Harden never dreamed that he would see his mother in a nightclub.
He, who was still indulging in the glamorous dance, was immediately frightened.
"Mom...Mom? Why are you here?"
Ms. Willis stepped forward and grabbed Harden's ear and said angrily: "You said you didn't play well tonight, so you went to the arena to practice more. Is this where you practiced?"
As a mother, Ms. Willis went to watch Harden's game tonight.
Harden did not perform well and told his mother that he would practice extra after the game, so Ms. Willis went home first.
Unexpectedly, mother knows her son best. She soon felt something was wrong. She went back to Staples Center to check and found that Harden had not stayed in the arena to practice.
Instead, Ricky Davis practiced three-point shooting in the gym, while Milicic and Bonner practiced mid-range shooting.
She even saw Curry, who had just undergone surgery, with a fixed collar tied to his ankle, standing still and practicing shooting to maintain his touch.
After asking around, Milicic said that Harden might have gone to Cat Nightclub with Mr. Smart.
Because Min Congda just sent a message to Milicic, asking him if he wanted to go to Cat for a drink.
Milicic wanted to go home to be with his daughter, but politely refused. After arriving in Los Angeles, he also planned to give up drinking.
After receiving the news, Ms. Willis immediately attacked Cat and blocked Min Congda in the private room. Now she has captured her son Harden.
Facing his mother's questioning, Harden couldn't argue, but it was really embarrassing to have his ears pulled by his mother in front of a large group of people.
He waved gently, opened Ms. Willis's hand, and walked straight out of the store.
This action shocked Ms. Willis. My son would resist me? Open my hand?
She chased Harden all the way, chattering to Harden, "James, is this how you treat basketball and me when you return to Los Angeles? You will resist now! You will push my hand away!"
Harden said impatiently: "Mom, there are so many people here, can you stop treating me like a child? I'm just like many adults, just relaxing. Don't be like this, I'm an adult."
"Yes, that's right, that's right. You are an adult now. You have millions of dollars a year, so you don't have to listen to your mother!"
Harden shook his head helplessly. He had listened to his mother's words since he was a child, but it was really embarrassing to have his ears pulled in public.
On the other side, Min Congda looked at the frightened Paul George and others and said, "Everyone, please go back. Paul, are you worried that your father will come to find you?"
George nodded and said, "I'm more afraid that my sister will come, so I'll leave first."
George and others went to the parking lot through the back door and drove away in a hurry.
Of course Min Congda couldn't leave. He wanted to stay and clean up the mess. How did he know that these young people would still be under the control of their parents?
But think about it, although they enter the professional league, step on the stage, and earn millions a year, they are actually young people in their early 20s.
At this age, people in China are still studying in school and cannot support themselves, so they must not be controlled by their parents.
Min Congda found Harden and Ms. Willis in the parking lot. The two got into an argument. Ms. Willis was already crying, while Harden was at a loss and didn't know how to comfort his mother.
Min Congda hurriedly stepped forward, handed Ms. Willis a tissue, and said: "Ms. Willis, I'm really sorry to bother you for making such a trip. This is just a simple relaxation. The whole team will play away games tomorrow. So I brought them here to take the pressure off of losing a little bit, and that was it. I would have done the same thing last season."
Ms. Willis wiped away her tears and said: "Last season? I don't think Stephen Curry would have done that. He continued to train in the gym even though his ankle was broken!"
Min Congda thought to himself, Curry is really a kid. If he can’t lie down properly after surgery on his ankle, how can he train?
Could it be that he betrayed me? No, I didn’t text him.
Min Congda explained: "Stephen has a girlfriend and his relationship is very stable. Of course he won't do this."
Ms. Willis looked at Harden, who said: "I don't have a girlfriend! I didn't want to fall in love when I was in school, and I don't want to fall in love now."
Ms. Willis said: "You didn't fall in love before so that you could concentrate on playing basketball, not to linger in a place like this! Do you know how difficult it was for me to raise you? Your health is not good, You were so fat and asthmatic at that time, until you started playing basketball..."
As she spoke, Ms. Willis' tears were about to fall again. Harden said helplessly: "Mom, okay, Mom, don't just use the past things as an example every time I make a small mistake. I said I've grown up."
Ms. Willis hurriedly said: "You also know that you made a mistake?"
"I……"
Min Congda knew that it was not an option to keep entangled like this, so he should let mother and son go home first.
"Ms. Willis, it's better to go back first. It's getting late. Harden has admitted his mistake and he will not make it again."
"Mr. Smart, do you admit your mistake?"
"Me? Of course I admit it. I was wrong. I will never bring him to a place like this again, I promise!"
After something like this happened, how could Min Congda dare to take Harden out to play again?
"Mr. Smart, it is said that you have a girlfriend and she is a movie star. But you are not bad. You just take them out to play and stay alone, so I believe you. If you are free tomorrow, come to my house as a guest , I want to talk to you."
"This...the team is going to Denver tomorrow, so..."
"When is the flight?"
"Uh... night flight."
"Let's have lunch together then."
Facing the invitation from Harden's mother, it was difficult for Min Congda to refuse, so he had to agree, otherwise he was afraid that Ms. Willis would come to visit.
After agreeing, Harden left with his mother. Looking at Harden's desperate eyes when he left, he probably would be scolded when he returned home.
Min Congda breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that it would be bad if there were too many young people on the team. Mom and dad were still in charge, so why did he feel like a high school teacher?
The next day, Min Congda kept the appointment on time and came to Harden's house in the suburbs of southwest Los Angeles.
Like many black NBA stars, Harden comes from a single-parent family and was raised by his mother.
When he was a boy, his family was poor and his mother worked several jobs to support him and his sister. Basketball was his way to change his destiny.
Before Harden was born, Ms. Willis suffered two consecutive miscarriages, so after giving birth to him, her mother called him "lucky."
As for his father, like many low-class black men, he only contributed a tadpole and then became a drug addict and was caught.
His father's absence naturally made his mother's status extremely important. After entering the NBA and getting his first salary, Harden immediately bought his mother a new house and moved out of the slums.
In response to Min Congda's arrival, Ms. Willis was busy all morning and prepared a sumptuous lunch for him.
This makes Min Congda feel very embarrassed. I dragged your son into the water, and you still treated him so warmly. In the future, there is really no way to lead Harden to fall. He can only think of other tricks.
Min Congda also met Harden's sister at the dinner table. It is said that he also has a half-brother who is a rugby player.
In such a caring family, Harden grew up relatively happily despite the lack of father's love, so he has a quite good character.
Ms. Willis was also very concerned about Min Congda's condition and asked him when he got married, if he had any children, and when he came to the United States.
They are no different from the Chinese aunts and aunts who care about the younger generation.
"Mr. Smart, where are your parents? Did they come to the United States with you?"
When asked about his parents, Min Congda was stunned and said, "Well, I don't have parents, I'm just one person."
Hearing what Min Congda said, Ms. Willis covered her mouth and exclaimed, and immediately said: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry Smart, poor child. Eat more. If you want to eat anything in the future, come to me and I will give it to you." You did it. What a poor kid."
(End of chapter)
