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

The bank card issue was resolved, but Yan Yuan had another, more solemn matter to attend to during his return to his hometown.

"Second Uncle," Yan Yuan said, "could you take Weiwei and me to visit Grandpa and Great-Grandpa's graves? I want to kowtow and tell them that we're back."

Upon hearing this, Yan Zhendong's face immediately showed a look of relief.

"Good, good! Of course, of course! If your grandfather and great-grandfather knew that you, Yuanwa, are so accomplished and filial, they would be overjoyed! Come on, your second uncle will take you there!"

He turned and went inside, taking out the incense, candles, paper money, firecrackers, and a pot of wine that he always kept at home.

"Let's go, Yuanwa, Xiaolin, the grave isn't far, it's on the slope behind the village."

The three walked along a neat cement path toward the back of the village.

Farmland lined both sides of the road, with rolling loess plateaus in the distance. The sky was high and the clouds were light, making for a beautiful scene.

Before long, we arrived at a sunny, gentle slope.

This is clearly a family cemetery, with several graves arranged in a row. The surrounding area is clean and tidy, with almost no weeds, and the tombstones are wiped clean and clearly visible.

It's clear that Uncle Yan Zhendong has been taking good care of the child a lot.

Yan Zhendong pointed to two of the most neatly maintained graves side by side and said,

"Yuanwa, this is your grandfather's grave, and the one next to it is your great-grandfather's."

Yan Yuan stopped in his tracks, his expression instantly becoming solemn and dignified.

He gazed at the two graves covered in grass, their inscriptions clearly visible.

Yan Yuan's grandfather was named Yan Houde, and he passed away early.

Yan Yuan had never met his grandfather; he only had a vague impression of him in his father's occasional memories and old photos.

He was a tall man, whom my father described as very strict yet family-oriented.

And Great-Grandfather is a name from a distant time and space.

But at this moment, standing on this land where his family roots are buried, a sense of blood ties that transcends time and space weighed heavily on his heart.

Lin Jianwei also stopped smiling, stood quietly beside him, and gently took his hand.

Yan Yuan took the tools brought by his second uncle, including a brand-new sickle and a clean white towel.

He first carefully cleared away the few scattered weeds that had just sprouted on the grave mound, and then used a towel to meticulously wipe the tombstones of his grandfather and great-grandfather from top to bottom, carefully cleaning off the dust.

Yan Yuan's movements were serious and focused, and Lin Jianwei also stepped forward to help, arranging the apples and other offerings they had brought.

After the preparations were completed, Yan Zhendong lit incense and candles and stuck them in the soil in front of the grave.

Wisps of smoke rose and drifted slowly in the quiet air.

Yan Yuan took the thick stack of paper money handed to him by his second uncle, drew a circle with a twig in the open space in front of the grave, and then lit it.

Flames leaped up, burning the yellow paper.

Amidst the burning paper money and blue smoke.

Yan Yuan took two steps back, straightened his clothes, and then, with an extremely solemn expression, slowly and deeply knelt down in front of his grandfather's and great-grandfather's tombstones.

Seeing this, Lin Jianwei also knelt down beside Yan Yuan.

Yan Yuan bowed down and respectfully kowtowed three times.

When he raised his head, he solemnly said:

"Grandpa, Great-Grandpa, I am Yan Yuan. I am your eldest son and grandson, a child of Yan Zhen'an's family."

My father is in England, far away, and hasn't been able to come back to see you all these years. He's always been worried about you and feels very sorry for you. Today, he asked me to come back so he can kowtow to you on his behalf, burn paper money for you, and come to see you."

He paused, took a deep breath, and said.

"Grandpa, Great-Grandpa, don't worry. My parents are in England, and they're doing well. I'm doing well too. I haven't brought shame to the Yan family."

I'm playing football in England now, and I'm doing pretty well. I've won a few championships. People from the Yan family are always good wherever they go!

Then, he turned his head, looked affectionately at Lin Jianwei kneeling beside him, reached out and held her hand tightly, and continued speaking.

"Grandpa, Great-Grandpa, this is Lin Jianwei, my girlfriend, the person I've decided to spend my life with."

She's a very kind person, and she's good to me too. She specially came with me to see you all today. From now on, she'll be your granddaughter-in-law, your great-granddaughter-in-law. We'll definitely come to see you again next time we're back!

Lin Jianwei followed Yan Yuan's words and respectfully kowtowed, her voice gentle and clear.

"Grandpa, Great-Grandpa, my name is Lin Jianwei, and I am Yan Yuan's girlfriend. I will take good care of Yan Yuan in the future and we will be filial to our elders together. Please rest assured."

Standing to the side, Yan Zhendong watched this scene and listened to his nephew's heartfelt words. He couldn't help but wipe the corner of his eye with the back of his rough hand.

He stepped forward, knelt down beside Yan Yuan, kowtowed, and murmured something.

"Dad, Grandpa, did you hear that? Zhen'an's family is doing well, and Yuanwa has made something of himself! He even found such a loving and understanding wife! You can rest assured over there! I'll take care of things at home, and I'll come to see you often!"

The memorial ceremony was simple yet solemn.

The paper money burned out, and the incense and candles gradually burned out.

Yan Yuan and his second uncle lit another string of firecrackers, the crisp sound echoing across the hillside.

After doing all this, the three of them stood quietly in front of the grave for a while.

At this moment, Yan Yuan felt that his longing for his "roots" had finally found its place, making him feel more grounded and at peace.

……

The trip to Xi'an came to a successful conclusion, and Yan Yuan and Lin Jianwei boarded a plane to return to Hangzhou.

After a short and tiring journey, they returned to the Lin family home.

The next two days were a rare moment of leisure for them at the end of their holiday.

The young couple had no schedule to attend to, no visiting relatives or friends; they simply enjoyed the warmth of home and the sweetness of their time together.

They slept in together, helped Lin's mother prepare breakfast together, watched boring TV dramas in the living room to pass the time, or simply snuggled on the sofa. Lin Jianwei worked remotely, while Yan Yuan played a football manager game.

During this time, Yan's parents also made a video call.

On both sides of the screen, the four heads of the Yan and Lin families finally achieved a historic online meeting.

"Hello, Weiwei's parents!" Yan's father smiled broadly on the other end of the screen; his enthusiasm and joy were palpable even through the screen.

"Thank you so much for taking care of my rascal this time! I hope he didn't cause you any trouble when he got home!"

Lin's father laughed heartily.

"Dad, you're too kind. Don't mention it. We really like Xiao Yan! He's excellent, sensible, and polite. Weiwei is so lucky to be with him!"

Lin's mother also chimed in with a smile.

"Yes, Yan's parents, your Yan is truly exceptional, you've raised him so well. Weiwei can be a little temperamental sometimes, so we'll have to ask Yan to be more tolerant of her in the future."

Yan Ma responded gently.

"Weiwei's mom, you're too kind. I think Weiwei is really beautiful, sensible, and well-mannered. It's a blessing for the Yan family that my son was able to find Weiwei."

The parents praised each other's children, and the atmosphere was incredibly harmonious.

As they chatted, the conversation naturally turned to the future of their two children.

Yan's father's smile faded, and his tone became more serious.

"Dad and Mom, look how well the two children get along. We, as parents, see it all and are very happy."

My wife and I discussed whether it's time to officially start planning our two children's weddings.

Lin's father and mother exchanged a glance and both saw the agreement in each other's eyes.

Old Lin nodded.

"That's what we think too! Dad Yan and Mom Yan, what are your thoughts?"

"How about this?" Yan's father asked.

"For Xiao Yan, the new season is about to start, followed by the league, the Champions League, and national team matches. The schedule is packed, and the pressure is immense."

When this season ends, next summer, he'll have plenty of time, and he'll be exactly twenty years old.

"How about we hold their engagement ceremony first? Make it formal and grand. As for the wedding, we can postpone it until both kids are more settled in their studies and careers. What do you think?"

The proposal was unanimously approved by both sets of parents.

During the video call, the four parents chatted enthusiastically about their initial plans and schedule, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

Yan Yuan and Lin Jianwei listened from the side, smiled at each other, their fingers intertwined tightly under the screen.

……

Happy times always fly by, and Yan Yuan's vacation finally came to an end.

The day has come for me to return to the UK.

On the way to the airport, Lin's father drove himself, and Lin Jianwei's parents accompanied the young couple to the airport.

Lin's mother held her daughter's hand, giving her repeated instructions.

"Weiwei, when you get to England, you must take good care of yourself and Xiaoyan. He trains and competes hard, so please take good care of his diet and daily life. You are three years older than him, so you need to be considerate of him, okay?"

Lin Jianwei leaned on her mother's shoulder and nodded.

"Mom, I know, don't worry."

Lin Ma then turned to Yan Yuan.

"Xiao Yan, Weiwei might throw a little tantrum sometimes, so try to be more accommodating to her. In a relationship, mutual understanding and support are the most important things."

Yan Yuan nodded earnestly, looked at Lin Jianwei with gentle eyes, and then spoke to Lin's mother.

"Auntie, don't worry, I'll take good care of Weiwei. Actually, it's not just me being accommodating to her, as you said; we take care of each other. Abroad, she's my biggest support and comfort. We can't live without each other."

Yan Yuan responded to the elders' concern and once again expressed his love to Lin Jianwei, which made Lin's parents very happy.

At this moment,

Lin's father looked at Yan Yuan in the rearview mirror and laughed heartily.

"Xiao Yan, come back often when you have holidays in England! This is your home now. Let me know when you're coming back, and I'll pick you up. We can even play football together again!"

Yan Yuan replied with a smile.

"Of course, Uncle. Thank you so much for taking care of me these past few days, Uncle and Aunt. I'm sorry to have troubled you."

After arriving at the airport and going through the tedious check-in and boarding procedures, it was finally time to go through security and say goodbye.

Lin's father gave Yan Yuan a tight hug and patted his back.

"Good lad, play well, but don't overexert yourself, take care of your health! Keep in touch!"

"Oh! Thank you, Uncle! I will!" Yan Yuan hugged back tightly.

With tears in her eyes, Lin's mother hugged her daughter and then hugged Yan Yuan, her thousand words condensed into one sentence.

"You two children, you must take good care of yourselves."

"Dad, Mom, we're leaving now. Please take care of yourselves." Lin Jianwei couldn't help but hug her parents.

Finally, Yan Yuan took Lin Jianwei's hand and bowed deeply to Lin's parents.

"Uncle, Auntie, we're off now. We'll go home later."

"Okay, have a safe trip!" Mr. and Mrs. Lin waved and watched their two children walk hand in hand toward the international departure security checkpoint.

After passing through security, I walked to the corner.

Yan Yuan and Lin Jianwei turned around at the same time and saw Lin's parents still standing there, waving vigorously at them.

They waved vigorously, then turned and disappeared into the bustling crowd.

Board the flight to London, find your seat, and fasten your seatbelt.

Yan Yuan gently grasped Lin Jianwei's hand, their fingers intertwined.

"It's time to go back," Yan Yuan said softly.

"Mmm." Lin Jianwei leaned on his shoulder. "This holiday feels like a beautiful dream."

"It's not a dream," Yan Yuan turned his head and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"It's a new beginning, Weiwei. Let's get engaged after this season ends."

"Hehe, okay." Lin Jianwei's lips curled into a happy smile.

The massive aircraft engines roared to life as it taxied, accelerated, and soared proudly into the sky.

The young couple returned to London.