"Listen to yourself—am I really worth less than a donkey?"

The next day, a new car was driven home. Fang Qingye driving to work didn’t attract much attention; Nanxin County is located in central Jiangsu, and while not as affluent as the southern part of the province, it is still better off than many other regions. It was hardly a rare sight for a young person to buy a new car after starting a job.

However, after driving for two days, Fang Qingye lost interest in taking the car to work. The main reason was the lack of parking at his office. Arriving even a little late meant having to hunt for a spot on the street, which was a real hassle; it was much more convenient to ride his scooter.

That afternoon, just as he rode his scooter out of the office gate after work, his cell phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw it was Liu Dong, so he answered.

"Yezi, do you have time tonight? Want to play badminton?"

Fang Qingye was slightly surprised. "I'm free tonight. No overtime?"

Ever since Liu Dong had been seconded to the County Publicity Department, he rarely came out to hang out with them, spending every day either in the countryside or working overtime.

"How could I work overtime every day? Even a donkey on a production team needs a few days of rest, right?" Liu Dong replied over the phone.

Hearing this, Fang Qingye teased, "I heard from my dad that production team donkeys are actually quite valuable. Even though they can work hard, you can’t overwork them. Usually, they only work six to eight hours, and they have to be well-managed and fed good fodder..."

"Look at you, am I not even as good as a donkey?"

Fang Qingye laughed out loud. "Just kidding. I don't have anything going on tonight, but why the sudden urge to play badminton? You're no match for me."

"That’s why I’m looking to learn from you. Seven-thirty tonight, at the county stadium badminton hall."

"OK!"

In truth, Fang Qingye would have preferred to go to the Yikangyuan Sports and Leisure Center, located four kilometers southeast of the county seat, right next to Longyou Lake. It had many more recreational facilities—fishing, tennis, badminton, a tourist pavilion, tea art, chess, and card rooms—along with lodging and dining. The conditions were much better than the stadium, though naturally more expensive: the court fee was 35 yuan an hour compared to 15 at the stadium.

But since Liu Dong had suggested the stadium, Fang Qingye didn't object.

After dinner, Fang Qingye rested for a while. Seeing that it was almost time, he grabbed his badminton bag, which contained his racket, sportswear, and shoes, went downstairs, and rode his scooter straight to the stadium.

The county stadium was on the east side of town, near Nanxin No. 2 Middle School. It featured a standard 400-meter track, with various sports halls located alongside it.

Fang Qingye parked his scooter outside, shouldered his bag, and entered the badminton hall. It was quite busy; of the six courts, most were full, with only one remaining. He saw Liu Dong waving at him.

Liu Dong was of medium height, just under 1.75 meters, and wore glasses, giving him a scholarly look, which his sportswear did nothing to change. His skin was quite fair, almost like a girl's.

Fang Qingye was a bit darker by comparison, but he didn't care.

Fang Qingye went to the locker room to change into his red-and-yellow sportswear and athletic shorts, putting on his Yonex shoes. His racket was also a Yonex. He had bought this gear during his senior year of college and brought it back with him after graduation.

He walked to the court with his bag, stretched his limbs, and the two began to play.

Badminton was Fang Qingye's strongest sport, thanks to his mother, Zhang Meili. In her youth, she had been an avid player and reportedly represented the county in amateur municipal tournaments, even winning medals. Fang Qingye had learned from her as a child and later sought training from a sports school coach in middle school to prepare for the city-level student games, where he earned a silver medal.

Though his interest waned under the pressure of high school studies, he picked it back up in college, joining the campus club. While he couldn't compare to a professional, his skills were quite high for an amateur.

Liu Dong, by contrast, had clearly never received professional training. His grip, stance, court positioning, and serve were all problematic, to say nothing of his messy footwork and poor shot selection.

Since they were just friends having fun, Fang Qingye didn't feel the need to show off with powerful smashes. Sometimes, he even fed the shuttlecock to Liu Dong just to save him from having to chase it constantly.

But Liu Dong seemed somewhat dissatisfied.

"Hey, Yezi, has your skill level dropped? Put some effort into it!"

*Damn...*

Without a word, Fang Qingye seized an opportunity and launched a series of beautiful, jumping smashes, leaving Liu Dong scrambling and looking completely flustered. He couldn't return them—he simply couldn't.

Liu Dong wasn't annoyed; he wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a smile, "Impressive! Yezi, could you teach me?"

"Teach you? Your level is too amateur. You can't even serve properly, and you want me to teach you how to smash?!" Fang Qingye said bluntly.

"Then I'll start by learning the most basic serve!"

Fang Qingye was surprised. "What's gotten into you? I remember when I asked you to learn in middle school, you wouldn't. Now you want to?"

"Yes, I really do. I'll treat you to barbecue after we finish."

"Alright then. If you're going to learn, we start with the basics. Come here," Fang Qingye said.

When Liu Dong walked over, the two stood side by side. Fang Qingye looked at his grip and said, "Your grip is wrong. It should be like this: Forehand grip. Hold the racket with your left hand so the face is perpendicular to the ground. Open your right hand, place the web between your thumb and index finger against the inside of the racket frame, and let the hypothenar eminence of your palm rest against the end of the handle..."

Fang Qingye taught patiently, and Liu Dong listened intently, then began to practice as instructed. The two hours of exercise time just flew by; apart from the first ten minutes of play, the rest was spent with Fang Qingye teaching Liu Dong the most basic movements—gripping, serving, and footwork.

After they finished, they took showers, changed into clean clothes, packed their gear, and left the hall. They went to a nearby barbecue joint called "Fatty’s," ordered some skewers, and chatted while drinking beer.

"Yezi, do you have time tomorrow night? Teach me some more," Liu Dong said.

Fang Qingye, who had just picked up his beer mug, set it down and looked at him. "Something's not right."

"What's not right?"

"Why are you suddenly obsessed with badminton? And not working overtime?"

"Look at you, as if I'm just an overtime machine... look at me, I'm no good at any sport. I have to learn one, right?" Liu Dong replied, taking a sip of beer.

"No way, aren't you pretty good at ping-pong?" Fang Qingye asked.

"Ping-pong is out of fashion."

"Nonsense, ping-pong is the national sport, how could it be out of fashion? There must be another reason!" Fang Qingye didn't believe him for a second. Suddenly, he had a thought. "Did you get a girlfriend? Does she like badminton?!"

Liu Dong chuckled twice but didn't answer.

Fang Qingye persisted, urging him to speak.

"It is! What’s her name? Which department is she in? You don't have to hide things from your buddy, right? Tell me!"

To his surprise, Liu Dong said, "I'll be honest with you—I haven't found a girlfriend. It's our department head, Minister Wang, who likes playing badminton."