The two people sat in a corner, chatting idly, appearing quite relaxed.
Ti passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the sun began to set. The fiery sunset dyed half the sky with brilliant colors, pleasing to the eyes.
In the gymnasium, the team mbers who had completed a day of training ca down from the training field in twos and threes.
Unlike the end of training on usual days, when each person’s face would look listless, like wilted eggplants, today, although their eyes were filled with exhaustion they couldn’t hide, their faces were brimming with excitent and enthusiasm.
If Lin Yahu and Yin Tao hadn’t been by the training hall, watching closely the entire ti, they might have started to suspect whether these team mbers had been training diligently at all.
Lin Yahu and Yin Tao couldn’t help but exchange a glance, each seeing a fleeting shock in the other’s eyes.
It must be said, using Jiang Yu’s cooking as the "carrot" in "carrot and stick" was truly a wise move. It was genuinely attractive to those team mbers.
Suppressing the complex emotions within, the two coaches began to gather their respective team mbers.
Lin Yahu looked at the team mbers in front of him, each with eyes gleaming, faces full of excitent and anticipation, and couldn’t help but smile as he spoke:
"Everyone’s training state was quite good today, no one chose to be lazy. Each team mber conscientiously completed the training projects according to the previously set plan.
We all know that competitive sports also heavily depend on talent, but hard work is equally important.
An athlete who has talent but doesn’t work hard won’t achieve much. However, one who might not have outstanding talent but works diligently can still earn respect from competitors.
There are many examples like this in the sports circle; I won’t list them all. Those who often watch sports news would know.
Therefore, I hope every team mber here, as long as you still love sports and aspire to showcase your best self in competitions, rember this: ’The sword’s edge is honed through effort, the plum blossom’s fragrance cos from bitter cold.’
Only through relentless effort can you possibly shine your brightest!"
After pausing briefly, he continued,
"Of course, if you achieve good results in the competitions, don’t just think about Jiang Yu cooking a celebration feast. You could even have Jiang Yu’s cooking every day—it won’t be impossible.
Not for anything else, but for yourselves. Classmates, keep working hard. The blood and sweat you spill today will eventually beco the dal hanging on your chest tomorrow!
Alright, I’ve said enough. You’re probably impatient. Go back, take a shower, change your clothes, and then go to the dining hall to eat Jiang Yu’s nutritious al!"
Having said that, he waved at the team mbers in front of him and dispersed them with a smile.
"Thanks, Coach, for the encouragent! We’ll work hard!"
"Thanks, Coach. Just you wait, I promise I’ll bring a dal back for you from this provincial conference!"
"Coach, co eat the nutritious al together. Jiang Yu, our senior, personally made it!"
"..."
A group of people laughing and joking walked past Lin Yahu, hurriedly speeding up toward the dining hall as soon as they stepped out of the gymnasium door.
Go back to shower and change clothes?
Shower for what? Change clothes for what? Showering and changing can’t be more important than Jiang Yu’s cooking.
If they went one step late, the nutritious al in the dining hall would probably have been snatched away!
...
Jiangzhou City, City Garden District.
In a simply decorated living room, a slightly chubby middle-aged man sat on the sofa, incessantly changing channels with the TV remote.
In the nearby kitchen, a middle-aged woman wearing an apron busily circled the stove, the rich aroma of dishes wafting through the air, gradually filling the entire house.
As the sky grew darker, the middle-aged woman finished cooking. She carried steaming and aromatic dishes to the dining table and turned to call out to the man sitting on the sofa:
"Lao Yao, go call our son from the room, it’s ti to eat!"
"Oh, oh!"
Lao Yao responded, stood up from the sofa, and walked to the side bedroom door, knocking as he called out,
"Xiao Hua, co out for dinner!"
Not hearing a response from his son, Lao Yao wasn’t bothered. His son grew up and beca sowhat rebellious, and at tis like this, he shouldn’t be too serious. Otherwise, their father-son relationship would only beco more strained.
This son of his, who knows what’s up with him, was silent and kept things to himself, never revealing his thoughts. Lao Yao really wondered who he resembled.
At his son’s age, he was much more cheerful and sunny; otherwise, how could he attract his son’s mother?
With an involuntary sigh, Lao Yao turned and sat at the dining table, his attention quickly drawn to the fragrant dishes on the table.
He hurried to the bathroom to wash his hands clean, wiped them with a towel, and returned to sit at the dining table, waiting for his wife to bring the rice.
Xiao Hua’s mother brought a basin of freshly-made sour fish soup from the kitchen, carefully placing it on the table, then glanced at Lao Yao, asking:
"Where’s our son? Didn’t I ask you to call him for dinner?"
"I did call, he didn’t respond."
"Really useless."
Xiao Hua’s mother rolled her eyes at him, wiping her hands after taking off her apron, she was about to check on her son when she saw his room door opened.
Yao Pinghua walked toward the table, intent on his phone, casually pulling out a chair to sit.
Seeing him, his mother promptly retrieved bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen’s sterilizing cabinet, placing them on the table, then picked up an empty bowl and smiled at her son:
"Son, tonight mom made your favorite sour fish soup. Here, have so soup to whet your appetite, then enjoy dinner."
"Oh, thanks, Mom!"
Yao Pinghua responded, his tone showing no hint of emotion.
Since June, after Yao Pinghua and a group of graduates visited Jiang University with his horoom teacher, his mother’s cooking, which he previously took pride in, seed to no longer captivate him.
Etched deeply in his mind was the food from the Seventh Dining Hall—those dishes of vibrant color, both at and vegetable dishes, and the rich aroma filling the entire dining hall...
The exquisite taste that made one’s whole body tremble with delight...
To this day, he rembers it vividly.
Of course, what intrigued him most was not the first floor but the legendary second floor, where a feast could cost up to 100,000 yuan; surely the taste would be even more delicious and unforgettable than the student dining hall food?
He really wished he could have a try!
Just as he was thinking these thoughts, his mother had already scooped a large bowl of steaming, aromatic sour fish soup. She handed it to Yao Pinghua with a clean spoon placed at the bowl’s edge, smiling warmly as she urged:
"Son, stop looking at your phone, eat first, the fish soup won’t be good if it gets cold."
"Oh."
Yao Pinghua responded, lifting the soup to taste, his face slightly frowning.
The sour and spicy flavor instantly filled his mouth, accompanied by a hint of fishy sll.
The fish slices were sowhat thick, coated in a thick layer of starch, though the fish was tender, the taste was bland—in contrast to properly marinated ones before cooking?
This sour fish soup, if cooked by Jiang Yu, would surely be tender, spicy, and delicious, wouldn’t it?
Such a thought flashed in Yao Pinghua’s mind, as he quickly finished the half-bowl of sour fish soup.
No matter how his mother’s cooking tasted, he must eat it!
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