have to participate in the World Championships?
One less time you lose.
More importantly, Li Xun is over 30 years old this year. How many times can he participate? If Li Xun is selected this year and retires from the military, he will never have the opportunity to train and fight with Li Xun.
Thinking of this, Song Yang knocked his head with some self-blame.
He is indeed a love-minded person who puts love first.
But in the final analysis, humans are emotional animals, and it must be emotions that give people strength at critical moments.
Whether it is his love for archery or something else, it’s just that his emotions are more abundant.
After weighing the pros and cons, Song Yang decided to give it a try, but his family didn’t think so.
“Four whole months, four months!” Li Huiying roared on the other end of the video, “Are you crazy? Are you going to class or not?”
“Yes, I can take online classes.” Song Yang said, “I read books and do homework when I rest at night, which is just like training with the provincial team. Didn’t you tell me to train hard and win glory for the country when you video chatted with me last night? Why do you let me give up now that I have the chance?”
Li Huiying: “How could I know that a selection competition would take so long? Can you discuss it with the leaders of your team? Don’t do anything closed. You are a student. You can’t give up your final exam to participate in the competition? What if there is no result? Is it worth it? Think about it yourself, is it worth it?”
Song Yang curled his lips. The fact that the trials would last for four months was beyond his expectation. He had previously thought that the top three in the outdoor championship would be the places for the World Championships.
I didn’t expect the rules to be so complicated.
“This is the General Administration’s regulation. It’s not like buying vegetables at the market where you can bargain. I should be thankful to be given the qualification for the selection. I have no right to negotiate terms with others. I might be eliminated in the first round.”
Grandpa and grandma also bombarded them with requests, but the old couple disagreed because they were reluctant to let their grandson stay so far away from home for so long.
The only thing that surprised Song Yang was his father’s attitude towards this matter.
After thinking for a long time, Song Jingshan pushed his glasses and said, “Well, if you fail to make the national team after this selection, don’t think about any competitions or joining the provincial team in the remaining months. Stay in school and review and take exams to make up for what you missed. If it’s your turn, then go to the competition. At worst, you can apply for a year off and prepare well.”
“Take a leave of absence from school!” Li Huiying’s eyes widened in disbelief, her blood pressure starting to drop. “You let your son take a leave of absence from school? Just because he’s crazy, you’re going crazy too?”
“What else? In the World Archery Championship, only three men are selected from across the country. If they can go, it will be a matter of honor for the family. Besides, the child is twenty years old now. I think he will weigh the pros and cons himself. He also has the right to make choices for his own life.”
Song Jingshan said this, looked towards the camera, and said calmly: “Whether it is a game or life, as your father, I definitely hope that you can be brave. Maybe this game will be a turning point in your career, allowing you to transform from a student to a professional athlete. Maybe you will be eliminated in the first round and it will become a past that you don’t want to look back on, but no matter what, I hope you can be like a man, greet it openly, face it, and learn to persevere. Similarly, you should also put your sportsmanship into your life. If you have achievements, don’t be proud and complacent. If you fail, don’t be discouraged. If you can do these, I think your life must be very exciting. Dad doesn’t have the ability to help you bear the pressure, so I can only support you spiritually.”
This solemn content, comparable to the speech of a leader at a graduation ceremony, left Li Huiying speechless. As a result, her attitude just now seemed aggressive, and her attitude afterwards became much more moderate, but she kicked Song Jingshan under the table many times.
“Just join him in the fun!”
Song Jingshan rubbed the back of her hand and said gently, “He has to grow up eventually. We can’t tie him up with us forever. No matter what he does, as long as he can learn skills and live happily, that’s enough.”
Grandpa and grandma are fence-sitters. When they heard that the archery championship would be broadcast on CCTV, they were very excited. They encouraged Song Yang to work hard to bring glory to Nancheng and add color to the country.
One day at the end of the month, Song Yang packed his bags and boarded a long-distance flight with Yu Shenwei. The plane flew through the swirling clouds and landed at the Capital Airport. It glided slowly for a while and stopped steadily.
Song Yang looked at his watch. It was one o’clock in the afternoon Beijing time and passengers were getting off the plane one after another.
“Oh my god!” Yu Shenwei patted him on the shoulder and pointed out the French window and shouted, “It’s snowing!”
Song Yang looked carefully and saw, sure enough, fluffy snowflakes falling diagonally.
It rarely snows in Song Yang’s hometown, Nancheng. Even if it does, it is just sleet that disappears as soon as it hits the ground. The last time he made a snowman was seven or eight years ago. At that time, he just grabbed a layer of snow from his father’s car, made a palm-sized snowman, and put it in the refrigerator.
It was different in Beijing. At first, there were only sporadic falls, but soon, the snowflakes became denser. Looking out of the car window, the street view was a little blurry.
When they arrived at the base training venue, the ground, roof, and bushes were already covered with a layer of silver.
The people who came out to greet them were Wang Nanfeng and one of the young assistant coaches in the team. Wang Nanfeng first took them to visit their accommodation.
The dormitory is located in the southwest of the base, passing by a training ground.
The outdoor archery range here is at least three times the size of the one in South City. There is a wall on the north side with dozens of targets standing at the base of the wall. It extends all the way to the west, connecting several golf courses, and there is no end in sight.
On the south side is a spacious, factory-like building. There are no doors or windows on the side facing the wall, and there is no obstruction at all, only a few pillars.
The athletes stood inside and shot arrows at the opposite side. On normal days, the ceiling could provide some shade, but today the wind and snow were very strong and the ceiling was of no use at all. Song Yang was shivering even in his thick down jacket.
A layer of snow had accumulated on the grass and the target, but you could still hear the sound of arrows whizzing into the target.
“Damn…” Yu Shenwei also heard the voice and whispered, “Do we still need to practice in this weather?”
Wang Nanfeng said: “Unless your hand is broken, you have to practice every day you are at the base.”
They were the last group to arrive, and there were already nearly fifty athletes training in the base.
The closer he got to the training ground, the faster Song Yang’s heart beat. In order to give Li Xun a surprise, he did not inform him in advance before coming. Now he slowed down his pace and looked for the most familiar one among the figures, but unfortunately he didn’t find him.
Didn’t he train here?
“Coach,” Song Yang asked, “Apart from this venue, is there anything else here?”
Wang Nanfeng said: “There are a lot of them, including indoor courts, gyms, basketball courts, and swimming pools. When there are no training tasks, you can play around.”
Song Yang: “Then are we going to practice with the seniors from the national team?”
Wang Nanfeng: “You want to ask whether we should practice together with Li Xun.”
Song Yang blushed: “Ah…can I?”
“Well, we can practice together.” Wang Nanfeng raised his watch, “He should be in the gym right now. Why, do you want to go find him now?”
Song Yang immediately shook his head: “No, no, no, I’m not in a hurry.”
As they were talking, they arrived at the base dormitory building.
The decoration here is simple and monotonous, in the style of 20 or 30 years ago. The beige walls are slightly mottled, but it is still clean and quite similar to the dormitory building of their school.
As soon as they entered the corridor, they were enveloped by a warmth. Their frozen limbs responded and gradually became active. Song Yang observed for a while before realizing that this was not the hot air from the air conditioner, but the heating from the north.
Wang Nanfeng gave each of them a room card and asked them to visit the room on their own, pack up their things, and meet downstairs in fifteen minutes.
The building is six stories high, and each floor has an independent single room. Song Yang’s room is on the second floor. The style is like that of a motel, with a narrow single bed placed against the wall, a desk and a wardrobe on one side, and a bathroom next to the entrance.
Song Yang took off his thick woolen hat, fixed his hair in front of the bathroom mirror, and sent a message to Li Xun, asking him what he was doing.
After waiting for a long time, there was no news. Probably he was busy. Song Yang curled his lips, changed into a light sportswear and went downstairs.
He wanted to go to the gym to find someone, but Yu Shenwei was taking his time to come out, so he had to shout for help at the top of his lungs.
Yu Shenwei sent him a voice message: “Why are you in such a hurry? I’m taking a shit!”
After waiting for more than ten minutes, Yu Shenwei finally came down.
The wind outside had died down, but the snow was still heavy. When I stepped on it with my sneakers, half of them sank into the snow, leaving deep footprints. The inexperienced southerners were like wild dogs that had been let off their leash, and had gone completely crazy.
Yu Shenwei kicked the tree root, the branches shook, and the accumulated snow fell like dumped rice, all landing on Song Yang’s body and clothes, and some of it slid directly down his neck into his back.
“Fuck!” He and Yu Shenwei couldn’t help but swear, “Are you sick?”
Yu Shenwei ran like an idiot: “Come and chase me~”
“…”
Song Yang gritted his teeth, picked up a handful of snow on the ground, rolled it into a ball, and threw it fiercely at the other side. Yu Shenwei squatted down to avoid it.
The next second, the snowball exploded. With a cry of “Ah”, Wang Nanfeng covered the back of his head and turned around, and Song Yang knelt down in the snow.
Finally, it was time to visit the gym. Song Yang’s heart was pounding. He stretched his neck to look inside. The style was similar to that of an ordinary gym. There were floor-to-ceiling mirrors on the southwest and west sides. It was in the mirror that he discovered Li Xun. The smile on his lips could no longer be suppressed.
There were videos that could be played on the treadmill. Li Xun wore noise-cancelling headphones and watched them so intently that he didn’t even notice what was behind him.
Song Yang walked over, poked his side, and said shyly: “Master…”
The moment Li Xun turned his head, he was overwhelmed by the surprise. His feet slowed down for a beat and his whole pace became disordered. He just felt like a large dog thrown on a treadmill. No matter how he ran, he couldn’t find the rhythm. His body was bent and his whole face was almost stuck to the running belt.
It happened in a flash, leaving no chance for people to react.
He wanted to reach out to press the button, but it was already out of reach. His vision went dark, his right shoulder collided with something, and his body was thrown out by the treadmill, rolling on the ground for a circle and a half before stopping.
Song Yang was so frightened that his soul flew away. He rushed over to help him up: “Are you okay, Master?”
Li Xun got up from the ground and patted his clothes: “This is a big surprise.”
In just a moment, Song Yang’s back was already covered with sweat: “I didn’t mean to do that, are you hurt?”
The floor of the gym was covered with thick carpets, and the treadmill was not very fast, so it was just a slight soreness. However, Li Xun moved his shoulders, looking desperate, and cried out in pain, glancing at him with a squint: “Try to fall down and then roll twice, and see if it hurts?”
Song Yang looked like a maid who had offended the emperor. She pinched his arm and shoulder with a sullen face. “Is there any bone injury? Can you still move?”
Li Xun said: “The bones are fine, but I feel a little numb in my shoulder, I think it’s going to be swollen.”
Song Yang had just arrived and his scalp was tense: “What should I do?”
Li Xun picked up the headphones and towel and hung them around his neck. While there were no one around, he took out a card from his pocket and put it into Song Yang’s trouser pocket. He leaned over to his ear and said, “Come over tonight and give me a massage, and I won’t mind this matter.”
