The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 1053 - 1022: Exclusion, Isolation

Chapter 1053: Chapter 1022: Exclusion, Isolation

The crowd below was very supportive, responding with a round of applause.

He Tiantian and Xie Feifei followed the crowd and clapped along.

After the event ended, it was time for a big meal, though it was held in the cafeteria.

Calling it a big meal didn’t mean eating recklessly, the athletes’ diet had to first and foremost meet training needs, and as for taste, it could only be said to be quite good—not exactly delicious.

He Tiantian, Xie Feifei, Zhu Zhitao, and the other two new athletes assigned under Zhu Zhitao’s wing.

Coach Wu valued Zhu Zhitao quite a bit and therefore placed some promising newbies in his care.

He Tiantian’s performance went without saying. Xie Feifei and the other two athletes who were transferred from other provinces were also very impressive.

During the meal, under Zhu Zhitao’s lead, everyone introduced themselves to one another.

The other two athletes looked up to He Tiantian with great admiration and said, "Sister He, I’m Liu Yihua, from Shandong Province."

"Hello, Sister He, I’m Xi Rongrong, from Guangdong Province," Xi Rongrong said, "We’ll be in the same team from now on, so I hope to learn a lot from you, Sister He."

In these days since they joined the national team, they had acquired a certain understanding, especially after having seen He Tiantian at the National Swimming Championships, leaving them with a deep impression.

However, since He Tiantian had not joined the national team until now, their curiosity about He Tiantian had only grown.

He Tiantian just smiled and said, "There’s nothing much to teach, let’s just work hard together."

Although she was the oldest one there, she knew that in the realm of competitive sports, it wasn’t age that mattered, but effort and talent.

Xie Feifei was quite sociable, and it didn’t take long for everyone to become familiar with each other.

Since they were all girls, they agreed to visit He Tiantian’s home during their time off.

He Tiantian gladly agreed.

Now they were teammates, and even though there was a competitive aspect, He Tiantian was more than happy to get along well in everyday life.

After all, it was her love for swimming that had brought her here, but it would be pointless if she were upset by some people causing trouble or picking fights.

Zhu Zhitao was delighted to see that the athletes under him had good character.

Initially, Coach Wu had wanted to assign Jiao Lihong to his team, and he had been thinking about how to refuse, only to find out that Jiao Lihong didn’t think much of him and chose Coach Wang, who had a more extensive experience and track record.

While Zhu Zhitao breathed a sigh of relief, he also felt a bit annoyed and secretly resolved to work harder to nurture even more outstanding swimming talents.

The World Championships were coming up soon, and it was time for Zhu Zhitao to make a name for himself.

Subsequent to that day, He Tiantian and the other athletes started their regular training schedule.

He Tiantian kept to her routine, returning home every day as if she were attending school, with Wei Yuanyuan guarding her, Cui Ying looking after He Tiantian’s well-being, and handling some odds and ends for He Tiantian.

Even though Jiao Lihong held some resentment toward He Tiantian, she didn’t dare to express her anger.

Director Jiao reminded his niece once again not to act rashly and this time, he even informed her about He Tiantian’s powerful background, which their Jiao family could not afford to provoke.

"Did you remember?" asked Director Jiao, "From now on don’t act recklessly, or you’ll waste not just your talent but also your future job opportunities."

Jiao Lihong had already received assurance from her uncle that if she performed well, she could work at the sports bureau after retirement.

This was an exceptional piece of good news.

Compared to others who could only return to their original province upon retirement, with some getting positions in the sports bureau and others having to look for different jobs, this ensured she had a much brighter future.

"Thank you, Uncle. I understand, I will not provoke that old woman again," promised Jiao Lihong, who despite her assurances, still referred to He Tiantian as "old woman" in private to vent her frustration.

These words made Director Jiao frown, but thinking that his niece needed to vent her anger to avoid causing trouble later on, he added, "Alright, say it here in front of me, but don’t say it outside, to avoid being ridiculed." Director Jiao advised, "Win over the other athletes around you, they may be of help to you in the future. If you act arrogantly, they will not only fail to be your support but may even become stumbling blocks."

Jiao Lihong sneered. In her eyes, the only stumbling block in the national team was that old woman, He Tiantian.

She was determined to work even harder to make that old woman step back.

Sporting competitions weren’t won by talent alone, as age was also a limiting factor.

She was certain her potential exceeded He Tiantian’s.

"Yes, Uncle. I’ve got it," said Jiao Lihong, "I will definitely get along with the other athletes, seniors and mentors."

Indeed, by getting along well with most people, she could implicitly isolate that old woman.

Thinking of this brought Jiao Lihong a sense of satisfaction.

"That’s good, Lihong, you are truly talented. Champions and honors will be yours," encouraged Director Jiao, hoping his niece would work even harder to become a remarkable athlete.

Then, he could support his niece’s career.

Life in the national team went on orderly.

But He Tiantian noticed that some people were giving her strange looks.

"Cui Ying, the other athletes are looking at me strangely; is someone talking bad about me?" asked He Tiantian, feeling stared at in the changing room.

Cui Ying chuckled and said, "Tall trees catch much wind. I just went to ask around, and that Cai Fenfang and some others said you’re relying on your talent to oppress them at such an old age, hindering their path forward."

"Ah?" He Tiantian was surprised but then laughed, "Although it’s not nice to hear, it’s somehow true. Those medals don’t mean much to me, yet they mean a lot to them."

Cui Ying didn’t mind, "Alright, since we’re here, we’ll do our best. You focus on training; I’ll handle the rest."

"Thanks, you always have my back," said He Tiantian gratefully, happy to have such a good friend by her side.

Later on, He Tiantian also heard some gossip from Xie Feifei, Xi Rongrong, and Liu Yihua.

Although she found it nonsensical, she didn’t take it to heart.

"Sister He, you’re not angry?" Xie Feifei asked, "If someone said that about me, I’d definitely go and argue with them."

He Tiantian responded with a smile, "The purpose of competitive sports is to break through human limits, to be higher, faster, stronger. These things cannot be achieved by whispering behind backs—they require hard training and dedication. I’m not so young myself, and I will probably retire after the ’88 Olympics. You are still young; there will be plenty of opportunities for you. Keep an open mind, and you’ll be able to see farther and higher."