Lin Chong's Women's Cuju Team

Chapter 180 Zou Xiaoyan uses "Swallow Returns to Nest" to save the day.

Chapter 180 Zou Xiaoyan uses "Swallow Returns to Nest" to save the day

More than two hours had passed in the match, with less than an hour remaining. If the Song women's Cuju team couldn't score again, the Jin state would win the match. Seeing that she couldn't break through, Du Shiniang grew increasingly anxious. She glanced at Zou Xiaoyan, her eyes filled with obvious anger. Zou Xiaoyan dared not meet Du Shiniang's gaze, knowing that Du Shiniang was blaming her for not giving it her all.

Before the match, Gao Can had threatened Zou Xiaoyan, saying that if she didn't help Du Shiniang and the others on the football field, he would send her and Xiao Cheng out of the capital after the match, forbidding her from staying by his side; he would abandon her. Zou Xiaoyan was a divorced woman who had already been abandoned by a man once; she knew the pain of being abandoned and didn't want to experience that heart-wrenching agony again. She knew perfectly well that Gao Can wouldn't give her a formal title, much less be devoted to her, but she still wanted to stay by his side.

There was one more thing she knew: if Gao Can abandoned her, Xiao Minghao would definitely drag her back and lock her up for life. Xiao had always had a strong desire to control and possess her. She knew that falling into her ex-husband's hands meant she would never have a good life; she would only suffer a lifetime of physical and mental torment. Gao Can was her protector; she couldn't live without him.

Thinking of this, tears welled up in Zou Xiaoyan's eyes. Du Shiniang sensed Zou Xiaoyan's inner conflict and pain. She didn't care whether the other person could hear her or not, and just shouted at her: "Doesn't Little Swallow like to fly high in the sky? How can she let a big tree bind her wings?"

In fact, Zou Xiaoyan could read lips; Yang Bingnan had taught her. Thinking of Yang Bingnan, Zou Xiaoyan felt a pang of guilt. She had wronged this storyteller; he had even lost his life for her, yet she hadn't heeded his dying wish to leave Gao Can. After a while, she couldn't help but think back to when she and Xiao Cheng were destitute in the capital, intending to sue Xiao Minghao for abandoning his wife and child. It was Du Shiniang who had taken them in. Today, at this crucial moment, was the best opportunity to repay Du Shiniang's kindness. What should she choose?

Zou Xiaoyan was overwhelmed with thoughts, her mind far from the football match. Since understanding Du Shiniang's words, Zou Xiaoyan had been caught in an internal conflict. Du Shiniang repeated those words to her again, and Zou Xiaoyan gritted her teeth, deciding that this time she would listen to Yang Bingnan and Du Shiniang, and wouldn't help Gao Can harm her own sister.

After making up her mind, Zou Xiaoyan focused intently on the Cuju (ancient Chinese football) match between the Song and Jin dynasties. While Miwu was wrestling with Du Rushuang for the ball, Zou Xiaoyan seized the opportunity to steal it from behind them. With the agility of a swallow, she instantly reached the Jin team's goal.

The same obese Jin woman was still defending the goal of the football match. She saw Zou Xiaoyan suddenly steal the ball and dribble it to her own goal as if possessed by a ghost. She quickly held her breath and waited for the opponent to kick the ball. Then she used a "scoop from the bottom of the sea" move to catch the football.

However, Zou Xiaoyan didn't rush to shoot when she arrived at the goal. She recalled a special Cuju technique that Gao Can had taught her when he played Cuju with her, called "Swallow Returns to its Nest." This move was originally a defensive attack, but Zou Xiaoyan often treated it like a corner kick. Fortunately, she had exceptional eyesight and was as light as a swallow, so she mastered this move. Now, she easily used "Swallow Returns to its Nest" to attack the goal.

The fat woman only saw a football flying past her with lightning speed. The angle was too tricky, and she didn't have time to judge the direction of the shot. The football flew directly over her head and into the goal of the Jin Kingdom.

"Excellent! I never expected that Zou Xiaoyan, who was always playing a defensive and assisting role in Du Shiniang and Chai Nianci's Cuju matches, would actually take the initiative to attack today and even score a goal for our Great Song Dynasty." Emperor Huizong of Song stood up excitedly after Zou Xiaoyan scored, clapping his hands and turning to praise Zou Xiaoyan to his advisors, Ning Weizhi, and others beside him.

Liu Guangyu quickly echoed Emperor Huizong's sarcastic tone, saying, "That's right! This servant sees that Lady Zou's Cuju skill is exactly the same as the 'Swallow Returns to its Nest' technique that Lord Gao often uses! It seems that Lord Gao has also put a lot of effort into instructing Lin Chong's women's Cuju team. Lord Gao, you are a master teacher who produces outstanding students!"

Before Gao Qiu could answer, Gao Qiu quickly approached Emperor Huizong and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, we've won a point. Eunuch Liu has a good eye; Lady Zou's move just now was indeed similar to my son's signature move, 'Swallow Returns to Its Nest,' but she used it in the wrong place!"

"Oh? From what you're saying, Minister Gao, it seems that Lady Zou just stole your and your son's moves to score, and that she was just lucky? Is that what you mean?" Emperor Huizong questioned Gao Qiu with a dark expression.

Sensing Emperor Huizong's anger, Gao Qiu immediately changed his tune, saying, "No, this Lady Zou does indeed have some talent in Cuju (ancient Chinese football). She is highly perceptive and truly a pillar of our Song Dynasty." Gao Qiu then glared fiercely at Gao Can. Gao Can, hearing Gao Qiu's words, dared not look at him, only cautiously glancing at Emperor Huizong, fearing he would ask again how he taught Zou Xiaoyan Cuju. He knew Gao Qiu didn't want the Emperor to think he was too close to Lin Chong's women's Cuju team, lest he bring trouble upon himself in the future.

Emperor Huizong did not press Zou Xiaoyan further about how she learned the "Swallow Returns to Its Nest" trick, but simply ordered that she be rewarded with five hundred taels of gold. Zou Xiaoyan happily embraced Du Shiniang, rested her head on her shoulder, and shed tears, but those were tears of excitement.

The high-ranking official personally delivered the reward to Zou Xiaoyan. He forcibly pulled Zou Xiaoyan away from Du Shiniang's embrace and, taking advantage of a break, led the woman to an empty spare rest tent. As soon as Gao Cang entered the tent, he ordered Lu Ming to keep watch; he was going to deal with Zou Xiaoyan. Seeing Gao Cang's face as black as the bottom of a pot, Zou Xiaoyan knew that her active participation in the match against the Jin Kingdom women's football team and her goal had angered him. So, somewhat timidly, she asked Gao Cang:

"Lord Gao, you taught me the trick that led to my goal. Did I cause you any trouble? I didn't mean to. I just wanted to win some gold to buy Cheng'er some new clothes."

Upon hearing this, Gao Can grabbed Zou Xiaoyan's neck forcefully and scolded, "So you know you caused me trouble by using my special move just now? I repeatedly told you not to use the moves I taught you in public, have you forgotten? And what did I tell you in bed last night? I told you not to be the first to stick your neck out today, and to just deal with the football match casually, why didn't you listen?"

Zou Xiaoyan was being choked by Gao Can and could hardly breathe. She frowned and answered incoherently, "I know I was wrong! Let me go first!" Gao Can saw that Zou Xiaoyan was struggling desperately like a fish out of water, her face turning red. His anger subsided considerably, and he slowly loosened his grip.

Zou Xiaoyan seized the opportunity to step back, creating a safe distance between herself and Gao Can. Unexpectedly, the man swept her back into his arms, forcefully lifting her chin and delivering a punishing kiss. Zou Xiaoyan felt like she couldn't breathe again. With a hiss, Gao Can bit Zou Xiaoyan's upper lip. Zou Xiaoyan felt she could breathe again and quickly pushed Gao Can away, gasping for fresh air.

Seeing Zou Xiaoyan panting, Gao Can snorted coldly, then took out a small cuju ball from his sleeve and placed it in Zou Xiaoyan's hand. Zou Xiaoyan looked down and saw that this was the cuju ball she had specially made for her son. The dragonfly pattern on it was something she had added on herself.

"Don't touch my son! Lord Gao, I'll be a good boy. I promise I won't help Shi Niang and the others again when we go back to the football field. Please believe me this once, okay?" Zou Xiaoyan, afraid that Gao Can would threaten her with her son, excitedly grabbed the man's sleeve and promised. Gao Can glanced at the woman sideways, sighed softly, and comforted her, saying, "Little Swallow, no matter who wins or loses today's match, I will protect you. As long as you listen to me, I will absolutely not harm your son. I will even find him a good school so he can study and pass the imperial examinations in the future."

"I will be a good boy and listen to you, Master Gao," Zou Xiaoyan assured the man again.

"You'd better tell the truth, or I'll make sure you and your child die a horrible death!" Gao Can added a final, threatening remark to the woman. He never believed that women in brothels could be sincere, and he himself would never easily fall in love with a woman. His feelings for Lin Chong's first wife were an exception, and Du Shiniang was the second.