After Paris Saint-Germain was removed from the list, I led England to victory!

On the morning of training day, Yan Yuan arrived at the Kearney training base early, as usual.

The locker room was still empty, with only the familiar smell of cleaning agents and turf.

He had just changed into his training clothes, put his backpack in the closet, and was doing some simple stretches when his phone rang.

When I took it out, I saw it was a message from my parents.

A photo popped up: the red signboard with gold lettering, "Yipinju," looked particularly festive and eye-catching in the morning light.

Below is a line of text: "Son, our restaurant officially opens today! It's located at the east end of Chinatown, easy to find. Bring your teammates to try it out sometime!"

Yan Yuan's lips unconsciously curled up, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

He knew that his parents had been working on this restaurant for several months, from choosing the location to decorating and adjusting the flavors of the dishes.

Having driven from Birmingham to London, their dream has now come true, and you can feel their excitement and pride even through the screen.

He immediately replied, "That's great! Congratulations, Mom and Dad! Let's do it today. I'll bring a few friends over to support you after training this afternoon."

Putting down his phone, Yan Yuan felt full of energy, and even the upcoming training seemed lighter.

On the training field, the pace remained as tight and intense as ever.

Wenger's demands remain stringent, and his teammates are giving their all.

Yan Yuan remained sharp in the scrimmage, with several beautiful passes and dribbling moves that drew nods of approval from the assistant coach on the sidelines.

During a break from training, while getting a drink of water, he nudged Bukayo Saka next to him: "Hey, Bukayo, free tonight? My family's new restaurant is opening today, want to take you guys to try some authentic Chinese food?"

Saka's eyes lit up; he'd always been very interested in food. "Really? That's so cool! Count me in!" he said softly.

But Ashraf, who was standing nearby, immediately leaned in and listened intently.

"New restaurant? Opening? Yan, are you treating? Take me with you!" His signature cheerful smile was incredibly infectious.

"Of course, everyone's going," Yan Yuan agreed with a smile. He then looked at Erdegaard, who was wiping his sweat, and Rhodes, who was drinking water.

"Martin, Rodri, are you free to hang out after training? My parents' restaurant is in Chinatown."

Odegaard gave a gentle smile.

"That sounds great! I've never had Chinese food before. Congratulations on your opening!"

Rodri nodded and said in Spanish-accented English, "Thank you for the invitation, Yan. I really hope to have the opportunity to try your family's food."

The training session ended around 4 p.m.

After showering and changing into casual clothes, several young men, including Saka, Ashraf, Odegaard, Rodri, and Yan Yuan, arrived.

The group of people squeezed into Yan Yuan's car amidst laughter and chatter, and headed towards Chinatown in central London.

The carriage was filled with the relaxed energy unique to young people and their curious discussions about unknown delicacies.

The car stopped in a parking lot near the somewhat crowded Chinatown.

After a short walk, the signboard of "Yipinju" comes into view, and several flower baskets celebrating the opening are placed at the entrance, exuding a festive atmosphere.

Pushing open the door, a rich and complex aroma of food wafts out: the scent of scallions, ginger, and garlic stir-frying, the savory richness of stewed meat, the spiciness of chili oil, and the aroma of steaming noodles.

This familiar and comforting taste lifted Yan Yuan's spirits.

The shop isn't particularly large, but it's clean and cozy, with mahogany tables and chairs, and several Chinese landscape paintings hanging on the walls.

It was just the beginning of dinner time, and several tables of guests were already seated.

Mr. Yan was greeting people behind the counter when he saw his son leading a group of tall young men in. He recognized them as his son's teammates, and his face immediately lit up with a smile.

Aunt Yan, wearing an apron, quickly came out from the kitchen to greet them.

"Dad! Mom! We're here!" Yan Yuan shouted in Chinese, then turned to his teammates and said in English, "These are my parents."

"Hello, Uncle and Aunt!" Saka and Ashraf said almost in unison, with the enthusiasm unique to young people.

Odegaard and Rodri smiled and said "Hello" in broken but sincere Chinese.

Looking at the group of energetic young people fighting alongside her son, especially seeing the relaxed and happy smile on her son's face, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out, revealing a joy that came from the bottom of her heart.

Father Yan busied himself, saying, "Please sit down, please sit down! It's a small place, please don't mind. Yan Yuan, quickly invite your friends to sit down!"

Yan Yuan, familiar with the place, led everyone to sit down at a large round table.

Yan's father handed over the menu, which was printed with beautiful pictures of the dishes and their names in both Chinese and English.

Yan Yuan took the menu and immediately became a "guide": "Guys, don't be shy, it's on me today. Let me recommend our signature dishes to you. I guarantee you've never tasted anything so authentic."

He pointed to the menu, reciting the dishes with great familiarity: "This one, 'Biang Biang Noodles,' wide pulled noodles, with hot oil poured over the chili powder, it smells incredibly delicious! This one, 'Chinese Hamburger,' a crispy baked bun filled with tender, fragrant stewed meat."

And this, 'Cold Skin Noodles', is icy cold and smooth, perfect for summer, mixed with chili oil and vinegar.

This is 'Rice Noodles,' available in soup or dry form, very flavorful. We also have dumplings, stir-fries… order whatever you like.

Looking at the pictures and listening to Yan Yuan's description, the teammates' eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Finally, everyone ordered a table full of dishes: oil-splashed noodles, roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), liangpi (cold skin noodles), and rice noodles (one serving each of soup and dry noodles), which Yan Yuan highly recommended. They also added a serving of potstickers and several stir-fried dishes.

While waiting for the food to be served, Yan Yuan poured tea for his teammates and chatted about interesting things that happened on the training field, creating a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere.

Soon, one steaming, fragrant dish after another was brought out by the waiters.

The visual and olfactory impact left several young European men in awe.

"My God, noodles can be this wide?" Saka pointed to the bowl of hot, spicy, wide noodles, drizzled with red oil and sauce.

"This Chinese-style burger looks delicious, and it really does taste great." Ashraf has a special fondness for roujiamo (Chinese hamburger).

Once it started, the scene became lively.

Saka picked up a wide noodle, slurped it into his mouth, and was immediately captivated by the complex flavors of chili, vinegar, and noodles. He gave a thumbs up as he ate.

"This is amazing! This flavor...it's so unique and satisfying!"

Saka can't handle spicy food very well, and sweat quickly beaded on his forehead, but he still couldn't resist eating one bite after another.

Ashraf fell in love with liangpi (cold skin noodles) at first sight.

He imitated Yan Yuan, mixing the cold noodles, gluten, cucumber shreds, and rich sauce (sesame paste, garlic water, chili oil, vinegar, etc.) together.

When the cool, smooth, sour, spicy, and rich sesame flavor exploded in his mouth, his eyes widened and he nodded repeatedly.

"This! Yan! This is amazing! It's icy cold, smooth, and the taste... is so delicious! I love this!" He ate it very quickly, finishing a large portion by himself.

Erdegaard picked up a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) and took a bite. The crispy, golden-brown outer shell of the roujiamo wrapped around tender, flavorful, and juicy braised pork.

The pure aroma of meat and the wheat fragrance of the steamed bun blended perfectly, and the satisfying texture made him fall in love with it instantly.

"This... 'roujiamo'?" He confirmed the name, then said confidently, "It's delicious! The meat is fragrant, and the bread is fragrant too. I like it." Erdegaard ate slowly, but the roujiamo was quickly devoured.

Rodri tried the dry-mixed rice noodles. The chewy rice noodles were wrapped in a rich meat sauce and toppings such as crushed peanuts and pickled vegetables. The taste was rich, salty, savory and slightly spicy, which suited his Spanish palate very well.

He nodded as he ate, saying, "The flavor is rich, unique, and delicious."

Watching his teammates eat with gusto and praise, especially seeing Ashraf's obsession with liangpi (cold skin noodles) and Odegaard's fondness for roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), Yan Yuan felt a surge of joy, even happier than if he had scored a goal himself.

Aunt Yan had been keeping a close eye on the situation. Seeing the young men wolfing down their food, the satisfied smiles on their faces, and her son getting along well with his friends, her smile never faded. Every now and then, she would come over and ask, "Is that enough? Would you like some more?"

That heartfelt joy and compassion filled the entire restaurant with a warm atmosphere.

The meal lasted for more than an hour, and the plates on the table were almost empty.

After the meal, Yan Yuan went to pay the bill. His parents naturally refused to accept it, but Yan Yuan insisted on paying, saying it was for good luck on the opening of the new store.

Yan Yuan saw his teammates off at the door. As they said goodbye, Ashraf was still reminiscing: "Yan, that cold noodle dish... I'll definitely come back to your place for it again sometime!"

Erdegaard smiled and said, "The roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) is really great. Yan, please thank your uncle and aunt for me."

Saka and Rodri thanked them again.

After seeing off his last teammate at the door, Yan Yuan returned to the store and sat down again.

"Dad, Mom, you must be exhausted. Sit down for a bit, I need to discuss something with you." Yan Yuan pulled over two chairs.

After his parents sat down, Yan Yuan spoke earnestly.

"Dad, Mom, I have an idea. I'd like to buy a bigger house near North London."

Aunt Yan asked doubtfully, "Isn't your place pretty good? Your apartment is nice, and it's close to the training base."

"It's nice," Yan Yuan nodded, "but I'd like to move to a detached house, preferably a small villa. Firstly, it'll be more spacious and comfortable. Secondly, I'll have some private space; it'll be convenient to spend some quiet time there, or to invite friends over. And also..."

He paused, looking at his parents.

"I also want to buy a house for you two."

"Buy it for us?" Mr. and Mrs. Yan were both stunned.

Aunt Yan quickly waved her hand, "No need, no need, we have a place to stay! The rented house in London is quite nice!"

"Dad, Mom," Yan Yuan said firmly, with an undeniable earnestness, "You've worked hard for most of your lives, supporting me as I played football, and working tirelessly for the restaurant. Now that I'm capable, I want you to live a more stable and comfortable life."

"Let's buy a house of your own in London. If you're settled, I'll be at ease too. Don't refuse, it's settled then, okay?"

He looked at his parents with expectation in his eyes.

Yan's father looked at his son and remained silent for a while.

He could feel the weight of his son's words and the profound filial piety he held for him.

He understood Yan Yuan's character; once he made a decision, it was difficult to change it.

Moreover, Yan Yuan was right; the elderly couple needed a stable place to live in London.

Moreover, their son is indeed wealthy now, and if they refuse, it would definitely disappoint the child.

He nodded emphatically, telling his wife not to refuse anymore, and patted Yan Yuan on the shoulder: "Good, I'm happy that my son has this intention. I agree to it."

Aunt Yan's eyes were a little red. She wanted to say something, but in the end she just smiled and sighed, "You child... alright, I'll listen to you."

Yan Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his face.

"Dad, you know this area well, so could you help me look at houses first? I'd mainly like to look at areas like Hertfordshire and Barnet in North London, somewhere nice and quiet, and not too far from the training ground by car. As for the house I'm buying for you, you can buy whichever one you like, as long as it's close to me or close to a restaurant."

"Okay! Leave it to Dad!" Dad readily agreed, full of enthusiasm. "I'll go take a look around in the next couple of days!"

……

For the next two days, Yan's father was really busy.

He made use of his relatively free time during the day, driving around almost all the nice areas of North London.

Armed with brochures from real estate agencies and introductions from former foreign trade clients, he visited properties one by one in North London, conducting on-site inspections.

When it comes to buying a house, Yan's father is quite professional. He used to have real estate agents among his clients, so he knows everything about it.

Yan's father not only considers the location, environment, and the age and layout of the house, but also pays special attention to the surrounding neighbors and community security.

He knew his son needed quiet and privacy, and a good resting environment, so he paid close attention and took many photos and videos on his phone.

On the afternoon of the third day, Yan Yuan had just finished training and walked out of the base gate when he saw his father's car parked on the side of the road.

Mr. Yan rolled down the car window, a smile on his face: "Son, get in the car, I'll show you a few places I think are nice!"

The father and son drove off.

As he drove, Yan's father recounted the stories with great familiarity:

"I looked at three places today, and I think they're all pretty good. The first one is in Barnet, it's a detached house with a large yard, the house looks new, and the renovation is nice."

The price is a bit high; the agent said it would be around £300 million. The second property is nearby, a little older, but bigger, with beautiful front and back gardens and a large terrace, priced around £200 million.

The third apartment is located further north in a newly developed community. The environment is excellent—quiet, with tight security, and the building itself is brand new and modern. Most importantly…”

Mr. Yan deliberately kept it a secret, saying, "It comes with its own backyard, which has a small soccer field covered with real grass. This house is said to have been built specifically for soccer players."

"Really?" Yan Yuan's eyes lit up; this was indeed an unexpected surprise.

Although the football field isn't big, it's still nice to be able to practice in your own backyard.

"Yes, but the price isn't low either, around £270 million," said Yan's father. "I also looked at a few other properties that would suit your mother and me. One of them isn't far from your second house, in a well-established community, and the house is quite large, with two floors and a small garden. It's about £180 million."

There's another apartment in the city center, closer to the restaurants, but I think the one with the garden is more comfortable. I showed the pictures to your mom, and she said she liked it too.

Yan Yuan felt a warm feeling in his heart as he listened to his father's introduction.

He knew his father must have worked very hard these past two days and had been watching very attentively.

They looked at the 300 million one first.

The house was indeed grand and luxurious, brand new and bright, with top-notch facilities.

Yan Yuan felt it was a bit too ostentatious, and since it was a bit far from the training base, traffic congestion during peak hours would be a problem.

Then I looked at the set that cost over 200 million.

The house has a slightly aged feel, but it's well-maintained and exudes a sense of calm and depth.

The front and back gardens are very beautiful, with shady trees and a wide view from the terrace.

Yan Yuan liked the quiet and greenery here, but he felt that some parts of the house's layout did not suit his lifestyle.

Finally, they arrived at the villa with the small soccer field.

The location is slightly north of the city center, but transportation is relatively convenient. Access to the community requires a gate, security is tight, and privacy is excellent. The house has a modern minimalist style with smooth lines and excellent natural light. The interior space is rationally laid out, open and airy.

What attracted Yan Yuan the most was, of course, the backyard.

Although it can't compare to the training field in size, a square, neatly trimmed real grass pitch lies there quietly, with simple goalposts next to it.

Yan Yuan stood on the grass in the backyard, feeling the softness of the grass under his feet, and took a deep breath of the air filled with the scent of grass.

For a fleeting moment, he could almost see himself here in the early morning or evening, juggling the ball and practicing free kicks alone.

This unique convenience and enjoyment is unmatched by other houses.

He also really liked the interior design of the house; it was simple, elegant, and made good use of the space.

"Dad, what do you think of this outfit?" Yan Yuan asked his father.

"I think it's a good idea," Yan's father said readily. "The house is new, has a good layout, and is bright and spacious. This sports field is the most practical for you, and the community is safe and quiet. 270 million is a bit expensive, but it's worth the price. It's more practical than the 300 million one and more comfortable than the 200 million modern one."

Yan Yuan nodded; he already knew the answer in his heart.

He liked the modern feel, the privacy, and the unique little stadium.

This feels like the "home" he wanted: comfortable, relaxed, and with a small, dedicated space for football.

"Let's go with this one!" Yan Yuan made the decision. "Thank you for running around to so many places these past two days, Dad. I'm very satisfied with this one."

"Okay, as long as you like it." Dad Yan smiled broadly; his son's satisfaction was more important than anything else.

"What do you and Mom think of that house with the garden that I showed you, the one that cost 180 million?" Yan Yuan asked.

"We looked at that set too, your mom said it's really good," Yan's father quickly said.

"Two floors, plenty of rooms, four bedrooms. If you have a partner or kids in the future, you can come and stay here too (Yan Yuan smiled helplessly upon hearing this). Your mother is always busy, and with the small garden, she can grow some flowers and plants. The location is also good, only about a 20-minute drive from here."

"Okay, then we'll do as Dad says. We can sign the contracts for both houses in the next couple of days." Yan Yuan indicated that he had no questions.

Over the next few days, with the assistance of professional lawyers and real estate agents, the home-buying process proceeded swiftly. Although the procedures were cumbersome, the process went smoothly.

Yan Yuan bought the £270 million modern villa with a private golf course.

At the same time, he did not hesitate to buy his parents their favorite cozy two-story house worth £180 million.

The moment all the documents were signed and the keys were handed over.

After training, Yan Yuan stood in the living room of his new home, with the huge floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lush green sports field.

He felt an unprecedented sense of peace and satisfaction.

This is not just a property, but a solid starting point for him and his family to settle down and start a new life in London.

This place holds his dream of playing on the green field, where he poured his sweat, and also his parents' peaceful and happy haven in their later years.

The meaning of home seems so clear and warm at this moment.