Chapter 17 Former Teammate

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

"Brother Xu." A familiar voice rang out.

Xu Jingming looked up and saw Yang Qingshuo walking over with a smile. It was said that Xu Jingming was young, having become a national team's main player early on. In reality, Yang Qingshuo was a year younger; he was the youngest member of the national team back then.

That handsome young man of the past was now out of shape, and even had a few white hairs. There was also a hint of weariness in his eyes.

"A'Shuo." Xu Jingming stood up.

"Let's go, we'll sit inside." Yang Qingshuo led Xu Jingming into a small, partitioned reception room next door. Yang Qingshuo also brought some snacks and fruit platters from the side, and poured two glasses of water.

"Brother Xu, thanks to your help this time," Yang Qingshuo said as he sat down.

Xu Jingming noticed that Yang Qingshuo was wearing gloves on his right hand. 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, but he immediately smiled nonchalantly and took off the glove on his right hand. It was a prosthetic limb. Although the bionic skin resembled a real right hand, it could still be distinguished with a little observation.

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

"A prosthetic," Yang Qingshuo said with a smile as he put on the glove. "It happened last year. A construction iron frame fell from a tall building, and there was a little child below. You know, I'm a professional martial arts athlete, and my nerve reflexes are specially trained. I immediately rushed over and grabbed the child, saving him. My right hand blocked it, and it was smashed by the iron frame. I had to have it amputated."

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

"I was lucky. It almost didn't hit my hand, but my head," Yang Qingshuo said, shaking his head. "The iron frame fell from a height of dozens of meters. If it had hit my head, I would have lost my life. Now it's just a hand, but it saved the little child's life. It's worth it! And prosthetic technology is pretty good now. Serving dishes and pouring water, some simple tasks can be done with a prosthetic."

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

"It was an act of courage," Yang Qingshuo said. "The Sports Bureau even gave me an award, telling everyone 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 yuan a month. I'm also ranked as high as nineteenth in the world martial arts rankings. It's not difficult to find a job with a monthly salary of tens of thousands, so I came out to try my luck."

Xu Jingming understood.

In the Sports Bureau, most of the salaries weren't high. Only the highly skilled professional coaches had high salaries. Like his master, Liu Hai, the head coach of the national team, had an annual salary in the millions. As a professional coach in the provincial team, the monthly salary was generally 50,000 yuan or more! But administrative work was just being an ordinary member of the Sports Bureau; the salary couldn't compare with professional coaches.

"A'Shuo, if there's anything you need my help with, just say it," Xu Jingming said.

"You've already helped me a lot by lending me money this time," Yang Qingshuo said with a smile. "Now, I want to see you get married soon. How old are you? You're thirty this year."

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

"We count by the Chinese calendar in our hometown," Yang Qingshuo said.

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

"That's great news! Who is it?" Yang Qingshuo asked.

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

"Li Miaomiao? Is that the Li Miaomiao who sings very well? Or is it 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're an experienced person, so ask your Xiao Yu to chat with Miaomiao more."

Yang Qingshuo was a little embarrassed 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.

Last year, A'Shuo became disabled. A professional martial arts athlete who used a spear! A disabled right hand? He couldn't use the spear anymore and couldn't be a professional coach. His future prospects and income would be greatly reduced. This might be a reason for the divorce.

"The divorce rate is high these days," Xu Jingming said.

"Over here, the divorce rate is almost 50%," Yang Qingshuo shook his head. "It's better to be alone, less trouble."

Xu Jingming nodded.

He could feel that A'Shuo had a lot of bitterness in his heart.

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

Half an hour passed. While chatting, Yang Qingshuo was also very relaxed, as if he had returned to his university days, back to the days of training in the national team.

Back then, they were carefree, only focusing on martial arts.

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

"Go and get busy," Xu Jingming also stood up.

"It's rare for you to come over, and I should have had dinner with you, but…" Yang Qingshuo was a little embarrassed.

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

Xu Jingming vaguely understood that A'Shuo had lost his father early, and his mother was now seriously ill and hospitalized. Now he was taking care of his child alone… There must be a lot of hardships.

"I'll go first." At the entrance of Jiaxin Fitness Club, Xu Jingming got into an online car-hailing intelligent car.

Yang Qingshuo carried his backpack and watched Xu Jingming leave before putting on his helmet and riding an electric bike towards his home. Although driverless intelligent cars were very popular now, 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 returned home after buying some vegetables from the market along the way.

This was a large flat with two hundred square meters, which was very good in Jinmen City. Buying a house cost five million back then.

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

"Tao Tao, are you having 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 this morning, I also played math and Chinese games. I've already reached level 55 in math addition and subtraction, and I've completed level 22 in the Chinese pinyin game."

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

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

"I'll go make dinner for you," Yang Qingshuo said.

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

"I can only afford the cheapest level-one intelligent robot. I usually 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 in the game and felt quite guilty.

A level-one intelligent robot can only clean, help look after the son, and have simple conversations with him. That's all. Things that were too complicated, like cooking, couldn't be done by a level-one intelligent robot.

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

He had split the family property with his wife after the divorce!

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

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

"Didi di."

Yang Qingshuo pressed his watch, and a light screen appeared. It was a haggard-looking, middle-aged, slightly fat woman, Yang Qingshuo's mother.

"Xiao Shuo," Yang's mother said, her breath a little weak. "I've searched a lot of information online. I have a genetically defective disease, a rare disease. The targeted drugs can only delay it and can't be cured at all. Let's stop bothering. I'll go home and spend time with my grandson. I'll 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 the treatment and don't worry about anything else. I'll see you tomorrow at around eight in the morning."

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

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

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

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

Yang Qingshuo put the lid on the pot, and the stove flame rose. 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 and the coach, focused on martial arts, and didn't fall in love and get married early… I would have gone 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 was in love when he was a freshman. It was his first love. After entering the national team, he contacted his ex-wife through the virtual network and was always affectionate with her. When he was 22 years old, just reaching the legal marriage age, he got married and had children.

Although he worked very hard in martial arts, he had to admit that love, marriage, and children diverted a lot of his energy and reduced his achievements. He was a year younger than Xu Jingming. Compared to the same age, he was completely comparable to Xu Jingming.

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

"Time won't come back, and it's useless to regret it. Let's move forward step by step." Yang Qingshuo lowered his head, touched his watch, and a light screen popped up. Yang Qingshuo clicked on it and started paying the bills: water bill, electricity bill, gas bill, virtual network bill, son's milk money, monthly loan to be repaid…

He couldn't see any hope in his career, he had heavy debts, he had old people above him, and young children below him. Everything could only rely on him alone.

He was the pillar of this family!

Yang Qingshuo looked up and saw his son Yang Tao, who was wearing virtual reality glasses and sitting on the sofa in the living room. His body was thin. "Tao Tao, Dad can't give you much, but even if I lose my 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 the ribs you like to eat. It'll 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 he felt both heartache and powerlessness. "Disability, his career is ruined, and the whole family has to rely on him…"

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

Sometimes, life can't be resisted and can only be endured silently.