As the river murmured nearby and birds chirped in the distance, father and son sat in silence.
When Zhang Yu saw that his father didn't respond, he took a deep breath. This time, he raised his voice by an octave.
"Dad, I want to play basketball!"
His father didn't say anything. He just ate in silence. A moment later, he said, "Then hurry up and eat. Afterward, go to town. Your cousin's waiting for you there."
At that, Xiao Yu's heart sank.
So his father really did want him to go work with his cousin.
It seemed insisting on going to basketball school had angered his father.
"Dad..."
Zhang Yu was about to say more when his mother brought over two bowls of porridge. She set one in front of his father and one in front of Zhang Yu.
"Your dad and I did want to send you to basketball school, but the farthest we've ever gone is the provincial capital. Your cousin's been to lots of big cities and seen the world. We'll feel better if he takes you."
Zhang Yu froze. Then he looked at his father in disbelief before turning to his mother. "You agreed?!"
His mother smiled gently. "When did we ever say we didn't?"
Zhang Yu jumped up in excitement. "You really agreed!? That's wonderful! Thank you, Mom and Dad! This is great!"
Seeing how happy her son was—happier than she'd ever seen him before—his mother nodded with relief.
His father's expression didn't change. "All right, all right. Hurry up and eat. Your cousin's been waiting in town for ages."
Zhang Yu sat back down, still excited. "Dad, don't worry. I'll study hard, and I'll make lots of money someday. Once I do, I'll buy a house in the city. Then you and Mom won't