"Since you have nothing to do today," said Catherine expectantly, "will you go shopping with me?" ”

"Shopping? No, no, no," Shao Yifan hurriedly shook his head, "I still have to go to Chinese class today." ”

"And then you have to practice, and you have to ......"

Catherine looked at him with an unkind face, "What more?" Go on. ”

"Uh, like...... It doesn't seem like much. Shao Yifan hurriedly put away the rest of the words. The desire to survive is strong.

"Okay, I'll accompany Miss Ben today, and I'm not allowed to go anywhere!" Catherine commanded loudly.

"But ......" Shao Yifan still wanted to resist. At that moment, his phone rang.

Took a look at the caller ID, Dad? Shao Yifan was a little puzzled, why did his father call at this time, wasn't he on a business trip? For some reason, he always had some bad premonitions in his heart at this moment.

"Whose phone number?" Catherine asked.

"My dad," Shao Yifan cautiously reminded her, "don't make a noise, it's not good for him to know you're here." ”

Catherine pouted, but nodded in agreement. She has always been not afraid of heaven and earth, but she is really afraid of Shao Yifan's magical father. still remembers that when she just confirmed her relationship with Shao Yifan, she was dragged by Shao's father to have a morning ideological and political class, what should she study hard at her current age, and what are the ten dangers of early love...... Oh God, that look of pity on Mama Shao's face is still unforgettable.

"Hello? Father? Shao Yifan answered the phone.

"Why did it take so long to answer the phone and still sleep?" It was a very plain middle-aged male voice, mixed with English with a Chinese accent. Originally, Shao's father advocated speaking Chinese at home, but Shao's mother seemed to have zero language talent and slow Chinese learning, so Shao Yifan and his family still communicate in English.

"Ah, no. I woke up a long time ago. Shao Yifan hurriedly replied.

"Have you had breakfast?" Shao's father seems to be ordinary care.

"Eat, eat, I'll make it myself."

"Catherine is by your side, right?" Shao's father's words shocked Shao Yifan.

"No, no!" Shao Yifan hurriedly denied it.

"Hmph, you're going to get up and make breakfast by yourself?" Shao's father spoke with disdain.

“……”

Catherine's eyes widened as she looked at Shao Yifan—because of the quiet environment around her, she could hear the conversation between the two—and her awe of Shao's father deepened.

"Well, I'm not talking about that today." Shao's father did not continue to dig deeper.

"That's?" Shao Yifan breathed a sigh of relief. If he had clung to that, he would have been trained all morning.

"You were called up by England's junior team?"

Shao Yifan's heart that he had just put down lifted again, "Ah, yes." How did you find out so quickly? ”

"You don't care how I know," Shao's voice raised a little, "I won't allow you to go anyway!" ”

Shao Yifan's heart was bored, in fact, when he received the e-mail from the English Football Association, he thought of this. He knew his father's mind, but he still had some illusions.

"This is a big opportunity for me, and I need it......" he is still trying to convince his father.

"If you say you are not allowed to go, you are not allowed to go!" Shao's father said stiffly, with a bit of anger in his voice.

"Why?!" Shao Yifan, who had always feared his father, questioned his father for the first time, "...... I know you want me to go back to China to play, and I know that you want me to wear a Chinese shirt, so I have to learn Chinese, calligraphy, and Chinese history every day......"

"Now that you understand, you still ......"

"That's my motherland, and I love it there," Shao Yifan said in a low tone, "but it's really not suitable for playing football." No kids out there love football, no one really supports it! A province can't even find a decent team! Playing there will only attract a lot of criticism and abuse! ”

"You ......" Shao's father was angry.

"Football is their spittoon...... I've learned all of this carefully. After Shao Yifan finished speaking, he hung up the phone without waiting for Shao's father to speak. This may be the first time that such a conflict has broken out between father and son.

Catherine looked at Shao Yifan with some surprise, she knew that he had always obeyed his father's words - well, except for the matter of falling in love - but now he was so fiercely resistant.

"Honey, are you okay?" Catherine asked.

"Hmm."

……

And at this moment, in a hotel in France, a middle-aged man with an oriental face angrily threw his mobile phone on the bed. He is Shao Yifan's father.

Shao Yifan's father's name is Shao Shiping, who came to Manchester to study in his early years, and stayed in Manchester because his wife was a local after graduation. Now, nearly 20 years have passed, and his children have been born and grown up in Manchester.

It didn't take long for Shao Shiping's phone to ring again. He had no choice but to pick up the phone that was still out of bed again. It's Shao's mother's phone. He will connect and put his phone to his ear.

"Failed negotiations?" Shao Ma asked with a smile.

"Why don't you go to work well, why do you ask so much?"

"I told you earlier, don't be so tough. Look, look! Shao's mother ignored him and said a little sarcastically.

"Woolf! Sure enough, it's your good son! Listening to Shao's mother's ridicule, Shao's father was even more annoyed.

"Hmph, what's wrong with my son? My son is now the leader of the Manchester United team! Unlike some, who don't even have the signatures of a Manchester United player. Shao Ma Woolf fought back decisively.

"You...... Can you please stop talking about autographs? Shao's father was full of anger and choked back by Shao's mother's words.

Back then, when he was chasing Woolf, he confidently promised to help her get an autograph from a Manchester United player. As a result, I waited at the gate of Old Trafford for a month, but in the end I didn't get it. And since Shao Yifan entered the Manchester United echelon, this matter has been repeatedly ridiculed by Shao's mother.

Shao Shiping, who thought he couldn't talk about his wife, had to change the subject, "I'll buy a ticket tomorrow and go back to Manchester!" ”

"You're not on a business trip...... Woolf said.

"Ask the boss for leave. What is more important than this stinky boy at work now! Shao Shiping said helplessly.

“……”

……

Catherine didn't know how to comfort Shao Yifan, who was in a bad mood, for a while.

"Honey, it doesn't matter where you play......"

Before Catherine could finish speaking, Shao Yifan retorted: "Isn't it okay for us to be separated by the entire Eurasian continent?" ”

"Playing for China, you can also play at Manchester United, right?" Catherine was puzzled.

"If I choose to play for China, it will be as a naturalized player. Then I have to go to China to play. Shao Yifan said.

"Why?" Catherine was still puzzled.

"The face of a great power. Their public opinion will not allow a naturalized player who has never played there to wear the jersey of their country. Shao Yifan said.

"That'...... It's really hard to accept. Catherine was also a little sad.

Shao Yifan was silent.

After a while, Catherine pulled Shao Yifan up, "Let's go out for a walk, shall we?" ”

"Hmm." Shao Yifan nodded in agreement.

So, the two left home and hitched a ride on the side of the road.

Soon the car stopped in an old neighborhood. When the two got out of the car, a huge torii came into view.

"Chinatown?" Shao Yifan was a little surprised. He's been here, but not often. He had the impression that it was full of Chinese restaurants and supermarkets.

"Do you want to buy something?" Shao Yifan asked.

Catherine shook her head, pulled Shao Yifan, and walked into this street full of oriental colors.

Manchester's Chinatown, although it claims to be the second largest in the UK and the third largest in Europe, is actually not very large. As far as the eye can see, it is the same as Hong Kong in the seventies and eighties of the last century. Signboards written in Chinese characters, Chinese passers-by walking by. These are the best features of this street.

I watched as I walked through many shops, and Catherine still didn't stop.

Shao Yifan asked curiously, "Where is this going?" ”

"You'll know when you get there." Catherine replied simply.

Although Shao Yifan was puzzled, he was not in the mood to continue to investigate because of the conflict with his father. In this way, he followed Catherine into the depths of Chinatown.