He Tiantian left the dormitory but didn’t rush to the training field; instead, she made a beeline for the head coach.
"Coach, I want to change dormitories! I don’t want to live with Seo Juan anymore!"
He Tiantian didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
The head coach, puzzled, asked, "Why? Aren’t you both from the same provincial team?"
He Tiantian didn’t cover for Seo Juan, "Recently, Seo Juan’s been in a strange state, always trying to sneak out of the training base."
"She even told me that she knows students from Japan and Cosmic Country, and said that if I want, those students could help me go abroad!"
The head coach’s complexion changed at once, "What? Did she really say that?"
It’s so hard for the country to cultivate an excellent athlete.
And what pains these veterans the most is that many excellent athletes, after much difficulty achieving results, end up competing for other countries.
On international stages, the athletes they nurtured would compete against their homeland!
Seeing such a situation is heart-wrenching and yet so helpless.
Alas, there’s nothing to be done, given that our country is still poor; it’s understandable why we can’t retain talents when it comes to the treatment and living conditions of athletes.
But, understanding aside, the head coach would not offer support.
Our conditions indeed aren’t as good as those developed countries, but they’re still much improved from the past.
The predecessors, under such difficult circumstances, managed to create miracle after miracle for the country; why can’t the current generation do the same?!
Indeed, some covet the affluent life in developed countries, but still, there are many more who hold their homeland dear.
Like the He Tiantian before me, such an excellent prospect.
Talented, stable-minded, with such upright values!
The more the head coach saw of He Tiantian, the more satisfied he became.
Initially, He Tiantian wasn’t qualified for this Asian Games.
Her professional training had been full-on for less than half a year, and during that time, she hadn’t participated in national-level competitions, let alone achieved any records.
Sending such a novice to an important international event like the Asian Games wasn’t exactly prudent.
But... what qualifications?
He Tiantian could crush everything with just Tenth Ring He alone, not to mention that her thinking has withstood the test.
To not allow such a great athlete to compete would be the real mistake.
"Old woman, what did our girl say? Why are you not speaking?"
Inside the village committee office, He Jianguo watched his wife put down the phone, her eyes wide as if she had been scared soulless.
He Jianguo, a bit worried, hurriedly tugged gently at his wife’s arm, asking anxiously.
Liu Xiuzhi’s expression was still a bit dazed as she opened her mouth, her voice somewhat hoarse: "Tiantian said... she’s going to participate in the Asian Games and she’ll be on TV!"
"Yes, yes, and a television. Tiantian has been saving her allowance for several months and bought us a television in Capital City; it was sent back here by a friend from the railway half a month ago."
"She also said for you and eldest to make a trip to town and bring the television back!"
He Jianguo was stunned into silence and, after a long while, stuttered out, "Really? Old woman, is everything you said true?"
Their Old He’s family girl really became an athlete, is participating in the Asian Games, going to be on television, and bringing honor to the country?
And their girl also bought a television for the family.
Goodness, it’s too unimaginable.
It’s already the nineties, but in He Family Village, they only got electricity a few years ago. Even the village chief only had a radio, placed on a cloth-covered table every day, and his wife even embroidered a square cover to keep the radio safe from harm.
With a radio being so precious, not to mention a television.
They heard it was just like the cinemas; people in the village would make a rare trip to the County and had seen them in the department stores there.
Wow, one cost two thousand yuan.
A few years back, you couldn’t buy one even if you had the money.
Now you don’t need a voucher, but the price is still steep.
For these dirt-scratching farmers, a television equates to several years’ income.
Some families preparing for a new bride might at most get a radio or a sewing machine; a television was simply out of the question.
He Jianguo thought carefully and was very certain that if his girl really did buy a television, then this television would be the first in He Family Village.