146 Riyadh Direct

◎As a friend, don't be too boundless.◎

For the Chinese national table tennis team, the entire year of 2001 was a successful one, with the Asian-level competitions in the first half of the year, the Table Tennis League in the middle of the year and the Riyadh Direct Tournament all completed successfully.

Zhu Qi and Maomao did not participate in many competitions, and basically they focused on individual events.

Maomao suffered a relapse of his waist injury during the Asian Championships at the beginning of the year. He was absent for half a month and returned to Beijing to treat his waist.

The women's team is missing a combatant, which means someone has to fill in.

Originally, Zhu Qi planned to play a few doubles, but the coaching staff arranged for Qin Xiaoba and A Shui to play mixed doubles.

After all, Qin Xiaoba and A Shui have been sparring partners with Zhu Qi and Song Linzhou for a long time, and have also played in several domestic competitions before. There is no problem with their tacit understanding, and they only need to make some adjustments in tactics.

It is not difficult to see that the coaches want to cultivate new mixed doubles combinations.

Zhu Qi didn't care, but what made her feel very strange was that... Ah Shui and Qin Xiaoba didn't like to bicker as much since she didn't know when.

When they first joined the national team, the coaching staff trained them to play mixed doubles.

But every time they played, they would argue over various trivial matters.

For example, when moving, you didn't keep up with the pace, when receiving the ball, you didn't lay the foundation for the next ball, when serving, you didn't serve the ball to the position the opponent wanted, and so on...

However, throughout the first half of the year, the two of them played more than a dozen mixed doubles matches together. Although there were still many problems with the details, the overall structure of the mixed doubles went very smoothly.

A Shui has been practicing right-handed ball for the past two years. In addition, he went to North Korea before and started practicing the "killer move" of turning the racket and hitting the ball at the same time under the guidance of North Korean coaches.

Her overall skills have also been gradually improving. Previously, being left-handed put her at a disadvantage in terms of technique and tactics when facing right-handed players. Now, she's made some adjustments and even won the Women's Singles title at the Asian Cup.

Qin Xiaoba also seemed to want to allow A Shui to fully utilize the advantage of holding the racket with both hands, so he did not deliberately leave the left half of the court to A Shui, and would give up the right half of the court from time to time to let A Shui perform.

When Zhu Qi and Maomao were discussing this, Maomao smiled and said, "Maybe it's because they're getting older. After all, they're both adults in their twenties now. How could they still be like fifteen or sixteen-year-old brats, fighting every time they see each other?"

Zhu Qi felt that what Maomao said made sense.

Maybe I've really matured.

More than half a year has passed since the incident in A Shui's family.

I heard that the police haven't found that scumbag dad yet, but A Shui's mother's computer mall has started operating normally.

Zhu Qi estimated that Ah Shui had been working so hard over the past six months to take on competitions, play in matches, and earn prize money, probably to allow his mother to continue her business.

Zhu Qi and Maomao felt very relieved.

When Maomao was unable to participate in the competition in the first half of the year due to a recurrence of his back injury, he also helped A Shui look at the draw rankings and the problems A Shui might encounter when facing his opponents.

Although sometimes Ah Shui still shows a sad expression when he thinks about things at home.

But as he played more and more competitions, his world ranking moved higher and higher, and he earned more and more prize money.

A Shui's condition is getting better and better, and he appears frequently on TV, making his presence felt.

Reporters from the sports channel also recognized A Shui.

Before, their impression of A Shui was that of a little girl following behind Zhu Qi and Maomao, and sometimes they had watched a few of A Shui's doubles matches.

Sen Qiaobei had previously described A Shui in "Table Tennis World", saying that although this little girl is left-handed, her lethality is no weaker than any right-handed athlete.

——When one of the companion stars is covered by dark clouds, people will find a shining pearl next to it.

Many domestic fans grew up watching Zhu Qi and Maomao, and so did A Shui.

When a person's condition changes, it is not only noticeable to those around him, but also to the coaches, and even the fans feel that the new generation of kids are beginning to emerge.

In fact, before the divorce, A Shui's mother didn't know much about the sport of table tennis. She sent A Shui to practice table tennis purely because A Shui was often sick when he was young, and his family happened to recommend that he practice sports, saying that it could enhance his physical fitness.

A Shui walked around the gymnasium of the Children's Palace and insisted on practicing table tennis, which is how he embarked on the path of sports.

Because she has been busy with business, A Shui's mother has no time to attend the competition, and even if she goes to watch the competition in person, she won't understand it.

But as Ah Shui began to shine in major competitions in the first half of the year, many business partners who were familiar with table tennis or were also table tennis enthusiasts began to discuss this with Ah Shui's mother: "Hey, your daughter is on the national team, right? She's quite good! I heard that being on the national team for more than two years is quite impressive. Your daughter even competed in the World Games last time. Didn't you know that?"

After many people said this, Ah Shui's mother suddenly felt that her daughter was indeed quite good at fighting...

Although A Shui himself said that he did not need too much care from his parents, in this regard, A Shui and Qin Xiaoba were exactly the opposite.

For A Shui, she doesn’t really care whether her family knows what awards she has won, what competitions she has played, or how her results are.

Because it's her own business.

Just like Ah Shui never asked how much money his parents' business could make every year or how much inheritance they could leave for him.

But after this incident at home, A Shui's mother also had time to do some of her own things.

A Shui's mother felt a little guilty when she thought about how her daughter had been in the team for such a long time but she had never watched a single game.

So when the team was playing in the direct tournament, A Shui's mother flew from Shanghai to Chaojing, holding a bag of snacks and fruits and standing at the gate of the management center waiting for her relatives to visit.

This was also the first time Zhu Qi had met A Shui's family in such a long time.

Zhu Qi was only 4 years old when his mother passed away. His impression of his mother lasted so long that he almost forgot what she looked like. Most of the time, he could only recall her through some old photos at home with blurred pixels.

The only remaining memory is that my mother was seriously ill and lying on the hospital bed, looking skinny and very old.

But A Shui's mother looks very young, although she has experienced a series of events such as her husband's betrayal and bankruptcy.

But A Shui's mother did not have a resentful temperament. Instead, she wore a very fashionable hip-wrapped dress, a goose yellow tie on her chest, and her hair was permed into fashionable curls. She greeted Zhu Qi and the others with a smile.

There are a few fine wrinkles between the eyebrows, but the skin is still smooth and rosy.

When she smiles, her eyes curve like Ah Shui's, like a crescent moon, full of friendliness.

A saying came to Zhu Qi's mind: time never defeats beauty.

"Mom! This is my best friend!" Ah Shui pulled Zhu Qi towards her mother. "Her name is Zhu Qi! But she's the youngest Grand Slam winner in our table tennis world! She competed in two World Games and won gold medals both times!"

A Shui's mother had heard on the phone that A Shui used all the best compliments in the world to describe Zhu Qi. Now that she saw Zhu Qi, A Shui's mother felt that she had met many different kinds of businessmen, but when she saw the young girl in front of her, she felt that she was not an ordinary person.

People who work in business have the most vicious eyes.

"Hello, Auntie." Zhu Qi stood in front of Auntie, his smile calm and modest. His tone of voice was neither humble nor overbearing, and his expression was unassuming. But he exuded a spirited energy that made him seem less imposing and powerful.

That was the momentum accumulated from fighting battles in the south and the north over the years.

A Shui's mother looked him up and down, saying "Oh my, oh my" but unable to utter a word.

"What a heroic girl! She looks so energetic."

A Shui's mother was very pleased, but she felt that her daughter was only one year younger than the other one, and her temperament was a step behind the other one.

If she hadn't divorced A Shui's father, A Shui would have become much calmer this year. Otherwise, she would still be a little rich girl from Shanghai who is ignorant of the sufferings of the world.

What surprised A Shui's mother even more was that Zhu Qi, at such a young age, had demonstrated emotional intelligence beyond his age.

Many people knew that such a big thing had happened in A Shui's family. Some wanted to come to help, some came to watch the fun, and they always liked to grab her and ask questions.

For example, why did she divorce you? When did the mistress have a child? How much money did the man take away? Do you have enough money left? And so on... Not only does it bring up the past and make her feel even more uncomfortable, but it also makes her feel like these people are just there to make fun of her.

But Zhu Qi didn't talk about this matter anymore. Instead, he asked whether A Shui's mother was used to living in the house that the national team awarded to A Shui, and whether she needed to buy anything.

A Shui's house is very close to He Qianlu and Xu Dong's homes. They are in the same residential area and can be reached in less than five minutes on foot.

"...If there's anything you're missing, just tell me and I'll go to our instructor Xu's house to get it." Zhu Qi joked.

He Qianlu and Xu Dong's home is like a small lounge for Zhu Qi. Every Sunday, Zhu Qi would visit and ask He Qianlu to cook for him.

Zhu Qi felt that if Ah Shui had any problems, he would definitely tell her. If he didn't tell her, it meant that she could handle it herself. Wouldn't it be like rubbing salt into her wounds to keep asking her questions?

As a friend, don't be too boundless.

At times like this, provide more emotional value, and when you are really needed, those who have money can contribute money, and those who have strength can contribute strength.

A Shui's mother only stayed in Chaojing for a month this time, mainly because she wanted to watch her daughter play in the direct tournament and consult a lawyer in Chaojing. The lawyer who was previously responsible for handling her divorce case and financial disputes was now too busy.

So A Shui's mother plans to hire two more lawyers, forming a legal team of three people to be fully responsible for her debt collection issues.

After all, lawyers work for a fee. The more lawyers there are, the more evenly the workload is distributed, and the higher the efficiency.

Zhu Qi thought it was okay. After all, it is better to spend money properly than not to spend money at all. He also guessed that A Shui had played so many games recently just to support his mother in defending her rights.

The mother and daughter are connected by heart, one earns money and the other eats, so how can they not be considered a family?

Does a family have to have a boy in it to be called a home?

Afterwards, A Shui's mother invited Zhu Qi and Maomao, and called a few players from the women's team who had a good relationship with her to have a meal together. At the dinner table, she expressed her wishes as an elder for the future lives of the younger generations.

Zhu Qi and Maomao were also very happy.

Seven or eight girls and A Shui's mother were in the private room, chatting and laughing in front of the steaming copper pot.

Watching Ah Shui and her mother hugging each other and joking with others, listening to Ah Shui's mother praising her daughter for being young and promising, and expressing high praise for Ah Shui's ability to support her own future... Zhu Qi felt a little emotional.

In fact, in this life, Zhu Qi was very satisfied with his childhood.

Both her uncle and aunt, as well as her aunt and uncle, were very kind to her.

It can be said that he treats his son as his own, better than many biological parents treat their own children, and he is particularly partial to Zhu Qi.

When Zhu Qi first came to his uncle's house as a child, he was also bothered by Qin Xiaoba, who was at the age where everyone disliked him, and Qin Xiaoba was the one who got beaten every time.

Later, Qin Xiaoba knew who was the boss in the family and became much more obedient.

But sometimes Zhu Qi still thinks...

if……

Her mother is still...

Seeing Zhu Qi like this now, I wonder if I would be happy for her.

/

The direct race went smoothly.

What Zhu Qi didn't expect was that A Shui performed very well in this direct-to-final competition, with a score only three points away from himself and Maomao.

The top three are still the three iron-blooded singles.

The next three people include two rising stars, Sasa and Youyou, plus a little bell.

But what worries the coaching staff is that the direct-to-qualifying tournament in this Riyadh cycle is almost the same as the direct-to-qualifying tournament in the Tokyo cycle.

The first three performed brilliantly, while the last three performed mediocrely. They only relied on luck to get a few more points and make it into the top six.

There seems to be a watershed between third and fourth place.

The next three people, based on the levels of Sasa, Youyou and Xiaolingdang, can only serve as sparring partners in this World Games.

If that's the case, Zhu Qi, Maomao and A Shui will have to complete the whole game.

"How is Maomao's back injury?" Ren Xinhua looked at the score of this competition and asked Master Fo with a frown.

"She's a little better, but she's still in the recovery stage. She has to wear a waist belt every day to train."

Ren Xinhua looked at the list and sighed.

It's that most troublesome time of the year again.

It's the list allocation.

"Zhu Qi's foot injury had surgery, and he's been pretty stable these past few years, but he's starting to get irritated with the increased competition..." Ren Xinhua wrote and drew on a piece of paper, finally stopping at Ah Shui's name. "Although Ah Shui has won a few good places, he's been a bit distracted by family matters, and he feels like he can't let go during competitions..."

As for the men's team...

Ren Xinhua wrote Qin Xiaoba and A Shui's names at the top, followed by Zhu Qi and Song Linzhou's names below, each with a different symbol drawn on it.

The Buddha didn't understand what these two symbols meant, but based on his understanding of Ren Xinhua.

The most likely plan is to pick one of these two mixed doubles pairs to compete in Riyadh.

Think about it.

In the end, Ren Xinhua did not tick any mixed doubles pair, but closed the notebook.

Ren Xinhua's keen intuition as a head coach made her feel like a branch had emerged from her heart, allowing her to detect that the atmosphere among these children had changed.

"Call over the absolute main players of the men's team."