Chapter 37 Going Abroad
As the Boeing 777 landed smoothly at Malpensa Airport, the sky outside the window was overcast. As the in-flight announcement played, passengers began to disembark in an orderly manner.
While in the cabin, it felt no different from being in China—at least most of the passengers were Chinese—but once you arrived at the terminal and the Chinese passengers dispersed to their destinations, the feeling of being in a foreign land washed over you.
"Little Wu Shi, are you alright? We still have two hours of driving time ahead," Martina said. Her home is in Formgine, Modena, about five or six kilometers from Maranello.
"Hmm, it's alright." (China) Wu Shi nodded.
"Are you still living in the same place as before?" Wu Zhenlin asked.
"Yes, what's wrong with little Louise? You don't seem very energetic." Martina nodded and patted her daughter on the back.
The little girl barely rested on the plane, so of course she was exhausted!
"I want to go back and rest." Louise rubbed her eyes.
The four of them walked out of the airport and got into a taxi that they had arranged in advance.
This wasn't Wu Shi's first time visiting Italy, but it was his first time here since 2007.
Perhaps because he lived in a big city, he wasn't surprised by these foreign cities. After all, big cities are all the same all over the world.
"I've already contacted the school for you. I'll take you and Louise to register tomorrow," Martina said after getting into the car.
"good."
Wu Shi nodded. As Aunt Martina switched to English, the sense of security that came with familiarity completely disappeared, replaced by a strange unease.
This is a feeling that people subconsciously experience when they arrive in an unfamiliar place; it can also be said to be a feeling that inevitably arises when leaving one's comfort zone.
Different people have different opinions on this feeling. Wu Shi believes that it makes him feel novel and expectant, but also makes him want to back down.
Watching the scenery flash by outside the window, I unknowingly arrived at Aunt Martina's house.
It's a simple apartment with a very minimalist interior.
Wu Zhenlin spent an afternoon tidying up Wu Shi's room and showing him around the surroundings.
"Son, I'll be going back home after I drop you off at school tomorrow," he said.
"Hmm." Wu Shi nodded, his mood somewhat somber.
"If anything happens, just call us. As for Martina, you can call her Mother or Auntie, it doesn't matter," Wu Zhenlin said.
Before arriving in Italia, Wu Zhenlin and Martina held a simple wedding ceremony in a local church, but due to issues with domestic procedures, they did not obtain a marriage certificate.
"Let's just call her Auntie, I'm used to it," Wu Shi said.
"Okay, your English is pretty good, so I'm not too worried. But the people here are different from those in China, so you'll have to figure out how to adapt on your own," Wu Zhenlin said.
"Yes, I know."
"Sending you to such a far place on your first trip abroad, to be honest, I didn't want you to live abroad at such a young age."
"But if the goal is to become a professional driver, this is the best choice," Wu Shi said.
There are many talented people in China, so why are so few of them making a name for themselves in international competitions?
On the one hand, motorsports are too expensive, and most people can't afford them. They may lose to life before they even have a chance to realize their talents.
On the other hand, the domestic racing environment is generally poor, making it difficult for most talented drivers to develop and thus hindering their rise to prominence.
Time flies, and Wu Zhenlin left the school that very night after enrolling the next day.
The students in the class were quite interested in the new foreigner, running over to ask him all sorts of questions. If it weren't for Louise "protecting her food" and running over to chase them away, Wu Shi would have been annoyed by this group of people.
"Wu Shi, you need to learn Italian quickly. I'll teach you," Louise said enthusiastically, worried that Wu Shi would be bullied because of the language barrier.
"Okay." Wu Shi nodded, understanding Louise's concerns, but he wasn't some band's fanboy who would slink back to China because of his poor foreign language skills.
He was more concerned about the upcoming weekend than what happened in class.
He learned from Aunt Martina that Sid's team was called Laya, and that they had a strong reputation in the karting world.
They've already arranged to meet at the Sarno karting track this Saturday for a short test drive.
After school, Wu Shi and Louise walked straight home, accompanied by Louise's best friend.
"Can he understand us?" the Italian friend asked.
"He can understand English, but not Italian," Louise said.
"Oh~ I've heard that Chinese people have long, narrow eyes and always like to smile with their mouths wide open, showing their teeth. It's ugly and unattractive," my best friend continued.
"That's a misunderstanding! Do you think he's ugly?" Louise retorted.
The best friend shook her head. It was precisely because she thought Wu Shi wasn't bad-looking, and was even somewhat handsome, that she came over to chat with Louise.
"I think his skin is really good. There are no freckles or redness. Although it's very fair, it feels like a warm-toned white," my best friend said.
"Yes, I just came back from China. Many people there are very fair-skinned, not like the sallow-looking people in the BBC photos," Louise explained.
"Oh, can he be my friend?" my best friend asked.
Louise, alert, whispered, "He can't speak Italian yet, so it's hard for you to communicate. Let's wait until he learns it before we start speaking it. Otherwise, there are some of their customs that you don't understand, and you might offend him."
"Oh, I see!" The little friend seemed to understand but not quite.
Wu Shi's eyelids twitched as he listened; Louise was quite the con artist!
If we're talking about things that are offensive or not, then Chinese people probably have the fewest taboos.
He can eat both sweet and savory tofu pudding, but can you, Louise, eat pineapple pizza?
The weekend arrived as scheduled, and as soon as school was over, Aunt Martina drove to the school to pick up the two of them and head straight to Sarno.
The drive from Formigine to Sarno takes a full six hours, mostly through the countryside.
"Mommy, will this happen every weekend from now on?" Louise asked.
"If Wu Shi successfully joins the Laya team, this is probably the only way," Martina said.
Wu Shi pursed his lips; this was a debt of gratitude.
The car sped along, but it was already late at night when they arrived in Sarno, and the three of them hastily checked into a hotel.
Early the next morning, Wu Shi arrived at the Sarno Karting Circuit.
This track is one of Italie's most important karting tracks. It has hosted rounds of the Europa Karting Championship, regional championships, and the WSK Series, which is still a few years away.
"Hello, welcome to Sarno," Sid greeted the group, holding a cup of coffee.
"Hello," Martina nodded.
"This is our boss, Mr. Raul Evans. If you're ready, would you like to test drive the car?" Sid said.
"Is he a foreigner?" Before Wu Shi could nod, Raul Evans suddenly spoke up.