Chapter 35: Returning Home

Back at the sports school, less than a month remained before the break. The New Year of 2005 was fast approaching. At the thought of heading home, the youngsters were bursting with excitement. Even Su Shen felt an uncontrollable ripple of emotion at the prospect of seeing his parents.

"When you get home, make sure to keep up with your basic training and maintain your physical condition. Don't let me see any of you coming back as big, bloated messes. I won't forgive you if that happens." This was the final "veiled threat" Ning Debao left them with before they departed.

As for Su Shen... Ning Debao had secretly slipped him a second-hand Nokia phone. She said it was an older model she had phased out, now for him to use, complete with prepaid credit and pre-programmed family numbers. Why would she do this? Was Ning Debao really that wealthy, handing out mobile phones to everyone? Of course not. Even in this period of 2004-2005, mobile phones were not something the average student could own; they were high-end gadgets. They were expensive.

Ning Debao gave it to him so that they could engage in "academic discussions" and "scholarly exchanges" at any time. Unbeknownst to him, Su Shen’s research and influence on the new system had become increasingly vital. Moreover, Ning Debao intended to use this holiday period to properly refine her academic paper, aiming to write an in-depth article to submit to a national journal. Therefore, losing contact with others was fine, but losing touch with Su Shen was absolutely out of the question.

And so, Su Shen found himself inexplicably saddled with a Nokia. He would have to explain it well once he got home, as even his parents didn't own such a device. Wait, that’s it! He could just buy one for them, couldn't he? But Su Shen was overthinking it. The price of mobile phones today wasn't like the era he had lived in before; even a two-year-old Nokia "Butterfly Orchid" model cost nearly 3,000 yuan. Yes, it was that expensive. New models were even costlier—far beyond the reach of the average person. It was nothing like the later years when you could buy a smartphone for a few hundred yuan.

After stepping into a phone shop, Su Shen froze, then scurried out sheepishly. Considering his family probably needed the liquid cash more, he shelved the idea for now. It was his past-life mindset playing tricks on him; he had forgotten the current living standards and price levels.

After saying goodbye to Zhou Bing and the others, Su Shen arrived at the Xiangshan City bus station. After waiting in line for a while, he bought a ticket to the Ancient Town. Upon arrival, he headed straight for the hair salon owned by Lin Yanfang’s family.

It wasn't for any other reason than his hair having grown quite long, and he wanted to look sharp for his parents, so they wouldn't think he was suffering too much away from home. Also, he couldn't forget the gift he had promised Lin Yanfang. The two hadn't seen each other for months, and they had filled an entire diary; if he didn't visit here first upon arriving in town... Su Shen feared he would face a "wife-chasing crematorium" of trouble later.

Su Shen walked into the salon—a quintessential early 21st-century style, thick with the atmosphere of the times. In later years, these would be called "XXX Styling" or "XXX Design Studios," but back then, they were almost universally known as "XXX Hair Salons." At the time, the term carried no derogatory connotations; it was simply a place for haircuts and styling.

Of course, there were plenty of places that weren't so simple, but Su Shen was clearly a regular. Everyone knew exactly why he came here, especially since it wasn't on the way to his home in Guyi Village. It was at the other end of the town. His frequent visits were clearly "full of deep meaning."

Walking in, Lin’s father and mother were working in an orderly division of labor. The father cut hair, while the mother handled the pre-cut and post-cut washing for customers. Seeing someone enter, the mother was about to instinctively call out "Welcome," but upon seeing Su Shen, her face lit up with a smile. "It’s Xiao Tian! Have a seat, Xiao Fang hasn't come home from school yet."

Su Shen nodded and sat on a small bench to wait. They chatted idly. When they heard that Su Shen had broken the Xiangshan City middle school 100-meter record and won the Pearl River Delta Invitational, the elderly couple was astonished. For them, there wasn't much difference between a student athlete and a sports school student—it was all just "doing sports." They had never heard of these kids breaking records or winning gold medals. In fact, when they first heard Su Shen had quit school to go to a sports school, they didn't quite understand. "Of all things, study is the most noble"—this sentiment held true twenty years later, let alone in this era. Without results, people would just think you were wasting your youth.

But hearing about the gold medal and the 3,000-yuan prize money brought a wave of shock. 3,000 yuan... and it had only been a few months? In this day and age, many people in cities earned only seven or eight hundred a month, totaling seven or eight thousand a year. In a small town, it was even less; this was nearly a full year's wages for labor. Did being a sports student really pay that well now? Su Shen didn't offer much explanation.

Just as he was finishing his haircut, a familiar, bell-like voice rang out. Without needing to guess, it was the girl he had been thinking about.

"Mom, Dad, today I... hmm? Xiao, Xiao Tian? Why are you here?"

"You're back?"

Seeing Lin Yanfang’s surprised expression, Su Shen smiled and started to nod, but Lin’s father held him still, warning him that he’d ruin the cut if he moved. Unable to do anything else, Su Shen had to stay still, looking at Lin Yanfang in the mirror. "Yeah, we’re on break, so I’m back."

"You look a lot tanner, and you’ve gotten stronger, you..." She was about to bring up the diary, but seeing the setting, she caught herself. She had a belly full of words she wanted to say but had to hold back. Her little mouth pouted, making Su Shen want to laugh.

After the haircut, Su Shen felt refreshed. He stood up to pay, and Lin’s mother smiled, telling the two children to go out and catch up. Then, Lin Yanfang gave a small "Oh," walked over, and compared her head to his. "Xiao Tian, you seem to have grown a bit taller."

"Really?" Su Shen hadn't paid much attention to that lately. Focused on training and study, he hadn't checked for any changes in his height.

"I’ll measure you with a tape, don't move." Lin Yanfang pulled a small yellow tape measure from her schoolbag. She had Su Shen stand against the wall while she stood on a small stool, slowly pulling the tape over his head.

After a moment, she said, "175.4 cm! You really did grow, you’re 175 now!"

While 180-185 cm was the golden height for sprinters, in Guangdong, 175 was already a very good height at the time—calling it "quite tall" was no exaggeration. Especially in early 2005 in Guangdong, the average height was nowhere near what it would be twenty years later.

Su Shen was delighted. If he could reach 178 or 180 in this life, his stride length disadvantage would be greatly improved. Although his family’s genetic predisposition wasn't great, later nutritional science had proven that even without genetic advantages, proper nutrition and exercise from a young age could help one reach a decent height.

To grow taller, Su Shen had adopted the most cutting-edge, scientific method available: "Sub-maximal Resistance Height Stimulation." This method was based on adequate nutrition and was mentioned by Dr. Drabik in his paper, *Youth Sports Training*. It posited that experiments proved "sub-maximal resistance training" from a young age had a positive, stimulating effect on height.

At the time, the domestic view was that children were too young for strength or resistance training—that it would stunt their growth. This belief would persist for many even until 2021, completely ignoring the fact that junior high teams in Europe and America had always practiced basic strength training.

"Sub-maximal resistance training" was one of the most suitable methods for young people. In reality, as long as one avoided extreme, maximal loading, this scientific approach could actually positively stimulate growth. Unfortunately, Su Shen hadn't had the channels to learn this back then, and no one around him could teach him. By the time he found out, it was too late. That was why he had insisted on this training—to grow taller.

It seemed that by paying attention to nutrition and sleep, and applying this "resistance height-growth method," the results were significant. He had already broken his original height limit of around 174. He was only 15; he still had time to grow. No matter how much, every bit counted; he would just do his best.

"Looks like playing sports is good for you, Xiao Tian. You're taller than us now," Lin’s father laughed. Lin Yanfang then took Su Shen out to catch up—a childhood sweetheart tradition. It wasn't as direct as in later times; it was the simple, innocent affection of that era. Su Shen told her about his life at the sports school, and the little girl listened with genuine interest. In an era without smartphones, before you grew up, your world was limited to the small circle you lived in. It was hard to encounter anything new.

...

"So this is a gold medal? It’s so pretty." Well, girls naturally had a soft spot for shiny things. To be honest, the quality of this medal couldn't compare to international competitions.

"By the way, I bought you some snacks from Xiangshan City. See if you like them." Su Shen said, and Lin Yanfang’s face flushed. She took the bag and nodded, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Thank you, Xiao Tian."

"Next time I go to a competition, I'll bring you more local treats. Just make sure you keep exercising; don't end up like Chen Cai." Su Shen teased, earning a playful punch. He then pulled out the diary he had written. When Lin Yanfang saw it, her face reddened even more. She reached into her bag and pulled out a diary full of girlish charm, and the two swapped journals.

"I, I wrote it very seriously. I put a lot of my feelings in there, so you’re not allowed to make fun of me," Lin Yanfang added. Su Shen smiled and nodded earnestly.

"Oh, and this is my phone number. If you want to find me during the break, just call," Su Shen said, writing it down. Lin Yanfang was surprised. She looked at the phone in his hand for a long time before saying, "You even have a phone? And it’s a Nokia? Looks like... someone is becoming a little landlord. I’ll have to make sure to sponge off you while I can."

"Sure, name your snacks; I’ll keep you well-supplied." Su Shen made a "CEO declaration" that sounded quite bold for the era.

...

After the haircut and saying goodbye to Lin Yanfang, it took Su Shen another hour to reach Guyi Village. He could smell the fragrance of home from far away—it was his mother’s specialty chicken soup. Unable to suppress his emotions any longer, he pushed open the door and shouted, "Mom, Dad, I’m home!"

PS: The methods for growing taller will definitely be covered—backed by scientific papers and scientific growth, you deserve it! If you all want to see the papers, I can arrange that too, hehe~

Alright, it’s time for the vote-begging segment. Little Purple gives a loud roar: Dear readers, please give me some votes and add this to your collections! Spare some change, boo-hoo-hoo~~~