Chapter 22: The reason why we must win

The mornings in Lingyue City are more lively than those in Chuanhai. Before the sky has fallen, vendors pushing breakfast carts are patrolling the streets. Lu Li got up early and felt so hungry that he suddenly realized that he only took a piece of bread to fill his stomach yesterday. He patted his head, which was a headache due to snoring, and rinsed his mouth and washed his face with water in a daze. He then carefully counted the cash and counted it three times. It was definitely 872 yuan.

The boss’s wife got up even earlier. Before Lu Li went out, he saw the boss’s wife, who was very aggressive, washing clothes outside the door. The dirty water flowed along the stone slabs into the narrow alley, adding a bit of solid fireworks to this world. Seeing Lu Li, the proprietress was still a little unhappy. She muttered, “Young man, find a proper job as soon as possible, don’t hang around in this kind of place for the rest of your life...”

He left the alley and found a fly restaurant next to the gymnasium and ordered a bowl of dry noodles. If poverty destroys people, the most serious thing is the destruction of self-confidence. Lu Li is used to going back and forth in such unremarkable small shops. When facing those high-end decorated shops, he always subconsciously feels a sense of cowardice. Some people use their childhood to heal their whole life, while others need to use their whole life to heal their childhood.

The dry noodles are delicious, and the couple who opened the shop are also busy and doing good business.

It seems that because there are not enough seats, a young woman came in from outside the store, sat directly opposite Lu Li, and began to unpack disposable chopsticks. Lu Li slurped the noodles, looked up at the woman, and his expression froze. It turned out to be that He Ping. Yes, it was the He Ping who spoke so much in the interview.

She looks very ordinary, with short hair, even messy. If we have to pick out the characteristics of this person, it is probably her poker face that never changes.

“What’s the matter?” He Ping’s expression did not change at all. She did not even move her lips when she spoke, and the sound came out directly from her throat.

“Are you He Ping?”

“Yes.”

She admitted it calmly, took the soup noodles handed by the boss, and ate the noodles as if no one was around. It’s not surprising, this place is close to the gymnasium, it’s normal for athletes to come and go.

Lu Li suddenly felt curious, he wanted to know how this woman who beat his sister to a pulp was trained.

“You are so good at playing basketball, you must have started practicing since you were a child.”

He Ping paused.

“I’m not that famous.”

She was right, whether it was her or Zou Yameng, in the end, they were just high school reserve players, maybe famous in the college circle, but just a leaf of light in the entire sports world. If Lu Li hadn’t searched the six provincial leagues specifically, he wouldn’t even know that there was such a person.

“My sister plays table tennis, too. She said you’re great.”

“Twelve years.”

“What?” Lu Li realized that she was answering his previous question. This woman’s thinking was really jumping.

Playing for twelve years? She must have been trained as an athlete since she was born. No wonder Sister Yameng is not her opponent. Compared with professional players, Sister Yameng is just an “amateur player” who changed her career halfway.

Twelve years. How many twelve years are there in a lifetime?

“You like table tennis very much.” He sighed. Compared with He Ping, his sister’s determination and talent pale in comparison. He even remembered that the reason why his sister picked up the table tennis racket was just to teach the arrogant big kids in the low-rent area a lesson. Before that, Sister Yameng didn’t even understand the rules of table tennis.

“I don’t like it.”

He Ping poured a little vinegar and added a little chili to the noodle soup.

“I don’t like table tennis.” She repeated.

This answer confused Lu Li, and he looked at the expressionless He Ping in surprise. The dominant player in the six-province league, the most popular championship candidate, an athlete who has practiced for twelve years, actually said that he doesn’t like table tennis?

He didn’t ask for the reason, but just nodded woodenly.

“But I have a reason to win.”