Fox in the Penalty Area

Standing at the gate of Daronghe Restaurant, Peng Hao looked down at the map on his phone and confirmed that it was this restaurant.

So he stepped in, and immediately a welcoming lady came up and asked, "Sir, how many people are there?"

Peng Hao said, "Jinjiang Private Room."

"Please follow me." The welcoming lady in cheongsam turned around and led the way.

After bringing Peng Hao to the door of the private room, she knocked on the door first, and then opened the door to let Peng Hao in.

As soon as the door of the private room opened, everyone in the room saw Peng Hao standing at the door, and someone waved to him: "Hao Hao is here? Come in, come in!"

After Peng Hao entered, he greeted the elders in the room one by one. He first walked up to a white-haired old man sitting at the dining table, and said respectfully, "Grandpa."

Then he turned his head and said to another white-haired old man sitting next to his grandfather, "Hi, grandma."

After a serious illness, my grandfather was a little tired. He sat on the chair without moving. He just nodded and hummed, which was considered to be a response to him. Come to Jincheng, are you afraid?"

A middle-aged woman with curly hair next to her complained to her grandmother, "Hey, mom, don't treat Haohao like a child, he will be a college student soon..."

Peng Hao turned around and greeted the middle-aged woman and the middle-aged man standing next to her: "Hello, auntie, hello auntie."

"Okay." The aunt nodded and said, "Our mother is right, no matter how old Haohao is, isn't he still a child in her eyes?"

Then he turned his head and asked Peng Hao, "When did you come to Jincheng?"

"I've been here for a few days, and I've finished reporting to school." Peng Hao replied politely.

"Why didn't you tell me in advance? I'll pick you up at the airport..." The auntie "blame" Peng Hao with a smile.

"I specifically asked my mother not to tell you that I am a college student and I should learn to solve problems independently."

"Okay, promising. Much better than your younger brother!" The auntie praised, then turned to a child behind him and shouted: "Your cousin is here, and I don't even know how to come up to say hello. I know how to hold a baby all day long." Play games on your phone!"

A fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy sitting on the sofa in the private room heard his father's roar,

Then he reluctantly stood up, pouted his lips and greeted Peng Haoyao: "Hello, cousin..."

After finishing speaking, he buried his head in the phone screen again, without even waiting for his cousin to return his salute.

Seeing his son being so perfunctory, Peng Hao's aunt and aunt were also very helpless: "This child..."

Peng Hao chuckled and didn't care about his cousin.

Not only this cousin, but also his two elder brothers. Since he was a child, he couldn't get along with them, and his relationship was very indifferent. If they suddenly became warm, he might not know how to get along...

Peng Hao came a little early, and the big round table that could accommodate twenty people in the private room was empty.

He sat next to grandma and chatted with grandma and aunt.

But it was mainly when his grandmother and aunt asked him questions, and he answered them without taking the initiative to say anything.

After a while, another family came, it was my uncle, my aunt, and his cousin.

After my uncle and aunt saw Peng Hao, they felt that Peng Hao had grown up. The last time I saw him was three years ago when he graduated from the third year of junior high school and returned to his hometown. At that time, the younger sister brought her son Peng Hao back to play for a while, but she never saw her again. Unexpectedly, Peng Hao was admitted to Anton University in Jincheng, so now he can see him often.

When my cousin saw Peng Hao, he greeted him and chatted a few words.

Peng Hao responded one by one with a slightly shy smile, far from enthusiastic.

He sat there, and if no one came to talk to him, he would just sit quietly and never take the initiative to talk to anyone.

In the eyes of the elders, Peng Hao is still as quiet, obedient and obedient as when he was staying at his grandparents' house.

But in the eyes of his peers, Peng Hao is still as boring as when he was a child. So after chatting with Peng Hao for a few words, my cousin ran to find my little cousin and chatted with him about games.

The last ones came were the uncle and the uncle's cousin's family of three, and Peng Hao greeted them one by one.

The uncle asked Peng Hao which university he was admitted to. After hearing that it was Anton University, the leading university in the local area, his expression changed, and then he glanced at his son who just graduated from university this year.

Peng Hao knew that his uncle was out of balance, because his son, Peng Hao's cousin, was in a junior college...

The uncle, who was not feeling well, didn't say anything, and the aunt came out to smooth things over: "Oh, when I was young, Haohao was the one who could read books the best, and now he is really promising..."

The elder brother who came in with his parents couldn't help but rolled his eyes when he heard what his mother said, and muttered in a low voice: "What's so great about being a poor security..."

He spoke in a very low voice, but he said it just as he was walking past Peng Hao, so Peng Hao listened to him.

I don't know if it's a coincidence or intentional.

But Peng Hao didn't respond at all, just pretending he didn't hear it.

When everyone is here, it is natural to sit down and eat.

Today is a family dinner, and the convener is the head of the family, Peng Hao's grandfather, who is also the father of his uncles, aunts, and aunts.

And the name is to welcome Peng Hao who came to Jincheng to study in university.

As the son of a younger sister who is married far away, Peng Hao can be regarded as a member of this big family, although he seldom comes back, and his relationship with these relatives is not deep.

However, when he was a child, because of his parents' work, he went to primary school in Jincheng for two years and lived with his grandparents, who took care of his food and daily life. So he still has deep feelings for his grandparents.

But in fact, the two years in Jincheng were not at all pleasant for Peng Hao.

A child in the second grade of elementary school, leaving his hometown and parents, and coming to his hometown to attend elementary school and live under the fence, is pitiful enough in itself. After coming here, he was bullied by his cousins ​​from time to time, as well as the occasional disgust from his uncles and aunts—maybe they all forgot, but Peng Hao still remembered it.

The elders' evaluation of him as "honest and obedient" is actually another meaning of "cowardly and cowardly".

Parents are not around, and no one will stand up to help him when he is bullied by his cousins ​​- the parents of cousins ​​are naturally partial to their own children, it is human nature - in this way, don't you have to be honest and obedient?

How else?

Is it like cousin Hu Lai, with each other?

But after the cousin finished fighting, his mother stood up and lifted the table and took him home.

After fighting by himself, without a mother or father to stand up for him, he will only be bullied even worse...

Peng Hao still remembers to this day, once he had a conflict with his eldest brother, and he was yelled at by the drunk uncle. He was so wronged, and the pillow towel was soaked when he lay alone on the bed crying at night. The next day, I sneaked outside to find a public phone and called my mother.

At that time, smart phones had become popular, and there were very few public phones on the street. He searched for a long time and turned several streets before he found a working public phone in an old alley.

After the call was connected, he didn't tell his mother what he had been wronged, but just said that he missed his mother.

Because in the process of looking for a public phone, he also figured it out, what's the use of telling his mother about his grievances? It's impossible for the mother who is busy with work to come to Jincheng to take him away now, otherwise he would not be sent here to live under the fence at all.

Since it is impossible to come and take him away, and talking about it will only make mother feel worried and anxious, then don't say it at all.

So he forced a smile on his face, and dealt with his mother's surprised inquiries on the phone, trying not to let his mother know that he was not happy here at all...

Later, he ran out to find a public phone to contact his mother. Everyone knew about it. Relatives teased him about it, or praised him for being smart and sensible. Mom calls.

But no one knows the story behind his smart and sensible.

In that environment, he had to be smart and sensible, even if he was actually timid and cowardly in the eyes of his cousins ​​- when Hu Lai fought with his cousins, he watched the whole process from the side. He knew that it was not Hu Lai who snatched their toys, but because Hu Lai wanted to play with them, but they didn't want to, and instead insulted Hu Lai's father with words.

But when the adults were disturbed by the fight between the two sides, in front of grandpa and facing a room full of adults, the cousins ​​complained first, saying that Hu Lai robbed their toys and broke them.

At this time, Peng Hao, who was hiding in the crowd, was aware of the cause and effect of the incident. If he stood up, perhaps Hu Lai would not be accused by everyone. But he chose to be silent, quietly huddled in the corner, and did not come out to speak a fair word for Hu Lai. In the end, the deceived grandfather gave Hu Lai a hard time, and it also led to Hu Lai's mother, that is, his little aunt, giving everyone an unpleasant experience on the first day of the new year...

That was Peng Hao's first Spring Festival after arriving in Jincheng, and it was also the last time he saw his little aunt's family.

When he graduated from the third year of junior high school, he once went back to Jincheng Veteran with his mother, and his relatives also gathered together, eating, drinking, and chatting. But he didn't see his cousin Hu Lai and little aunt's family on that occasion.

Although his mother didn't explain it to him, he still knew from the words of the adults and the cousins ​​that the little aunt's family seemed to have had a lot of trouble with the grandfather and uncle, and they hadn't been back for a long time, as if they were strangers.

It was at that time that he was a little envious of his cousin's family, at least they didn't have to pretend to be acting with people he didn't like because they were all relatives.

For example, until now, in front of relatives he doesn't like, he can only try to maintain his "quiet and well-behaved" personality, so as to avoid dealing with relatives.

Cousin is different, he doesn't have to look at their faces here at all.

※※※

The waiters come in and out, bringing the pre-ordered dishes to the table one by one, and after introducing them to the guests, they exit the private room, so that the customers can enjoy chatting and eating without being disturbed by outsiders.

Everyone's topic naturally came to Peng Hao, because he is the nominal protagonist of today's dinner.

Everyone chatted about the university that Peng Hao was admitted to, Anton University.

This topic was brought up by my uncle: "Haohao, Anton University is also pretty good, but it's still not good enough in the whole country. Why didn't you get into Huaqing Yanda University?"

He seemed to be speaking casually, as if he was asking casually.

But Peng Hao could still smell the sourness in his uncle's tone.

Obviously, the university my son attended was not as good as that of Anton University, so why does he look down on Anton University now? Maybe if your son could be admitted to An University, you would like to have a big banquet in this Da Rong He restaurant, right?

Why didn't you pass the Huaqing Yanda exam? Do you think Huaqing and Yanda are pheasant universities that your son can go to for paying? Can you pass the exam casually?

Thinking so in his heart, Peng Hao still answered his uncle with his usual politeness: "I want to come to Jincheng to go to college, so I can see my grandpa and grandma often..."

Grandma was very happy to hear Peng Hao's answer: "Good grandson!"

Grandpa also nodded with a smile.

Seeing the attitude of both parents, the uncle couldn't say anything more, so he just nodded without saying a word.

Seeing him like this, Peng Hao didn't intend to continue talking.

In fact, his parents have also asked this question, because his scores are indeed more than enough to go to Anton University. It is not necessary to go to Anton University, and it is okay to go to a slightly better university.

Then why choose Andong University?

At the beginning, this university was not in his application plan.

After all, as his hometown, Jincheng did not leave much good impression in his memory. If he came to Jincheng to go to college, he would face the situation he is in today, and he might often deal with these annoying relatives-although the uncle is rich, he is stingy and mean; , hoping that the other party can arrange a job for his son in the future; only the aunt is a little better, maybe because the aunt and his mother are sisters, and the relationship between sisters is better than that with brothers when they were young.

But when he saw that his cousin Hu Lai had joined Jincheng's Shining Star, he immediately changed his mind. If he wanted to come to Jincheng to go to college, he had to be closer to his cousin.

So he chose Anton University, and when faced with his parents' questions, he gave exactly the same answer as today.

In order to see grandparents often.

He can often see his grandparents, but he didn't say another reason.

※※※

Starting from the topic of Peng Hao's university entrance examination, the conversation at the dinner table gradually shifted to another person.

It was still the uncle, after drinking a glass of wine, he put down the glass and let out a hey: "Haohao is indeed promising, much better than the one from Sanmei's family. I remember that Hu Lai also took the college entrance examination this summer, right? I don't know if he passed the exam. How about it, did you waste the money I lent to their family..."

"Third sister didn't notify us, so she must have failed the exam. If she passed the exam, can she stop talking about it?" The uncle chimed in.

"I knew it, when I borrowed the money, I knew it was a meat bun beating a dog..."

Peng Hao frowned when he heard the word "dog". Anyway, it's a bit too much for my uncle to say that about his sister's family.

At this moment, he heard his aunt complaining: "Brother, what are you talking about, the bulk of the money was paid by our dad, and dad didn't say anything..."

Peng Hao was a little surprised - he knew that his uncle had lent a huge sum of money to Hu Lai's family, because his uncle had mentioned this matter more than once in the family WeChat group. But what he didn't know was that the bulk of the money was actually given by his grandfather? Didn't it mean that grandpa and aunt had a falling out? My aunt is unwilling to join the group, and secondly, she is unwilling to go home for the New Year. Obviously, it is not so easy to untie the knot in her heart... How could she ask grandpa to borrow money?

The uncle didn't expect to be punctured by the elder sister, so he coughed, glanced at Peng Hao and said, "Then I also paid for it!"

Aunt smiled and said, "If Dad didn't force you, could you take it out?"

Seeing that the atmosphere at the dining table started to develop in the wrong direction, the grandfather who had been sitting upright and not moving finally spoke up: "Okay, don't talk about that."

His voice was hoarse and out of breath.

In Peng Hao's memory, grandpa was a very loud person. He stood at the door and chatted with his neighbors, which could be heard clearly from upstairs and downstairs...

That serious illness had a profound impact on Grandpa.

The head of the family opened his mouth, but both the uncle and the aunt stopped talking.

But it was obvious that the uncle was upset. Maybe when I first came in, I heard that the second sister's son did better in the exam than my own son, and I felt upset...

So the topic turned around and turned to the Hu Lai family.

It's just that this time I won't talk about the college entrance examination, university or something.

We talked about the child's work. After all, my uncle's son graduated from college this year.

"I planned to let him come to my company." The uncle patted his son sitting next to him, "but he didn't do it, he insisted on going out to start a business. I thought to myself, isn't it popular to start a business now? Does he have this idea?" Chewing on the old is also good, so I support..."

By the way, you also supported a lot of money to start a venture fund, right?

Peng Hao complained in his heart.

After being frustrated on the topic of college, the uncle really tried every means to win back for his son...

I also opened a small company, earning the same amount of hard money every year, but when I said this, it made people feel like it was a business worth hundreds of millions or hundreds of millions.

"...After all, these days, young people just want to try other ways more. Don't be afraid of failure, I'm here. I told my son, the world is bright, just go out. No matter what, you can have something to eat when you go home. If you have a house to live in, what are you afraid of? You won’t be mixed up to stand guard for others, right? Ha!”

"Brother, what are you talking about... How could Miaomiao be a security guard..." The uncle echoed. "He's going to be a security guard. Haven't you done it for nothing all these years?"

Uncle laughed happily.

Peng Hao lowered his head. Although neither the uncle nor the uncle called names directly, he knew that he was making fun of his cousin's family.

Because my cousin's father, this is my little uncle, who is a security guard.

"So what's the future of playing football? At the end of the game, you have to be a security guard, and you even have to find someone to borrow money for your children's school... Anyway, I'll put it here. It's only right and proper. My dad doesn't need to mention it, I have to Help him remember. That's our dad's pension money..."

Uncle really drank too much. Grandpa just said that this topic should not be brought up again, so he brought it up again.

Peng Hao thought so in his heart, and then raised his head with a look of surprise: "Huh, isn't it? Uncle, haven't you heard of it?"

The uncle, who was talking so much, was interrupted by Peng Hao, a little upset, he glanced at his nephew: "What did you hear?"

"Cousin Hu Lai is a star now."

When the people at the table heard what Peng Hao said, they all turned their eyes to him.

"What star? An actor?" My aunt asked in surprise.

"Football star, it's a success." Seeing everyone's astonishment, Peng Hao widened his eyes and pretended to be shocked, "What? Don't you know? As long as you are a Jincheng fan, now who doesn't know Anton Shan Hu Lai, the star's top scorer, is famous... Hey, don't you usually watch football?"

Looking at the stunned people in the room, especially the stunned uncle, Peng Hao deliberately asked another question.

The uncle reflexively replied: "I'm not a football fan, what kind of football do I watch..."

"Oh, that's no wonder. Hu Lai is very popular now." Peng Hao nodded.

My uncle's son also suddenly remembered something at this time, and exclaimed with wide eyes: "I've heard about it! But at the time, I didn't connect this name with that Hu Lai at all..."

But the hall brother snorted: "There are so many people with the same name in this world, how do you know that it must be the 'Hu Lai' we all know?"

Peng Hao didn't answer his question, but got up and called the waiter outside the private room, and asked her to turn on the TV hanging on the wall of the private room.

"Why do you turn on the TV?" My cousin asked impatiently.

Peng Hao was not annoyed, and patiently explained: "I originally wanted to show you the photos on my mobile phone, but I was afraid that you might not be able to see them clearly. After all, I took them from the stands of the stadium. It was too far away and the light was dim... …Just now I just thought that a TV program about Cousin Hu Lai will be aired recently, and today this time happens to be when the trailer airs..."

He shook his phone, and in a QQ group of Hu Lai fans he joined, someone was talking about this matter, reminding everyone to watch TV.

The TV was quickly turned on, and after the screen was turned on, the Anton Satellite TV channel was the default.

On the screen, a stadium full of cheers first appeared, and a figure leaped high in the stadium, making a celebratory gesture.

At the same time, a subtitle appeared on the screen: "Shining Star's new hero"

Then the scene of the noisy stadium faded to black and disappeared, and a close-up of Hu Lai's frontal face gradually appeared on the black screen.

In the close-up shot, the voice-over sounds, which is Hu Lai's own original voice: "It's never too late to pursue your dreams."

Peng Hao pointed to the close-up of Hu Lai's face on the TV screen and asked the hall brother: "Cousin, help me see if this person is the one we all know...your cousin, my cousin?"

His cousin was tongue-tied and unable to utter a word.

The uncle, who was still complacent before, looked at the TV screen as if he had seen a ghost.

The others, one by one, were all staring at the TV screen with wonderful expressions on their faces.

At this moment, grandma exclaimed: "This is Hu Lai's!"

Block the mouths of all unwilling and unconvinced people.

After Hu Lai's face disappeared, the program preview was played on the screen, and a thick baritone voice very familiar to the people of Anton Jincheng said: "Hu Lai: It's never too late to pursue your dreams! Please look forward to the new one." The issue of "People's History" will be locked on Anton Satellite TV at 8:30 on Wednesday night..."

""Character History"? How is this possible..." Uncle's question blurted out.

How could the older generation of Jincheng people not know the meaning of the program "Character History". It was precisely because he knew that that it was difficult for him to accept this reality - Hu Lai, whom he had laughed at just now, actually appeared on the program of "Character History"!

Is there something wrong with this world?

Hearing what my uncle said, Peng Hao also frowned and said in doubt: "That's why I'm surprised, my cousin can be on programs like "Character History", don't you guys even know about it? I’m not in Jincheng, but I’ve heard about my cousin’s deeds before—last year’s National High School Football Championship was won by my cousin’s Dongchuan Middle School, and he also won the top scorer and best player in that competition , and then entered the professional echelon, and went to the youth team of the Super League team!

"I moved to Flash Star in July this year and became a real professional player. Now he has played six games in Flash Star and scored seven goals. He has scored 16 goals, and now his number of goals alone is almost half of the total goals scored by the Flash Star team in half a season! Otherwise, TV would say that he is "Flash Star's new hero"? This can't be said indiscriminately...

"Just in the last game, he completed a hat-trick! Oh, uncle, you are not a fan, let me explain to you, the so-called 'hat-trick' means a player scored three goals in a game, it is very Great performance, not everyone can do it. Cousin was able to perform like this because he is a genius! I was on the scene at the time of the game, and I sat among the fans of the away team. The fans of the away team he defeated were all convinced. When his cousin was replaced, the fans of the away team stood up and applauded him collectively! Let me tell you, the scene at that time was a shock! I can’t even use words Let me describe it to you... Hey! Anyway, Wednesday is "Character History". I thought that this game would definitely be mentioned in the show. The celebration video in the trailer just now was the celebration after my cousin scored a goal in the last game Action. You will see how powerful your cousin is when you see it!"

Peng Hao took advantage of the time when everyone was in a daze, and poured out all the words he wanted to say in one breath. After he finished speaking, he let out a long breath, and his thoughts came to light.

As a cousin who has been secretly watching his cousin's games and worshiping him silently, he never had the opportunity like today to express all the words in his heart.

He wants to tell those relatives who look down on his cousin, let them know what a great person he is already!

Then he panted heavily, looked around at everyone in the room, his eyes flicked across each of their stunned faces, and he didn't stop until he saw grandpa——when everyone was dumbfounded, the man sitting on the chair Grandpa, however, looked at him calmly.