Chapter 808 - 146: Trading Blows! Flash Spirit Strike! Wang Shuo Dependency! The Gate of Victory at San Siro! The Crazy North London Derby

While Arsenal fans were still reveling in the joy of their record-breaking 10-0 thrashing of Blackburn, they were also heavy-hearted over Henry’s impending departure. Amidst this bittersweet atmosphere, Shen Qinghe brought Wang Shuo a taste of home.

Homesickness was like a small plane ticket; he was on one side of Eurasia, while his family was on the other.

For Wang Shuo, homesickness was all about the food.

The deep-fried five-spice meat rolls smelled divine, their golden, crispy skins giving way to tender, juicy fillings. The deep-fried vinegar pork was even more exceptional. It required carefully selected cuts of premium pork belly—a small portion found on each pig—sliced into long strips and marinated with light soy sauce, sugar, and cooking wine. But the true secret lay in the special aromatic vinegar from Wang Shuo’s hometown. A little dash of that, coated in batter, and deep-fried until golden and crispy... eating it piping hot was absolute bliss. If dipped in his hometown’s sweet chili sauce, it was simply out of this world!

That was exactly how Wang Shuo was eating it now—a bite of vinegar pork, a bite of five-spice roll, all generously dipped in sweet chili sauce. He couldn’t be any more satisfied.

Shen Qinghe had brought the dishes out from the kitchen, then turned back to cook some Bianshi dumplings. When she returned, she found the two plates of freshly fried five-spice rolls and vinegar pork completely empty. Not a single crumb was left.

"Didn’t you say you were just going to... have a taste?"

Wang Shuo looked thoroughly satisfied, grinning from ear to ear. "Sorry, I couldn’t hold back."

"Your mother was right. If you keep eating like this, your body fat will definitely exceed the limit," Shen Qinghe said, looking exasperated. Yet, she was secretly overjoyed. Back in China, she had specifically sought out Wang Shuo’s mother and aunt to learn these recipes. She had brought this culinary skill all the way to London just so Wang Shuo could have a taste of home.

"Just indulging a little occasionally," Wang Shuo replied nonchalantly.

He couldn’t help it. The ingredients his mother had asked Shen Qinghe to bring over were all his favorites, things he had eaten since childhood and never tired of.

"Let me tell you, you definitely learned this vinegar pork recipe from my aunt. My mom’s version is never as good as hers."

Speaking of this, Wang Shuo suddenly felt a bit homesick. He didn’t usually feel it, but whenever he had some downtime, his mind tended to wander. Everything was going well at home; his parents, aunt, and uncle were all healthy. The changes in his hometown were growing more drastic with each passing year. Not only were there new roads, but rumor had it that the neighboring county was developing a tourist attraction, and a new highway would soon be built.

The county, the city, and the provincial capital were all undergoing tremendous transformations. What surprised Wang Shuo the most was that the properties his parents had bought back in the day had all appreciated in value.

Who would have thought? Who could have believed it?

At the thought of this, Wang Shuo’s heart truly wanted to fly back home.

Shen Qinghe guessed that he was missing home and smoothly changed the subject. Between the 24th and 25th rounds of the Premier League, there was a week-long gap. Arsenal had been given a day off, which was why Wang Shuo could eat at home today.

In the recently concluded 24th round of the league, Manchester City had beaten Fulham 3-0. Liverpool had drawn 0-0 with Tottenham Hotspur. But what surprised Wang Shuo the most was Chelsea’s 3-3 draw against Manchester United.

How could this match be described? Ferguson was an absolute madman!

He fielded almost the same lineup that had played against Arsenal—the midfield still featured Carrick and Giggs, with Ferdinand replacing Smalling at center-back. As a result, Chelsea quickly steamrolled them 3-0!

Everyone thought Manchester United was doomed to suffer another crushing defeat. But unexpectedly, the tables took a dramatic turn. Through continuous substitutions and tactical adjustments, Ferguson miraculously pulled three goals back. The match was not without controversy, as United’s first two goals were penalties, but it had to be said that Ferguson’s substitutions were nothing short of brilliant, completely transforming Manchester United’s performance.

No one knew what went through Ferguson’s mind, nor how exactly Manchester United adjusted their tactics. Regardless, he just made it happen. It felt almost like black magic.

After the 25th round of the Premier League on February 11, Arsenal would face the first leg of the Champions League round of 16—an away game against AC Milan. AC Milan had been performing exceptionally well in Serie A this season. They currently ranked second, trailing Juventus by just two points. More importantly, Allegri’s team was incredibly tenacious.

"I heard you helped Wilshere apply for an extended leave?" Shen Qinghe asked, slowly savoring Wang Shuo’s hometown Bianshi dumplings one spoonful at a time. In truth, they were very similar to wontons, just with a different name.

"Yeah. That kid had a son with his hairdresser girlfriend in late September, and he’s been recovering from his injury ever since. He didn’t even get to go out during Christmas, so I suggested he take a proper vacation."

"Is his injury serious?"

"He can walk normally, so there’s no major issue, but he can’t play football for now."

The injury was to his ankle, which made things quite tricky. Wang Shuo had helped him secure the long leave in the hopes that he could clear his mind, relax, and spend quality time with his family. That way, he could return fully committed to his rehabilitation and training.

"By the way, where are you heading later?" Shen Qinghe asked with concern.

"Back to Colney, I guess." Even though the team was on holiday, Wang Shuo wasn’t in the habit of taking days off. "I need to hit the gym today and burn off everything I just ate."

Shen Qinghe burst into laughter. "Why put yourself through that?"

"What about you?"

"I need to drop by the office first, then head to my company. I left a lot of things unresolved when I went back to China for the New Year."

The office she mentioned was in Hampstead, which served as the workplace for Wang Shuo’s management team. The company was her own personal shopping business, which had recently relocated to North London.

With their plans set, the two headed out the door together.