[Short track speed skating] From academic master to Winter Olympic champion

After returning home, Gu Ran carried her things and planned to go back to her room.His mother can't just let him go: "Come here."

Gu Ran had no choice but to go to the living room and sit down, Xu Mei said again: "Take off your socks."

Gu Ran smiled and said, "What are you doing?"

"Take it off and let me see."

"I do not!"

Xu Mei asked him, "How did you get the injury on your foot?"

Gu Ran said: "Accidentally slipped by the skates, it's okay, it's almost healed."

"Why didn't you tell us when it happened?"

Gu Ran spread her hands: "It's a big deal, just apply some medicine, why should I tell you?"

Xu Mei said again: "Then take off your socks."

Gu Ran refused, Xu Mei went to prepare to do it herself.Gu Ran quickly turned around and sat cross-legged on the sofa, not letting his mother touch him.

At this time, Gu Changfeng opened the door and came in, seeing the mother and son arguing: "Oh, are you being beaten?"

There is no tradition of beating children in their family. Gu Ran has been obedient since she was a child and has never been beaten. Gu Changfeng looks quite fresh.

Xu Mei ordered: "Come here and hold him down."

"Huh?" Gu Changfeng rolled up his sleeves and walked over, holding Gu Ran's shoulder from behind, "Mixed doubles?"

Gu Ran's upper body was restrained, and she didn't dare to struggle too hard, the socks were ripped off by his mother.

Apart from the wound just now, there are several places of different depths and lengths on his ankle, some of which have healed, and some of which are still scabbed, which should all be caused by the slipping of the skates.

Xu Mei noticed his heels again, the skin there was red, and the thick piece was particularly rough to the touch.It is not difficult to see that the bleeding blisters were rubbed and then ruptured and healed, and the bleeding blisters were worn again, ruptured and healed again, and repeated for an unknown number of times before it became like this.

One can imagine what a long and painful process it was, but Gu Ran never mentioned it to her parents.

In order to protect the ankle joint, the sides and the back of the skates are made of hard material, which will wear down the feet after a long time of training.Whether it is speed skating or figure skating, every child who practices skating is praised for being good-looking and in good shape, but the feet that take off the skates are scarred and deformed, and they look like seven or eighty-year-olds.

Short-track speed skating is even more dangerous. Even during training, players often collide with each other, and being scratched by skates is a common occurrence.

Not to mention bleeding blisters on the feet, muscles and even bones can be exposed after a long time.

Gu Changfeng also saw it, put away the joke, felt a little distressed, but didn't show it.He held his son's face in both hands and rubbed it: "Does it hurt?"

In fact, Gu Ran didn't know when the injury happened, and it didn't affect his training anyway.Sometimes I am so devoted to training that I don’t realize that I am injured at all, and I only find out after the end that the blood from the wound has coagulated.

He quickly took his feet back: "What is this? You haven't seen my teammate's feet, so you can't see them, and some of them need stitches."

Gu Changfeng patted his face lightly, pointed in Xu Mei's direction, and motioned him to stop talking.

Xu Mei turned her body to the other side, Gu Ran leaned over and saw her secretly wiping tears.

Gu Ran quickly pulled a tissue to her: "Oh, this little injury, it's the same as accidentally cutting your finger while chopping vegetables."

Xu Mei ignored him, and turned her body to the other side.Gu Ran said again: "Look, don't you often get big blisters on your feet when you wear high heels, it's really not a big deal."

"..."

"Mom." Gu Ran began to hug his mother and act like a spoiled child, "Mom, mom, mom!!!"

"The new clothes I bought today, let me try them on for you?"

"Aren't you always worried that I'm not tall? I'm growing fast now, and I'm taller than you now. Maybe I'll be about the same as me next time I come back."

"Do you not like gold, then I will change the color next time."

Xu Mei laughed out loud: "Are your skates too small? Why don't you change them?"

It is very troublesome for Gu Ran to change a pair of skates now. He needs to make foot molds first, and then send them to the United States to order custom-made carbon fiber skates and skates according to the arc he is used to. It takes several months.

However, Gu Changfeng was rich and powerful, so he ordered two pairs in one go, and asked his son to wear them differently, and then ordered new ones when his son's feet changed again.

Gu Ran knew that his mother's heart would break when she saw his feet.He is a typical flower in a greenhouse, a child who was doted on by his parents and elders. Since he was a child, he was never allowed to do hard work, let alone get hurt.

The last time his shoulder was injured, his mother felt so distressed like something, she wished she could take care of him 24 hours a day.Later, during competitions and training, he often fell down, and he never dared to say a word to his mother, and he didn't even dare to show his feet in front of them at home, just because he didn't want them to worry.

Now his parents have seen it, but his mother didn't say anything, just asked him if the skates didn't fit, and tried to replace him with new ones.

His mother knows that he likes short track speed skating, and she will go on this track with all her heart, never look back, and can only support him to the best of her ability.

During the three-day vacation, apart from spending time with her parents, Gu Ran spent time reading and studying, and quickly made up for the homework left behind in training camps and competitions.

Teachers and classmates have sent him a lot of notes and materials. Even if he is self-studying at home, he can't waste much time. After finishing his studies, he will do his homework to consolidate his knowledge points.

After the holiday, he resumed a half-day class and half-day training schedule.When he arrived in the classroom on the first day, the students saw him and greeted him one after another.

Gu Ran in their class is so awesome, he can't take a few days of classes in a semester, but he can get in the top eight of the whole grade in the exam.Let alone the whole freshman year, the whole school knows him.

Gu Ran sat down and wanted to stuff her schoolbag into the drawer, but bent over to see, good guy, it's full of stuff.

He took out one by one: first, a dozen envelopes, all of which were pink and tender macaron colors, which made a girl's heart burst when she looked at them.

Gu Ran browsed through it briefly, but none of them were signed.

He put the envelope on the table, and then went out to dig things out, first a heart-shaped glass jar filled with hand-stacked little stars.Then there was a wooden box, which was opened, and inside was an eternal flower.There are also chocolates, notebooks, quicksand bottles, and various handmade trinkets piled up on the table.

All the classmates around looked at him and smiled, and the class leader said, "If we hadn't stopped people from other classes from coming in, you wouldn't be able to fit in this drawer."

Gu Ran: "..."

He felt like a small street vendor, selling all kinds of sundries.It's useless for him to hold these things, he can't take them away, and it's not good to give them away, they still take up space,

The next day, I brought a big schoolbag and packed everything away.

When he returned to the dormitory and looked at this pile of things, he was very worried. Zheng Wenkang and Wu Kaize quickly surrounded him: "Could it be..."

He hesitated to speak, but Gu Ran was very generous: "Valentine's Day gift, chocolates that have been stored for a month or two, do you want to eat?"

Zheng Wenkang expressed his gratitude, "This is a gift of love, you can enjoy it slowly."

Gu Ran said: "Why don't they leave their names when they give gifts, I don't even know who is who?"

Wu Kaize asked him, "What should you do if you know?"

Gu Ran said, "I'll send them all back."

Zheng Wenkang shook his head and sighed: "Oh, junior brother is too young to understand the relationship between men and women."

Wu Kaize asked in surprise, "You understand?"

Zheng Wenkang rolled his eyes: "I know what a fart, I'm locked up here every day."

Gu Ran laughed to death at the side, holding his dozen love letters, didn't even bother to open them, put them into a big box together with the gifts, and moved them to the top of the cabinet to put dust on the top.

After training for a week, the short track speed skating team of Province J received a document from the National Winter Management Center, recruiting three members of their team, Gao Ziyi, Liang Kexin and Gu Ran, to join the national short track speed skating youth team, preparing for the competition to be held in the Netherlands in May World Youth Short Track Speed ​​Skating Championships. Went to Shanghai to report on April 4.

Gu Ran has officially entered the national team this time, and the brothers and sisters gathered around and patted him on the shoulder to congratulate him.

Gu Ran himself seemed relatively calm. It is not surprising that he entered the national youth team with his results in the national championship.

That night, a stranger came to add him on WeChat.Gu Ran looked at the notes and was startled, that person turned out to be Cheng Sen.He quickly sent a message to the other party through his friend: "Director Cheng."

Cheng Sen asked, "Have you received the notice?"

"received."

Cheng Sen asked again: "Do you still remember what I told you before?"

"Forehead……"

Cheng Sen simply sent a voice, his tone was a little chilly, creepy: "You Director Xu hates others to inquire about his private affairs, he is also very stingy, and he will take revenge."

Under his coercion, Gu Ran succumbed without thinking: "What conditions, you say, as long as I can do it, I will definitely serve you."

Cheng Sen added, "I just want to ask you for a small favor."

Gu Ran was anxious to death: "Tell me quickly."

He couldn't explain clearly in the message, so Cheng Sen simply made a voice call to him: "That's right, when Director Xu retired, I wanted him to be the technical director of the National Youth Team with me. Yes, I have to go back to Province J to be a coach."

Gu Ran was stunned when he heard this: "Don't you think... I can convince him?"

Cheng Sen continued: "For more than a year, I haven't communicated with him many times, and the topic of each exchange is around you. He told me that you are a piece of jade in the rough, and you need to be carefully carved to become a tool. You are the most talented player he has ever brought in since he became a coach. He values ​​you very much. Perhaps, he also pinned his unfulfilled dreams on you. If you talk to him, I hope he can be with you Get up to the national team and continue to take you, I think he will consider it carefully."

Gu Ran caught a mistake in his words: "The national team?"

Cheng Sen immediately changed his words: "National Youth Team."

Gu Ran didn't bother with him, and asked a question that he was very curious about: "Why is Director Xu unwilling to go to the National Youth Team?"

The other end was silent for a moment, Gu Ran thought that he had asked this question inappropriately, and was planning to round it up so that the other party didn't have to answer.

But before he had time to speak, Cheng Sen said, "It's because of me."

"what???"

Gu Ran was extremely surprised, and never expected such an answer.He only thought that they were brothers and they belonged to the provincial team, so they had a good relationship.

How could Director Xu not want to go to the National Youth Team because of him.

Cheng Sen smiled wryly and said, "It's because of me that he was injured. We bumped into each other during training. It was such a coincidence that his waist was injured."

"!!!"

Gu Ran's mind was a little messed up, and she quickly sorted out the incident.

Xu Qing was only 24 years old when he retired, which was the peak of an athlete's career.During a training session, he collided with Cheng Sen, causing serious lumbar spine injuries and had to retire.

Later, Cheng Sen invited him to join the National Youth Team as a technical director, but he was unwilling.

This sounds reasonable. A major injury ruined an athlete's career. Although the other party did not intend to do it, the two are still very good brothers.Although Xu Qing didn't say anything on the surface, there was always a pimple in his heart and it was reasonable.

"Hey!" Cheng Sen sighed softly, "I'd rather be the one who gets hurt, and I'm already at the age to retire."

"..."

Gu Ran didn't know what to say. Compared with Cheng Sen, he and Xu Qing were naturally closer. After all, Xu Qing had been his coach for more than a year.Usually the loss is a bit of a loss, but it is also sincerely for their good.

After hearing what Cheng Sen said, Gu Ran also felt sorry for Xu Qing.If it were him, he wouldn't want to go, so why would he help Cheng Sen persuade Xu Qing?

"I'm sorry Director Cheng, I can't help you."

Cheng Sen was taken aback: "Why?"

"Because I don't want to."

"..."

This time, Cheng Sen was surprised. Why is he still unwilling to let his head coach enter the national youth team and continue to guide him?

Cheng Sen asked, "Why?"

"Since director Xu is unwilling, I think you should respect his idea."

Cheng Sen sighed again, heavier than last time: "I am his senior brother, so I can say I watched him grow up. I know that deep down he is willing."

Gu Ran couldn't understand: "How can you be so sure?"

There was a moment of silence over there, and Fu said again: "Whether as an athlete or a head coach, we must stand up at any time just because the country needs us."

"This year's Winter Olympics, our performance in short track speed skating has been seen all over the world. We have ushered in a new Olympic cycle, and we should have a new start."

Gu Ran is a very perceptive child, and he faintly sensed something from his words, but he failed to grasp the core of the problem.

So he said, "I'll try, but I don't guarantee that I can convince him."

For the next few days, Gu Ran kept thinking about what Cheng Sen told him that day.Asking himself, in fact, he also wanted Xu Qing to go to Shanghai with them, and then take them with him.

But judging from the training arrangements for the past few days, Xu Qing has no such plans at all. He also told Gao Ziyi: "You are the captain, Kexin is a girl, and Gu Ran is the youngest. When you come to the National Youth Team, you have to take good care of them. "

Gao Ziyi looked at him, hesitated to speak, and finally nodded silently.

Gu Ran really didn't know how to talk to him, so after thinking twice, he told Gao Ziyi about it.

After Gao Ziyi heard it, he was not surprised. After all, he was a member of the national youth team, and also briefly entered the national team. He had heard about this matter for a long time.

He asked Gu Ran: "What are you going to do?"

Gu Ran thought for a while: "Actually, I have a solution, but I'm not sure."