After a full day of hard work, the students' total revenue on Sunday reached an impressive 2,000 yuan.
The football group alone made a net profit of 300 yuan.
Lin Wanxing didn't stand on ceremony with Qin Ao and took 180 yuan. Wang Fa didn't stand on ceremony with her either, taking an 80-20 split—he got 144 yuan, leaving her with 36.
The students finally reached their target amount on Tuesday, the day before Wang Fa was set to leave.
The students' cumulative earnings reached 7,921.3 yuan.
That evening after training, as usual, the students gathered on the rooftop to count their cash. The stack of bills had grown quite thick.
The sky was indigo, and the stars shone brightly.
The Minnie balloon Lin Wanxing had given Wang Fa was tied to the rooftop railing, swaying gently in the night breeze.
Lin Wanxing and Wang Fa went downstairs to buy drinks.
When they pushed open the rooftop door again, Fu Xinshu was leaning alone in a corner of the rooftop, not far from the money-counting group. Fu Xinshu usually didn't participate in such activities, preferring to sit and watch from the sidelines.
Lin Wanxing handed him a bottle of water. The boy was momentarily startled, then looked up and said, "Thank you, teacher."
"How are you feeling?" Lin Wanxing sat down beside him. The rooftop concrete, baked by the sun all day, still retained a warm, cozy temperature.
Fu Xinshu looked at her, his expression briefly confused before he realized what she was asking.
"It's good, really good," the boy repeated.
"I used to think making money was very difficult," Fu Xinshu said.
Lin Wanxing sat cross-legged on the ground, opened a can of cola for herself, and listened to her student. The boy had single eyelids with long eyelashes that always seemed to droop, giving him a perpetually gentle and obedient appearance.
"My family was quite well-off when I was little. Back then, my dad could afford to send me to play football. But then something happened, my family fell into debt, and we became poor. My mom's health isn't good either. I've taken on many jobs to make money, and I always thought earning money was too hard."
Fu Xinshu spoke about his family situation softly and slowly, as if afraid that speaking any louder would let his teammates happily counting money nearby hear.
Lin Wanxing watched her student and nodded without speaking. She felt Fu Xinshu needed a quiet listener more than anything.
"Anyway, football definitely can't make money. I've always known my level, so when you asked us to write down what we wanted most, I wrote 'get into a good university.' I know only studying can change my situation. But my academic performance is about the same as my football skills—neither here nor there, just barely enough to get into some university. Back then, I really had that feeling of 'wanting everything but being able to achieve nothing.'"
"And now?" Lin Wanxing asked.
"Now? This might sound a bit arrogant, but these past few days have made me feel that making money isn't that difficult either. Not that it's easy—it's still exhausting. But for some reason, watching the amount we want gradually accumulate gives me this feeling that I can survive, that I can make it. It feels solid, different from before." Fu Xinshu took a big gulp of water, his lips red and his eyes shining.
"You'll have a good life in the future," Lin Wanxing said with a smile.
As she chatted with Fu Xinshu, Qin Ao, Chen Jianghe, and others eventually came over with their drinks.
The students began discussing their plans for the next day.
They planned to clear out their remaining inventory, then go together to get gym memberships. Finally, they'd see how much money was left and have a barbecue dinner in the evening.
Though it was night, the rooftop was filled with vibrant sounds.The students finished their drinks and deftly placed the plastic bottles on the ground, crushing them flat with a crisp "crunch" under their feet.
Wang Fa remained in his usual spot, feet propped on the rooftop railing. He occasionally took sips of cola, ice cubes floating in the carbonated drink, clinking softly against the cup walls.
All in all, it was an exceptionally relaxing evening.
So much so that Lin Wanxing couldn't be bothered to think about the fact that the person who had filled the refrigerator with drinks today would be leaving tomorrow.
——
Wednesday, Lin Wanxing woke up early.
Following her usual routine, she would typically go downstairs for breakfast. Sometimes she'd run into Wang Fa on the rooftop if he was up early, and they'd go together. More often than not, though, she'd eat by herself and bring back a portion for Wang Fa.
Wutong New Village offered too many breakfast options. Lin Wanxing would often have a bowl of fish paste noodles here, then buy another bowl of noodles there.
Even when she was already full, the sight of tempting pan-fried buns on the street would make her want to buy more—most of which would eventually end up with Wang Fa.
Normally, by the time she returned home after breakfast, Wang Fa would already be up.
He'd sit under the simple sunshade on the rooftop, preparing the day's training plan.
The students hadn't arrived yet. Sometimes he'd be drinking water, sometimes snacking, and occasionally Lin Wanxing would catch the faint scent of cigarette smoke drifting across the rooftop.
But today, Wang Fa wasn't at his usual spot on time. The outdoor area was empty, with only weeds swaying in the cracks between bricks.
Lin Wanxing placed the soy milk and pan-fried buns she bought on the outdoor table, then turned back to her room to tidy up.
When she came out again, the plastic bag on the table remained untouched, though the soy milk had been knocked over by the wind.
Not far away, the pink Minnie balloon tied to the railing swayed and drifted as if everything were normal, yet something felt different.
Lin Wanxing hesitated for a moment, then walked over to Wang Fa's door.
She instinctively wanted to knock but thought better of it, worried she might disturb him if he was still sleeping. With that in mind, she took out her phone and sent him a message: "Breakfast is on the outdoor table."
Putting her phone away, Lin Wanxing passed by Wang Fa's window and caught a glimpse of his room.
It was clean.
Clean is a relative term.
Wang Fa's place had always been tidy. He had good habits, owned few belongings, and maintained a level of neatness uncommon for a single man.
But no matter what, a home always bears traces of life.
Like the throw blanket on the sofa, the cup on the coffee table, the notebook and pencil casually left behind...
Now, all those surface items were gone. The entire room was as clean as if no one had ever lived there.
Lin Wanxing found the most fitting adjective for it, and she felt her heartbeat quicken. So she did something she would never normally do—she started knocking on the door.
At first, three calm knocks, but there was no response from inside. She began knocking harder.
The "bang bang" echoes reverberated across the rooftop, sounding especially clear in the open space.
The sound of her own knocking jolted Lin Wanxing, and she instantly calmed down. She took out her phone and dialed Wang Fa's WeChat number.
The waiting felt particularly agonizing. Although Lin Wanxing had prepared herself for Wang Fa not answering, when the call connected and the background noise started, she felt a wave of relief.
WeChat voice calls don't immediately convey the other person's voice clearly. After a moment of background noise, she finally heard Wang Fa's voice.
"Hello?" Wang Fa's tone sounded calm."Where are you?" Lin Wanxing caught her breath and asked, "Have you left yet?"
The person on the other end of the line was silent for a moment before saying, "Not yet. Walk forward a bit and look south."
Lin Wanxing followed the instruction, moving toward the edge of the rooftop and gazing at the distant football field.
Her eyes traveled over the smoke-gray concrete stands to the green pitch, where someone was waving to her from afar.
Though she couldn’t see clearly, Lin Wanxing recognized him at a glance—it was Wang Fa.
The young man was dressed as usual in a black cotton T-shirt and slightly faded athletic shorts, looking completely at ease.
Beside him stood a tall high school boy wearing brand-new goalkeeper gloves—Feng Suo.
Wang Fa, standing on the grass, pointed toward her location from a distance. Feng Suo then jumped up excitedly and waved in her direction.
The sky was clear as if washed clean, and the grass was lush and green—everything seemed to symbolize the beautiful weather of the day.
Lin Wanxing breathed a sigh of relief, went downstairs, and arrived at the edge of the field.
Wang Fa was conducting one-on-one goalkeeper training with Feng Suo.
He started by correcting basic movements, guiding Feng Suo’s diving techniques. He was patient, having Feng Suo repeat the actions over and over without showing any sign of frustration.
After watching for a while, Lin Wanxing saw Wang Fa tell Feng Suo to take a break and drink some water.
Wang Fa spun the football in his hand once, his calm gaze shifting toward her.
"You’re here so early today?" Lin Wanxing asked.
"Yes, I’m leaving tonight, so I called Feng Suo out last minute to teach him a bit more."
Wang Fa said this in a very ordinary tone, as if leaving were just a business trip or a short vacation—nothing out of the ordinary.
"Leaving... to Yongchuan?" Lin Wanxing asked.
"Yes, they’re pushing for me to start work," Wang Fa replied.
Feng Suo had been craning his neck, eavesdropping on the side.
At these words, Lin Wanxing saw the student’s eyes widen and his expression stiffen.
She figured her own face probably looked much the same.
"I thought you were leaving tomorrow," Lin Wanxing said.
"Not much difference, really." Wang Fa paused and glanced at Feng Suo. "About the goalkeeper coach we discussed earlier—it might be difficult to find one separately. We should still focus on finding a new team coach first." As he spoke, he casually nudged the football with the instep of his foot. "I’m not familiar with the local scene, so I can’t really recommend anyone. You should start by looking into local clubs—you’ll probably find someone. If you have the capacity, then look for a professional goalkeeper coach."
Lin Wanxing actually had a lot she wanted to say.
Things like, "Didn’t we talk about you guiding us remotely?" But even as these words reached the tip of her tongue, she knew they were just empty comforts for the students.
If Wang Fa was really going to coach Yongchuan Evergrande, he wouldn’t have much time to guide them. They needed to find a new coach, and ideally a goalkeeper coach too—this was Wang Fa’s sincere advice.
Lin Wanxing found herself unusually at a loss for words. In the end, she could only say, "I’ll ask the teachers in our physical education department to see if they know anyone."
"If needed, I can help you ask around once I’m in Yongchuan."
"Thank you," Lin Wanxing said.
"It’s the least I can do."
When a conversation reached the stage of polite exchanges, it meant it was time to wrap up.
Lin Wanxing looked toward the school and said, "I’ll go back and get ready for work soon. So, when are you leaving today?"
She tried her best to keep her voice sounding normal.
"After dinner." Wang Fa gave a specific time and added, "When the others come for training later, I’ll talk to the players. Don’t worry about it—go to work."This seemed like the most ordinary of farewells, yet Lin Wanxing remained in a state of profound uncertainty.
Wang Fa had long ago mentioned his departure, and she along with the students had been silently counting down in their hearts.
But when the day actually arrived, she found herself fixating on the trivial matter of him leaving half a day early.
Bathed in the gentle morning breeze along the road, Lin Wanxing fell into a brief reverie.
Truth be told, she and Wang Fa weren't particularly close—they had known each other for less than a month. By that measure, she had even less reason to ask him to stay.
Yet somehow, her heart felt clogged with cotton.
Conversely, the air around her seemed hollowed out, leaving her with a persistent sense of something missing.
After much reflection, it seemed to stem from Wang Fa's constant presence by their side.
Though his words were aloof and he enjoyed teasing her, he always seemed to be seated in those bleachers.
Once he belonged to the court, he remained eternally composed and assured of victory.
Like a pillar.
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