Chapter 463 - 442: Yun Xiaowu Is Scouted by the Swimming Coach (2)

Yun Xiaowu glanced over, hesitant. ’Could he be telling the truth?’

"Fifth Brother, what’s wrong?"

The moment she spoke, the man who called himself a swimming coach froze for a moment. Yun Xiaowu, of course, was used to her voice.

’That voice? It’s so... distinctive.’

When he looked over, his eyes widened even further.

’Th-th-this... Is she a real person?’

Yun Jiao got off the lounge chair, and Yun Xiaowu shot her a glare.

"You’re not wearing shoes again. Put them on."

Yun Jiao let out an "oh" and, after slipping on her sandals, walked over.

She was only wearing a pair of ordinary plastic sandals, but she made them look like a high-fashion accessory.

"This guy says he’s some swimming coach for the national team. He said I’ve got a knack for swimming and wants me to join the national youth swimming program."

The man snapped out of his daze but couldn’t resist sneaking a few more glances at Yun Jiao.

*Hiss...* ’Incredible. This little village is full of hidden talents.’

’This kid looks like an angel, and at such a young age too.’

"What are you looking at?"

Yun Xiaowu glared at the middle-aged man as if he were a kidnapper and stepped directly in front of his sister.

Their Yun Jiao was growing more beautiful by the day. Even at her young age, boys at school were already confessing they had crushes on her.

This, of course, infuriated her older brothers, who would find any boy who said such things and give them a harsh beating.

They were already taller and stronger than other kids their age, and on top of that, they practiced martial arts at home. At school, no one could win a fight against any of the brothers.

Forget about school—even the local troublemakers couldn’t beat them.

As a result, the Yun brothers were pretty much the bosses of the school.

Consequently, over the past year or two, no matter how pretty Yun Jiao became, no one dared to confess their feelings for her anymore, having learned from the cautionary tales of those who were threatened and beaten.

Yun Jiao didn’t care either way.

’They’re just a bunch of little kids. What’s there to like?’

The middle-aged man rubbed his nose awkwardly. ’It’s not my fault, right? Anyone would be tempted to sneak another look at a girl like that.’

Yun Jiao looked at his work IDs. His face seemed a bit familiar, too.

"Brother, I think he’s telling the truth. I’ve seen him on TV, even if it was just for a fleeting moment."

The swimming coach, Li Jianwen, was instantly thrilled. "You know who I am, little lady?"

Yun Jiao nodded. "I’ve seen you on TV."

Li Jianwen scratched his head, grinning sheepishly.

’So this guy really isn’t a con artist,’ Yun Xiaowu thought, surprised.

The brother and sister invited Li Jianwen into their home and poured him a cup of tea.

"So, you’re saying you’ve taken a shine to my swimming talent and want me to train for the Olympics?"

He knew about the Olympics. He’d seen it on TV—it was a chance to bring glory to the country.

"Could I really do that?"

Yun Xiaowu could hardly believe it.

Yun Jiao said, "Of course you can, Fifth Brother."

Hearing his sister’s vote of confidence, Yun Xiaowu broke into a goofy grin, all traces of his earlier prickly, impatient attitude toward Li Jianwen gone.

Li Jianwen felt a complicated mix of emotions.

Just then, a noise came from outside. Everyone turned to see that the rest of the family had returned.

"And you are?"

Shen Yunlian and the others saw the stranger in their home the moment they walked in. After they were told who he was and why he was there, they too found it hard to believe.

"Huh? Our Xiao Wu could compete in the Olympics?"

It felt like a pie had just fallen from the sky.

To be honest, they had been a bit worried about Yun Xiaowu’s future.

After all, among their many children, the older ones already had career plans, and among the younger ones, everyone but Yun Xiaowu had a teacher or mentor.

They had asked Yun Xiaowu what he was interested in.

Academics were a lost cause. Some people aren’t unwilling to learn; they’re just naturally bad at it.

Yun Xiaowu was one of those people. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t get good grades.

Yun Xiaowu had watched his younger brothers and sister receive instruction from their mentors, and he was honestly envious. He’d felt lost, too.

But he truly didn’t know what he wanted to do.

As for things he enjoyed... well, he liked practicing hand-to-hand combat and shooting.

’Am I supposed to join the army like my big brothers when I grow up?’

If he did, their family would have three soldiers.

Besides, to be honest, Yun Xiaowu had a rebellious streak. He didn’t much care for the idea of the military’s strict discipline.

But what Coach Li had brought up today—swimming, competing in the Olympics—that piqued his interest.

He really liked swimming, too.

As a kid who grew up by the sea, he naturally loved the water.

In the entire village, besides his sister Yun Jiao, no one could outswim him—not even the adults.

"Xiao Wu, what do you think?"

Yun Xiaowu thought about his rock-bottom grades.

Then he said decisively, "I want to give it a try."

The Yun family was fully supportive of his decision.

"Since you’ve made up your mind, you should give it a shot. Coach Li, we can come along to see the facility, can’t we?"

Li Jianwen was overjoyed. "Of course, you can."

Yun Xiaowu was a promising talent he had scouted. His form needed a bit of correction, but that could be fixed with training. As long as he maintained his current speed and condition, competing in the Olympics would be no problem at all.

"However, the national team trains in the Capital. Are you all planning to go with him?"

"Yes."

Shen Yunlian said decisively. She wouldn’t be at ease unless she saw it with her own eyes.

"We have two other children in the Capital, so we can visit them at the same time."

Yun Jiao said, "We have school, so we can’t go with him."

She propped her chin on her hands, a look of regret on her face.

Yun Xiaowu realized that if he were going to train, he would have to live in the Capital, just like Xiao Liu.

’That means I can’t stay at school and protect my little sister anymore!’

"After training starts, do I have to stay in the Capital permanently?"

Li Jianwen nodded.

Yun Xiaowu’s heart sank.

"I..."

Yun Jiao knew him so well; one look at his conflicted expression was all it took for her to know what was on his mind.

"Go and train, Brother. Don’t worry about me. Who at school could possibly bully me?"

Yun Xiaoqi, Yun Xiao Ba, and Yun Xiaojiu nodded in agreement.

"Are you saying the three of us don’t count?"

Even the youngest, Yun Xiaojiu, who had a more slender build than most boys due to his opera training, was a very capable fighter.

"Alright then."

Yun Jiao’s eyes crinkled into a smile. "Fifth Brother, I’ll come visit you during the National Day holiday."

"Besides, we can call each other all the time."