"Oh, sister-in-law, there is really nothing we can do... Lao Shi and I can only watch the live broadcast at home..."
The wife was holding her cell phone and explaining to her sister-in-law on the other end of the phone.
The other party didn't seem to believe it very much: "Your Lao Shi is the head coach of the national team, so his connections are better than ours, right?"
"He's just a former head coach of the national team...and this is the World Cup finals. What's the use of Lao Shi's connections? Sister-in-law, I'm not lying to you. During this period, Lao Shi and I received no less than a hundred phone calls.
We need tickets. Sister-in-law, do you think we can get a hundred tickets?"
Shi Wuyin saw his wife chatting with her at the side before hanging up the phone.
He couldn't help but smile bitterly and said, "Thank you for your hard work!"
The wife shook her head and said helplessly: "But to be honest, I quite agree with what my sister-in-law said. Lao Shi, you are the former coach of the national team, and you are the one who led the team to the World Cup for the first time. Now the national team has entered
It’s the World Cup final, so I should invite you to watch the game live, right?”
"I'm just a first-level rocket." Shi Wuyin shook his head, "What kind of 'merit' do I have? And if I hadn't been too timid, the Chinese team would have reached the knockout rounds four years earlier. Don't think about that.
At that time, the two of us would watch the game at home and have some peace and quiet."
As soon as he finished speaking, his cell phone rang.
However, Shi Wuyin did not answer the phone. His wife asked him, "Why didn't you answer the phone?"
"Is there anything I can pick up? It must be another relative I haven't contacted for eight hundred years who wants to ask me for game tickets..."
The wife went over and took a look, her face changed slightly, and she said to her husband: "From the Football Association..."
Shi Wuyin was stunned for a moment, then suddenly sat up from the sofa and picked up his phone.
Caller:
Football Association Hong Renjie
He quickly connected:
"Hey, Lao Hong?"
Hong Renjie's voice came from the other end of the phone: "Yes, it's me, Lao Shi. How are you? How are you lately?"
"Okay, I'm very happy that the Chinese team has reached the finals!"
Hong Renjie laughed: "Haha, everyone is happy! There is something I want to tell you..."
"Say." Shi Wuyuan's expression became serious.
Seeing her husband's sudden change of expression, his wife glanced at him curiously.
"Well, it's like this. We only found out this time that in fact, for every team that reaches the World Cup finals, FIFA will give some extra places, and we will nominate them. They will send out invitations, and those on the invitation list will
People go to watch the game live. Then, we wrote your name into the list, so... now we invite you to come and watch the finals live."
Hong Renjie told the story in one breath, and then waited for Shi Wuyin's response.
But he didn't get an answer immediately, and there was silence on the other end of the phone.
Until he urged: "Hello? Lao Shi? Can you hear me?"
Then the voice from the other side came: "I can hear it, I heard it... No problem, I'll go!"
"Hey, that's good. Let's meet in the capital then!"
"Well, see you in the capital!"
Seeing that her husband still had a smile on his face after hanging up the phone, his wife asked curiously: "What's going on? You're so happy?"
Shi Wuyin tried his best to keep his tone and expression calm and said: "They invited me to watch the finals live."
The wife was stunned for a moment, then said in surprise: "Really?!"
Shi Wuyuan nodded reservedly: "It's true."
The wife clapped her hands happily: "That's great! You should indeed be invited... Fortunately, the Football Association still remembers your contribution!"
Seeing that his wife was so happy, Shi Wuyuan hesitated and said: "But they only gave me one person's quota..."
The wife was nonchalant: "Isn't that natural? You have made a special contribution to Chinese football, so of course it will be given to you. I have no contribution, so why do you give it to me?"
"In that case, you will be the only one staying at home to watch the game..."
"That's not possible. Isn't our community organizing to watch the finals together? If you don't accompany me, I will go and watch the game with my neighbors!" My wife smiled. "Maybe I can see you on the live broadcast then.
!Hey!"
Shi Wuyuan grinned, and then thought of something: "No...you just told your relatives that we were all watching the live broadcast at home, and your relatives saw me on the live TV, and they might not know what to say about you..."
The wife curled her lips and said, "Let them go! It's only natural that you can go to watch the finals, but they have to compete with you for this spot? If you can't understand, it's okay for such relatives to be away from each other. What's so rare about it?"
Shi Wuyuan laughed.
His wife reminded him again: "You have to dress more formally! Don't embarrass me then!"
Shi Wuyin nodded: "Then take out the suit I wore when directing the game."
The wife turned around and walked to the cloakroom: "I'll iron it for you!"
She also hummed happily.
But she was not happy because her husband was going to watch the game, but for another reason.
Since leading the team to the World Cup, my husband has never worn that suit again.
After washing, I put it in a dust bag and hung it in the closet.
I will take it out for dry cleaning every once in a while, and then continue to put it in a dust bag and hang it in the closet.
At first, she thought her husband was reluctant to wear it. After all, it was the clothes he wore when he directed the Chinese team to play in the World Cup, and it had a strong commemorative significance.
But later, after hearing about her husband's frustration at that World Cup, she understood why her husband didn't want to wear it anymore.
But now that my husband has taken the initiative to wear that suit, it means that the knot in his heart has been resolved!
※※※
"Yu, I'm sorry, the Chinese Football Association only gave me one spot." Jorge Dillon apologized to his translator Yu Jintao on the phone.
Yu Jintao smiled and said, "What is there to be sorry for?"
"Because you won't be able to watch the game live..."
Yu Jintao laughed loudly: "You know, Jorge. During the entire World Cup, I can finally watch the game with my wife and son!"
Dillon also laughed: "Well, spend time with your family and say hello to your wife for me."
"No problem, I'll bring it."
After putting down the phone, Yu Jintao turned around and saw his wife looking at him, but her eyes seemed a little melancholy.
"Why are you looking at me like this?" Yu Jintao was very surprised.
"If you can't go to watch the game, will you miss the opportunity to witness the history of Chinese football?" the wife asked with a frown.
Yu Jintao smiled, and then hugged his wife: "Where is it... Is it different to witness history at home? All of us are in history. What difference does it make where we witness it specifically? This year, I followed the old man to watch the World Cup.
, I haven’t spent much time with you to begin with, so wouldn’t it be nice for our family to watch this final together, even if it’s live TV?”
※※※
"Why is the Football Association looking for me?"
When Zhao Kangming received the call from Hong Renjie, he was very surprised and could not wrap his mind around this.
He has been coaching at Anton Shining Stars and has nothing to do with the Chinese national team.
"How come it doesn't matter?" Hong Renjie said with a smile, "Weren't you the ones who trained Hu Lai, Wang Guangwei, Xia Xiaoyu, and Chen Xingyi? And Ou Yangjin."
"Well, it's mainly due to their own efforts..."
"You are so humble, I think you are hypocritical, Lao Zhao. Anyway, Anton Shining Star has sent many international players to this national team in history. If we want to say which club head coach has made the greatest contribution to the national team
, there is no one else but you. So I must have invited you here." Hong Renjie said.
Zhao Kangming laughed when he heard what Hong Renjie said.
He has always been proud of the players he coached.
Watching these players lead the national team to the finals in the World Cup made all his decades of work worthwhile.
Although he was not able to help the national team reach the World Cup when he was a player.
But he realized his original dream in the coaching position.
No……
Even more than he originally dreamed of.
After all, at that time, he just hoped that the players he trained could help the Chinese team reach the World Cup.
Unexpectedly, his disciples gave him more rewards.
Not only did they reach the World Cup finals, but they also reached the World Cup finals.
So in fact, his answer to Hong Renjie just now was not just to be modest, nor was it to pretend to be aloof.
These players did far better than he expected.
If he only made it to the World Cup finals, he could still pat his chest and proudly say that I had a share of the credit.
But now that the team has reached the World Cup finals in history, how can he be so shy and think that it is his own contribution?
"How's it going? Old Zhao, are you coming?" Hong Renjie's voice on the phone interrupted Zhao Kangming's fugue.
After coming back to his senses, he replied: "I will come, Lao Hong, don't worry, I will definitely come."
Hong Renjie smiled and said: "Haha! Okay! I'll wait for you at the Capital Workers' Stadium! We haven't seen each other for a long time, right?"
"It seems that the last time we met was a year ago, when you and Qin Lin came to Shining Star to inspect the players." Zhao Kangming recalled.
"Yes, it's been a year..." Hong Renjie said with emotion. "No more, I still have to call them one by one, and there are other people waiting for me to notify them!"
"You made the call yourself?"
"Yes, this is how you show respect for others!"
"Awesome, then get busy."
"Well, see you in the capital!"
"See you in the capital!"
Zhao Kangming hung up the phone, but did not show a happy expression.
Instead, he stared into the distance in a daze, seeming to think of many, many things that happened far, far away.