Chapter 139: Volume 2: The Sky of Nottingham: A Christmas Gift (Part 1)

Christmas is the most important festival of the year in the UK, so no matter how frugal everyone is usually, the whole family rushes into the shopping malls to buy a lot at this time. Every household must buy a Christmas tree, and prepare for Christmas for children and friends. Gift. At this time, the discounted products in the store are dazzling, making people dizzy and at a loss. British shops enter the peak spending season a month before Christmas, but the real climax comes just before Christmas Eve.

The sky darkened early in the afternoon, and there was still a drizzle in the sky. The weather forecast for this afternoon's temperature was only 8 degrees above zero, but this did not stop people's enthusiasm for shopping in the slightest. The shops in Nottingham's business district are brightly lit, and all shops have advertised discounts to attract more customers. When Tang En was walking on the street, he could often see people passing by with a full load. Seeing those people carrying packages that were almost half their height dangled through the crowd, I was really worried for them. He went from shop to shop, shop to mall, enjoying the festive spirit. This was his first Christmas in England! And this kind of atmosphere reminds him of the Chinese New Year involuntarily.

The cheers and laughter of strangers sounded around him, with excited smiles on their faces, carrying shopping bags of all sizes, walking past him in groups of three or three. No matter how many unhappy things in the past year, it will pass.

Unknowingly, he walked around for an hour, but his hands were still empty. Because he really didn't know what gifts to buy for Sophia and Wood.

Tang En was not very good at choosing gifts for people. If possible, he would rather give money directly.

Wood's football equipment is provided by the club, and there is no need for him to give a pair of sneakers to others. As for Sophia... Thinking of this name, Dunn didn't even know how he felt about that woman. The initial sympathy for the weak gradually faded, and another kind of emotion gradually formed in my heart.

In the end, Dunn chose a red woolen scarf for Sophia, but he didn't buy anything for Wood, because he already knew what gift to give.

After six o'clock in the afternoon, when the gold star on the top of the Christmas tree in the city center was lit, Randy James' black taxi pulled up in front of Wood's house. "We_Wish_You_A_Merry_Christmas" was playing on the radio in the car. Amidst the cheerful voices of children, Tang En took out three wrapped gifts from his arms and gave them to Randy's driver who had been with him for a year.

"Merry Christmas, Randy. Thank you for driving me around this year. Now take the car and go back to be with your family. This is a gift for you." Seeing Randy accepting the gift, Tang En opened it The door is about to get out of the car.

"Wait, Tony." Randy stopped him again, "I also prepared a copy for you... Uh, you are a coach, you must earn more than me, and I don't know what to give you, so I just Just a greeting card." He took out the card in the envelope and handed it to Tang En. "Merry Christmas, Tony. Have a nice evening. Call me again when you're getting home." He gestured for the phone and restarted the car.

Tang En watched Randy leave, then lowered his head and opened the folded card. As expected, there is also a passage above.

"Tony, thank you for not choosing to leave the forest in the summer. I know that you were very difficult at that time, and many teams were inviting you. In fact, I was very worried that you would leave, but for your personal consideration, I can't say anything. Well now you stay and are back. Two wins in a row! Bring us more wins, Tony! We love you! Merry Christmas!"

Tang En smiled and shook his head lightly. The British are always used to expressing emotions restrainedly, whether it is joy or sadness, it is no wonder that they are so fanatical about football, because only on the football field can they fully vent their inner emotions. Randy is such a typical British person.

He looked up and looked around the street, and there was the biggest difference from when he first came here—the slogan "Merry Christmas" was sprayed on the windows of every house, and a string of colored lights were hung on the walls of some houses, and there was a sign at the door. Wearing an inflatable snowman... No matter how hard or difficult life is in ordinary times, you must not be shabby during the holidays. Although this is a poor area of ​​Nottingham, the festive atmosphere is not lost to the bustling business district in the city center.

Tang En looked up at the windows of Wood's house. The curtains were drawn, and orange light leaked from them. Tang En thought of Sophia and Wood who lived here depended on each other, even on such a rainy night, it still made people feel warm.

Knocking on the door of Wood's house, Tang En saw George Wood with his sleeves rolled up. Obviously, he was helping his mother.

"Ah, I came just in time. Do you need help?" Tang En asked.

Wood nodded: "Need."

Sophia, who heard their conversation upstairs, said loudly: "No! Mr. Tang En, you can just sit and rest!" Hearing her panting voice, Tang En laughed, and also replied loudly: "Don't be brave , ma'am! I cook Chinese food for you, and I'm a new learner, haha!"

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After a lot of work, the three of them sat around the table until after eight o'clock in the evening to have this Christmas Eve dinner.

In the corner of the narrow living-dining-kitchen, there is a small Christmas tree in a pot, covered with colorful lights and greeting cards. Ribbons were also pulled diagonally from the ceiling, and an old-fashioned candlestick was placed in the center of the dining table, with white candles lit and inserted on it. Seeing a table of sumptuous meals, Tang En felt like a Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, where the whole family reunites happily... It's just that he and Wood are not a family.

Before the meal, Sophia went back to the bedroom to put on her best winter clothes, and retouched the makeup that had been lost because of the barbecue turkey. Her hair is no longer coiled up, but falls down her shoulders, black and shiny like a waterfall under the light. Tang En felt that this woman seemed to have regained her brilliance. Compared with the first time we met, Sophia seemed to be a different person now, and all the diseases in her body were driven away.

When Tang En saw Sophia's affectionate eyes and slightly shy smile in the candlelight, he thought he already knew what made Sophia change so much...

Sensing Sophia's fiery eyes, Tang En turned his head a little embarrassedly, just in time to see the gift he put under the Christmas tree when he entered the door. So he simply took the opportunity to get up and get the gift.

"Merry Christmas, ma'am. This is for you." He handed the wrapped scarf to Sophia.

"It's so beautiful... How did you know that I like red, Mr. Tang En?" Sophia unpacked, took out the red scarf from it, and exclaimed.

no? Such a coincidence? Tang En was a little taken aback. "Uh...sometimes, a man's intuition is quite accurate." That's all he could explain.

Sophia happily tied the scarf around her neck, and ran back to the bedroom to look in the mirror.

Taking advantage of this time, Tang En looked at Wood who was opposite, and Wood was also looking at him. No one spoke, and there was some embarrassment between the two... After a while, Wood finally said: "My mother also has a gift for you. If you don't want it, I won't forgive you." He lowered his voice, obviously not wanting the mother in the back room to hear.

Tang En smiled: "Of course I won't refuse, why should I refuse?"

Hearing what he said, a smile appeared on Wood's face.

"George, it seems that you are doing well in the youth team." Dunn cares about him by the way. "How many minutes per game does Coach Chris Lack give you now?"

"Just played the whole game." Wood replied.

"How do you think you're doing?"

"Very good." Not at all pretentious, there was no ups and downs in Wood's voice when he said this, as if this performance was taken for granted.

Tang En nodded and said nothing more. At this moment, Sophia came out of the bedroom, holding a box in her hand. The scarf around her neck was gone, and she obviously put it away carefully.

"This is a gift for you, Mr. Tang En. Merry Christmas to you too!"

"Thank you ma'am." Tang En took it and opened the box to see that it was also a scarf! But white.

"I saw that you didn't seem to have a scarf, so I made one myself. I didn't know how big it would be, so I took George as a model." Sophia turned her head and looked at her son with a light smile. "He thought it was me calling him at first? He even said no."

He gently caressed this hand-woven scarf without a store sale label, and he could feel the warmth just by putting his hand on it. In fact, it's not that he doesn't have a scarf, but he doesn't have the habit of wearing a scarf in winter. But maybe starting today, he has to develop this habit.

Seeing the somewhat embarrassed Wood, Tang En laughed. "George, I'm sorry I didn't bring you a gift today. When I come back from Norwich, you can find me in the office."

Wood nodded, but didn't ask anything. This made Dunn a little disappointed, and he planned to let Wood ask "why" before he revealed the answer to the mystery.

"Uh...the team will have two Carabao Cup semi-finals after the winter break, and we happen to be missing a midfielder. I plan to transfer you to the first team. If you perform well, stay and sign a new one." The contract... this time it's a first-team professional contract."

There was no expression on Wood's face yet, and Sophia next to her cried out in surprise first. "Is it true, Mr. Dunn?"

Tang En nodded: "Your son will soon become a real professional player, ma'am."

At this time, Wood finally understood what happened, and he looked at the smiling man opposite him with some surprise. Dunn liked Wood's expression very much, so he smiled and said, "Merry Christmas, George."

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