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Zhang Sushang, completely unaware of the turmoil he had caused, lived his life as usual, studying, writing, skating, dancing, eating, sleeping… and if he felt unwell anywhere, he would ask Jiang Jinghu for a massage or apply a medicinal patch.
Under his enthusiastic promotion, many teachers and students acknowledged the effects of Jiang Jinghu’s traditional Chinese medicine. A while ago even Professor Yevgeny, the dean of the Faculty of Medicine, asked Jiang Jinghu to do moxibustion on his shoulder and was quite satisfied with the results.
Jiang Jinghu immediately became the next person among the four international students to escape poverty. Not only did he earn money, but he also followed Zhang Sushang’s example to donate a portion to Moscow every month.
As someone from the future, Zhang Sushang was very clear about one thing, that is, competitive sports inevitably cause damage to the human body. If physiotherapy wasn’t carried out in conjunction with high-intensity training, athletes’ bodies would be ruined. Therefore, after starting to teach Misha new jumps, he reminded him to go to regular physio sessions.
If Jiang Jinghu had the time, he went to Jiang Jinghu. If he didn’t, then Zhang Sushang would do it himself. Since he was the one in control of his training intensity, he had the obligation to consider Misha’s health.
Jiang Jinghu was a good person. Whenever Zhang Sushang asked him for a physio session he refused to charge money for it, and even gave him medicinal pills occasionally, saying that they were good for nourishing the body.
But no matter how many precautions someone took, it was impossible to prevent all accidents.
The biggest risk when training on the ice came not only from errors during jumps but also… collisions.
The speed at which top skaters moved on the ice could be quite shocking, with 20km/h being the norm. Having something go wrong if people collided at such a speed was to be expected.
So few artificial ice rinks existed that every ice athlete in the country converged here to train before the arrival of winter; despite the high price, there were more than a few people here. Misha accidentally crashed into a speed skater from the national team during a jump. The speed skater was fine, but Misha was sent to the hospital.
In St. Petersburg Central Hospital, Misha laid on the bed staring blankly at the ceiling as Luka argued with someone at the door.
“Yes, your Loskov is hurt, but he only sprained an ankle! He can still walk out of the hospital by himself, but look at Misha!”
The other person shouted back, “He’s right just because he was injured? Both of them are to blame! Misha didn’t look back to see if there was anyone in the way before he jumped, this is his mistake!”
Medical compensation depended on who was at fault. Although Misha was seriously injured, he had no right to ask for compensation from the other party if he was the cause of the accident.
This thing caused a lot of controversy and in the end, everyone unanimously decided to hand the issue over to their superiors for arbitration, though before that they fought first.
Zhang Sushang, leaning against the window sill and watching the two sides facing off downstairs, shouted, “Pale Emperor’s Holy Swords! Brandish your blades and follow me!”
Whoosh——
Grabbing an apple from a fruit basket next to the bed, he ate it while watching and laughing. Behind him, Misha asked, “Can I still skate?”
Zhang Sushang turned around in confusion. “Why can’t you skate?”
“I’m unlucky, having this happen just before the qualifiers,” Misha said sadly.
Russia held test matches before the season started, and only those with better skills would be arranged to participate in subsequent international competitions.
Zhang Sushang scratched his head. “It’s common for athletes to compete while being injured, and you haven’t broken any bones, there’s only some bruises and sprains.”
Competitive sports became more intense over time. Zhang Sushang had seen for himself people competing with nails in their spines, returning to the field just two months after a fracture, going to Worlds before recovering from a concussion they got in a car accident, and someone calmly fighting for the gold medal after receiving six steroid shots.1PSA: don’t do any of this
Having seen so many ruthless people, his attitude towards injuries was extraordinarily calm. Which athlete had never been injured? There were a whole bunch who went into battle while carrying injuries.
“But can I win against Luka like this?” Misha asked, still doubtful.
“Why do you think you can’t win?” Zhang Sushang asked back, also still confused.
“Because he’s mooched off so many of your lessons!”
It turned out that it was his fault. “Then why don’t I accompany you to the cometition,” he offered in embarrassment.
He had been a little hesitant on whether he should follow Misha this season — after all, this was the chaotic era before the advent of the nuclear age, he always felt that it was unsafe to travel far.
Misha looked at him. Figure skating was different from other sports in that athletes performed alone on the ice and only competed against themselves. Jumping techniques and artistry were all things that had to be honed elsewhere, and during the actual competition, the help that their coaches could provide wasn’t as much as that of the coaches of ball sports who had a hand in tactics.
But if it was Zhang Sushang, his presence would definitely put pressure on Luka.
So when Zhang Sushang received a request from China to write a Chinese version of Divine Detective Ilya, he was so busy that he could only regretfully refuse.
At first, Misha’s concept of the coach accompanying him was that everyone would go to the competition venue together, and as soon as Zhang Sushang sat down, his biggest domestic rival would tremble all over. However, Zhang Sushang’s perception was completely different from his.
Coaches weren’t just for teaching people how to train.
The next day, Zhang Sushang cheerfully showed him a folder. “Come on, I’ll take you to see the designs of your performance costumes, Giselle and I spent a long time on them. If you think they’re okay, we can start production.”
“Costumes?” Misha asked in bewilderment. “Isn’t it enough to wear a suit?”
These days, everyone wore formal clothes to compete, at most they would alter it to be easier to move in.
“What nonsense are you saying? Don’t you feel strange when you’re jumping in a suit?”
He opened the folder and took out a piece of black fabric.
“It took me a long time to find a fabric this light. Later it’ll be made into a vest to go over a shirt, then we’ll add something shiny like rhinestones to make musical note patterns on it.”
Misha, holding the drawing in his hands, was very attracted by this performance costume which was much more beautiful than any other. However, he hesitated after hearing what Zhang Sushang said. “Although rhinestones aren’t expensive, this design is too excessive, right?”
He forgot the environment he was in… Zhang Sushang sighed. “Then use white lace and threads? They’re all cloth, simple and proletarian enough for you?”
Only then did Misha agree, and then they discussed the music for his programs. The music itself had been selected, but they still needed to find a band to perform it so it could be recorded.
These days, there was no such thing as CDs. If a skater wanted to participate in a competition, they had to record their music on a vinyl record, or buy one with a shorter pre-recorded tune, then bring it with them to the venue. As a result, shorter songs that were short and suitable for dancing, such as Broadway music, were very popular among figure skaters.
Otherwise, why would it be said that figure skating was only for the rich? Even in the early 20th century, it wasn’t a sport that ordinary families could get involved in.
“As for the choreography, when Giselle noticed that you hadn’t gone to practice for a few days, she worried that you wouldn’t have enough time to learn it if you waited until your injuries healed, so I learned what she choreographed for you. I can demonstrate it whenever you have time.”
Misha had originally thought that many things would have to be put on pause to be dealt with after his recovery, but he didn’t expect that Zhang Sushang would arrange everything for him.
“Thank you, Chyushka. I don’t know what I would do without you,” he expressed gratefully.
“Don’t thank me too quickly, my services aren’t cheap.” He pulled out an abacus he had borrowed from Wu Yeming. “Giselle said her choreography fee doesn’t have discounts, you have to pay for the fabric yourself, and I found you a skilled but cheap tailor, but you have to pay up the deposit first…”
Zhang Sushang’s abacus click-clacked away then he reported a figure.
Misha felt pain lance through his heart. He spent more than twice as much on figure skating this year compared to last year.
Seeing him grit his teeth as he reached for his wallet, Zhang Sushang couldn’t help laughing. “Alright, stop making that expression. Believe me, as long as you can become famous, you’ll be able to make all your money back.”
“Chyushka, did you know? That’s how capitalists deceive labourers,” Misha sighed softly.
The corners of Zhang Sushang’s mouth twitched. “Okay, okay, I’m not a good proletariat, okay? Give me the money first.”
He left briskly after dealing with Misha. Unexpectedly, he met an acquaintance at the door, who was precisely the owner of the abacus he held.
Wu Yeming held a pair of ice skates in his hands, and beside him was a speed skating coach whom Zhang Sushang often saw at the ice rink.
When Zhang Sushang saw them, Wu Yeming was asking the coach, “Which ward is Yegor in?”
Yegor was the speed skater who collided with Misha.
When did Wu Yeming get to know this bunch? And the relationship seemed to be pretty good.
Zhang Sushang was full of curiosity.
“Wu Yeming!” he shouted.
Wu Yeming looked back in surprise. “Qiupu, why are you here? Are you feeling sick again?”
Zhang Sushang thought to himself that he was as strong as a bear, how did he give Wu Yeming the impression that he was weak and sickly?
Translator:
The translation of A Transmigrated Figure Skater Becomes an Author is officially dropped and free for others to pick up. In its place, I’ve picked up A World Dominated by Female Zergs by 狐生九影.
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- 1PSA: don’t do any of this
