Wo Chi Xi Hong Shi

Chapter 7 Yang Qingshuo (Part Two)

  

In the reception area, Xu Jingming sat there, drinking plain water, observing the fitness club. From the decorations to the space it occupied, it seemed quite good.

"Brother Xu." A familiar voice.

Xu Jingming looked up and saw Yang Qingshuo walking over with a smile. People said Xu Jingming was young, becoming a national team mainstay early, but in fact, Yang Qingshuo was a year younger. He was the youngest member of the national team.

That once delicate youth was now out of shape, even had some white hair, and his eyes showed some fatigue.

"A'Shuo." Xu Jingming stood up.

"Come on, let's sit inside." Yang Qingshuo led Xu Jingming into a small partitioned reception room next door. Yang Qingshuo also brought some snacks and fruit plates from the side, and poured two glasses of water.

"Brother Xu, thanks to your help this time." Yang Qingshuo said, sitting down.

Xu Jingming noticed that Yang Qingshuo's right hand was always wearing a glove. He asked in confusion, "What's wrong with your hand?" It was the middle of summer, yet he was wearing gloves on his right hand.

Yang Qingshuo's expression froze for a moment, then he smiled nonchalantly, took off the glove on his right hand, revealing a prosthetic limb. Although the bionic skin looked like a real right hand, it was still distinguishable upon closer inspection.

"Your hand?" Xu Jingming couldn't believe it.

"Prosthetic." Yang Qingshuo smiled and put on the glove. "It happened last year. A scaffolding iron frame fell from a tall building under renovation, and a little kid was right below. You know, I'm a professional martial arts athlete, my nerve reflexes are specially trained. I immediately rushed over and grabbed the little kid, saving him. My right hand blocked the iron frame and was smashed, so I had to have it amputated."

"How could this happen?" Xu Jingming was a little dazed.

"I'm lucky. It almost didn't hit this hand, but my head." Yang Qingshuo shook his head. "The iron frame fell from dozens of meters high. If it had hit my head, I would have been dead. Now it's just a hand, and it's worth it for the little kid to live! And now the prosthetic technology is quite good, serving dishes, pouring water, some simple things, the prosthetic can do it just fine."

Xu Jingming nodded slightly. "So you left the Sports Bureau?"

"It was a heroic act." Yang Qingshuo said, "The Sports Bureau even rewarded me and told others to learn from me. But I lost my right hand, and it's not suitable for me to be a professional coach anymore, so I was transferred to the office to do some administrative work. The salary for administrative work is lower, only about ten thousand a month. I was once ranked as high as nineteenth in the world of martial arts, it's not difficult to find a job with a monthly salary of tens of thousands, so I came out to make my own way."

Xu Jingming understood.

Most jobs at the Sports Bureau didn't pay high salaries. Only the professional and skilled coaches were paid well. Like his master Liu Hai, the head coach of the national team, his annual salary was in the millions. Being a professional coach in the provincial team, the monthly salary was generally fifty thousand or more! But administrative work was just being an ordinary member of the Sports Bureau, and the salary couldn't compare with that of a professional coach.

"A'Shuo, if you need my help, just say so." Xu Jingming said.

"It's already a great help that you can lend me money this time." Yang Qingshuo laughed, "Now I want to see you get married soon, Brother Xu. How old are you? You're thirty this year."

"Twenty-nine years old!" Xu Jingming said quickly.

"In our hometown, we count by *xusui* (虚岁, Chinese age reckoning)." Yang Qingshuo said.

Xu Jingming blinked. "Don't worry about my marriage, I'm getting married in a few months."

"Good news! Who is it?" Yang Qingshuo asked.

"Li Miaomiao." Xu Jingming said, "Don't spread it around. You must come to the wedding in a few months. "

"Li Miaomiao, is that the Li Miaomiao who sings so well? Or is it just the same name?" Yang Qingshuo asked.

"It's her."

Xu Jingming nodded, "Miaomiao and I don't know much about getting married and having children, you've been through it, so let your Xiao Yu chat with Miaomiao more."

Yang Qingshuo looked a little embarrassed, lowered his head and took a sip of water: "Xiao Yu and I are divorced."

"Divorced?" Xu Jingming was stunned.

"Yeah, it happened in the first half of the year." Yang Qingshuo nodded.

Xu Jingming understood a little in his heart.

Last year, A'Shuo became disabled, a professional martial arts athlete who used a spear! Disabled right hand? He couldn't use a spear anymore, couldn't be a professional coach, and his future income would be greatly reduced. That might be one of the reasons for the divorce.

"The divorce rate is high now." Xu Jingming said.

"The divorce rate here is as high as almost 50%." Yang Qingshuo shook his head. "It's also good to be alone, less trouble."

Xu Jingming nodded.

He could feel that there was a lot of bitterness in A'Shuo's heart.

"By the way, I'm leaving Binhai soon and will be settling back in my hometown." Xu Jingming chatted with his good brother, talking about life and some gossip in the circle.

Half an hour passed like this. During the chat, Yang Qingshuo was also very relaxed, as if he had returned to his college days, back to the days of training in the national team.

At that time, they were carefree, only focusing on martial arts.

"Brother Xu, I should go back." Yang Qingshuo looked at his watch and said, "I have to cook for my son when I get back."

"You hurry up and get busy." Xu Jingming also stood up.

"You rarely come here, I should have had dinner with you, but..." Yang Qingshuo was a little embarrassed.

"Haha, I'm also going to Jing City, you hurry up and take care of your son." Xu Jingming said.

Xu Jingming vaguely understood that A'Shuo lost his father very early, and now his mother is seriously ill and hospitalized, and he is raising his child alone... there must be many hardships.

"I'm leaving first." At the entrance of Jiaxin Fitness Club, Xu Jingming got into a ride-hailing smart car.

Yang Qingshuo carried his backpack, watched Xu Jingming leave, then put on his helmet, and rode an electric bike towards home. Although unmanned smart cars were now very popular, and you could buy and use a car without a driver's license, Yang Qingshuo had already sold his car.

Half an hour later, Yang Qingshuo, who had bought some vegetables from the market along the way, returned home.

This was a large flat of two hundred square meters, which was considered very good in Jinmen City. It cost five million to buy the house back then.

"Dad." A boy lying on the sofa, wearing virtual glasses, excitedly took off his glasses and ran over, hugging his father.

"Tao Tao, did you have fun playing games?" Yang Qingshuo said with a smile.

"I can play to my heart's content during the summer vacation." The boy said happily, "And in the morning, I also played math and Chinese games. I've already reached level 55 in math addition and subtraction, and I've cleared level 22 in the Chinese Pinyin game."

"That's great." Yang Qingshuo kissed his son.

The boy hugged his father affectionately, enjoying the days with his father.

"I'm going to make dinner for you." Yang Qingshuo said.

"Okay." The boy obediently sat back, put on the virtual glasses again. Next to the sofa was a robot, which was the boy's only companion at home.

"I can only afford the cheapest first-level intelligent robot, and I don't have time to accompany my son, so I can only let the robot accompany him." In the kitchen, Yang Qingshuo looked at his son playing games and felt quite guilty.

The first-level intelligent robot could only clean the house, help look after the son, and chat with the son simply. Nothing else, such as cooking, was too complicated for the first-level intelligent robot to complete.

"All I can do is try to maintain my son's life." Yang Qingshuo looked at this home.

When he divorced his wife, the property was divided equally!

Yang Qingshuo seemed to still live in this house, but he needed to give his wife 3.9 million in cash! All the cash in the house, including the house, was mortgaged for two million in cash... all of it was given to his wife.

To make matters worse, his mother was seriously ill. His mother couldn't help take care of the child, and the treatment costs for the serious illness were very high. He had already mortgaged the house to the maximum amount and even sold his car.

He was now heavily in debt, but he had to hold on.

"Beep beep beep."

Yang Qingshuo pressed his watch, and a light curtain appeared, showing a haggard-looking, slightly chubby woman in her fifties or sixties, who was Yang Qingshuo's mother.

"Xiao Shuo." Yang's mother's breathing was also a little weak, "I've looked up a lot of information online, and my condition is a genetic defect, a rare disease. The special effects medicine only delays it, it can't be cured at all, so don't bother anymore. I'll go home and spend time with my grandson, and the days will be happier, and you'll be more relaxed."

"Mom, don't worry, I signed a long-term contract with the company, and I have money." Yang Qingshuo said, "Just focus on treatment, don't worry about anything else. I'll go see you around eight o'clock tomorrow morning."

"Xiao Shuo." Yang's mother really felt sorry for her son.

In just over a year, he had become disabled, lost his good job, got divorced, and was heavily in debt. Now he was raising a child alone and had to take care of her, his mother. Yang's mother wanted to die, but she knew her son's character very well. If she sought death... she was afraid her son would be in pain for the rest of his life.

"Mom, I'm going to continue cooking, Tao Tao is still waiting to eat." Yang Qingshuo said.

"Okay, okay." Yang's mother also hung up the phone.

Yang Qingshuo covered the pot, the flames on the stove rose, and he watched silently.

"How did my life become like this?" Yang Qingshuo thought.

He was once a favored son of heaven!

"If I had listened to Brother Xu, listened to the coach, focused on martial arts, and didn't fall in love and get married early... I would have been able to go further in the World Martial Arts Competition, and my income would have been much higher. I wouldn't be so poor now."

Yang Qingshuo recalled the past.

He started dating in his freshman year. It was his first love. After entering the national team, they kept in touch through the virtual network, and he and his ex-wife were very close. At the age of 22, just reaching the legal marriage age, he got married and had a child.

Although he also worked hard in martial arts, he had to admit that love, marriage, and childbirth diverted a lot of his energy and reduced his achievements. You know, he was a year younger than Xu Jingming. Compared to the same age group, he was fully capable of competing with Xu Jingming.

"I'm not as focused as Brother Xu. I didn't suffer any fatal injuries during my time in the national team, but Brother Xu broke his leg, and after a few years, he was able to climb up again and enter the top eight of the World Martial Arts Competition! His spearmanship was recognized by the entire world martial arts community, and he was recognized as one of the top ten spearmen in history, earning the title of Spear Demon. I also practice spearmanship..." Yang Qingshuo said silently, "I am content with the status quo, and I want to spend more time with my wife and son. I don't have the same dedication as Brother Xu."

"Time won't come back, regret and annoyance are useless, let's move forward step by step." Yang Qingshuo lowered his head, touched his watch, a light curtain popped up, Yang Qingshuo clicked to start paying the fees: water bill, electricity bill, gas bill, virtual network fee, son's milk money, monthly loan repayment...

There was no hope in his career, heavy debt, the elderly above, the young below, everything could only rely on himself alone.

He was the pillar of this family!

Yang Qingshuo looked up and saw his son Yang Tao, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room wearing virtual glasses. "Tao Tao, Dad can't give you much, but even if I lose this life, I will let you grow up happily and be able to support yourself in this society!"

The aroma of stewed meat gradually spread to the living room.

"Dad, it smells so good." His son Yang Tao sniffed and shouted happily.

"I cooked your favorite pork ribs for you, it will be ready soon." Yang Qingshuo said with a smile.

...

Xu Jingming sat on the high-speed train back to Binhai City, looking out the window.

"How could this happen?" Xu Jingming understood A'Shuo's current situation, and felt both heartache and powerlessness. "Disabled, his career is ruined, and his whole family still depends on him..."

"All I can do is help as much as I can, but life still has to be carried by A'Shuo himself." Xu Jingming said silently, "A'Shuo, keep going!"

Life, sometimes you can't resist, you can only bear it silently.