In the principal's office, Principal Tom left his desk and went to a small tea table to brew a new pot of tea.
Though his expression was solemn, his tea brewing skills were quite amateurish.
When he saw Mike and the two others enter, the old principal enthusiastically greeted them, "Come over and try this. This is a box of tea leaves I got from a friend."
Unlike the large, sweetened black tea cups Westerners were accustomed to, a set of exquisite tea ware, which looked very precious, was displayed on the table.
Among them, the small teacups were so tiny that their openings were barely wider than an adult's thumb.
After carefully pouring tea for the three, Principal Tom sat back down and motioned with his eyes for Mike and the others to taste the tea.
At the same time, the old principal's face held a hint of pride.
He looked like a child with a new toy, eager to show it off to his friends.
George, who was still confused, saw the principal's expression and curiously picked up the small teacup, drinking it in one gulp.
Then, he frowned.
To be honest, George preferred sweet black tea or coffee over the slightly bitter green tea.
"This tea isn't meant to be drunk like that; it needs to be sipped slowly…" Principal Tom got up to refill George's cup, while also explaining how to drink oriental tea.
However, George, full of questions, had no patience for tasting tea at the moment. He directly asked, "Principal Tom, is there something you needed me for today?"
Principal Tom, whose enjoyment had been interrupted, first shook his head, then smiled and said, "It's good news. Based on the school's extensive consideration, the school has decided to re-hire you as the head coach of the team."
"Are you serious?" The sudden happiness made George's brain short-circuit a bit.
The old principal smiled without speaking.
Once the news was confirmed, George instinctively picked up the teacup again and drank it in one gulp. After the bitter taste stimulated his taste buds, a slight sweetness emerged.
"Thank you, Tom." George, experiencing a bittersweet moment, was emotional: "I mean, I'm very willing to continue coaching the team."
"You should thank Mike…"
Principal Tom was very satisfied with George's reaction. Then he also nodded, acknowledging Mike's role in this matter.
Then, the old principal pulled out an employment contract from the nearby desk and continued, "The school will not mistreat any meritorious individuals. Given your performance last year, you deserve this contract with a weekly salary of one thousand us dollar."
Immediately, a brand new one was placed in front of George.
For a high school sports teacher, a salary of one thousand us dollar was already very high, almost comparable to the income of some middle-class families.
After carefully reading the contract, George, now calm, also understood the school's intention in offering such a high-paying contract, and he promised, "I will lead the team to achieve even better results."
"Very good, I look forward to your performance." Principal Tom seemed to have been waiting for George's words.
Having already decided to retire at the end of this year, he didn't mind offering George a high salary in order to gain more honors during his tenure.
Of course, George's high salary this time might also have been influenced by Principal Tom's desire to compensate him.
After settling things with George, the old principal turned his gaze to Coach Wayne, who looked uneasy.
"Coach Wayne, given your recent performance, the school has decided to reassign you to the assistant coach position. Do you have any objections to this?" At this moment, Principal Tom put away his smile.
"No, no…" Coach Wayne quickly shook his head.
He was aware of his own situation; being demoted to assistant coach was not the worst outcome.
And having just divorced his wife, he was now a single man with no family to support. The assistant coach's salary was enough for him to live comfortably.
"That's good. I hope you will cooperate well with George's work from now on…"
After dealing with Coach Wayne, Principal Tom continued to encourage the two coaches for a few more words.
At this point, the Medford Team, having found its "helmsman," set sail again today—
Mike, who had been drinking tea and watching the whole time, had already negotiated the terms with Principal Tom, so there was no need for him to talk much more here.
The reason he was called over this time was probably that Principal Tom wanted him to witness George's onboarding in person.
...
"Sorry, Wayne…" After leaving the principal's office, George, who had regained his head coach position, felt a little bad for his old colleague.
"No need to apologize, George. Not being the head coach actually makes me feel more relaxed…" This was the truth; Coach Wayne, who had no great ambition, genuinely felt more relaxed with someone else taking the lead and still getting paid.
"To celebrate your return to the team, shall we go for a drink?" Upon reaching the entrance of the teaching building, Wayne extended the invitation again.
"Next time, I'll treat you next time." Facing the warm outdoor sun, George, feeling reborn, wanted to share his good news with his family as soon as possible.
"Alright, I'll remember this drink. We'll get together when you're free…" Wayne didn't dwell on it too much. After waving his hand, he walked out of the school alone.
On the other side of the playing field, with the help of volunteers, the players didn't need to handle the cleanup.
Georgie and Aaron had already gone to the locker room to wash up and change back into their casual clothes.
"Mike, what did the principal call you guys for? Can you tell us now?" Georgie, who was burdened with childcare, asked curiously when he saw Mike and the other return.
"George, you should tell them." Mike gave the opportunity to share the good news to George.
"Uh, okay—" George, still feeling a bit unreal, regained his composure upon seeing his family and said with a smile, "I've become the head coach of the team again."
"Really? That's great!"
Georgie, who had always been proud of having a football coach dad, immediately cheered upon hearing the good news.
"That's great… George is the head coach…"
Missy, infected by the atmosphere, also ran around the field joyfully.
Among the three the Cooper family children, only Sheldon remained the calmest, but judging by the slight upward curve of his lips, he was clearly happy for his dad too.
"Congratulations, George!" Aaron, who had anticipated this, also smiled and offered his blessings.
Later, when George returned home, he saw his wife busy in the kitchen and went forward to hug her tightly.
"I'm still cooking, George…"
Mary, still holding the spatula, then felt her husband's unusual behavior and asked concernedly, "What happened?"
"I've become the head coach of the Medford Team again, with a weekly salary of one thousand us dollar…" George quietly shared his joy with his wife.
"That's great!"
That was one thousand us dollar! Mary's gasp came from the kitchen.
...
As afternoon arrived, to celebrate his return to the team, George dug out the long-unused grill, preparing to make Texas brisket for his family.
When Connie returned from her date with Dr. Sturgis, she saw the lively scene in the Cooper family yard.
"What's going on? Has something good happened that I don't know about?" Connie asked in surprise.
"It's George, he's become the football coach again…" Mary shared the good news with her mother.
"Fool's luck, indeed..." After understanding the cause of the matter, Connie mumbled softly, then happily joined the brisket feast.