204 The past is still turbulent
◎If my mother were still alive...I would be so proud to see her success now.◎
After Los Angeles.
The Chinese team leads with a gold medal and firmly sits on the first place.
The Chinese table tennis team has made an indelible contribution to this.
Ren Xinhua was also able to successfully retire with honor.
After careful consideration, Ren Xinhua handed over the baton of the head coaching position to Xu Dong, and Shi Ge continued to serve as deputy head coach.
Because of his old age, Mr. Fo soon submitted his retirement report to the General Administration of Sports.
Gao Xiaofeng took over as head coach of the men's team.
Chang Hongxia took over as head coach of the women's team.
Shi Ge is four years younger than Fo Ye, so he probably won’t be leaving the job long.
Ren Xinhua, Xu Dong and Shi Ge have all explained everything.
After Shi Ge retired, Chang Hongxia took over as deputy head coach and Maomao became the head coach of the women's team.
Zhu Qi can actually play in one more Chaojing World Games.
After all, Ren Xinhua is the pillar and reassurance left to the national table tennis team.
If a young player can emerge in the next four years, Zhu Qi can join the mixed team in the next session. Even if he does not participate in the competition and provides off-court coaching, he can also improve the winning rate of the national table tennis team.
Daxiong has decided to retire, but he did not stay in the national team as a coach. Instead, he returned to the Bayi team as a coach.
Because in the last mixed group match in Los Angeles, Zhu Qi and Song Linzhou's one-second hug caused a sensation.
Everyone is speculating whether this pair, who have been called the "chosen mixed doubles" since the Tokyo World Games, have produced some kind of wonderful "spark" because of the competition.
But another piece of news came out even faster.
That was in the second month after the World Games, A Shui and Qin Xiaoba got their marriage certificate at the Civil Affairs Bureau.
That month.
All the newspapers were filled with congratulations to the "old couple".
Because the rumors had spread early on when they got engaged.
At that time, whenever Ah Shui and Qin Xiaoba went out to compete, reporters would ask if it was true.
Then the two of them just laughed "hehe" and "haha" to get away with it.
The reporter is so clever.
You will know what is going on as soon as you see the meaning.
After the registration and marriage certificate were confirmed, the national table tennis team received many flower baskets from fans, which almost filled the doorway of A Shui and Qin Xiaoba's room.
A Shui and Qin Xiaoba were actually not the first mixed doubles pair to register.
Russia's Pineapple Head and Little Snow just announced that their second child is one year old this year.
But for the Chinese team, it is a very rare happy event.
Because A Shui's grandparents are elderly, they are unable to travel such a long distance.
The old man couldn't come either. He gave up his position as head coach of the Bayi team two years ago. Now he is over 90 years old and is spending a few days of leisure time at home.
This age will definitely be considered a long life in twenty years.
So the newlyweds had no choice but to return to Beijing and visit the old man's home alone.
The banquet was booked in Shanghai. If we go to Jianghuai, there will be no ceremony, just invite a few neighbors for a meal.
A Shui asked Zhu Qi to be her bridesmaid, and the only bridesmaid.
As a result, Zhu Qi was in great trouble at the wedding.
Zhu Qi had been a bridesmaid for Xu Dong before, but at that time she basically followed the master of ceremonies' requirements step by step. Everything mainly revolved around Xu Dong and He Qianlu. Zhu Qi and A Shui were only responsible for helping Xu Dong hold up her skirt.
But when it comes to giving away diamond rings.
When Zhu Qi walked towards the two of them with the ring box.
A Shui and Qin Xiaoba stood in front of Zhu Qi, one on each side. They were crying so hard that they were out of breath and their hands were trembling when they spoke.
The emcee was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, and kept cueing the process.
"Ms. Fang Miao, are you willing to marry the man in front of you and make him your husband, staying with you for the rest of your life, regardless of poverty or illness?"
Ah Shui nodded while crying.
"Mr. Qin Shang, are you willing to marry the lady in front of you..."
Before the emcee finished speaking, Qin Xiaoba nodded while crying.
Zhu Qi couldn't stand it anymore and urged, "Put on the ring."
Qin Xiaoba raised his hand tremblingly and took the ring out of the ring box. Maybe because he was nervous or something, he actually put it on his hand.
"Wrong! Wrong! You idiot!" Zhu Qi cursed in a low voice.
Qin Xiaoba realized it later and quickly took it off, then took Ah Shui's hand and gestured on her index finger.
"Ring finger!" Zhu Qi cursed again.
"Which one is the ring finger?" Qin Xiaoba asked in a tearful voice.
You can't blame him for this.
First time getting married, no experience.
“…” Zhu Qi.
The whole audience burst into laughter, especially the coaches and teammates from the national table tennis team who came to attend the wedding, who were also cheering wildly.
"Oh! This is the first time my son is riding in a bridal sedan. Look how anxious you are!"
A Shui's mother's eyes were also red, and she burst into laughter at this scene.
The normal wedding went very smoothly.
At the last bouquet-throwing session, A Shui directly handed the bouquet to Zhu Qi, completely ignoring the emcee.
MC: This is the most difficult couple I have ever managed.
Ah Shui held the microphone and said to everyone, "I want to give this bouquet filled with blessings to my best friend! We have been inseparable since I first joined the national team. She is a world champion, a gold medalist, and the pillar of the national table tennis team. But to me, she is my best friend in this life! My good friend Baobao, thank you for appearing in my life, and thank you for being so outstanding and willing to be my friend. From now on, you, Mao Mao, and I will be friends for life! Although I am married now, you two are the most important to me. No matter where you go, you two must take me with you! Even after we die, the three of us must be buried together... woo woo woo..."
“…” Zhu Qi.
“…”The cats in the audience.
This is a heartfelt confession.
Those who don’t know might think that the groom in this wedding is not called Qin Shang, but Baobao and Maomao.
/
The wedding is over.
The new players in the men's table tennis are still in the training stage, while the young players in the women's table tennis are beginning to show signs of success.
These two people who have already fought will have to fight for another four years at least.
A Shui and Qin Xiaoba still have to continue preparing for the Chaojing World Games.
The Chinese national table tennis team gave the women's and men's singles champions a six-month vacation.
This is also the longest vacation ever given to a champion.
It may be that Xu Dong took into account that Song Linzhou was about to semi-retire, and Zhu Qi had a serious shoulder strain after the Los Angeles World Games and needed to rest before undergoing a minimally invasive surgery, so he simply let Zhu Qi rest until the end of next year's Spring Festival.
Qin Xiaoba and A Shui also have 50 days of wedding leave, which allows the second young couple of the national table tennis team to have a good honeymoon and then come back to continue playing in the competition.
After Hu Hai set up the table, Jiang Huai had to treat the neighbors to a meal.
So the young couple and their families rushed to Jianghuai Province together.
Because Maomao had to go back to coach the players, he had to return to Chaojing first and end his vacation.
But the promise Zhu Qi made before should now be fulfilled.
That is to invite Song Linzhou to his hometown.
/
The girl's family will temporarily stay in a hotel when they arrive in Jianghuai Province.
The people who came were Ah Shui, Ah Shui's mother, and several aunts and cousins from her mother's side, about seven family members in total.
Song Linzhou lived with them temporarily, which was some distance away from Xiaopeng Village, about twenty minutes by taxi.
Jianghuai Province is a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery.
Surrounded by mountains and rivers.
The air is moist but not damp, and the winter is cold but not dry.
Song Linzhou was originally Qin Xiaoba's best man, but this time he came to Jianghuai not to accompany Qin Xiaoba, but to——
In fact, the four adults in the Zhu family all had some similar thoughts in their minds.
But Zhu Qi didn't tell them on his own initiative, so they could only wait.
Wait for Zhu Qi's notification.
After all, the head of the family has changed, and the entire Zhu family has to listen to Zhu Qi.
My aunt and uncle started discussing this matter a long time ago.
An aunt and an aunt.
The two of them are half-mothers, and together they are equivalent to Zhu Qi's biological mother.
This kind of thing is definitely something to worry about.
But after Qin Xiaoba was sent back to the local team for falling in love, the four adults temporarily gave up this idea.
After all, Zhu Qi is still in the rising stage of his career, and he certainly cannot delay the competition because of such things.
But now all the games that need to be played are played.
I have received all the honors I deserve.
It is impossible for anyone to surpass the peak.
perhaps……
In fact, as early as when Zhu Qi won the Grand Slam and went to Jianghuai Province for surgery due to an ankle injury, many people chatted with his uncle and aunt.
The recreational activities in cities north of the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers are playing poker and chess. Every evening after work and dinner, the neighbors will sit under a tree and set up a chessboard. My uncle is a senior chess enthusiast.
My aunt also likes to sit nearby and watch, using a large palm-leaf fan to drive away mosquitoes.
Zhu Qi was recuperating at home while the adults were chatting outside.
At that time, Zhu Qi was only 21 years old and had not yet celebrated his 22nd birthday.
The neighbors all felt that the Grand Slam was the limit for a young man of this age.
If you retire right away, you can enjoy your future life and there is really no need to play games so hard.
There is actually a little boy practicing table tennis in Xiaopeng Village.
However, his strength is only at the provincial team level, and he has been in the provincial team for four years but has never been able to enter the national team. This year he is seventeen years old and is preparing to apply for a sports university.
The boy's mother envied the Zhu family's genes. She sighed whenever she thought of her own son: "Your Qiqi is now a rare talent, a national-level athlete with a Grand Slam record. In ancient times, that would have made him a high-ranking official. Your standards for finding a boyfriend should also be raised, right?"
My uncle was so proud that he didn't even notice that his position had been taken away. He shook his head and said, "Of course. Whether it's appearance or family background, she has to be the best."
The neighbors all sighed with emotion, who could have imagined that the little girl who was abused by her stepmother and biological father would have the status she has today?
An old man joked, "Just find one from the national team. I think those guys are all good, and since they're all on the same team, they have something to talk about."
My aunt also laughed: "Actually, her brother called us a while ago and said that there are many boys in the table tennis team who like her, but our daughter has high standards and doesn't like any of them. Actually, what her uncle just said is only part of the story. At the very least, her grades can't be too bad."
According to my aunt's wishes.
At least you have to start as a world champion.
Otherwise, how could he be worthy of the eldest daughter of the Zhu family?
The aunt whose son also plays table tennis joined in the fun: "Actually, I think the young man who is paired with Qiqi in mixed doubles is pretty good. He is very fair and pretty. My child told me at dinner last time that when he participated in the Chinese Games, he saw that young man helping Qiqi carry her bag. The two of them trained together."
My uncle quickly stopped the group's brainstorming: "The national team doesn't allow romance, they are just teammates."
But having said that.
But as a parent, a certain radar will occasionally flash.
They also often follow Zhu Qi's games.
In the early days, Zhu Qi played quite a few mixed doubles matches.
In the mixed doubles competition, Song Linzhou appeared the most frequently.
There is actually no concept of CP these days, but the four adults in the Zhu family did sit down and discuss it without telling their children.
In particular, they also visited a live competition at the Moscow World Games.
With two years of experience eating together, the four adults all agreed that Song Linzhou's look at Zhu Qi was not innocent.
This young man is very introverted. When he looks at Zhu Qi, his eyes will sink and his cheeks will turn slightly red. Only when Zhu Qi doesn't look at him will he release some of his little thoughts.
He is very tall, has fair skin and a handsome appearance.
When he sits there, he doesn't look like a sports student, but rather a bit bookish.
His aura changes the moment he grips the racket, his style of play quick and crisp, no dragging. The camera also likes to zoom in on his bony fingers, as he bends slightly to the right of the table, awaiting attack, standing behind Zhu Qi like a knight holding a long sword.
When he ran, he was full of unstoppable vigor and vitality.
When the two people catch the ball, it's like a moving painting, and it looks like a carefully crafted work of art.
The liberal arts students spend their time together in the library, under the sunshine, or in the jungle, watching the snow, the sky, and the stars.
The flashing of swords and the race against time among sports students all happened in an instant and were fierce.
Adults also often watch "Table Tennis World", which contains many individual interviews with players.
Among them was an interview with Song Linzhou, in which a reporter asked Song Linzhou why he still insisted on playing with a straight racket.
Song Linzhou's answer was: "I used to wonder if the ultimate destiny of straight-blade tennis was to be a sparring partner for others, but the encouragement of one person has always kept me on this path."
The reporter then asked, "Is this person a member of the national team?"
Song Linzhou: "Yes."
"Is he a team member?" the reporter asked again.
But Song Linzhou didn't answer. Instead, he smiled and said, "Yes."
In fact, under normal circumstances, it is usually the players' coaches who encourage the players, but this reporter was also smart and asked the players directly.
If Song Linzhou wanted to tell others who it was, he would have said the name directly when asked the first question. If he didn't say it, it would mean that it was a little secret.
So the reporter tactfully chose not to ask any further questions.
But at the end of the interview with Song Linzhou, the reporter hinted at something.
During the 1994 Tokyo World Games, Song Linzhou's penhold horizontal hitting was struggling. His partner recommended his provincial team coach, He Qianlu, to Tiantan East Road for specialized training. After three months of intensive training, Song Linzhou's horizontal hitting improved significantly, suggesting that penhold hitting might be a viable path forward.
The four adults of the Zhu family still had a very good impression of Song Linzhou.
Qin Xiaoba also contributed to this.
After all, Song Linzhou had been guiding Qin Xiaoba since he first joined the national team.
In front of his parents, Qin Xiaoba praised Song Linzhou like a flower.
After all, the four adults are adults after all.
They also know that they have to understand it themselves.
And most importantly, Zhu Qi himself must agree.
So when Song Linzhou came to Jianghuai Province this time, the four adults of the Zhu family were very happy and felt it was a good omen.
Zhu Qi didn't expect that he would receive a call from Song Linzhou just after waking up.
The boy first asked Zhu Qi on the phone if he had gotten up yet, and then followed up with, "Can I visit you at your house?"
"You want to come to my house?" Zhu Qi scratched his messy hair.
Actually, there are no plans for today. A Shui and Qin Xiaoba should accompany A Shui's family around.
She said, "Then... come on."
As soon as the phone was hung up, Zhu Qi wanted to go out and tell his uncle and aunt, but found out that they had gone out to buy breakfast.
Thinking that the hotel was some distance away from Xiaopeng Village, Zhu Qi went to wash up in the morning.
While biting his toothbrush and still half asleep, Zhu Qi heard his aunt groan in the yard and utter a classic polite remark: "Xiao Song, you said you would come, so why did you bring so many things?"
So fast?
Zhu Qi's hair was still tied back and there was a towel around his neck. He peeked into the yard and found that the boy was wearing a very refreshing milky blue denim jacket and carrying a bunch of large and small bags in his hands, and was walking into the house.
"I came here by taxi and took a shortcut. I should have told you in advance, but I'm too early." He smiled reservedly, with the shyness of a young girl getting into a sedan chair for the first time.
“…” Zhu Qi.
My uncle was also carrying Zhu Qi's breakfast, and he probably happened to meet him on his way out.
Those who take the initiative seize opportunities first.
When Song Linzhou called Zhu Qi, he was actually almost at the entrance of Xiaopeng Village.
"Not early, not early." Uncle sat in the main seat, smiling as he crossed his legs and looked Song Linzhou up and down. "Didn't you have breakfast? Qiqi probably hasn't woken up yet. I'll go get her. You two can eat together?"
Zhu Qi spat out the toothpaste in his mouth, wiped his face again, and walked out of the bathroom.
She was still wearing pajamas. Compared with Song Linzhou, who was dressed very formally as if he was getting married, Zhu Qi looked very relaxed.
Less than a minute after Song Linzhou arrived, Zhu Qi heard his aunt calling his aunt in the bedroom.
Less than five minutes.
My aunt and uncle came running over from the other end of the village.
The four adults surrounded Song Linzhou and started chatting with each other.
The main task was to check household registration, while Zhu Qi sat next to them and ate a bun.
Song Linzhou seemed to be well prepared. He was not at a disadvantage in the face of the siege of four adults and told them all about the situation in his family.
Zhu Qi looked at his uncle and the others and seemed to be more and more satisfied as they listened. In the end, he even invited Song Linzhou to have lunch.
Zhu Qi felt that he was sometimes slow to warm up, and many times he felt unable to say the words when they were on the tip of his tongue.
Since getting married, Qin Xiaoba has changed the way he calls A Shui.
From the old Fang, it has become a "baby".
Every time Zhu Qi saw Qin Xiaoba and A Shui being so affectionate with each other, words like "like" and "feeling good" were too hot for him to swallow.
She couldn't say it.
Maybe she needs some help to take that final step.
But my uncle and the others acted like... it was as if something had happened between Zhu Qi and Song Linzhou.
It just... hasn't developed to that stage yet.
While waiting for dinner, Zhu Qi called Song Linzhou out and said that they were just going for a stroll to avoid the four adults at home from having any more wild thoughts.
Song Linzhou seemed to be in a good mood, and he was jumping as he walked.
Zhu Qi seemed to be able to see his tail swaying behind him.
It really looks like an antelope.
Zhu Qi didn't know where to go, so he took Song Linzhou and walked all over the mountains and plains.
The geographical location of Xiaopeng Village is actually very good. Every household has a small piece of land, and many families have their own fruit trees on the mountain.
When Zhu Qi and Qin Xiaoba were young, they would go up the mountain to play and meet some neighbor aunts and uncles. They would pick some fruits for Zhu Qi to eat.
My aunt was in poor health and couldn't work in the fields, so in order to let Zhu Qi attend a special table tennis class, she simply sold the fields in her early years.
Six-year-old Zhu Qi ran through fields, hills, and stone bridges.
He followed them all.
There is also a billiard table placed in a small parking lot at the northernmost end of the village.
This was used by Zhu Qi's uncle to practice basketball when he was 7 years old.
The legs of the table were so loose that they couldn't be repaired, so the school planned to throw it away, and my uncle-in-law moved it here.
When the ball bounces on it, the table will shake.
After Zhu Qi became famous, the table was brought out again for people to visit.
Many adults would pull their children over before some exams and ask them to touch the pool table, saying that they were trying to get some of Zhu Qi's blessings.
In fact, people's destiny is in their own hands.
Many roads also need to be walked by oneself.
"Uncle and aunt seem to like me very much." Song Linzhou faced Zhu Qi and walked backwards out.
Zhu Qi pouted: "Yes."
She has never called anyone of the opposite sex home.
It's normal for my uncles to be so excited.
Song Linzhou slowed down his pace, leaned over slightly and whispered in her ear: "What about you?"
Zhu Qi paused, his heart beating fast.
She...
Zhu Qi didn't say anything, and he didn't know what his expression was, but it seemed that he couldn't control the corners of his mouth and gave Song Linzhou a good signal.
He reached out and held Zhu Qi's hand, which was chilled by the east wind.
Zhu Qi did not break free.
His palms were very hot, and the calluses on his palms were very thick, feeling a bit sandy when touched.
He held Zhu Qi's hand and blew gently on it.
This action is actually very common and can be seen in many TV dramas.
But for some reason, Zhu Qi inexplicably thought of her deceased mother.
In the few memories before the age of four.
Even before winter, her mother would hold her hand in hers and use her breath to warm Zhu Qi.
But my mother's hands were very skinny, with a thin layer of skin covering the bones.
If my mother were still alive... I wouldn't know how proud she would be to see what she has achieved now.
He rubbed Zhu Qi's fingers, then put them to his lips and kissed them gently.
Just like kissing your racket when winning the men's doubles championship, but with more affection and focus.
Later - the two walked along the river for a long time in the white snow.
It seems like I am reaching the end of my life.
【Author’s words】
The next chapter will be over!
Confirmed welfare extra:
【Descendants】√
【Chaojing World Games】√
【20 years later, the fan archaeology forum】√
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