She seemed to lose her hearing all at once, and all the congratulations around her disappeared.
Hands are cold. He chased three more—
Lin: I'm on the plane.
Lin: Concentrate on the game. It's not very useful for you to come back, I can't take care of you these two days.
Lin: Shut down the phone first, see you back home.
Yin Guo leaned against the wall, her mind was blank.
Her grandparents were still there, and her grandfather was only a few years old when she left, so she felt Lin Yiyang's pain instinctively. The closest relative passed away was Meng Xiaodong's mother. Meng Xiaodong hadn't spoken for three days.
Lin Yiyang must be the same kind of person as Meng Xiaodong. Some people will release their pain and let everyone watch themselves hysterical to relieve it, while others will stab their own hearts with knives and refuse to say a word.
…
I really want to go back and be with him.
The caller ID brought her back to reality, it was Meng Xiaodong.
"Brother..." She put the phone to her ear, her nasal voice was thick.
Meng Xiaodong gave a brief account of the incident. It was a sudden death. After getting up in the morning, he walked around the room twice, and it was fine. The whole family was cooking and watching TV. When it was time to ask the old man to eat, he had already left.
"I've bought a ticket for you. It's two o'clock in the afternoon," Meng Xiaodong said. on you."
Didn't hear her voice, cousin called her: "Xiao Guo?"
"Yeah," Yin Guo pressed his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Finish the game first. Whether it's a gold medal or a silver medal, you must get one back."
Meng Xiaodong's poor form this year has already affected Beicheng's reputation. Nine-ball focuses on women, and Yin Guo is the best performer of the new generation in Beicheng, and is also Meng Xiaodong's successor to nine-ball, so every open match is very important.
"I know." She whispered, more nasally.
"Don't cry on the spot, it will affect other people's competition." Meng Xiaodong reminded her.
Yin Guo obediently ran to the bathroom.
Meng Xiaodong tried to persuade him again, and as soon as he hung up the phone, his cousin who didn't know the truth immediately sent a screenshot.
Tiantian: What's wrong, Brother Yang? ? ?
In the picture is Lin Yiyang's circle of friends.
His circle of friends is useless, there was an extra one three minutes ago, which read: Years are merciless.
With an old photo.
It was an unassuming office. In the photo sat a smiling old man. There were six men on both sides and behind him. Among them, only Lin Yiyang and Jiang Yang were familiar.
This is He Lao's office in Dongxincheng that year.
In the photo are He Wenfeng in his sixties, Lin Yiyang in his eighth year and Jiang Yang in his fourteenth year.
***
on the plane.
Lin Yiyang was afraid of receiving any condolences, so he turned off the satellite network.
Chen Anan was beside him. In the early morning, the two left together, hiding Yin Guo's knowledge.
From the moment he boarded the plane, Lin Yiyang stayed in his seat, didn't talk to anyone, and turned on the internet so that he could have a few words with Yin Guo after the game.
Right now, everything that should be done has been done, and people are still at an altitude of 10,000 meters, so there is nothing superfluous to do.
Holding the remote control, he looked at the screen in front of him, one after another movie posters passed by, and many flashing pictures were mixed in front of his eyes, all of them were trivial details, the past that was not worth mentioning...
He just entered Dongxin City, because he was afraid that the teacher would think that he had no time to practice, so he didn't say that he had a younger brother at home.
It was later exposed.
Years later, a DVD player was installed in the teacher's office, and the CDs prepared were all cartoons. At first, everyone was still laughing and asking Mr. He if he wanted to have a new grandson, because everyone knew that Mr. He had a daughter early, and his daughter got married early, and there was no child in the family who needed to watch cartoons.
Afterwards, Mr. He mysteriously went to the kindergarten to pick up Lin Yiyang's younger brother and wanted to take him to the ball room. Unexpectedly, an old man suddenly appeared outside the kindergarten and was guarded by the teachers. That night, Lin Yiyang got out of class late, and there were only two outsiders left in the kindergarten—one was the teacher who was blowing cold wind outside the door, and the other was his younger brother who stretched his neck inside the door and waited for him.
It wasn't until he confirmed the teacher's identity that the security guard and the teacher let the old man go.
The teacher had a bad nose, laughed at himself for a long time, and took Lin Yiyang and his younger brother back to the ball room. One played ball and the other watched cartoons.
Later, regarding this matter, the surviving teacher's wife commented: "You still say it's his grandfather? Then what should Xiao Liu call you?"
"It's true, the seniority is wrong," Mr. He thought about it for a while, "You can say that I am his father, and I am a little older?"
…
Now Lin Yiyang recalls that he and his teacher are the most real grandparents and grandchildren. He was eight years old when he entered Dongxin City, and his teacher was over sixty. It is said that being a teacher for one day is a father for life, but the teacher is more like a grandfather to him, not a father, and more tolerant than a father.
I thought it was a big mistake and irreparable at the beginning, and I thought our estrangement was for a lifetime. But you are very old, all you remember is my childhood, the few years when I first entered Dongxin City, what I liked to eat, what I hated to watch, and what I was looking forward to was that I could go home, and when I got home, I would let you see more Take a look.
The most forgiving is the next generation, but the one who can't wait to leave the most is also the next generation.
The surrounding lights are on, and the stewardess has already started preparing breakfast.
The sudden brightness made Lin Yiyang uncomfortable. He dug out the toiletry bag on the plane, found the toothbrush, and walked to the bathroom.
Wait until the narrow bathroom door closes.
He looked at himself in the mirror, that face, and those eyes. After staring at himself for a full two minutes, he propped his hands on the edge of the small sink, holding the unopened toothbrush, and resting his left hand. There, the right hand couldn't hold it.
It's so narrow here, it's hard to breathe.
Someone here had washed it first, and there was a smell of toothpaste, but it was already very weak, but it hurt his eyes. When the tears fell, he couldn't hold back anymore, his forehead was pressed against the mirror, the plastic box of the toothbrush in his palm was squeezed out of shape, and the crisp sound of the plastic shell shattering filled the cramped bathroom .
It is useless to try to calm myself down. His left hand clenched into a fist on the mirror, and then loosened. Finally, his forehead hit the back of his hand heavily. Use the pain, use all your strength to restrain, try to get rid of this feeling of powerlessness...
…
Just like squatting outside the gate of Dongxin City many years ago, my whole body is wrapped in this sense of powerlessness of being abandoned.
Covering his face like a wet cloth soaked in water, he couldn't breathe, not even a trace of oxygen could come in.
Same thing both times.
It was the first time that the teacher asked him to leave Dongxin City and not want him anymore. This time it was more thorough, he really left and didn't want him anymore.
The lights in Dongxincheng, the lights in the office, went out forever.
***
Coming out of the bathroom, Lin Yiyang's short hair was wet at the ends, but there was no water and it had been wiped dry. His face was also clean, except for the redness under his eyes and the bruise on the back of his left hand, there was no other abnormality.
Chen Anan leaned against the bathroom, waiting for him. He can't comfort people, he can only guard him.
The stewardess was pushing a breakfast cart and was about to push it out when she saw the two smiling and nodding. Lin Yiyang glanced at the steaming pots of things on the dining car, and asked Chen An'an in Chinese: "What are you doing standing there?"
But in just 20 minutes, he seemed to have smoked for several nights, his voice was hoarse, and in a few words, it seemed that his throat was full of blood: "It's okay."
***
In just one day, the news of He Lao's death spread throughout the industry. In the Chinese lounge, most of the players were from the new generation, and they didn't feel deeply. On the contrary, the coaches were very sad.
Before Yin Guo played, the coach asked her: "Are you okay? Mentality?"
Yin Guo nodded, took the cue and left.
She had a stopwatch in her heart, beating every stitch, urging her to go to the airport, go back to China, and see Lin Yiyang.
As it turned out, she was human, not a god, and she didn't play very well.
The opponent is also from China, and she made two obvious mistakes unexpectedly, which can be regarded as giving her the championship. Unexpectedly, Yin Guo unexpectedly won the first Open Championship in his life when his condition was extremely poor.
"This championship should be yours." She held the opponent's hand amid applause, "I got it because of your mistakes."
The nearly 30-year-old veteran smiled: "There is nothing you should or should not, the championship is yours."
"See you at the World Championships." Yin Guo said.
The other party responded with a smile and asked her with concern: "Is the manuscript ready?"
Yin Guo nodded, and pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, the other party also smiled and showed her his manuscript.
They don't have Lin Yiyang's speaking ability, they all drafted the draft last night, and whoever wins will be interviewed.
Yin Guo didn't delay and went directly to the interview venue.
She bowed to the applause and sat down.
The stopwatch in my heart kept ticking, counting the time, telling myself: I must go within fifteen minutes.
The first question is very routine, congratulations on winning the championship, and a speech for winning the championship.
Next is free questioning, with six consecutive questions.
In the last four minutes, she held the manuscript paper and recited it fluently, but she was just waiting for the time to end.
The coach thought she was nervous, and whispered in Chinese: "Don't be too nervous."
Yin Guo shook his head lightly and smiled at the coach.
"First of all, congratulations, Ms. Yin," a senior reporter grabbed the microphone in the corner, "I hope you don't mind asking a more personal question. The fans present today are wondering why Lin didn't To be there, or do you have other ways to celebrate?"
Laughter filled the audience.
Yin Guo moved the small microphone towards her and fell silent for a while.
After the laughter dissipated, she said softly: "In yesterday's semi-final, a Chinese player retired from the men's team. His name is Chen An'an, and he is the semi-finalist this year. I believe everyone is also wondering why he suddenly retired. .”
Everyone quietly waited for Yin Guo to reveal the answer.
"He is Lin's younger brother, he came out of the same ball room," Yin Guo said softly, "Yesterday Lin left with him and flew back to China because their teacher passed away."
The flash fades away.
This is surprising and regrettable news.
"He was Lin's first teacher. Lin grew up in a place called Dongxincheng from the age of eight until he left him at the age of sixteen. He grew up in a place called Dongxincheng and learned to play with this teacher He Wenfeng. You must not know him. He has never participated in international competitions, nor is he ranked in the world, because he started too late in snooker in China, and he has no chance to become famous. But this teacher has many disciples, and disciples of disciples, all of whom have become in this industry Lin is one of them. I have heard his name since I was a child, worshiped him, and admired him. It is a pity that I have no chance to see him again."
Yin Guo thought of his conversation with Lin Yiyang at the airport, and how excited he was when he heard that he was going to meet his teacher.
Not only because of his relationship with Lin Yiyang, but also because he is He Wenfeng, who is full of peaches and plums, regardless of his fame.
"Although I am a nine-ball player, I also respect this industry leader. Not only because he is Lin's teacher, but because he is the founder of this industry, the person who first ignited our dreams, an ordinary old man. "
"Today's my champion..." She stuttered for a few seconds. The original manuscript was—and wanted to commemorate this teacher.
But it was temporarily changed to—"Actually, it should belong to the runner-up. Up to this second, I still think so. She played very well today, better than me. Thank you, everyone, listen to me, because I have to catch the plane back home, I have to say goodbye again, everyone, and see you at the next Open.”
Yin Guo supported the table with her hands, stood up and faced all the reporters.
After all, it was the first interview, and the paper in her hand was all crumpled by her. In the end, her first thought was to run, but she was dragged back by the coach, and took a few photos together.
Afterwards, Yin Guo disappeared from the stadium and went straight to the airport.
Ten minutes before boarding, she was sitting in a seat outside the boarding gate, waiting anxiously.
The palm trembled, it was Meng Xiaodong.
M: Get off the plane, I'll pick you up and go to the memorial service.
M: Jiang Yang was hit hard this time.
M: In addition, Lin Yiyang took over Dongxincheng today.