"Whoever scores three goals first wins?" Yu Qiuping murmured to himself as he watched in fascination the players' skillful footwork, passing the ball back and forth.
"Oh? A new face?" The voice from Yu Qiuping's side made him turn around subconsciously. A middle-aged uncle walked quickly with a hearty smile. The demeanor exuded by this uncle made Yu Qiuping couldn't help but take a closer look.
I glanced at him. His facial features were soft and his eyes were swollen and sparkling with wisdom. The most enviable thing was his eyebrows, which were as black and shiny as if they were painted on.
"I don't know how to address this gentleman?" Yu Qiuping felt that such a distinguished person must be no ordinary person, so he naturally used the honorific title.
"I don't dare to be an adult, I'm just a businessman," the uncle laughed, "Just call me uncle."
"Is this your first time here? I've never seen you before." The uncle stood next to Yu Qiuping, but his eyes never left the Cuju on the field.
"Yes, I am from the Ming Dynasty. I just came to Junfu City not long ago." Yu Qiuping explained. "This is the first time I come here to watch Cuju."
"Oh?" The uncle quickly glanced at the sidelines, "Then how do you know that you will win if you kick three goals?"
"You guessed it," Yu Qiuping smiled, "I see there are five lanterns there," he pointed to the side of the court, "the score of both sides that can be represented cannot exceed six, and now the team on the left has not won by two.
I guess it’s three goals.”
"Haha, your guess is correct." The uncle clapped his hands and laughed, "You can see the slightest thing, and you are worthy of being from the Ming Dynasty." As he spoke, several of the middle-aged uncle's companions came around. The uncle looked back at them and made a gesture.
, one of them turned and left. He turned around and asked Yu Qiuping, "Guess again, why are there only many people here in the middle?"
"Is it possible that there is a formal competition here?" Yu Qiuping replied casually.
"The guess is correct." The uncle smiled again, "There is a bounty competition here every afternoon. Each team must pay 600 coins before entering the arena to challenge other teams. For every victory in the arena, the team will receive 300 coins.
Bonus. That’s why so many good Cuju players come here to try their skills!”
"Now that you're here, you don't just want to watch the football. I see that you are in good health, so you must also be able to play Cuju?" He turned his head and asked Yu Qiuping.
"Hey," these words triggered Yu Qiuping's memories of representing his class on the green field in junior high school, "I do have some technical itch."
"We are missing one person here," the uncle pointed at the other four people around him, "How about you come together and we can form a team?"
"Um..." Yu Qiuping touched his pocket, and he only had ten cents with him for dinner. And he had just paid off Asahina Taehyung's money, so he only had more than a hundred cents left in total.
"I didn't bring enough money, it's okay! No one who has nothing to do these days will bring more than a hundred coins when he goes out." The uncle saw Yu Qiuping's difficulty, "I paid for your share of the money, which is considered a courtesy to people from the Ming Dynasty.
Welcome."
"How embarrassing." Yu Qiuping was about to refuse when he saw the uncle waving his hands repeatedly. "I didn't say I would give you the money for free. If you play well, even if we hire a master to help you, if you don't play well, you still have to go home and get the money.
Hahahaha..."
Yu Qiuping and several people around him laughed when they heard this, and the awkward atmosphere just now was swept away. "It's really nice to talk to you," Yu Qiuping said with a smile, "But I can only play defensively. Our Ming country side
Feng Liuyan is different from here, I may not be able to shoot."
"No problem, it's just right," the uncle was happy when he heard this, "I was worried that you would score too many goals and steal my spotlight." He clapped his hands, "Then it's settled, Oppei, you go and talk to me.
Let the people over there tell you that when this scene is over, we will join."
"I haven't asked you what my name is yet?" After sending someone away, the uncle asked Yu Qiuping.
"My name is Yu Qiuping." Yu Qiuping nodded.
"Your surname is Yu?"
"No, my surname is Yuqiu."
In the last game, the team on the left won 3:1. After the team on the right left the field cursing, Yu Qiuping and his team went to the right side of the field to warm up briefly. The uncle took off the kimono he had just worn and changed into another one.
Light jodhpurs and vest. Yu Qiuping happened to be wearing the sweatpants he brought with him during the time travel. The only regret was that he didn’t bring the pair of sneakers, so he had to put on the hard sneakers provided by the Cuju venue. He was careful when taking off his shirt.
He took off the red leaf pendant from his neck and wrapped it in his clothes.
It wasn't until Yu Qiuping came on the court that he realized that this Cuju seemed to be very different from football, not just in the height and size of the goal. The ball didn't bounce very well. And there was very little physical confrontation between the players.
Depends on individual footwork.
After seeing several teammates taking their positions skillfully, Yu Qiuping was not only a little confused. The other people simply stood symmetrically, so he stood about ten meters behind the uncle, directly behind the entire team.
As the drums sounded nearby, a red Cuju ball was thrown high from the outside and jumped into the field. After the uncle confidently snapped his fingers, his figure flashed and rushed to the place where the ball landed. The opponent's forward started.
Already lagging behind, he had to catch up with the defense at full speed. However, the uncle who could have reached the ball suddenly jumped to the left. The opponent's forward was caught off guard and had no time to stop. Cuju hit him and bounced back and forth, leaping over him. The uncle then jumped over him again.
Flash back from the left, control the ball behind him and rush forward.
"Is there such an operation?" Yu Qiuping watched dumbfoundedly as the uncle who was not touching Cuju ran straight for the opposite goal. The opponent's two full-backs hurriedly came from both sides to help defend, and cooperated with the defenders to double-team the uncle.
The uncle glanced at the following winger on the right, raised his left foot and kicked Cuju. The opponent's left back who was coming quickly retreated to block the passing route, and the opponent's defender also retreated to help defend. However, unexpectedly
Yes, the uncle's kick seemed to have been intentional, causing a strong spin. Cuju flew to the right and immediately after touching the ground for the first time, he flew back to the middle due to the spin. The uncle took advantage of the situation and passed the opponent.
The right back, who was still guarding him, ran straight towards the opponent's Feng Liuyan, and there was a gap in front of him.
Lifting the foot, drawing the ball, Cuju drew an arc, directly piercing Fengliu's eyes. It was done in one go, without any hesitation, and every choice was extremely decisive.
The opening scene only lasts ten seconds.
The surrounding spectators were dumbfounded and stood there for a long time before bursting into deafening cheers. The opponent's players stopped in place with an expression of disbelief. Like Yu Qiuping, his mouth was so big that he could almost fit an egg in it.
"Uncle, do you really need teammates?" Yu Qiuping looked at the uncle with a calm expression, walking back from the front court as if nothing had happened, and couldn't help but shout and ask.
"Haha, of course," the uncle snapped his fingers, "defending is very tiring, and it's not just one match. It's important to maintain your physical strength for a few more rounds."
"Uncle, don't you need to conserve your energy? You kicked so hard just now." As Yu Qiuping spoke, the player on the opposite side had already kicked off from the backcourt and came up kicking Cuju. However, the uncle still turned his back to the opponent and faced
Yu Qiuping had no intention of turning around and defending.
"Me? Why should I save my energy?" The uncle laughed like a child who had succeeded in his trick. When he laughed, the opponent's offensive team quickly passed him and went straight to Yu Qiuping's last line of defense.
"Because I don't participate in the defense!" The uncle smiled and snapped his fingers. Yu Qiuping had no time to look, because the opponent's three forwards had already attacked in front of him.
The player who rushed in front of him moved his feet slightly, as if he was about to pass the ball. Yu Qiuping subconsciously prepared to step forward to steal, but suddenly realized that he was not playing in the midfield position before, but the last defensive player in front.
.So he changed his mind, his left foot that had already taken half a step slammed to the ground, and he also ran backwards. The opponent's forward, who thought he had used a fake move to shake Yu Qiuping away, had to stop and readjust.
At this time, Yu Qiuping's other two defender teammates came to help defend. Seeing that the situation was not going well, the opposite forward turned his back to protect Cuju. He tried to push Yu Qiuping away and forced the goal, but instead was beaten by the stronger Yu Qiuping.
Staggered.
Yu Qiuping took the opportunity to jump forward and wanted to steal the ball, but the opponent's forward twisted around and half blocked the route. After Yu Qiuping saw the risk of stealing the ball, he immediately took a half step back and continued to defend firmly. The opponent's forward tried to break through several times but failed.
Failed. At this time, two of our own wingers came to double-team. The opponent's forward was impatient and forced a shot. Yu Qiuping blocked it and then kicked it to the frontcourt. The uncle once again easily succeeded in one-on-three.
"Yu Qiu, your defense is good," the uncle who returned from shooting gave Yu Qiuping a thumbs up, "Keep up the good work."
Yu Qiuping didn't expect that the game would last so long. By the time he finished the tenth game, he was as tired as a dog. He put his hands on his knees and was panting. They played from time to time until six o'clock in the morning.
He has never partnered with such a strong teammate. The other four partners are not only very skilled, but also physically strong. The uncle in front of him makes him feel like playing with world-class stars. Ten games.
He was responsible for all thirty goals, and under Yu Qiuping's tenacious defense, he only conceded six goals.
"How's it going? Can you still kick?" The uncle took out a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped the sweat from his forehead, folded it and put it back around his waist.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to do it anymore," Yu Qiuping said, struggling even to speak, "I'm really tired after playing for so long."
"Haha, it's good to be able to persist for so long. The young man is exercising very well." The uncle said as he walked to the side of the court, "Manager, we have given up and will not fight."
"You, you have to win seven or eight games every time you come here," the groundskeeper over there complimented with a smile on his face, "don't you want to play a few more games? Everyone is looking forward to your goals."