Chu Zhongtian's return to China was June 17, a full month before the opening of the 2004 Asian Cup in China.

Just when he and Yang Yang boarded the flight from London to Beijing, the Chinese Football Association also announced the national football squad for the Asian Cup in Beijing.

The appeal of Chinese fans online did not affect the decision-making of the Football Association - to be honest, it is fortunate that Chinese fans will be able to influence the Football Association.

Dong Fangzhuo and Chu Zhongtian were not selected. However, there was not much disappointment and dissatisfaction with this result, in fact, these two people were able to be selected for the national team, which is just a beautiful fantasy of fans. From a practical point of view, they are not eligible for the national team at all, especially at such an important tournament.

Xu Xiaodi was a little regretful, because it meant that Chu Zhongtian was a little farther away from the labor certificate.

The Asian Cup is about to start in a month, and football is becoming more and more popular in China, and many people are looking forward to the national team winning the championship on home soil, which is the first major international championship in the history of the Chinese team...... It's really pitiful to say, the football team of New China has been established for decades, and it has made few achievements in international competitions. Not to mention the difficult events such as the World Cup and the Olympic Games, it is a luxury to be able to go around for a while, and it can only be satisfied once in decades. In a competition like the Asian Cup, the best result of the Chinese team is only the runner-up. Twenty years ago, in 1984, at the 8th Asian Cup held in Singapore, the Chinese team reached the final and finally lost to Saudi Arabia.

This year, the Chinese team played at home, taking advantage of the right time and place, and was considered an excellent opportunity to surpass the past and make history.

However, these have little to do with Chu Zhongtian, if nothing else, he will already be in the UK by then, and he will not be able to watch live TV if he wants to--Britain is not China, and it is so concerned about a football event that is not on the continent, and it is hyped up, and it is sent the strongest team to broadcast the whole process.

He hopes that the Chinese team can do well in the Asian Cup, because then more people in China will like football. In addition, as a Chinese, I always want my country's football to be good...... After an eleven hour flight with Yang Yang, Chu Zhongtian and the others arrived at Beijing International Airport.

Chu Zhongtian will transfer directly back to Chengdu from here, while Yang Yang will play in Beijing for a while, and he has relatives here.

"Goodbye, Da Chu." When they parted at the place where they picked up their luggage, Yang Yang was a little reluctant. I don't know when we'll see each other again. "It's a pleasure to be roommates with you for three years. I'll miss the meals you cooked......"

Chu Zhongtian laughed: "Hurry up and learn to take care of yourself, Old Yang." Or find a girl who is willing to take care of you. ”

"I will, but she will have to be able to match your craft before my stomach may get used to it." He stepped forward and hugged Chu Zhongtian goodbye.

Chu Zhongtian, who was held in Yang Yang's arms, said softly: "You are really a mother, old Yang ......"

"Die!" Yang Yang let go and slapped him.

Chu Zhongtian smiled and didn't dodge. "I'm leaving, goodbye, old Yang."

Yang Yang waved at him.

"When you find a job and settle down, you must contact me, you pay attention to sports news and newspapers or something, you should know how to find me...... I don't really know where I'm going to be now. ”

Chu Zhongtian walked away and turned around, he saw that Yang Yang was still standing at the exit, and when he saw him turn around, he waved his hand again.

Chu Zhongtian never looked back, blended in with the flow of people to buy a ticket from Beijing to Chengdu.

When he bought his ticket, there were still three hours before his boarding time, and he didn't go to the cafes in the airport because the money there was too expensive. He first called his father, told him the time of the plane taking off and arriving in Chengdu, and then reported his safety and told him not to worry, and then he went directly through the security checkpoint with his luggage and waited for boarding at the waiting gate designated on the ticket.

The gate he was at had just started boarding, but it wasn't his flight. When he pulled the suitcase and carried the bag, the passengers were queuing. There were large swaths of empty seats, and he walked straight over and found a place to sit down.

Soon, the passengers who were queuing up to board the plane were gone, and the ticket checking staff glanced at Chu Zhongtian, who was still sitting on the chair and had no intention of getting up.

Chu Zhongtian didn't notice the gaze of others, he sat on the chair alone, looking at the empty boarding gate. remembered his farewell to Yang Yang just now.

The friends he had met in England had said goodbye one by one, and it felt like he was in a situation at this moment—empty from front to back, left and right, with nothing but himself and a few pieces of luggage.

It's a bad feeling of loneliness...... It's like how I felt at Heathrow Airport after I arrived in London from China. It's just that there were people around me that time, but they were strangers who had nothing to do with themselves.

Chu Zhongtian sat on the chair like this, and the airport radio above his head shouted several times that passengers who had not boarded the plane should come to the boarding gate where he was to board the plane, and he did not respond. Later, the radio stopped, and then more and more people around him appeared, and some travelers with Sichuan accents appeared, and their destinations were clearly the same as his.

The empty boarding gate came to life, Chu Zhongtian raised his head and observed the people who were traveling with him, these people had the same appearance and expertise as him, and had the same native accent as him, and he finally felt that he was going home.

Finally, the English slang was no longer ringing in my ears, but "What's wrong with you?" "Hurry up!" "The plane will definitely be delayed, don't be in a hurry...... "Oh my day, why aren't you late now?" …… It feels good.

Chu Zhongtian laughed silently.

※※※Chu Zuosheng specially asked for a leave from the unit and came to Shuangliu Airport to pick up his son. My son didn't have a mobile phone, but after arriving at the North Pole, he called him from a public phone, reported his safety, and then told him what time the ticket to Chengdu was.

He himself arrived in the airport terminal two hours earlier than he expected to arrive in Chengdu and waited to be picked up.

But he found that there are a lot of people exporting passengers today.

There were a lot of young people, gathered on one side, and among them there seemed to be a leader, and a few girls with a few bouquets of flowers in their hands, apparently waiting to welcome someone.

In addition, he saw several journalists with professional cameras...... Could it be that there is a star who is going to come to Chengdu for a concert today?

Thinking so, he heard a surprise shout from the side: "Mr. Chu! ”

Looking back, it was an acquaintance -- Gao Jie, a reporter from Xichuan Metropolis Daily.

"Xiao Gao? How did you end up here? ”

Gao Jie came up and smiled at him: "It's not because of your son, Mr. Chu." ”

He gestured to the group of young people behind him, as well as his peers. "These people are here to welcome your son home, Mr. Chu."

"Huh?" Chu Zuosheng was a little surprised.

"They're all fans of your son!" Gao Jie said with a smile. "As for me, of course, I'm here to interview your son and report on his return to China."

"It's just going home......" Chu Zuosheng didn't expect such a scene.

"If your son hadn't signed up for a professional club, we wouldn't have come, Mr. Chu. Now his identity is different, he is a professional player who plays in Europe, and he is a native of Chengdu, of course, he has to promote it well. Mr. Chu, there will be many such scenes in the future. ”

Chu Zuosheng looked at the group of young people, most of them were boys, but although there were few girls, they were all quite beautiful...... For Gao Jie, this is a great opportunity to get close to Chu Zhongtian. He leaned up and asked, "How are you going to go back in a while, Mr. Chu?" ”

"Let's take a taxi...... Chu Zuosheng planned to take the airport bus to the Minshan Hotel in the city, and then transfer to the bus to go home. But looking at this situation, he felt that taking a bus seemed to be a very unrealistic way, so he had to spend dozens of dollars on luxury.

Gao Jie wanted this sentence, and he immediately said earnestly: "Take my car, I'll send you straight home!" ”

"This ......" Chu Zuosheng looked at the young man, "It's not very good......

"There's nothing bad about it, I'm going back to the city anyway, just drop by."

Compared with other reporters, because he had helped Chu Zuosheng solve the leakage of their family's private information on the website, Gao Jie's relationship with Chu Zuosheng was closer.

"Besides, look at the formation." Gao Jie pointed to the fan groups and reporters. "It's more convenient to take my car back. Chu Zhongtian is tired from the journey, and it is most important to go home first. ”

Chu Zuosheng was persuaded by him, in fact, he knew what Gao Jie was doing so diligently, but people had helped him, even if he asked him to interview his son, it would not be a big deal. Anyway, he has already been mentally prepared, this time his son returns to China, there will be a lot of media to come to the door, to interview him, rather than being interviewed by those reporters, it is better to find a reporter who is familiar with him. Gao Jie clearly meets such a requirement.

When the electronic sign at the exit scrolled to indicate that the flight from Beijing to Chengdu was landing, there was a cheer among the young people who had been waiting for a long time.

Their hero Chu Zhongtian has finally returned home!

※※※When Chu Zhongtian went to pick up his luggage, he saw that there were many people around the exit, which was beyond the scale of ordinary pick-up. Then he saw his dad in the crowd, and he waved his hand to him, and he saw the flashing lights in the crowd.

It attracted the attention of others.

Only then did Chu Zhongtian react - dare to love these people are all here to pick him up?

He hurriedly said hello to his father again, pointed to the conveyor belt to pick up his luggage, and ran over to get his luggage.

When he walked out again with two suitcases and a huge backpack on his back, he was immediately surrounded by people. The security guards at the airport had to intervene to make the group move to another place so as not to block the passengers leaving the station behind. Everyone else looked at them curiously, not knowing what kind of star this was coming.

Chu Zhongtian ignored those enthusiastic fans, walked straight to his father, and then put down his luggage and gave him a powerful hug.

"Hey ......"

Chu Zuosheng grinned in his arms—his son was too hard.

"I haven't seen you for three years, and you're darker than before?" Then the father looked at his son carefully. "It's a little thinner, black and thin, your mother will definitely have a heartache when she sees it."

Chu Zhongtian smirked and couldn't say anything else.

Someone among the surrounding fans took the lead in shouting: "Chu Zhongtian! Chu Zhongtian! ”

Everyone shouted one after another: "Chu Zhongtian!! Chu Zhongtian!! Chu Zhongtian!! Well done, Chu Zhongtian! ”

The two of them turned their heads to look at those enthusiastic fans, and at this time, the girls who had been ready for a long time stepped forward to offer flowers, and some of them were bold and hugged Chu Zhongtian, which made Chu Zhongtian, a foreigner who had been baptized by Emily's kiss goodbye, a little unable to cope with it.

Reporters and fans pressed the shutter of the camera in their hands one after another, and some people rushed to take photos with Chu Zhongtian.

Chu Zuosheng was pushed aside, he was both proud and worried when he saw his son being so popular. Of course, I am proud because my son is promising, but I am worried about being well-known, and I will naturally have more troubles...... Hopefully, their peaceful life won't be too messed up...... While these fans expressed their admiration for Chu Zhongtian, reporters also came up to join in the fun, and they stretched out their mobile phones, voice recorders, and microphones to Chu Zhongtian, scrambling to throw out their own questions.

"How does it feel to go home, Chu Zhongtian?"

"I heard that you signed for Chelsea, Chu Zhongtian, can you reveal some specific details? For example, how to solve the labor certification? ”

"Do you ......regret that there is no you in the squad of the Chinese national team in this Asian Cup?"

'Can you talk about your treatment at Chelsea?'

"Is there anything you would like to say to fellow villagers in Chengdu?"

The scene was similar to the one he had just made in the FA Cup, but the English was changed to Sichuanese. Chu Zhongtian coped with it very calmly, he answered the questions raised by the reporters one by one, of course, if he was too mentally retarded, he would not answer. For example, the question of "Do you regret that the Chinese team in the Asian Cup does not have you". Chu Zhongtian felt that he was not qualified at all...... In the end, Gao Jie led Chu Zhongtian and his son out of the encirclement, went straight to the parking lot, then got in the car and closed the door, and then honked the horn and left.

"Dad, who is this?" Chu Zhongtian got into the car only to find that he didn't know the driver.

"Oh, let me introduce you......" Chu Zuosheng also remembered that he forgot to make an introduction.

Gao Jie, who was driving the car, suddenly turned his head and smiled at Chu Zhongtian: "My name is Gao Jie, I am a reporter from Xichuan Metropolis Daily, I am very happy to meet you, Chu Zhongtian, I am an old acquaintance with your father." ”

Chu Zhongtian glanced at his father, and when he saw his father nodding, he greeted Gao Jie: "Hello, reporter Gao." Thank you for the drive to pick us up. ”

"You're welcome, you're welcome, haha!" Gao Jie is very happy, this time Chu Zhongtian's exclusivity is his own! "I'm also a fan of yours."

Halfway through the car, Gao Jie couldn't wait to start the "interview".

"Actually, I've always had a question, Chu Zhongtian. I heard your dad say that you used to play professional football for 10 years, so why did you go to university in the UK? ”

Chu Zuosheng thought of something else, he opened his mouth, but he still didn't say anything. He naturally thought of the football coach who had recently repeatedly appeared in interviews and claimed that he was his son's mentor, he didn't want to be like that kind of person, what he wanted to say let him go, anyway, he and his son didn't admit it.

Chu Zhongtian didn't know that there was such a thing, he thought about it and felt that there was nothing to hide, anyway, it was not himself who was ashamed. So he honestly told the causes and consequences of why he gave up football, starting from his football coach who pressed his team to lose because of gambling, but he spoiled his good deeds, and said that his participation card was unreasonably withheld by the football school, resulting in them having no way to continue playing football, and could only be forced to choose to go to high school and college.

He was all shaken out. Of course, he knew that every word he said now would make the media hype, and that was what he wanted.

It's been almost seven years, and he's finally found a chance to get revenge on those bastards. He's just going to tell all these "ugly things", he's just going to embarrass those bastards!

Gao Jie didn't expect that there was such a wonderful story behind Chu Zhongtian, he was surprised at first, and then he was ecstatic - if the current peers can't find Chu Zhongtian, they can only find the people around Chu Zhongtian, that football school and that coach have become news figures at present, and what he has now is enough to make a beautiful comeback in the news war.

It's good news, a very sensational news. For the sake of prudence, he also specifically asked: "Is this true?" Sounds incredible......"

Chu Zhongtian replied categorically: "It's all true, my name was registered with the Sichuan Football Association and the Chinese Football Association, but now I don't know who used it." ”

"Huh? Will there be such a thing? ”

"How could it not?" Chu Zhongtian smiled disdainfully. "My name is a registered player of the Football Association, I don't want it, someone will definitely ask for it."

This time he signed with Chelsea and did not use his previous status. Instead, he re-registered a player identity with the Chinese Football Association in the name of Chu Zhongtian, and Chelsea Club came forward, which was not complicated and easy to register. As for the national second-level athlete "Chu Zhongtian", who once played football at a football school in Chengdu, participated in the National Youth Football Championship, and won a silver medal, he didn't miss it at all, and threw it away. These things are not rare for him at all now.

Maybe in a team in a lower league in China, there will be a player who has changed his household registration book and is called "Chu Zhongtian", and that is the former him. But it has nothing to do with the current Chu Zhongtian at all.

"Oh my day, so dark?" Gao Jie couldn't help but curse.

"It's darker than you think it is now." Chu Zhongtian replied. When he first knew these insiders, he reacted with Gao Jie and scolded foul language. But now Chu Zhongtian is much more indifferent, he is not a fan who simply loves football, he will have a feeling of "collapse of faith" when he first comes into contact with such an insider, he will not, he himself used to be a member of the system, he has seen and heard those things, and he is used to seeing them. Even if there were more, darker and more shameless things, he felt that he would not be surprised or angry.

Gao Jie shook his head vigorously: "No wonder our national football can't get it, no wonder our national football can't get it......"

"When you lose, everyone scolds the players and the coach, but in fact there are too many things to scold, and the players and coaches are just one aspect." Chu Zhongtian sat in the back row and shrugged. "From the beginning of the system, it's rotten......" He seemed to want to say something, but Chu Zuosheng touched his leg next to him, and motioned to him with his eyes not to continue.

Chu Zhongtian knew that his father was protecting himself, and he talked so eloquently in front of a reporter, even if the relationship was good, he would inevitably be used. For your own sake, there are some things that you can't say nonsense.

So he changed the subject: "Dad, is Mom at home or at school?" ”

Chu Zuosheng raised his hand to look at his watch very cooperatively, "You should have gone home at this time, right?" ”

It's 6:45 p.m. and school should be out.

"She should cook for you at home." Chu Zuosheng laughed when he thought of his wife's happy appearance these days.

In order to welcome their son, they cleaned their son's room again, removed the bedding to dry, Chengdu's sunshine time is short, and before going to school every day, Zhou Xiaoxiang has to carry the quilt to the balcony to dry. The clothes in the closet were also rearranged, and the clothes that were not worn were put away, and the summer clothes were taken out and hung up.

New sheets and quilts were covered so that my son could come home and sleep well.

Gao Jie was hearing what was going on, and suddenly there was no follow-up, and he was going to ask. But when he noticed Chu Zuosheng's small action in the rearview mirror, he reacted - Chu Zhongtian is now a celebrity, his words and deeds will be expanded, and if he wants to enter the national team, it is better to say less if it is not good for the Chinese Football Association.

Although he was unwilling, in order not to destroy his image in the minds of Chu Zuosheng and Chu Zhongtian, Gao Jie could only endure the curiosity in his heart and concentrate on driving.

Chu Zhongtian yawned.

Chu Zuosheng asked with concern: "Sleepy?" ”

"Well, a little, no jet lag......"

"Go back and take a shower, eat and sleep, if you have anything to say until you get up tomorrow, tomorrow is Saturday, your mother and I don't go to work, I can accompany you at home."

Chu Zhongtian nodded.

※※※ Gao Jie sent Chu Zhongtian and his father outside the gate of their community, and said goodbye politely. He and Chu Zhongtian met for the first time, and he and Chu Zuosheng had only been in contact no more than ten times. Being too diligent will lead to resentment and have the opposite effect. If you are a journalist, you should be able to cast a long line to catch big fish, as long as you have a good relationship with them and leave a good impression, are you worried that you won't get any scoops in the future?

Chu Zhongtian and Chu Zuosheng walked home with a box, their home was in the courtyard of the community, and they met a lot of old acquaintances along the way, and when they saw that Chu Zhongtian was back, they all came up to greet them enthusiastically, saying something like "Xiao Chu has a future" and "Old Chu, you two are going to enjoy happiness now".

The two of them coped with them as they walked home, much slower than before.

"I guess your mother is impatient to wait......" Chu Zuosheng whispered in his son's ear, and there was an aunt standing opposite them who lived in an upstairs building diagonally opposite their building, and was enthusiastically reviewing how much Chu Zhongtian liked "zhua ball" when he was a child, and "kicking" is "zhua" in Sichuan dialect, in the eyes of these old aunts, whether it is amateur football or professional football, it is "zhua ball".

Chu Zhongtian smiled bitterly. These neighbors are also too welcoming, I have never seen them so enthusiastic before...... He still remembers that when he was a child, he broke the glass of their house because he kicked a football, and as long as he passed by their door, he could hear the current aunt, and the aunt at that time was full of anger and scolding, and then he had to go far and go home, and the scolding stopped after a whole week.

Now it's good, and when it comes to her mouth, it becomes "Oh, when I was a child, I saw you so fierce, and I knew that you would definitely have a future in the future!" Sure enough! She completely kicked Chu Zhongtian and smashed a piece of glass in their house, and she forgot all about the things she had scolded for a week.

"Lao Chu, you are well educated!" The forgetful and enthusiastic aunt threw the words of praise at Chu Zuosheng again, and Chu Zuosheng hurriedly smiled on his face and nodded again and again. Chu Zhongtian set his eyes on the third-floor balcony diagonally opposite, and the fully enclosed balcony was their kitchen. He saw a figure swaying from there.

It's his mom.

"Granny He, we're going back. Mom should be in a hurry...... "Chu Zhongtian is not Chu Zuosheng, he is young and a child in the eyes of others." Since he is a child, he has the advantage of being a child, and he can speak without scruples and does not care about other people's faces. He forcibly interrupted Granny He's talking, nodded to the other party, pulled up the box and walked home.

Chu Zuosheng hurriedly played a round for his son: "I haven't been back for three years, I miss my mother a lot...... Ha, I'm going home too, otherwise my wife would be in a hurry! ”

After speaking, he waved his hand to Granny He, and also turned around and ran away.

Anyway, his reputation for "raking ears" has long been out of the world, and it is not easy for others to say that he is putting on a show or something with this as an excuse.

"Okay, go back, go back. Come to my house when you have time! Granny He waved enthusiastically at the back.

Chu Zuosheng waved his hand and took two steps to catch up with his son. Then next to him he said, "This is the change after becoming famous, son." You also have to learn to adapt. ”

Chu Zhongtian shook his head: "I'd rather deal with a military reporter than face to face with a Granny He now." ”

Chu Zuosheng laughed.

The two of them happened to walk into the corridor, and the laughter was suddenly amplified. Chu Zhongtian's ears were sharp, and he had already heard the creak of opening the anti-theft iron door from upstairs.

After Chu Zhongtian heard the sound of the door opening, he lifted the suitcase and ran up in three steps and two steps, and then his slumping footsteps sounded in the corridor, and he didn't stop until the third floor.

Chu Zhongtian gasped slightly, looked at his mother standing at the door, and grinned.

"Mom!"

He threw down his luggage, rushed in, and hugged his mother.

"Ouch, ouch, ......" The mother didn't expect her son to be so enthusiastic, she was caught off guard, and she retreated under her feet, almost not standing.

"Slow down!!" Chu Zuosheng knew what was going on when he heard the movement below, and he reminded his son loudly, "Don't trip over your mother!" ”

It was Chu Zhongtian who grabbed his mother. After studying in the UK for three years, he felt that he was also a little westernized, and he couldn't express his emotions so enthusiastically and actively. But maybe it has nothing to do with Westernization or something, it's just because I haven't seen my mother for three years, and I miss it so much?

Mother Zhou Xiaoxiang pushed Chu Zhongtian away, looked at it for a while, and tears came down.

The son in front of me is a little thinner and darker than three years ago.

"So skinny...... Can't you eat over there, huh? ”

Faced with his mother's question, Chu Zhongtian couldn't help laughing: "No, Mom." It's not thin, it's muscular......"

Running more than ten kilometers a day, it is difficult not to lose weight.

"Darken ......"

"Bask in the sun every day. Don't cry, Mom, haven't I come back in good time? Chu Zhongtian stretched out his hand to wipe away the tears on his mother's face.

"Do you know how to come back?" As soon as he said this, Zhou Xiaoxiang changed from distress to dissatisfaction, he studied abroad for three years and never came back once, just because he wanted to play football...... Chu Zhongtian smirked.

"Alright, alright, go in and close the door." Chu Zuo came in panting with a large box, and then closed the door. "What do you want people outside to see?"

Zhou Xiaoxiang glared at her husband, who ruined the atmosphere, and turned around to take the apron: "Let's eat, I know you're all hungry." ”

Chu Zhongtian took a sharp breath, and he smelled the aroma coming from the table. He can even tell which aromas belong to which dishes.

Back to the pot meat, pea hoof flower soup, konjac roast duck, kung pao chicken, fish-flavored shredded pork, squid steamed egg, sweet and sour crispy fish, braised pork ribs.

He swallowed, and did feel hungry. To be honest, although he often cooks in the UK, the ingredients are limited, and compared with the domestic diet, it is still far from the domestic diet, even a Chinese restaurant like Mack China mainly sells all kinds of dumplings, glutinous rice balls, wontons and other fast food, authentic Chinese food, he has not eaten it for three years.

But these dishes ...... But it's not a good diet for a professional player...... Since I have become a professional player, should I follow the rules of this professional player?

But...... Chu Zhongtian looked at his mother's tired but happy face, he felt that if he used the requirements of a professional player to chill his mother's heart at this time, he would really be a beast.

Anyway, just this one, I will make it clear to my mother tomorrow, so that she will not waste it again. The body still has to be maintained, otherwise he may lose his competitiveness because of this summer's indulgence and soft-heartedness, and may even affect his career. A player still has to be strict with himself. It's one thing not to make your mother sad, it's another thing to be strict with yourself, and the two don't conflict.

Chu Zhongtian put down his backpack and was about to reach out and grab a piece of meat back to the pot to taste it first, but was pulled by his mother: "Wash your hands!" Then he grabbed his son and went to pull his husband: "You go too!" ”

Father and son went to the kitchen to line up to wash their hands.

Looking at everything he was familiar with, Chu Zhongtian took a deep breath of satisfaction.

It feels so good to be home.

(To be continued)