Qin Chunfeng had always valued his younger brother’s feelings because the atmosphere in their father’s family was very utilitarian, and she was afraid that her younger brother would be mistreated.
This was related to their father, Mr. Qin Ling, because of the nature of his work, Qin Ling needed to be stationed at the research institute all year round, which had led to his absence in the family and had caused a great family turmoil.
In summary, according to Qin Chunfeng, Qin Chunxiao’s grandmother, and Qin Ling’s biological mother, the incident could be described as “What’s the use of having a son? When I had a stroke and was hospitalized, he was still working at the research institute. In the end, it was his daughter-in-law who helped find a caregiver. Many of the people taking care of the elderly in the hospital are girls. Let me tell you, in the future, don’t favor boys over girls, it’s not worth it! At critical moments, he would say ‘I have to work’ and wouldn’t show up even if his parents died!”
Qin’s grandmother, who almost had a stroke and spent a week in the ICU, was deeply resentful of Qinling’s absence. Although they didn’t reach the point of never seeing each other again, she would occasionally mention it.
In this world, there were many parents, like Qin’s dad and mom who say “we are successful ourselves and don’t expect much from our children”, and there were also Qin’s grandparents who hoped their children would be successful and considerate, so that they could have more expectations.
When Qin Chunfeng was born, Qin’s grandmother said to Qin Chao, “You are fortunate to have a daughter! Daughters have a conscience and will take care of you when you are old.”
Sometimes, when certain concepts were mentioned by people too often, they would have some influence on the people around them. For example, the phrase “girls are good” was basically accepted as truth by all relatives and friends in the Qin Dad family.
Especially when Qin Chunfeng showed high intelligence like her father and learned everything, the relatives and friends of the Qin family thought that this girl would have a bright future and should be well cultivated. Her parents were also eager to provide her with a loving and abundant childhood.”
“At this moment, Qin Chunxiao, who was inappropriate and extremely annoying, arrived.
People who didn’t know the situation would think that Qin Ling and Qin Chao had two children in order to have a son, but Qin Chunxiao’s birth was really just a big accident.
Qin Ling and Qin Chao had no plans to have a second child. The reason was very practical. As working-class individuals in a big city like Guangzhou, the pressure was immense. Renting a house and raising their daughter were already significant expenses, and they couldn’t afford a second child.
No money!
Moreover, looking at the year Qin Chunxiao was born, it was in 2001 when slogans like “Family Planning, Have Only One Child” were still posted in hospital corridors. Having more children would result in fines!
So, two years after Qin Chunfeng was born, Mr. Qin Ling discussed with his wife about getting a sterilization surgery so they wouldn’t have any more children.
Mrs. Qin Chao: Okay.
Grandpa Qin and Grandma Qin, upon hearing about this: Good, it’s enough to raise Chunfeng well.
Grandpa Qin and Grandma Qin: Thumbs up.
After Mr. Qin Ling had the surgery, the doctor gave some postoperative instructions, such as abstaining from sexual activities for a certain period of time. Additionally, after the surgery, there would still be some sperm left in the body, so it was recommended to manually remove it to avoid any accidents…
Don’t laugh, this is a very serious medical issue, and doctors really do give such instructions to people who have had sterilization surgery.
The problem lies here. Qin Ling worked at a research institute and spent up to 20 hours in the laboratory. He didn’t have time to follow the doctor’s advice. Mrs. Qin Chao thought he had followed the instructions until she was three months pregnant with Qin Chunxiao, and the couple realized they were in big trouble.
It was inconvenient to have an abortion at three months of pregnancy, so they had to wait until the fetus was older before inducing labor. At that time, Mrs. Qin Chao would experience the same pain as giving birth to a child.
Upon careful consideration, it was quite remarkable that Qin Chunxiao survived. If he had been discovered earlier, he could have been aborted painlessly. His mother initially didn’t notice him because she was still having her monthly period.
Later, the doctor conducted an examination and informed them that it wasn’t actually her period, but rather a sign of a threatened miscarriage caused by Mrs. Qin Chao continuing to do heavy lifting, work on cars, and take cold showers during the early stages of pregnancy.
However, the fetus was too tenacious, and despite the strain on the mother, it managed to survive until it was inconvenient to have an abortion.
After discussing with their older daughter, Qin Chunfeng, the young couple decided to give Qin Chunxiao a chance to be born since he had fought so hard. Through a family vote, Mr. Qin Ling abstained, while Qin Chao and Qin Chunfeng voted in favor, allowing Qin Chunxiao to have the opportunity to be born.
So, Mrs. Qin Chao started to take measures to protect the pregnancy, such as taking progesterone, taking supplements, and resting in bed, all of which caused economic losses for the small family.
When it came time to register the child’s birth, they had to pay a fine of 28,000 yuan. At that time, the family was really out of money, and Mrs. Qin Chao couldn’t even afford to buy formula milk, so she could only breastfeed. It could be seen how tight their finances were.
Grandpa Qin advised, “Chunfeng is going to kindergarten soon. She’s so smart. Instead of using the 28,000 yuan to pay the fine, it’s better to use it to enroll Chunfeng in a better kindergarten and find a saxophone teacher who can provide one-on-one lessons. As for Chunxiao’s household registration, it’s not necessary to register him now.”
Qin Ling: Dad, won’t Chunxiao become an undocumented resident then?
Grandma Qin dissatisfiedly said, “What’s wrong with the baby being undocumented for a while? There are many undocumented residents in the countryside. When he starts school, we can register him. We can’t just sacrifice Chunfeng for the sake of having a household registration that can be obtained anytime.”
Qin’s parents: Of course, we can’t sacrifice Chunfeng.
In the end, Qin Chunxiao’s grandfather, Mr. Ivan Yevgenyevich Karkovsky, stood up and said,
“Father-in-law, mother-in-law, the child has already been born. He should have his own identity. I will pay the fine, and Chunfeng should go to a good kindergarten.”
Based on Qin Chunfeng’s understanding of her parents, they did consider temporarily making her younger brother an undocumented resident. This was a specific issue of that era. At that time, their family was really strapped for cash, and having more children meant more fines, while household registration could be obtained at any time.”
So, in the parents’ view, it was reasonable for the baby version of Qin Chunxiao to give way in the matter of nurturing Qin Chunfeng. After all, Qin Chunxiao had been causing the family’s finances to decline since his appearance, and if Qin’s parents weren’t responsible individuals, Qin Chunxiao would probably have grown up in an environment of “you’re really annoying” from the moment he was born.
After this incident, Qin Chunfeng no longer felt the displeasure of the eldest child whose affection was being divided. She even had a thought that the one who loved her younger brother the most in the whole family was still her.
Fortunately, Qin’s parents tried to treat their children equally when raising them. Qin Chunxiao became an adorable little dumpling, healthy, lively, emotionally intelligent, and the family atmosphere was harmonious.
However, Qin Chunxiao indeed had fewer innate talents in terms of intelligence compared to his sister. Qin Chunxiao himself admitted this.
Qin Chunfeng consistently scored full marks and occasionally fell asleep during class, yet still ranked first in the whole grade during exams. Later, her parents sent her to learn the saxophone, and she won even more awards. She was the “other people’s kids” that the whole family liked to show off during the Chinese New Year. If she hadn’t aspired to be a diplomat and been admitted to Renmin University, she might have joined a large orchestra by now.
In contrast, Qin Chunxiao was always active. He frequently got into fights outside and came back covered in mud. When he was in elementary school, his mother and sister had to remind him multiple times to do his homework. His grades were only at the top five in the class, and he didn’t seem like material for Tsinghua University or Peking University. In order to expend his excess energy, Qin’s parents reluctantly sent him to train in sports.
It was common for academics to be valued more than physical education, and in this situation, Qin’s grandparents believed that Qin Chunfeng was the one with the most potential for upward social mobility in the Qin family, the golden phoenix they could rely on.
Qin Chunxiao was just a carefree little wolf cub. As long as he caused fewer troubles in the future, could support himself, and not hold back his sister, he could live an ordinary and stable life.
This viewpoint changed after Qin Chunxiao helped Qin Chunfeng pass the physical education exam in middle school.
Qin’s grandmother said, “If Chunxiao excels in sports, she can bring glory to the country, and that’s also a form of success.”
Qin Chunfeng secretly calculated. While her grandparents on her father’s side treated her and her brother equally, her grandparents on her mother’s side gave her 200 yuan less in red envelopes each year. She had whispered this matter to her mother, and then Qin Ling settled it definitively. As soon as the children received their red envelopes, he immediately confiscated them and deposited the money in the bank. When he deposited the money for Qin Chunxiao, he added an extra 200 yuan to cover it up.
Partiality from the elderly was one thing, let them be. It was their money, they could give as much as they wanted. Qin Ling just filled in the gap to avoid hurting the children’s feelings.
Little did she know that after caring so much for her brother for so many years, Qin Chunfeng had actually kept a secret about their move from him.
Would Xiaoxiao feel disappointed? Would he feel forgotten by everyone?
It was her mistake after all. Qin Chunfeng gripped the steering wheel tightly, almost bursting into tears. “Xiaoxiao, I didn’t intentionally forget to tell you about this. Staying up late is harmful! My memory is almost gone from staying up!”
Xuandong, who could sing【I have an apartment in Guangdong. I haven’t been living there recently. You can go there. I’ll give you the password lock.】
Qin Chunxiao wasn’t disappointed at all; he was busy typing on his phone’s keyboard.
Direct message on Weibo.
Qin Chunxiao:【Huh? Can I stay at your place?】
Xuandong, who could sing:【Why not? You gave me valuable advice, so letting you use my house can be considered as a favor returned.】
Qin Chunxiao:【What kind of advice was that?】
Xuandong, who could sing, had been struggling with whether to continue raising Mei Xiangnan. He couldn’t completely let go of the resentment he felt towards the trafficker who had caused him so much suffering over the years. But he couldn’t leave Mei Xiangnan to live alone either.
She was his beloved sister whom he had poured years of emotions into, and she had never done anything to hurt him. She was even a victim of that family. It was unfair to blame her for her mother’s mistakes. She was completely innocent.
These internal conflicts could even give rise to many topics, such as whether the children of criminals are born with original sin. Xuandong’s continued care for Mei Xiangnan until she reached adulthood might be seen as overly saintly. Qin Chunxiao’s view on this matter was, “You should do what feels right and have a clear conscience.”
Humans can’t completely rationalize everything. In the end, most people follow their hearts. As long as Xuandong’s choices were not illegal or morally wrong, there was no problem. Moreover, to put it bluntly, Xuandong earned the money to support Mei Xiangnan himself. It was his business whether he donated it or wasted it. Besides, he was raising a sister whom he had spent many years with.
Qin Chunxiao believed that his relationship with Xuandong wasn’t close enough to interfere in such a crucial matter. While he could secretly encourage Xuandong to find his family, what Xuandong chose to do afterward was beyond Qin Chunxiao’s control.
But if Xuandong felt that there was no one else to consult, Qin Chunxiao was willing, out of friendship, to offer some advice. However, Xuandong had no obligation to listen to him.
Since Qin Chunxiao became aware of how deeply Xuandong longed for affection and how easily their soulmate relationship could influence each other, Qin Chunxiao became even more cautious about this relationship.
Qin Chunxiao with a deadpan expression: It feels like I have to take partial responsibility for someone else’s life, but we haven’t even spoken in real life! They can’t even be considered an online relationship.
In the normal world, online relationships usually don’t require taking responsibility for someone else’s life, right…
It’s just that Xuandong has very few close relatives, and he’s even considered one of the closer ones to me.
Qin Chunxiao sighed and pressed the phone.
Qin Chunxiao:【I have another question. When you were raising your sister, did you consider your parents’ opinions?】
The response on the other side was prompt and decisive.
Xuandong, who could sing:【I have consulted my agent and your thoughts on this matter. I will also discuss it with Xiangnan and my biological parents. However, the final decision will be mine.】
Xuandong, who could sing:【And if I can resolve Xiangnan’s custody issue as soon as possible, I can pursue what I want to do.】
Qin Chunxiao:【What do you want to do?】
Xuandong, who could sing: [Reading, i’m not afraid of your jokes if i tell you. I entered the entertainment industry to make money, but it’s enough to entertainment myself. This thing was abrupt but it also let me get rid of a lot of shackles. I want to pick up my studies again.
Qin Chunxiao thought, even after going through so much hardship, this person is still full of energy.
According to popular rumors, Lu Xuandong was probably the kind of hard-working person who was pushed away by fate. He sang and worked hard because of poverty, the disease of his adoptive mother and younger sister, and the excessive debts of his adoptive father who was a gambler. He quitted the entertainment industry for his own life. Parents wished to go back and inherit the family business.
But it could also be put another way, Lu Xuandong went to sell, sing and do hard work because he was unwilling to sink into the mountain village for the rest of his life, so he rushed out regardless of the suffering. He quitted the entertainment industry because he didn’t intend to spend the rest of his life in the entertainment industry Here, he had something he wanted to do, so he was willing to let go of everything he had and started anew in an unfamiliar field.
Lu Xuandong was not a blind follower of fate, but a brave man who was good at fighting.
In the plot of the original book, they were all background boards, but where the plot was not recorded, they had all become the protagonists of their own lives.
Qin Chunxiao [Whether you took them away from Dashan back then, or want to quit the entertainment circle now, you have been making very brave decisions, Brother Dong, you are so handsome. 】
The opposite party didn’t reply for a long time, and I don’t know if I was busy with something or was shy.
Qin Chunxiao [You want to regain your studies, what major do you want to study in the future? 】
Xuandongm who can sing [I said, don’t laugh, and don’t think I’m vulgar. 】
Qin Chunxiao [OK. 】
Xuandong, who could sing:【I want to learn a major that can earn money, like starting a company, and become a good boss who creates quality products and earns a conscientious money.】
Qin Chunxiao burst into laughter.
Qin Chunxiao [I also want to do the things you said, but I am not capable, I only know how to play ball. 】
Who doesn’t want to make money with conscience? It’s just that this kind of money is made with brains and hard work. Luck is indispensable.
Xuandong who can sing [I will make a lot of money in the future. 】
Qin Chunxiao【Earn it for yourself, now the truth is out, you can take care of everything, you can go out and chase the life you want, and do everything for yourself in the future. 】
This time, the other side waited for a long time before replying.
Xuandong who can sing [OK. 】
In the turbulent environment, everyone said to Lu Xuandong, “You can’t take care of that trafficker’s daughter”, “You have to go home”, “You can’t give up your hard-won career just because you recognize your relatives”.
Lu Xuandong also understood that speaking out some of his thoughts would make other people think he was crazy, so when he was in the entertainment industry when others learned that he was paying social security and taxes, they also thought he was stupid, too egotistical, and inappropriate. Hearing people’s persuasion, only Qin Chunxiao understood that he did all this because he wanted to do it.
Although Xuandong felt sorry for his younger sister, and because he couldn’t let go of the family relationship for many years. He went home because of his yearning for the family. While wanting to quit the entertainment industry had nothing to do with recognizing relatives, but was tired of everything in it.
After probing each other, Lu Xuandong knew that Qin Chunxiao was a very cautious person. If he didn’t take the initiative to mention something, Qin Chunxiao would not take the initiative to mention it. After all, the communication on the Internet was too far away, so when the relationship developed to a certain extent, he couldn’t get any closer.
But he also determined from this that since Qin Chunxiao was able to express his respect and support for him, he must have seriously agreed with his ideas.
And Qin Chunxiao was the only one who said “for yourself” to Lu Xuandong.
That’s enough, Lu Xuandong knew that no one was obliged to bear his life, including Qin Chunxiao, but the other party didn’t expect to get anything from him, this kind of pure relationship made people feel at ease.
They were the kind of people who wanted to earn what they wanted.
Lu Xuandong murmured: “Even if you want to benefit from me, I don’t mind.”
Qin Chunfeng drove to the rented house where the Qin family used to live, and saw his younger brother sitting on the suitcase playing with his mobile phone, his expression seemed quite happy.
She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and lowered the car window: “Xiaoxiao, get in the car, haven’t you waited long?”
Qin Chunxiao: “If you don’t come, I will go to my friend’s house to stay overnight. Anyway, he will go to his parents’ house tonight. There is no one else in the apartment. You open the trunk and I will put some luggage.”
As he said that, he lifted the overcrowded suitcase to the back of the car with one hand, climbed into the back seat, and looked around strangely: “This car is so beautiful. My sister is so good that she can even buy a car by herself.”
Qin Chunfeng maintained her composure and replied, “Oh, it’s nothing. Money isn’t that hard to earn, actually.”
Qin Chunxiao, who had less than five figures in savings before he died in his previous life, thought to himself, Why does money seem so hard to earn?
Qin Chunfeng continued, “Our family has been busy lately, but we all watched your competitions. When you won the championship, Grandma even posted on social media to celebrate. Did you see it?”
Qin Chunxiao nodded and replied, “Yes, I saw it.”
When he and his teammates won the championship at the World Youth Championships and the Asian Championships, his social media was filled with posts celebrating with family and relatives.
Qin Chunfeng said, “You played really well. Father said he watched you falling all over the place and felt so heartbroken. He wanted to buy medicine and supplements for you but was afraid you couldn’t use them. So when we bought the new house, he got you an extra-large and super soft bed, saying it’s a special privilege for athletes. Do you know which brand the bed is?”
Qin Chunxiao unscrewed the water bottle cap and took a sip. “What is it?”
Qin Chunfeng said, “Hysten. The mattress alone cost 800,000 RMB!”
Qin Chunxiao spurted out the water. “Pfft!”
Qin Chunfeng said, “There are tissues behind you. Wipe it off. Don’t be surprised. Dad seems to have made some important breakthrough in his research and received a large bonus. This time, he covered the cost of all the furniture and appliances in the house. Mom is doing well in the car business. She recently closed a big deal and made a profit, not only planning to start her own car factory, but also paying the down payment for the house.”
Qin Dad’s research might or might not be important, and Qin Chunxiao didn’t know. In his previous life, when he was implicated in the sprinting field, Qin Dad took a leave of absence to take care of the family for a while. His research might have been interrupted during that time. In this life, Qin Chunxiao had matured psychologically and was fully capable of taking care of himself, so it was understandable that Qin Dad, who was focused on his career, achieved some breakthroughs.
Qin Chunxiao didn’t expect his father to be so capable.
As for Qin Mother’s plan to become successful, Qin Chunxiao had already noticed it long ago. Starting from half a year ago, his mother had been busy every day, making endless phone calls. If it weren’t for the provincial team taking over Qin Chunxiao’s diet, he wouldn’t know where to find his meals. His volleyball shoes had also gone from a few hundred RMB to a starting price of a thousand RMB.
In the distant past, it seemed that his parents had indeed sacrificed a lot in their careers to take care of him.
Qin Chunxiao coughed a few times, wiped the chair while asking, “Why did Dad buy such an expensive thing for me?”
Qin Chunfeng said, “It’s compensation. He feels that he has spent too little time caring for the family, and he will be even busier in the future. So he can only compensate us with material things. He even got us annual gym memberships at the fitness center near our community. Hahaha, but I think when you go there, you’re just advertising for the owner for free.”
Qin Chunxiao understood. “What about the down payment?”
Qin Chunfeng replied, “Only the rich can afford to pay in full for houses in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Mom also wanted to keep some liquid assets on hand for emergencies, so she only paid 50% of the down payment, and the house is registered under her name. The new house has five bedrooms and two living rooms, totaling 180 square meters. In addition to the master bedroom and two guest rooms, there’s also a study.”
“The last empty room is for you. Didn’t you always want to have a pet? Mom and Dad said that when you come back, they’ll take you to the pet store to choose a pet. That empty room can be turned into a pet room or used for storage. It can also be a guest room. Oh, by the way, Mom and Dad put your fitness equipment on the balcony. They said it’s spacious and has good lighting.”
At this moment, Qin Chunxiao deeply felt his own poverty and the delight brought by his family. He asked, “How much did you guys earn, anyway?”
Qin Chunfeng replied, “I don’t know. Mom and Dad didn’t tell me the specific numbers, but they definitely earned more than you.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Chunfeng seemed to remember something and quickly added, “But you are a world-class defensive genius. Sister believes that you will have even better performances in the future. One day, you’ll earn more than us!”
Qin Chunxiao remained expressionless and said, “Oh.”
The highest-paid male volleyball player earns $1.5 million a year, but that’s the peak for attacking players. Liberos generally can’t earn that much.
Qin Chunxiao calculated silently. If he could reach the peak of defense and maintain that level, he would need to save money for at least two or three years to match his mother’s half-year income.
No wonder his mom used to say, “Don’t talk about buying a house for the family when you make it big. Why put so much pressure on yourself as a young person? Instead of waiting for you to make it big, maybe Mom will make it faster with her own efforts.”
So that’s what his mom meant.
At this moment, Qin Chunxiao could probably only be understood by those who graduated from a prestigious university and achieved the 211 or 985 status through their own efforts ten years after graduation.
If it weren’t for the fact that when he returned home and saw how his room had been arranged so comfortably, even with a pet bed and bowl ready, he would have remained immersed in a state of hesitation for a while.
But now there was even a pet bed, and his parents and sister said they would take him to the pet store after dinner to choose a pet.
What was he waiting for?
Qin Chunxiao finished his meal in just two minutes and eagerly waited for his family. His sister picked up the car keys and said, “Let’s go, I’ll drive you guys.”
That evening, Qin Chunxiao updated his Weibo status.
Qin Chunxiao V
[I have a dog now!
3-month-old Bernese Mountain Dog]
The comment section was filled with shock.
[Can you keep this kind of dog in Guangzhou?]
[Don’t big cities have a list of banned dogs?]
[Wait, let me check. The standard that prohibits keeping dogs based on size will be implemented from January next year. Currently, the banned dog list in Guangzhou only includes aggressive dogs. There’s no Bernese Mountain Dog on it, so it’s allowed for Qin Team to buy this breed. The pet stores probably still sell them.]
Qin Chunxiao did take advantage of the last opportunity to buy a Bernese Mountain Dog, and he was surprised by the reminder that if he didn’t buy it this year, he wouldn’t be able to buy it next year.
Qin Mom, sitting in the front passenger seat, said, “It was your grandmother who reminded us about the ban on keeping dogs. She knew you liked Bernese Mountain Dogs, so she told us in advance to buy it this year before it’s too late.”
Qin Chunxiao was shocked. “Huh? Doesn’t she dislike me?”
Qin Dad, Qin Mom, and Qin Sister in the car were all taken aback.
Qin Mom hurriedly explained, “She likes you, it’s just not so obvious.”
Qin Chunxiao added, “Yes, she likes Sister more. But she still has more than enough affection for me as her grandson. I used the wrong word earlier. It’s not that she dislikes me.”
Qin Dad asked cautiously, “When did you… notice this?”
Qin Chunxiao was puzzled. “Isn’t it something that can be noticed from a young age?”
Silence filled the car. Oh right, Xiaoxiao had always been sensitive with keen perception of emotions. With the emotional intelligence inherited from Qin Dad’s side, he probably understood his grandma’s feelings long ago.
But Qin Chunxiao had never expressed any dissatisfaction to his grandmother. He could still comfort his family with a smile, “It’s okay. People’s hearts are naturally biased. Like between me, Grandpa, and Grandma, I prefer Grandpa Ivan and Grandma’s side more.”
He himself was biased, so why would he care if others were biased or not? His grandmother had never treated him poorly, and over the years, her attitude towards him had become increasingly friendly. When the incident with Wu Chiyao feeding drugs to the sprinters came out, his grandmother even wrote a 500-word essay in the local Cantonese dialect to scold Wu Chiyao.
As long as his parents treated him equally, Qin Chunxiao didn’t care much about the opinions of other relatives. Essentially, he was a person who gave back as much love as he received, but he would never complain because he didn’t receive enough love. He didn’t live relying on such trivial affections.
Qin Chunxiao had come this far through his parents’ guidance on love and care, his own hard work, and a bit of genetic luck, which gave him good looks and physical qualities.
Qin Mom chuckled, “Between me and your sister, who do you like more?”
Qin Chunxiao confidently held up his water, “You are all the people I love the most in this world!”
Qin Dad also jokingly joined in, “Then, who is the most biased setter in the national team?”
Implied in his words, when it’s your turn to set, will you also hold up the water?
Qin Chunxiao coughed, “Whoever sets the easiest ball for me, and when playing against strong teams, it’s already good if I can receive the ball. Whoever comes to set, it’s based on skills.”
“Emotional intelligence” is certainly a big factor in team competitions, but in high-intensity matches, he didn’t have the energy to hold up the water.
Qin Dad, Qin Mom, and Qin Sister burst into laughter.
As for the fate between Qin Chunxiao and his grandfather, the Qin family generally described it as “a bear leading a bear cub, adding more bear.”
Ivanovsky, in his early years, was a cook on a warship. He not only mastered various desserts and Russian cuisine cooking techniques, but also had basic knowledge of ship equipment repair and combat skills. Qin Chunxiao was once taken care of by the old man for a while when he was young in Foshan. Since then, a rolling pin, a barbecue fork, a water pipe… anything along the road, became weapons he would use in fights.
Thinking of Qin Grandpa, Qin Mom sighed, “It’s a good time to chat with your grandfather before the National Games.”
Qin Chunxiao looked puzzled, “Why? Is Grandpa not feeling well?”
Qin Mom replied, “He’s in great shape! He doesn’t even have any of the three highs!”
The Karlkovsky family was said to have had several elderly people in their ancestry who lived to be in their nineties or even centenarians. They had a hereditary constitution of longevity without illness, pain, or the three highs (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia). Moreover, those elderly people generally had clear minds, and before they died in their sleep, they remained clear-headed without any signs of senility.
If it weren’t for the fact that this family lost half of its members in the war last century, and earlier deaths from hardship, starvation, and post-war retaliatory binge eating, the average life expectancy of the Qin Grandpa’s family could have been stable at over 85 years.
With these family records, Qin Mom, Qin Chunxiao, and Qin Chunfeng had no anxieties about their later years. With such good physical conditions, as long as luck was on their side and they didn’t encounter disasters, and as long as they controlled their diet and exercised regularly, they could live without illness and worries until they died in their sleep.
Qin Chunfeng explained, “Recently, we received a letter at home written in Russian. My mom and I looked at the signature, and it’s from the Hamster Club.”
Qin Chunxiao, holding the dog, took the letter from his mom’s bag and, with his dad’s help, tried to understand the Russian letter. He was the worst in the family when it came to Russian. He only knew basic daily phrases, and his reading level couldn’t compare to even Russian elementary school students.
[to Misha Qin,
I am Nikolai Igorovich Pirolev, the director and head coach of the Hamster Club. Since I saw your performance in the Junior World Championship, I firmly believe that you have a bright future. After consulting with the other coaches and the uniform team, we unanimously believe that you are well-suited for our Hamster Club.
Originally, we planned to go through official channels to negotiate with your national association regarding your salary and scheduling. However, after watching your match against the Iranian team, I urgently tore a piece of paper from my notebook to write this letter. Although rushed, please see our sincerity. We can achieve great things together.
Please consider the Hamster Club.
PS: We also appreciate the playing style of your partner, Li Ling. I believe that with more intense matches to hone his skills, he will become an outstanding setter. Please convey the Hamster Club’s admiration for him as well. We couldn’t find his contact address, and we obtained your address through your grandfather’s relative, Miss Natasha, a pastry chef near our club.
PPS: We don’t mind if you share this letter on the internet. We are direct people who are happy to publicly express our confidence in you to the world. If you have no objections and accept our invitation, the club will also make the contents of this letter public to show our affection and support for you. Please reply as soon as possible. Our email is xxxxxxxxxxxx, and our phone number is xxxxxxxxxxxx.]
Qin Mom commented, “This club really believes in you. They are willing to make this letter public, which means openly raising your value. But in return, you’ll have to play with them for a longer period and preferably achieve good results. Otherwise, if they praise you now, the fall later will be harsh.”
Qin Chunxiao scratched his head and pondered the passing ability of the Hamster Club, then laughed, “Don’t worry, with the passing ability of this club, they will make a huge profit as long as I join.”
He said it with great confidence, but he had the capital to back it up.
But his Russian relative near the Hamster Club turned out to own a pastry shop? Didn’t he only have one younger sister left?
Qin Chunxiao was puzzled, “Isn’t Grandpa’s sister a pilot?”
Qin Mom replied, “She retired this year at the age of 62.”
However, the next day, when Qin Chunxiao reported to the provincial team, he was shocked by the invitations from various clubs in Chen Aiguo’s office.
Seven clubs from different countries had invited him, and among them, three were clubs that had achieved good results in the World Club Championship. They offered relatively lower salaries, but two of those three clubs wanted him to join with Li Ling.
The other four clubs didn’t have such good historical results, but their offers were higher, and they promised him a guaranteed starting position.
Chen Aiguo kindly told him, “Xiaozai, no matter which club you choose, as long as you play well for a season, you’ll have your down payment.”
Qin Chunxiao blinked, “Is there a deadline for the reply?”
Chen Aiguo said, “You should reply to them before the end of the National Games. The internal club leagues in many countries start in November or December, so if you accept, you’ll need to go there by late October.”
With plenty of time, Qin Chunxiao wasn’t in a hurry. He held the invitation letters and information from various clubs, playfully pleading, “Coach, give Xiaozai some advice~”
Chen Aiguo shrugged, “The coach doesn’t understand how foreign clubs operate. Go ask Newton. Er Leng, tell your family first and discuss it more with Xiaozai.”
Li Ling snapped back to reality. He received three invitation letters, two of which coincided with Qin Chunxiao’s. He simply picked out the one that didn’t overlap and threw it away.
“Wherever Xiaozai goes, I’ll go too.”
After saying this, Li Ling felt like a little clever spirit. Being with Xiaozai, not only did he feel secure, but his parents also felt secure.
Qin Chunxiao did not express his opinion: ‘It’s fine.’ But what he didn’t expect was that he received another call from Fu Biyang. ‘Xiaozi, it’s me, Fu Biyang. Do you know what happened when I returned home? A letter from Italy was sent to my chicken farm, ordering 300 frozen Wenchang chickens! There was also a personal letter from someone named Lorenzo, inviting me to play volleyball in Italy. Who invites a player to play basketball when buying chickens? Do you think this person is reliable?’
Qin Chunxiao replied, ‘Since it’s a club from Italy, you should ask Coach Niu.’
According to Qin Chunxiao’s life experience, giving advice to unfamiliar people without being asked had a higher chance of being disliked than accepted.
However, if it was a familiar person or a friend who actively sought his advice, he was willing to help. His idea now was to go together to find Newton and let Newton worry about everyone.
Qin Chunfeng had always valued his younger brother’s feelings because the atmosphere in their father’s family was very utilitarian, and she was afraid that her younger brother would be mistreated.
This was related to their father, Mr. Qin Ling, because of the nature of his work, Qin Ling needed to be stationed at the research institute all year round, which had led to his absence in the family and had caused a great family turmoil.
In summary, according to Qin Chunfeng, Qin Chunxiao’s grandmother, and Qin Ling’s biological mother, the incident could be described as “What’s the use of having a son? When I had a stroke and was hospitalized, he was still working at the research institute. In the end, it was his daughter-in-law who helped find a caregiver. Many of the people taking care of the elderly in the hospital are girls. Let me tell you, in the future, don’t favor boys over girls, it’s not worth it! At critical moments, he would say ‘I have to work’ and wouldn’t show up even if his parents died!”
Qin’s grandmother, who almost had a stroke and spent a week in the ICU, was deeply resentful of Qinling’s absence. Although they didn’t reach the point of never seeing each other again, she would occasionally mention it.
In this world, there were many parents, like Qin’s dad and mom who say “we are successful ourselves and don’t expect much from our children”, and there were also Qin’s grandparents who hoped their children would be successful and considerate, so that they could have more expectations.
When Qin Chunfeng was born, Qin’s grandmother said to Qin Chao, “You are fortunate to have a daughter! Daughters have a conscience and will take care of you when you are old.”
Sometimes, when certain concepts were mentioned by people too often, they would have some influence on the people around them. For example, the phrase “girls are good” was basically accepted as truth by all relatives and friends in the Qin Dad family.
Especially when Qin Chunfeng showed high intelligence like her father and learned everything, the relatives and friends of the Qin family thought that this girl would have a bright future and should be well cultivated. Her parents were also eager to provide her with a loving and abundant childhood.”
“At this moment, Qin Chunxiao, who was inappropriate and extremely annoying, arrived.
People who didn’t know the situation would think that Qin Ling and Qin Chao had two children in order to have a son, but Qin Chunxiao’s birth was really just a big accident.
Qin Ling and Qin Chao had no plans to have a second child. The reason was very practical. As working-class individuals in a big city like Guangzhou, the pressure was immense. Renting a house and raising their daughter were already significant expenses, and they couldn’t afford a second child.
No money!
Moreover, looking at the year Qin Chunxiao was born, it was in 2001 when slogans like “Family Planning, Have Only One Child” were still posted in hospital corridors. Having more children would result in fines!
So, two years after Qin Chunfeng was born, Mr. Qin Ling discussed with his wife about getting a sterilization surgery so they wouldn’t have any more children.
Mrs. Qin Chao: Okay.
Grandpa Qin and Grandma Qin, upon hearing about this: Good, it’s enough to raise Chunfeng well.
Grandpa Qin and Grandma Qin: Thumbs up.
After Mr. Qin Ling had the surgery, the doctor gave some postoperative instructions, such as abstaining from sexual activities for a certain period of time. Additionally, after the surgery, there would still be some sperm left in the body, so it was recommended to manually remove it to avoid any accidents…
Don’t laugh, this is a very serious medical issue, and doctors really do give such instructions to people who have had sterilization surgery.
The problem lies here. Qin Ling worked at a research institute and spent up to 20 hours in the laboratory. He didn’t have time to follow the doctor’s advice. Mrs. Qin Chao thought he had followed the instructions until she was three months pregnant with Qin Chunxiao, and the couple realized they were in big trouble.
It was inconvenient to have an abortion at three months of pregnancy, so they had to wait until the fetus was older before inducing labor. At that time, Mrs. Qin Chao would experience the same pain as giving birth to a child.
Upon careful consideration, it was quite remarkable that Qin Chunxiao survived. If he had been discovered earlier, he could have been aborted painlessly. His mother initially didn’t notice him because she was still having her monthly period.
Later, the doctor conducted an examination and informed them that it wasn’t actually her period, but rather a sign of a threatened miscarriage caused by Mrs. Qin Chao continuing to do heavy lifting, work on cars, and take cold showers during the early stages of pregnancy.
However, the fetus was too tenacious, and despite the strain on the mother, it managed to survive until it was inconvenient to have an abortion.
After discussing with their older daughter, Qin Chunfeng, the young couple decided to give Qin Chunxiao a chance to be born since he had fought so hard. Through a family vote, Mr. Qin Ling abstained, while Qin Chao and Qin Chunfeng voted in favor, allowing Qin Chunxiao to have the opportunity to be born.
So, Mrs. Qin Chao started to take measures to protect the pregnancy, such as taking progesterone, taking supplements, and resting in bed, all of which caused economic losses for the small family.
When it came time to register the child’s birth, they had to pay a fine of 28,000 yuan. At that time, the family was really out of money, and Mrs. Qin Chao couldn’t even afford to buy formula milk, so she could only breastfeed. It could be seen how tight their finances were.
Grandpa Qin advised, “Chunfeng is going to kindergarten soon. She’s so smart. Instead of using the 28,000 yuan to pay the fine, it’s better to use it to enroll Chunfeng in a better kindergarten and find a saxophone teacher who can provide one-on-one lessons. As for Chunxiao’s household registration, it’s not necessary to register him now.”
Qin Ling: Dad, won’t Chunxiao become an undocumented resident then?
Grandma Qin dissatisfiedly said, “What’s wrong with the baby being undocumented for a while? There are many undocumented residents in the countryside. When he starts school, we can register him. We can’t just sacrifice Chunfeng for the sake of having a household registration that can be obtained anytime.”
Qin’s parents: Of course, we can’t sacrifice Chunfeng.
In the end, Qin Chunxiao’s grandfather, Mr. Ivan Yevgenyevich Karkovsky, stood up and said,
“Father-in-law, mother-in-law, the child has already been born. He should have his own identity. I will pay the fine, and Chunfeng should go to a good kindergarten.”
Based on Qin Chunfeng’s understanding of her parents, they did consider temporarily making her younger brother an undocumented resident. This was a specific issue of that era. At that time, their family was really strapped for cash, and having more children meant more fines, while household registration could be obtained at any time.”
So, in the parents’ view, it was reasonable for the baby version of Qin Chunxiao to give way in the matter of nurturing Qin Chunfeng. After all, Qin Chunxiao had been causing the family’s finances to decline since his appearance, and if Qin’s parents weren’t responsible individuals, Qin Chunxiao would probably have grown up in an environment of “you’re really annoying” from the moment he was born.
After this incident, Qin Chunfeng no longer felt the displeasure of the eldest child whose affection was being divided. She even had a thought that the one who loved her younger brother the most in the whole family was still her.
Fortunately, Qin’s parents tried to treat their children equally when raising them. Qin Chunxiao became an adorable little dumpling, healthy, lively, emotionally intelligent, and the family atmosphere was harmonious.
However, Qin Chunxiao indeed had fewer innate talents in terms of intelligence compared to his sister. Qin Chunxiao himself admitted this.
Qin Chunfeng consistently scored full marks and occasionally fell asleep during class, yet still ranked first in the whole grade during exams. Later, her parents sent her to learn the saxophone, and she won even more awards. She was the “other people’s kids” that the whole family liked to show off during the Chinese New Year. If she hadn’t aspired to be a diplomat and been admitted to Renmin University, she might have joined a large orchestra by now.
In contrast, Qin Chunxiao was always active. He frequently got into fights outside and came back covered in mud. When he was in elementary school, his mother and sister had to remind him multiple times to do his homework. His grades were only at the top five in the class, and he didn’t seem like material for Tsinghua University or Peking University. In order to expend his excess energy, Qin’s parents reluctantly sent him to train in sports.
It was common for academics to be valued more than physical education, and in this situation, Qin’s grandparents believed that Qin Chunfeng was the one with the most potential for upward social mobility in the Qin family, the golden phoenix they could rely on.
Qin Chunxiao was just a carefree little wolf cub. As long as he caused fewer troubles in the future, could support himself, and not hold back his sister, he could live an ordinary and stable life.
This viewpoint changed after Qin Chunxiao helped Qin Chunfeng pass the physical education exam in middle school.
Qin’s grandmother said, “If Chunxiao excels in sports, she can bring glory to the country, and that’s also a form of success.”
Qin Chunfeng secretly calculated. While her grandparents on her father’s side treated her and her brother equally, her grandparents on her mother’s side gave her 200 yuan less in red envelopes each year. She had whispered this matter to her mother, and then Qin Ling settled it definitively. As soon as the children received their red envelopes, he immediately confiscated them and deposited the money in the bank. When he deposited the money for Qin Chunxiao, he added an extra 200 yuan to cover it up.
Partiality from the elderly was one thing, let them be. It was their money, they could give as much as they wanted. Qin Ling just filled in the gap to avoid hurting the children’s feelings.
Little did she know that after caring so much for her brother for so many years, Qin Chunfeng had actually kept a secret about their move from him.
Would Xiaoxiao feel disappointed? Would he feel forgotten by everyone?
It was her mistake after all. Qin Chunfeng gripped the steering wheel tightly, almost bursting into tears. “Xiaoxiao, I didn’t intentionally forget to tell you about this. Staying up late is harmful! My memory is almost gone from staying up!”
Xuandong, who could sing【I have an apartment in Guangdong. I haven’t been living there recently. You can go there. I’ll give you the password lock.】
Qin Chunxiao wasn’t disappointed at all; he was busy typing on his phone’s keyboard.
Direct message on Weibo.
Qin Chunxiao:【Huh? Can I stay at your place?】
Xuandong, who could sing:【Why not? You gave me valuable advice, so letting you use my house can be considered as a favor returned.】
Qin Chunxiao:【What kind of advice was that?】
Xuandong, who could sing, had been struggling with whether to continue raising Mei Xiangnan. He couldn’t completely let go of the resentment he felt towards the trafficker who had caused him so much suffering over the years. But he couldn’t leave Mei Xiangnan to live alone either.
She was his beloved sister whom he had poured years of emotions into, and she had never done anything to hurt him. She was even a victim of that family. It was unfair to blame her for her mother’s mistakes. She was completely innocent.
These internal conflicts could even give rise to many topics, such as whether the children of criminals are born with original sin. Xuandong’s continued care for Mei Xiangnan until she reached adulthood might be seen as overly saintly. Qin Chunxiao’s view on this matter was, “You should do what feels right and have a clear conscience.”
Humans can’t completely rationalize everything. In the end, most people follow their hearts. As long as Xuandong’s choices were not illegal or morally wrong, there was no problem. Moreover, to put it bluntly, Xuandong earned the money to support Mei Xiangnan himself. It was his business whether he donated it or wasted it. Besides, he was raising a sister whom he had spent many years with.
Qin Chunxiao believed that his relationship with Xuandong wasn’t close enough to interfere in such a crucial matter. While he could secretly encourage Xuandong to find his family, what Xuandong chose to do afterward was beyond Qin Chunxiao’s control.
But if Xuandong felt that there was no one else to consult, Qin Chunxiao was willing, out of friendship, to offer some advice. However, Xuandong had no obligation to listen to him.
Since Qin Chunxiao became aware of how deeply Xuandong longed for affection and how easily their soulmate relationship could influence each other, Qin Chunxiao became even more cautious about this relationship.
Qin Chunxiao with a deadpan expression: It feels like I have to take partial responsibility for someone else’s life, but we haven’t even spoken in real life! They can’t even be considered an online relationship.
In the normal world, online relationships usually don’t require taking responsibility for someone else’s life, right…
It’s just that Xuandong has very few close relatives, and he’s even considered one of the closer ones to me.
Qin Chunxiao sighed and pressed the phone.
Qin Chunxiao:【I have another question. When you were raising your sister, did you consider your parents’ opinions?】
The response on the other side was prompt and decisive.
Xuandong, who could sing:【I have consulted my agent and your thoughts on this matter. I will also discuss it with Xiangnan and my biological parents. However, the final decision will be mine.】
Xuandong, who could sing:【And if I can resolve Xiangnan’s custody issue as soon as possible, I can pursue what I want to do.】
Qin Chunxiao:【What do you want to do?】
Xuandong, who could sing: [Reading, i’m not afraid of your jokes if i tell you. I entered the entertainment industry to make money, but it’s enough to entertainment myself. This thing was abrupt but it also let me get rid of a lot of shackles. I want to pick up my studies again.
Qin Chunxiao thought, even after going through so much hardship, this person is still full of energy.
According to popular rumors, Lu Xuandong was probably the kind of hard-working person who was pushed away by fate. He sang and worked hard because of poverty, the disease of his adoptive mother and younger sister, and the excessive debts of his adoptive father who was a gambler. He quitted the entertainment industry for his own life. Parents wished to go back and inherit the family business.
But it could also be put another way, Lu Xuandong went to sell, sing and do hard work because he was unwilling to sink into the mountain village for the rest of his life, so he rushed out regardless of the suffering. He quitted the entertainment industry because he didn’t intend to spend the rest of his life in the entertainment industry Here, he had something he wanted to do, so he was willing to let go of everything he had and started anew in an unfamiliar field.
Lu Xuandong was not a blind follower of fate, but a brave man who was good at fighting.
In the plot of the original book, they were all background boards, but where the plot was not recorded, they had all become the protagonists of their own lives.
Qin Chunxiao [Whether you took them away from Dashan back then, or want to quit the entertainment circle now, you have been making very brave decisions, Brother Dong, you are so handsome. 】
The opposite party didn’t reply for a long time, and I don’t know if I was busy with something or was shy.
Qin Chunxiao [You want to regain your studies, what major do you want to study in the future? 】
Xuandongm who can sing [I said, don’t laugh, and don’t think I’m vulgar. 】
Qin Chunxiao [OK. 】
Xuandong, who could sing:【I want to learn a major that can earn money, like starting a company, and become a good boss who creates quality products and earns a conscientious money.】
Qin Chunxiao burst into laughter.
Qin Chunxiao [I also want to do the things you said, but I am not capable, I only know how to play ball. 】
Who doesn’t want to make money with conscience? It’s just that this kind of money is made with brains and hard work. Luck is indispensable.
Xuandong who can sing [I will make a lot of money in the future. 】
Qin Chunxiao【Earn it for yourself, now the truth is out, you can take care of everything, you can go out and chase the life you want, and do everything for yourself in the future. 】
This time, the other side waited for a long time before replying.
Xuandong who can sing [OK. 】
In the turbulent environment, everyone said to Lu Xuandong, “You can’t take care of that trafficker’s daughter”, “You have to go home”, “You can’t give up your hard-won career just because you recognize your relatives”.
Lu Xuandong also understood that speaking out some of his thoughts would make other people think he was crazy, so when he was in the entertainment industry when others learned that he was paying social security and taxes, they also thought he was stupid, too egotistical, and inappropriate. Hearing people’s persuasion, only Qin Chunxiao understood that he did all this because he wanted to do it.
Although Xuandong felt sorry for his younger sister, and because he couldn’t let go of the family relationship for many years. He went home because of his yearning for the family. While wanting to quit the entertainment industry had nothing to do with recognizing relatives, but was tired of everything in it.
After probing each other, Lu Xuandong knew that Qin Chunxiao was a very cautious person. If he didn’t take the initiative to mention something, Qin Chunxiao would not take the initiative to mention it. After all, the communication on the Internet was too far away, so when the relationship developed to a certain extent, he couldn’t get any closer.
But he also determined from this that since Qin Chunxiao was able to express his respect and support for him, he must have seriously agreed with his ideas.
And Qin Chunxiao was the only one who said “for yourself” to Lu Xuandong.
That’s enough, Lu Xuandong knew that no one was obliged to bear his life, including Qin Chunxiao, but the other party didn’t expect to get anything from him, this kind of pure relationship made people feel at ease.
They were the kind of people who wanted to earn what they wanted.
Lu Xuandong murmured: “Even if you want to benefit from me, I don’t mind.”
Qin Chunfeng drove to the rented house where the Qin family used to live, and saw his younger brother sitting on the suitcase playing with his mobile phone, his expression seemed quite happy.
She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and lowered the car window: “Xiaoxiao, get in the car, haven’t you waited long?”
Qin Chunxiao: “If you don’t come, I will go to my friend’s house to stay overnight. Anyway, he will go to his parents’ house tonight. There is no one else in the apartment. You open the trunk and I will put some luggage.”
As he said that, he lifted the overcrowded suitcase to the back of the car with one hand, climbed into the back seat, and looked around strangely: “This car is so beautiful. My sister is so good that she can even buy a car by herself.”
Qin Chunfeng maintained her composure and replied, “Oh, it’s nothing. Money isn’t that hard to earn, actually.”
Qin Chunxiao, who had less than five figures in savings before he died in his previous life, thought to himself, Why does money seem so hard to earn?
Qin Chunfeng continued, “Our family has been busy lately, but we all watched your competitions. When you won the championship, Grandma even posted on social media to celebrate. Did you see it?”
Qin Chunxiao nodded and replied, “Yes, I saw it.”
When he and his teammates won the championship at the World Youth Championships and the Asian Championships, his social media was filled with posts celebrating with family and relatives.
Qin Chunfeng said, “You played really well. Father said he watched you falling all over the place and felt so heartbroken. He wanted to buy medicine and supplements for you but was afraid you couldn’t use them. So when we bought the new house, he got you an extra-large and super soft bed, saying it’s a special privilege for athletes. Do you know which brand the bed is?”
Qin Chunxiao unscrewed the water bottle cap and took a sip. “What is it?”
Qin Chunfeng said, “Hysten. The mattress alone cost 800,000 RMB!”
Qin Chunxiao spurted out the water. “Pfft!”
Qin Chunfeng said, “There are tissues behind you. Wipe it off. Don’t be surprised. Dad seems to have made some important breakthrough in his research and received a large bonus. This time, he covered the cost of all the furniture and appliances in the house. Mom is doing well in the car business. She recently closed a big deal and made a profit, not only planning to start her own car factory, but also paying the down payment for the house.”
Qin Dad’s research might or might not be important, and Qin Chunxiao didn’t know. In his previous life, when he was implicated in the sprinting field, Qin Dad took a leave of absence to take care of the family for a while. His research might have been interrupted during that time. In this life, Qin Chunxiao had matured psychologically and was fully capable of taking care of himself, so it was understandable that Qin Dad, who was focused on his career, achieved some breakthroughs.
Qin Chunxiao didn’t expect his father to be so capable.
As for Qin Mother’s plan to become successful, Qin Chunxiao had already noticed it long ago. Starting from half a year ago, his mother had been busy every day, making endless phone calls. If it weren’t for the provincial team taking over Qin Chunxiao’s diet, he wouldn’t know where to find his meals. His volleyball shoes had also gone from a few hundred RMB to a starting price of a thousand RMB.
In the distant past, it seemed that his parents had indeed sacrificed a lot in their careers to take care of him.
Qin Chunxiao coughed a few times, wiped the chair while asking, “Why did Dad buy such an expensive thing for me?”
Qin Chunfeng said, “It’s compensation. He feels that he has spent too little time caring for the family, and he will be even busier in the future. So he can only compensate us with material things. He even got us annual gym memberships at the fitness center near our community. Hahaha, but I think when you go there, you’re just advertising for the owner for free.”
Qin Chunxiao understood. “What about the down payment?”
Qin Chunfeng replied, “Only the rich can afford to pay in full for houses in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Mom also wanted to keep some liquid assets on hand for emergencies, so she only paid 50% of the down payment, and the house is registered under her name. The new house has five bedrooms and two living rooms, totaling 180 square meters. In addition to the master bedroom and two guest rooms, there’s also a study.”
“The last empty room is for you. Didn’t you always want to have a pet? Mom and Dad said that when you come back, they’ll take you to the pet store to choose a pet. That empty room can be turned into a pet room or used for storage. It can also be a guest room. Oh, by the way, Mom and Dad put your fitness equipment on the balcony. They said it’s spacious and has good lighting.”
At this moment, Qin Chunxiao deeply felt his own poverty and the delight brought by his family. He asked, “How much did you guys earn, anyway?”
Qin Chunfeng replied, “I don’t know. Mom and Dad didn’t tell me the specific numbers, but they definitely earned more than you.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Chunfeng seemed to remember something and quickly added, “But you are a world-class defensive genius. Sister believes that you will have even better performances in the future. One day, you’ll earn more than us!”
Qin Chunxiao remained expressionless and said, “Oh.”
The highest-paid male volleyball player earns $1.5 million a year, but that’s the peak for attacking players. Liberos generally can’t earn that much.
Qin Chunxiao calculated silently. If he could reach the peak of defense and maintain that level, he would need to save money for at least two or three years to match his mother’s half-year income.
No wonder his mom used to say, “Don’t talk about buying a house for the family when you make it big. Why put so much pressure on yourself as a young person? Instead of waiting for you to make it big, maybe Mom will make it faster with her own efforts.”
So that’s what his mom meant.
At this moment, Qin Chunxiao could probably only be understood by those who graduated from a prestigious university and achieved the 211 or 985 status through their own efforts ten years after graduation.
If it weren’t for the fact that when he returned home and saw how his room had been arranged so comfortably, even with a pet bed and bowl ready, he would have remained immersed in a state of hesitation for a while.
But now there was even a pet bed, and his parents and sister said they would take him to the pet store after dinner to choose a pet.
What was he waiting for?
Qin Chunxiao finished his meal in just two minutes and eagerly waited for his family. His sister picked up the car keys and said, “Let’s go, I’ll drive you guys.”
That evening, Qin Chunxiao updated his Weibo status.
Qin Chunxiao V
[I have a dog now!
3-month-old Bernese Mountain Dog]
The comment section was filled with shock.
[Can you keep this kind of dog in Guangzhou?]
[Don’t big cities have a list of banned dogs?]
[Wait, let me check. The standard that prohibits keeping dogs based on size will be implemented from January next year. Currently, the banned dog list in Guangzhou only includes aggressive dogs. There’s no Bernese Mountain Dog on it, so it’s allowed for Qin Team to buy this breed. The pet stores probably still sell them.]
Qin Chunxiao did take advantage of the last opportunity to buy a Bernese Mountain Dog, and he was surprised by the reminder that if he didn’t buy it this year, he wouldn’t be able to buy it next year.
Qin Mom, sitting in the front passenger seat, said, “It was your grandmother who reminded us about the ban on keeping dogs. She knew you liked Bernese Mountain Dogs, so she told us in advance to buy it this year before it’s too late.”
Qin Chunxiao was shocked. “Huh? Doesn’t she dislike me?”
Qin Dad, Qin Mom, and Qin Sister in the car were all taken aback.
Qin Mom hurriedly explained, “She likes you, it’s just not so obvious.”
Qin Chunxiao added, “Yes, she likes Sister more. But she still has more than enough affection for me as her grandson. I used the wrong word earlier. It’s not that she dislikes me.”
Qin Dad asked cautiously, “When did you… notice this?”
Qin Chunxiao was puzzled. “Isn’t it something that can be noticed from a young age?”
Silence filled the car. Oh right, Xiaoxiao had always been sensitive with keen perception of emotions. With the emotional intelligence inherited from Qin Dad’s side, he probably understood his grandma’s feelings long ago.
But Qin Chunxiao had never expressed any dissatisfaction to his grandmother. He could still comfort his family with a smile, “It’s okay. People’s hearts are naturally biased. Like between me, Grandpa, and Grandma, I prefer Grandpa Ivan and Grandma’s side more.”
He himself was biased, so why would he care if others were biased or not? His grandmother had never treated him poorly, and over the years, her attitude towards him had become increasingly friendly. When the incident with Wu Chiyao feeding drugs to the sprinters came out, his grandmother even wrote a 500-word essay in the local Cantonese dialect to scold Wu Chiyao.
As long as his parents treated him equally, Qin Chunxiao didn’t care much about the opinions of other relatives. Essentially, he was a person who gave back as much love as he received, but he would never complain because he didn’t receive enough love. He didn’t live relying on such trivial affections.
Qin Chunxiao had come this far through his parents’ guidance on love and care, his own hard work, and a bit of genetic luck, which gave him good looks and physical qualities.
Qin Mom chuckled, “Between me and your sister, who do you like more?”
Qin Chunxiao confidently held up his water, “You are all the people I love the most in this world!”
Qin Dad also jokingly joined in, “Then, who is the most biased setter in the national team?”
Implied in his words, when it’s your turn to set, will you also hold up the water?
Qin Chunxiao coughed, “Whoever sets the easiest ball for me, and when playing against strong teams, it’s already good if I can receive the ball. Whoever comes to set, it’s based on skills.”
“Emotional intelligence” is certainly a big factor in team competitions, but in high-intensity matches, he didn’t have the energy to hold up the water.
Qin Dad, Qin Mom, and Qin Sister burst into laughter.
As for the fate between Qin Chunxiao and his grandfather, the Qin family generally described it as “a bear leading a bear cub, adding more bear.”
Ivanovsky, in his early years, was a cook on a warship. He not only mastered various desserts and Russian cuisine cooking techniques, but also had basic knowledge of ship equipment repair and combat skills. Qin Chunxiao was once taken care of by the old man for a while when he was young in Foshan. Since then, a rolling pin, a barbecue fork, a water pipe… anything along the road, became weapons he would use in fights.
Thinking of Qin Grandpa, Qin Mom sighed, “It’s a good time to chat with your grandfather before the National Games.”
Qin Chunxiao looked puzzled, “Why? Is Grandpa not feeling well?”
Qin Mom replied, “He’s in great shape! He doesn’t even have any of the three highs!”
The Karlkovsky family was said to have had several elderly people in their ancestry who lived to be in their nineties or even centenarians. They had a hereditary constitution of longevity without illness, pain, or the three highs (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia). Moreover, those elderly people generally had clear minds, and before they died in their sleep, they remained clear-headed without any signs of senility.
If it weren’t for the fact that this family lost half of its members in the war last century, and earlier deaths from hardship, starvation, and post-war retaliatory binge eating, the average life expectancy of the Qin Grandpa’s family could have been stable at over 85 years.
With these family records, Qin Mom, Qin Chunxiao, and Qin Chunfeng had no anxieties about their later years. With such good physical conditions, as long as luck was on their side and they didn’t encounter disasters, and as long as they controlled their diet and exercised regularly, they could live without illness and worries until they died in their sleep.
Qin Chunfeng explained, “Recently, we received a letter at home written in Russian. My mom and I looked at the signature, and it’s from the Hamster Club.”
Qin Chunxiao, holding the dog, took the letter from his mom’s bag and, with his dad’s help, tried to understand the Russian letter. He was the worst in the family when it came to Russian. He only knew basic daily phrases, and his reading level couldn’t compare to even Russian elementary school students.
[to Misha Qin,
I am Nikolai Igorovich Pirolev, the director and head coach of the Hamster Club. Since I saw your performance in the Junior World Championship, I firmly believe that you have a bright future. After consulting with the other coaches and the uniform team, we unanimously believe that you are well-suited for our Hamster Club.
Originally, we planned to go through official channels to negotiate with your national association regarding your salary and scheduling. However, after watching your match against the Iranian team, I urgently tore a piece of paper from my notebook to write this letter. Although rushed, please see our sincerity. We can achieve great things together.
Please consider the Hamster Club.
PS: We also appreciate the playing style of your partner, Li Ling. I believe that with more intense matches to hone his skills, he will become an outstanding setter. Please convey the Hamster Club’s admiration for him as well. We couldn’t find his contact address, and we obtained your address through your grandfather’s relative, Miss Natasha, a pastry chef near our club.
PPS: We don’t mind if you share this letter on the internet. We are direct people who are happy to publicly express our confidence in you to the world. If you have no objections and accept our invitation, the club will also make the contents of this letter public to show our affection and support for you. Please reply as soon as possible. Our email is xxxxxxxxxxxx, and our phone number is xxxxxxxxxxxx.]
Qin Mom commented, “This club really believes in you. They are willing to make this letter public, which means openly raising your value. But in return, you’ll have to play with them for a longer period and preferably achieve good results. Otherwise, if they praise you now, the fall later will be harsh.”
Qin Chunxiao scratched his head and pondered the passing ability of the Hamster Club, then laughed, “Don’t worry, with the passing ability of this club, they will make a huge profit as long as I join.”
He said it with great confidence, but he had the capital to back it up.
But his Russian relative near the Hamster Club turned out to own a pastry shop? Didn’t he only have one younger sister left?
Qin Chunxiao was puzzled, “Isn’t Grandpa’s sister a pilot?”
Qin Mom replied, “She retired this year at the age of 62.”
However, the next day, when Qin Chunxiao reported to the provincial team, he was shocked by the invitations from various clubs in Chen Aiguo’s office.
Seven clubs from different countries had invited him, and among them, three were clubs that had achieved good results in the World Club Championship. They offered relatively lower salaries, but two of those three clubs wanted him to join with Li Ling.
The other four clubs didn’t have such good historical results, but their offers were higher, and they promised him a guaranteed starting position.
Chen Aiguo kindly told him, “Xiaozai, no matter which club you choose, as long as you play well for a season, you’ll have your down payment.”
Qin Chunxiao blinked, “Is there a deadline for the reply?”
Chen Aiguo said, “You should reply to them before the end of the National Games. The internal club leagues in many countries start in November or December, so if you accept, you’ll need to go there by late October.”
With plenty of time, Qin Chunxiao wasn’t in a hurry. He held the invitation letters and information from various clubs, playfully pleading, “Coach, give Xiaozai some advice~”
Chen Aiguo shrugged, “The coach doesn’t understand how foreign clubs operate. Go ask Newton. Er Leng, tell your family first and discuss it more with Xiaozai.”
Li Ling snapped back to reality. He received three invitation letters, two of which coincided with Qin Chunxiao’s. He simply picked out the one that didn’t overlap and threw it away.
“Wherever Xiaozai goes, I’ll go too.”
After saying this, Li Ling felt like a little clever spirit. Being with Xiaozai, not only did he feel secure, but his parents also felt secure.
Qin Chunxiao did not express his opinion: ‘It’s fine.’ But what he didn’t expect was that he received another call from Fu Biyang. ‘Xiaozi, it’s me, Fu Biyang. Do you know what happened when I returned home? A letter from Italy was sent to my chicken farm, ordering 300 frozen Wenchang chickens! There was also a personal letter from someone named Lorenzo, inviting me to play volleyball in Italy. Who invites a player to play basketball when buying chickens? Do you think this person is reliable?’
Qin Chunxiao replied, ‘Since it’s a club from Italy, you should ask Coach Niu.’
According to Qin Chunxiao’s life experience, giving advice to unfamiliar people without being asked had a higher chance of being disliked than accepted.
However, if it was a familiar person or a friend who actively sought his advice, he was willing to help. His idea now was to go together to find Newton and let Newton worry about everyone.
