The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 1034 - 1003: Like a Mermaid

Chapter 1034: Chapter 1003: Like a Mermaid

He Tiantian put on the swimsuit her mother had custom-made for her, a one-piece in black, along with a swimming cap, goggles, a whole set of athletic gear.

Huo Ruihua and Huo Ruimin sat next to Dad, anxiously waiting for Mom’s arrival.

The broadcast finally announced that the competition was about to start, and the competitors gradually arrived at the venue.

Having already warmed up, they were now standing in their respective spots.

He Tiantian stood there, scanning the surroundings, looking for her family among the crowd.

Meanwhile, Huo Ruihua was blowing a small horn, and Huo Ruimin was holding a small red flag, shouting loudly, "Go Mom, go Mom!"

Perhaps it was the children’s conspicuous performance that made everyone look their way.

In those conservative times, such enthusiasm before the competition started surprised them, but it was not unwelcome.

Niu Da, Niu Er, Huo Ruixiang, also caused a stir, not caring about the onlookers at all.

He Tiantian saw the children, her husband, her family, her friends, and she smiled to herself.

They were all watching her.

He Tiantian felt a surge of passion inside, and although it was just an ordinary amateur competition, she would swim her best, not to disappoint them.

As the starter gun signaled, He Tiantian dove into the water.

This was her specialty, freestyle, and with improved techniques and training lately, her speed had increased. She astonishingly swam 100 meters in 53.67 seconds.

He Tiantian was in the lead from the moment she hit the water.

Apart from Huo Yingjie, Yuan Hua, Qi Xiaoyan, and Jiang Wenwen, everyone else thought He Tiantian was just a sports enthusiast who wouldn’t swim very fast. They were surprised when she easily won first place.

As for the exact time, they couldn’t remember, but being first place was all that mattered.

But when Zhu Zhitao saw the time, he almost wanted to take He Tiantian straight from the venue to a professional competition to compete.

When the results came out, the staff responsible for recording the times couldn’t believe their eyes.

He Tiantian’s result was faster than that of professional athletes.

The staff behind the scenes was abuzz with discussion.

Family and friends in the stands were all cheering for He Tiantian.

Every time He Tiantian got into the water, she could lift the atmosphere in the sports venue, prompting cheers.

One morning, plus an afternoon.

Finals, semifinals, 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters freestyle, 100 meters, 200 meters butterfly, and breaststroke, He Tiantian made it to the finals in all of them.

Initially, not many people participated in the competition, only two hundred fifty or so.

Spread out across various events, there were only about twenty or so competitors, so the progress was very smooth.

The finals would take place tomorrow morning.

In the evening when they returned home, everyone celebrated for He Tiantian.

However, due to the competition, He Tiantian couldn’t join in the feast and had to stick to an athlete’s diet.

"Mom, you are really amazing," Huo Ruihua praised.

"Mom, you’re like a mermaid," Huo Ruimin said, "I love how mom looks in the water, so beautiful."

As the song ended, everyone dispersed and went home.

However, they had agreed to go watch the competition together the next day.

In the evening, when they were alone, He Tiantian hugged Huo Yingjie’s waist tightly and said, "Brother Yingjie, I think I’ve found a new interest in life."

"Haha, I can see that. If you want to do it, go ahead. I support you," Huo Yingjie said, having already seen it in the bright sparkle of He Tiantian’s eyes.

He Tiantian liked swimming.

At the same time, she also liked the tension and excitement during competitions.

He Tiantian was very happy when she heard this.

"Brother Yingjie, I enjoy the joy of swimming and the feeling of competing," He Tiantian said, "If the swim team calls me, I will consider it."

"Well, no matter what, I support you," Huo Yingjie said. He had a career he loved and hoped He Tiantian could have her own too, not always revolving around others, but considering her own thoughts and feelings.

"Thank you," He Tiantian said, "It’s just one thing that’s quite annoying. The training camp is closed off. But when the time comes, I’ll still try for it and hope I can come home every day."

Through the competition, He Tiantian had once again confirmed her feelings.

"All right, try your best," Huo Yingjie said with a smile.

Nightly conversations between husband and wife were sweet and warm.

That night, Zhu Zhitao obtained all of He Tiantian’s preliminary and semifinal results and went directly to the leader’s house.

Coach Wu was the captain of their swimming team, responsible for all the athletes.

"Xiao Zhu, it’s the weekend. Why aren’t you chasing after your poet girlfriend but coming to my house?" Coach Wu said with a laugh, "Cuifang, prepare some more dishes, I’ll have a drink with Xiao Zhu."

Zhu Zhitao chuckled and said, "Coach Wu, I’ve discovered a promising talent."

"Since you’ve discovered a promising talent, then absorb her into the team. You know, swimming is a major sport, and only by discovering more talents can we make breakthrough progress," Coach Wu laughed, finding the matter quite simple.

If it were any other person, Zhu Zhitao would have recruited them into the swim team already.

But Teacher He was no ordinary person.

Not to mention her experience, her age would probably be a big hurdle!

"Why don’t you look at the results first?" Zhu Zhitao didn’t know how to explain, so he prepared to let Coach Wu see He Tiantian’s results first before discussing her current situation.

Coach Wu was curious. This Zhu Zhitao, his subordinate, worked diligently and was a very good assistant coach. In time, he could certainly grow into a very excellent coach.

Thus, he took the material Zhu Zhitao personally delivered very seriously.

"Okay, let me take a look first," Coach Wu said with a smile. "If there’s a promising talent wanting to join, I’ll place her under your guidance. We need to cultivate several talents to produce results."

But when he saw the scores, he was instantly stunned.

"Is this... is this score real?" Coach Wu exclaimed in surprise. With such good scores, he, as the head coach, should have known about it.

"Of course it’s real. I personally supervised it," Zhu Zhitao said. "Moreover, I know this amateur athlete because she’s my girlfriend’s college teacher. She’s not teaching anymore and is a full-time housewife, thirty years old this year. This is why I hesitated but still had to come."

"Ah, that’s a pity," Coach Wu said. "She’s a bit too old. If she were ten years younger, even five or six years would do. But she’s already thirty."

"Yes, it’s a pity, but her speed is really quite fast, even faster than our professional athletes. With such results, if she were at the Olympics, she could even win a gold medal," Zhu Zhitao said excitedly. "Head coach, no matter what I say, you might think I’m exaggerating. How about we go watch the competition together tomorrow?"

Given these results, Coach Wu would go too. He nodded and said, "Okay, I’ll personally see it tomorrow. If the results are really that good, I will consider absorbing her into the team, to win glory for our country."