Those Sweet Times - Chapter 94 Part 1

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.

Those Sweet Times

Chapter 94 Part 1

Extra: Shen Zemu and Yang Yin

Ever since Yang Yin registered for taking the self-taught exam, her daily routine went like this:

She would get up at 7 o’clock in the morning. After washing up and eating breakfast, she would study English for a while in her own room. Then she would ride her bicycle to go to class at the adult education school two kilometers away. The classes would finish by 9 o’clock. After she was back at base, she would act as if nothing had happened and study some more in her room while waiting for her players to get up and finish breakfast.

From 10 am till 10 pm, it was filled with activities for the players; they would either do self training or have skirmishes against other teams. Though Dw had been downgraded, it used to be one of the major teams. It was still a better choice than a normal junior league team, as such they could still invite some good teams to play skirmish with.

The daily schedule for most of the professional teams would start much later than Yang Yin’s team. Some teams would still be active into the early morning hours. The team would be made of night owls, who wouldn’t go to bed at night and wouldn’t get up in the morning. Yang Yin was against this kind of schedule. As such, Dw’s daily schedule seemed out of tune with all those night owls; theirs were more like a schedule for grade school kids.

After the training at night, around 10 pm, the team still wasn’t done. Yang Yin would lead the players for a 40 minute run, circling around the neighborhood. After running, the day was then over for the players, they were dismissed and could go to bed.

This kind of daily life reminded some of the players of their miserable lives back in their middle or high schools and it was a little hard for them to take.

Yang Yin asked Deng Wenbo to raise the pay for the players and offered rewards for players who had completed their training routines. They could go out twice a month to places like karaoke clubs or bars. These fringe benefits made players feel better. 

Yang Yin would do all these activities with the players. She would lead by example; she always got up earlier than the players, she would run in front of the team during the night runs. If it rained, the night run would be cancelled but none of the players wished for it to rain, because then their physical training would be running up and down the stairs at base. It was even more exhausting than running outside.

There was one time Deng Wenbo drove by the neighborhood of the base. He parked the car at the side of the road and happened to see the team doing their night run. Behind Yang Yin were the team’s players. She was wearing a sports suit and in comparison to the boys following her, she seemed quite slender as if she could be blown away by a light breeze. When they got closer, Deng Wenbo, with the help of the street lights, could see sweat all over her face and part of her fuchsia colored top was soaked.

She looked like a rose covered by rain drops.

When they got even closer, Deng Wenbo rolled down the car window to look towards the outside with his chin slightly tilted up, waiting for them to greet their boss. 

All of them fixed their eyes forward and ran by Deng Wenbo at a steady pace. The footsteps sounded quite in unison. 

Deng Wenbo touched his nose, quietly rolled the window back up, and pretended that nothing had happened.

He stayed in the car to chat with a few of his lady friends on WeChat. He seemed troubled by not knowing which lady friend he should go out with tonight. Then he drove the car into the residential community and parked the car in front of the base.

All the players were exhausted after the run and had gone to bed after showering. All of their rooms were dark.

Only Yang Yin’s room still had the lights on.

Deng Wenbo imagined that Yang Yin was working hard in front of the computer. He was somewhat moved. This woman, though she wouldn’t even bother to try flattering him, was really dedicated. She was much better than those people who concealed the true state of affairs and always tried to trick their boss.

Deng Wenbo sent a message to Yang Yin: You don’t have to work so hard. I won’t eat you if the team can’t really get back up.

Yang Yin’s reply came quickly: Boss, I’m not working now.

Deng Wenbo: Then what are you doing now?

Yang Yin: I’m studying Mao Zedong Thought.

Deng Wenbo: ……

……

<Mao Zedong Thought> is a required subject in colleges and for the self-taught exam. Yang Yin wasn’t lying, she was really studying the subject. Most of the subjects for the exam were quite difficult for her, even the general requirements such as English and math were especially hard in her eyes, not to mention that the specialized courses were like Greek to her. In comparison, Mao Zedong Thought was much easier for her to study.

After studying for a while, Yang Yin received a message from Shen Zemu.

Shen Zemu: Do you have time tomorrow?

Yang Yin: Yes, what’s up?

Shen Zemu: I’ll go over to your place.

Yang Yin: Oh.

Translated by Team DHH at http://dhh-workshop.blogspot.com.