Chapter 2 The Future of the Next Generation of the Hall Family
It seems that Sanders is still somewhat apprehensive, fearing that unscrupulous individuals might come knocking at his door
In a previous life, he was just an ordinary person, with the only interest being football. Although Audric is only ten years old in terms of biological age, he is very resistant to the idea of attending school in a methodical manner.
Andrew did not know how many times he had counted the banknotes, and he interjected without raising his head
In this era of entertainment scarcity, Aldridge was full of energy at night; he could not sleep, and there was no video recorder at home. After pondering for a moment, he asked Sanders, "Do you hire people here?"
Before returning home, Barnett carried over 10,000 pounds, which certainly gave him a considerable boost in confidence
At this point, the teams that have advanced to the finals need not think too much; continue to support West Germany and Argentina
As the wine reached its peak, Barnett suddenly withdrew his smile, lying on the grass and gazing at the vast starry sky, letting out a slight sigh of melancholy.
Barnett's only mistake was Group F, believing that Portugal and England would advance without issue. In fact, Portugal won their opening match against England, and their prospects for advancement looked very promising. Who would have thought that in the end, they would lose two consecutive matches and return home?
After the group stage concluded, Barnett returned home with a hint of helplessness and handed Andrew one hundred forty pounds, which included the principal amount that Andrew had won.
Aldrich said calmly at the door: "It's Sander, isn't it? I am Aldrich. A month ago, I broke your window at night. I came specifically to apologize."
Andrew looked at the more than 200 pounds in his hand. After deducting the principal, he had already earned over 100 pounds, which was a remarkable achievement for a thirteen-year-old. He did not want to make a hasty decision.
Aldridge did not go home; instead, he arrived in front of the community's video rental store, which was already closed. He gently knocked on the door, and after a short while, the voice of a Black man named Sanders came from inside the store.
He only remembers the champion and the runner-up, and since Argentina did not face England in the quarter-finals, it indicates that England must have advanced.
Barnett gazed thoughtfully towards the west of London and said with a tone of longing, "Do you know who lives in West London?"
By the time the final day arrived, Barnett had already accumulated over 1,300 pounds, while Andrew had nearly 400 pounds in hand
East London is a mixed bag, and it is indeed true that Sanders closes early in the evening out of fear of incidents. Although Audridge is still a child, he is nonetheless a local from the nearby community. Arthur, despite being just a glass seller, is well-acquainted with the Hall family in the area. With Audridge helping out in the shop, it naturally adds an extra layer of security to the store
More than half a month has passed, and only now do Barnett and Andrew remember the lottery ticket that Aldrich placed for the championship and runner-up. Upon looking at it, isn't it just Argentina as the champion and West Germany as the runner-up?
In the bar, Audridge, along with his two brothers and the fans, returned home, yet found a glimmer of solace amidst their disappointment
After the conclusion of the quarter-finals, Barnett and Andrew were overjoyed, clearly having won money again
The rich
Aldrich fell into deep thought; West London is indeed affluent. However, in terms of professions, aside from the wealthy, a significant proportion of the population is engaged in a currently prestigious occupation: stockbrokers
Barnett appeared somewhat reluctant, stating that "Argentina may not necessarily win against England"
Aldridge was also generous, giving all 6,500 pounds to his elder brother. Seeing this, Andrew followed suit. As their elder brother was about to start a business, the brothers naturally offered their full support
At this moment, Aldridge suddenly realized: before the stock market crash next year, the current phase is indeed a time when the stock market is at its peak.
Aldrich said little, opened the drawer of his desk, took out a lottery ticket, waved it in his hand, and said: "At this moment, am I not supporting myself?"
Aldridge originally intended to leave after apologizing, but he inadvertently noticed a row of shelves displaying videotapes and walked over. The videotapes were unwrapped, with only a piece of white paper affixed to the side, on which the date and the names of two teams were written.
Although the family belongs to the working class, who wouldn't want to transition from blue-collar to white-collar if given the opportunity
In this vicinity, there are indeed a few scattered gangs. Although there are no large-scale criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking or smuggling, it is still common for them to extort protection fees from immigrants.
Andrew thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Alright, I will listen to you. I will go tell my elder brother"
Sand's gaze was always tinged with a hint of vigilance, but Aldrich reiterated that he was there to apologize, sincerely bowing as he did so, and Sand accepted it with composure
Aldrich remained silent for half a minute. Finally, he candidly shook his head and said: "No, but my parents and two older brothers are."
From then on, Aldridge attended school during the day and worked at Sanders in the evening. In his spare time, he watched game videotapes, and subtly, he began to form ideas about what kind of profession he would pursue in the future
Barnett shrugged indifferently and said: "It's just a pity that I only won less than 200 pounds"
Aldrich watched as his second brother dashed out of the bedroom like the wind, and murmured to himself: "What will I do in the future?"
Barnett stared blankly at Aldridge, seemingly emboldened by the verbal support from his younger brother, and planned to explain his aspirations to Arthur upon returning home
On the day of the England-Argentina match, Aldridge watched in a bar as fans condemned Maradona's shamelessness, and was left in shock by Maradona's miraculous solo effort against the English players, leading to a profound silence. England ultimately exited with a disappointing score of 1:2.
Andrew tirelessly counted the pounds in his hand over and over again, before the World Cup began, they had only 500 pounds saved by their elder brother over two years. Now, the three brothers had just over 10,000 pounds, and Andrew, like a money-obsessed person, flipped the bills back and forth with eyes that sparkled like crescent moons
Aldrich continued, "You close your doors quite early in the evening; you must be afraid something might happen, right? I have a suggestion: I can come work for you at night, and I won't ask for any pay, as long as you let me watch videotapes in the store for free."
In the end, Argentina won the World Cup with a score of 3:2 against West Germany, and Maradona ascended to the pantheon of greatness. Andrew and Barnett could not contain their excitement and shouted out loud. Under the astonished gazes of the patrons in the bar, the three brothers quickly fled the establishment
Andrew was much luckier; he only picked England to advance to the knockout stage. The night Portugal defeated England, he couldn't sleep well at all, which left his roommate, Aldridge, both amused and exasperated, and in turn, he comforted Andrew for the entire night
Who? Please come tomorrow to rent the videotape
After repeatedly confirming with Aldrich, Sanders agreed to his proposal
When they excitedly appeared before Aldridge to discuss the teams in the semifinals, Aldridge could only helplessly say: "Only West Germany and Argentina have a solid chance.
Andrew took the money and said to his elder brother with a smile, "Don't be discouraged, who would have thought that Portugal would go home?"
On a midsummer night in the eastern suburbs of London, the three Hall brothers sat on the grass, discussing the fruitful outcomes of the Mexico World Cup. With one hand holding beer bottles and the other grasping fried chicken, they excitedly stayed awake all night.
In the past two years, he has been assisting Arthur, specifically by providing on-site glass installation services for clients. This job, in any perspective, seems to lack significant prospects for the future
Aldrich smiled at his older brother and said, "If you want to do it, just go ahead; Mom and Dad should support you."
The Hall family essentially belongs to the working class, lacking in high culture and refinement. The community is a mix of various backgrounds, with people from all walks of life. Betting on sports, drinking alcohol, and occasionally getting into fights are all quite normal occurrences. As long as they do not engage in gang activities or become involved in illegal businesses, the adults do not reprimand the children.
Sander saw that only Aldridge was outside through the window in the store, so he cautiously opened the door and invited Aldridge into the shop
When Sander asked, "Are you a fan of Millwall?"
Aldridge retorted, "So what do you want to do?"
Clearly, these are the competition videotapes
As the Mexico World Cup progressed, Audric appeared distracted. His older brother returned home every day with a beaming smile, as the teams he had bet on were performing well. Andrew, even more so, would come home every day shouting in excitement about victories. Seeing the children's behavior, Arthur and Amelia understood that they were caught up in the World Cup frenzy and engaging in betting. The two parents did not reprimand them harshly; they merely advised them not to become overly immersed and not to dream of getting rich overnight.
Aldrich surveyed the video rental store, and having become accustomed to the dazzling array of options in later times, found this video rental store rather unremarkable
The two brothers from www.hetushu.com are indeed loyal to each other. Since this is the case, the three brothers will unite on the same front, and they also went to purchase tickets for Argentina and West Germany's advancement.
Although Andrew and Barnett won money, they could not feel happy; nothing is more disappointing than seeing the team you support being eliminated
Sander was taken aback and shook his head, saying: "I cannot afford it"
In contrast to Aldridge's relaxed demeanor while watching the finals at the bar, Andrew and Barnett were extremely tense, continuously drinking and cheering for Argentina, albeit only in their hearts, too afraid to voice their support. After all, there were other patrons in the bar, and who could forget that Argentina had eliminated England through dubious means
In the days that followed, Aldridge, apart from attending school, would go to the bar in the evenings with his two brothers to watch the games. Although he was averse to the chaos of the East London community, having become a part of it, he naturally accepted it.
Aldridge came to his senses and said helplessly: "The most reliable teams are three: Argentina, England, and West Germany. Don't guess about the other teams."
Aldrich noticed the unusual silence of his elder brother and approached him to ask, "Do you have something on your mind?"
Aldridge flipped through the videotapes one by one and casually chatted with Sanders about football
However, they helplessly discovered that before the start of the World Cup, the lottery ticket that Audric had bet on would yield a return of 65 times if successful. In other words, if Argentina were to lift the trophy, Audric would receive £6,500
With this sudden gain of more than two years' worth of savings in pounds, Barnett was unwilling to remain an inconspicuous worker, which is reasonable.
Barnett blocked his forehead with the back of his hand and said softly, "I don't want to continue being a construction worker"
Having won some money, Andrew wanted to win more. He ran into the bedroom and said to Audric, who was sitting at the desk in a daze, "Next, guess the top eight."