Chapter 883: Chicken Soup Longevity Noodles
"Mom? Mom! I'm home."
Lu Ke pushed open the front door as if he had never moved out and called out. After waiting for a while, he didn't hear a response and then called out again, "Dad... Dad!"
"Little Ke?" Lu Zhengze's voice came from the study. He quickly walked out in his pajamas, holding a pair of reading glasses. "You're back."
"Dad, where's my mom?" Lu Ke nodded, his eyes still searching.
"Your mom is taking a shower," Lu Zhengze answered quickly. "What happened to you? Did you have a party with your teammates today?"
After looking at Lu Ke from head to toe, Lu Zhengze couldn't help but laugh. "We called you back for no other reason. Today is your birthday. Your mom and I were going to call you back yesterday, but we thought since it was game day, we should try not to disturb your preparation. So we decided to wait until after the game. No matter what, you still have to eat a bowl of longevity noodles on your birthday."
Lu Ke scratched his head and chuckled. "I forgot about it myself. I thought you guys forgot too. If Uncle Li hadn't come to the parking lot to give me a birthday gift, I wouldn't have remembered at all."
Lu Zhengze pointed at Lu Ke with his reading glasses. "I knew it. You must have forgotten everything to prepare for this game. Hurry up and take a shower. You don't want to scare your mom when she comes out."
Lu Ke nodded repeatedly and walked toward the stairs.
Looking at Lu Ke's footsteps, squish, squish, leaving wet footprints behind, Lu Zhengze's eyes widened. "Little Ke, you... you're covered in frosting. Why didn't you take off your shoes first? Now the living room looks like a crime scene. Your mom is definitely going to get mad at me later."
"I'm going to tell mom that you said the house looks like a crime scene," Lu Ke's voice came from the top of the stairs with a hint of playfulness.
Lu Zhengze immediately panicked. "Let's not tell your mom about this. Little Ke? Huh? Little Ke!"
But Lu Ke didn't respond, leaving Lu Zhengze alone in the corner of the living room, looking at the frosting footprints on the floor. He laughed helplessly. "This guy, he's been like this since he was a kid. He still hasn't grown up."
After taking a shower, his tense muscles finally relaxed a little. He changed into a set of dry clothes and went back to his room while wiping his hair.
The room was still the familiar one from his memory. Nothing had changed. It was obvious that Jiang Younin was regularly cleaning the room, keeping it clean and tidy, as if he could come back at any time. On the desk, there was a thick photo album, and next to it was a neat stack of handwritten letters.
After a quick flip through, he saw that they were all letters from fans. Even though it was now the digital age, there were still many nostalgic people who were used to sending letters and reading physical books. Those retro ways still commemorated the simple and pure times.
What was even more amazing was that there was a neat stack of letter paper next to it and a small stack of replies. Looking at the handwriting on the envelopes, he knew that these were all handwritten replies from Lu Zhengze and Jiang Younin, one by one. The top one hadn't been put into an envelope yet. Lu Ke unfolded it and read it carefully:
"Dear Simona,
Hello, I'm Jack Lu, Lu Ke's father. Thank you very much for your letter.
First of all, I hope your college life will get on track soon. I have always believed that dreamers are the driving force that changes the world and society. This is the most valuable spirit I have learned from Lu Ke, and fortunately, you are also a dreamer.
...
I know you are looking forward to Lu Ke's reply. Unfortunately, he has to be busy with training every day to give his all in every game. But your support and the support of other fans are always the biggest motivation for Lu Ke to keep moving forward. Lu Ke is realizing his dream, and I hope you can also realize yours.
Sincerely,
Jack Lu."
It was a simple but sincere reply. The words were full of Lu Zhengze's genuine feelings.
In fact, the interaction between fans and players is relatively limited. After all, the fan base is too large, and it's impossible for a player to take care of every single one of them. Now that it's the age of social media, players can communicate directly with fans through online platforms, which has become more efficient and direct. But in the end, it's still an impossible task to cater to every single fan.
At this point, the agent plays an important role. They often take on the responsibility of managing the fans. Lu Ke's social media platforms are managed by a professional team hired by Leigh. As for the handwritten letters, Lu Zhengze and Jiang Younin took over. The sincerity and warmth of the handwritten letters were incomparable to automatic computer replies.
The strength of Lu Zhengze and Jiang Younin was too weak, but at least they were still persevering.
This reminded Lu Ke of Juliet's House in Verona, Italy.
Because of the classic play "Romeo and Juliet," Juliet has become the embodiment of countless girls' hopes for romantic love. Therefore, Juliet's House has become the best place for lovers and couples to make a wish. At the same time, girls from all over the world would write letters to Juliet's House, pouring out their romantic troubles, hoping to find their own love.
For this reason, the Verona City Hall has set up a volunteer program to receive letters from all over the world and have "Juliet" write back personally. These Juliets are all female volunteers who share their experiences and feelings and build a bridge of communication with the senders, sincerely praying for love to come to them.
Now, Lu Zhengze and Jiang Younin were maintaining the sincere bond between Lu Ke and his fans. Even the smallest force could be a turning point in a person's life.
The photo album next to the thick stack of letters contained Lu Ke's photos. Each photo corresponded to every game over the past season and a half, either taken at Candlestick Park or a group photo of all his friends watching an away game at home, truly documenting every moment.
Love and promises in Eastern culture are more reserved, gentle, and subtle, but that doesn't mean they are any less profound. Maybe they don't say it often, but the depth and warmth in their hearts are no less. It's like a safe harbor, a tall lighthouse that silently watches over you from behind.
Leaving the room and walking down the stairs, a strong smell of chicken soup wafted through the air, with a hint of sweetness. Under the yellowish light, the steam from the kitchen swirled, outlining the misty scene. He could vaguely hear the boiling sound and the sound of a kitchen knife hitting the cutting board.
Lu Zhengze was sitting at the dining table, wearing his reading glasses and flipping through a thick stack of documents. He seemed to be studying something intently. Jiang Younin was busy in the kitchen, wearing an apron. She had just showered, and her wet hair hadn't been dried yet. She had casually put it up in a bun, rolled up the sleeves of her pajamas, and was working skillfully.
There was nothing special about the scene. It was just an ordinary moment, but it exuded a feeling of home.
Lu Ke's footsteps stopped at the top of the stairs. He quietly enjoyed the moment of warmth.
"So? Did you find anything?" Jiang Younin asked.
Lu Zhengze shook his head slightly. "Next week's game will be tough. The Chicago Bears' defense is in great form, second in the league. Their run defense is about the same as ours, and their pass defense has the most interceptions in the league. The state of our receivers is constantly fluctuating, so your performance this week will be crucial, Little Ke."
"When Little Ke comes down, don't mention these things. He's already under so much pressure. We're just outsiders. We only know a little about the situation, and then we're here talking nonsense and giving random advice. Isn't that just causing trouble?" Jiang Younin didn't say much. Instead, she tried to comfort him. "I think Little Ke is playing really well now."
Lu Zhengze took off his glasses and waved his hands. "I know, I know. I'm also worried that Little Ke is under too much pressure. Oh, we're really getting old. We worried when no one was paying attention. Now that there's too much attention, we're still worried. We're already under so much pressure, so I can't imagine how much pressure Little Ke is carrying."
"What, you're not accepting your age? You take those glasses on and off every day. I told you to carry them with you, but you're stubborn and pretend you're a young man in your thirties," Jiang Younin joked with a laugh. "I'm done with the noodles. Call Little Ke down. He needs to eat and go home early. He has to get up early for practice tomorrow. He must be exhausted today."
"Alright. Okay," Lu Zhengze said. He carefully put all the documents he was holding away in a cabinet nearby and then stood up.
Lu Ke immediately panicked. He quickly backed up a few steps, returned to the top of the stairs, and then deliberately made his footsteps heavier, pretending that he had just come down. He was met by Lu Zhengze. "Little Ke, you're down. Perfect. Your mom made noodles. Hurry up and eat."
Jiang Younin also came out with a bowl of chicken soup longevity noodles. She saw Lu Ke out of the corner of her eye, and a smile appeared on her face. "Little Ke, come quickly. It's not a birthday until you eat a bowl of longevity noodles. I know the nutritionist said to avoid eating late-night snacks as much as possible, so I didn't put too many noodles in. Just eat a little bit and have some of the chicken soup."
"The chicken soup is from an old hen that your mom ordered two weeks in advance. It's a free-range chicken from a farm in Texas. She started boiling it right after the game today," Lu Zhengze said enthusiastically.
Lu Ke pulled out a chair and sat down. He looked at the bowl of yellow chicken soup noodles in front of him. There was nothing extra in it, just a roll of longevity noodles, a few green onions, and a perfectly fried egg. But a rich aroma wafted up, and the hot temperature on his fingertips brought back the familiar smell from his childhood. The steam rose up.
Suddenly, Lu Ke's eyes filled with tears.
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