My father, Hu Yu, was a professor of theory at a university in Beijing, and he was serious, well-mannered, and very strict with me.
I remember when I was 6 years old, my father transferred to Xi'an for work reasons and took me to live with me. I was a little uncomfortable with the dialect of Xi'an, and I had a lot of awkwardness when I first started elementary school.
My father always saw that I was doing my homework badly, so every day when I came home from school, he would carefully check my homework, and every time I said that I didn't give homework, it was a lie.
One day I took a quiz and got a zero score, and I was afraid that my father would scold me, so I pretended to be sick and didn't go to class. Unexpectedly, the teacher specially called home to ask, and I showed my feet.
I was moved to tears by his words, and this became the lesson I remember the most. Since then, I have never dared to lie or run away from the facts, and I have slowly learned how to face problems and think independently.
Looking back now, I have to thank my father for his harsh teachings, which made me more sensible and independent.
When I was in the fourth grade of primary school, the school organized a National Day poetry recitation competition. I wrote a little poem, but I didn't want to participate because I was shy. But my father encouraged me to keep my chest up and show myself.
Eventually, I mustered up the courage to participate in the competition, standing on the stage and reciting my creations in a loud voice. When it was announced that I had won the championship, I was so excited that I almost burst into tears.
This was a turning point for my self-confidence.
Many children may suffer from their parents' overly strict discipline, but I am grateful to my father for his rigorous parenting. Under his seemingly demanding requirements, I cultivated my independent personality.
That's why I've been able to pursue my dreams and make my career what I am today.
In the summer of 2001, after I finished the college entrance examination, I was encouraged by my father to apply for the broadcasting and hosting major of Beijing Broadcasting Institute. I never had the luxury of expecting to be accepted into such a top institution before the exam, but the result was unexpected, and I passed the exam in one fell swoop.
At the beginning of my enrollment, my classmates joked that I was a "fellow from Shaanxi", and I often felt stage fright because my oral expression in class was not very neat. But in the professional class of broadcasting and hosting, I am as smooth as a fish in water.
The teachers praised me for my sweet voice and gentle tone, which is very suitable for broadcasting-type work.
In my sophomore year, after hosting a few evening events on campus, I had the idea of becoming a CCTV host. At first it was an ethereal dream, and I never thought it could actually be realized.
In my junior year, I had the opportunity to Xi to a TV station in Beijing. In that short period of 3 months, I quickly opened my horizons and gained a deeper understanding of the work of this industry.
After inadvertently participating in and hosting several activities, the teachers in the station were full of praise for me.
In my senior year, I would have had the opportunity to go to graduate school to continue my studies. But when Beijing TV expressed its intention to train me to be their announcer, I resolutely gave up the opportunity to go to graduate school.
After graduating from university, I officially joined Beijing TV as a host. With my own hard work and talent, I soon became one of the youngest female anchors in the station, hosting many important current affairs programs.
After three years of working in Beijing, I was eager for the opportunity to be on the highest podium in China, CCTV. In 2007, I mustered all the courage to quit my stable job and participate in the host contest held by CCTV.
It was a very intense competition, and I faced strong opponents from all over the country, and I knew that I could only stand out if I gave it my all. In the end, I won the championship of this competition as one of the few female players and realized my wish to enter CCTV.
In the first year after joining CCTV, I was responsible for hosting a number of important current affairs programs, such as "Asia Today", "China News" and so on. The first time I stood in front of CCTV's iconic blue background wall, I was so excited that my hands and feet were cold.
Fortunately, I gradually found my form, and these shows have also received a warm response because of my hosting. The audience said that I was gentle and generous, smart and witty, and I was a model for the new generation of CCTV hosts.
There are also many star chasers who call me "the most beautiful anchor of CCTV". As a result, I ushered in the peak of my career during this period of time and became a first-line host in the station.
Despite the boom in my career, my private life was not as good as I could have been. My parents were extremely anxious about me, a "leftover girl", and kept urging me to get married and have children.
The pressure from my parents to urge marriage became more and more urgent, and I gradually realized that if I wanted to find a balance between career and family, I might need someone who could be entrusted with him for life.
On a Spring Festival night in 2014, I was invited to attend an alumni reunion at a university in Beijing. At the meeting, I happened to meet a veteran film director named Lu Chuan, who was once famous for directing anti-Japanese war films.
Lu Chuan is 12 years older than me, and he is humorous and knowledgeable, and I am gradually attracted by his personality in my chat. Before leaving that day, he offered to ask for my contact information.
After that, Lu Chuan often asked me out for outings or theaters, and the relationship between the two quickly warmed up. For the first time, I also experienced what it was like to be truly loved. However, this sudden love affair was soon strongly opposed by his father.
He thinks that the other party is not only too big in age, but also has the experience of a failed marriage, and is an irresponsible man.
At first, Lu Chuan and I also chose to separate for a period of time under these external pressures. During those days, I had a very hard time, I couldn't sleep at night, and I missed him all day long.
Maybe the power of true love is too strong, and in the end Lu Chuan returned to me. He worked hard to gain the approval of my parents through his sincerity, and the union of the two finally won blessings.
On the eve of the Spring Festival in 2015, Lu Chuan and I held a low-key and sweet wedding in a country church in the United States. After we got married, I moved in with him, and soon we had our first child.
Lu Chuan was busy with work, and I began to take care of the family on my own.
Maybe many people are not optimistic about the combination of me and Lu Chuan, which is "not a good match", and it seems a little unbelievable that a beautiful female anchor marries an ordinary middle-aged man.
But when two souls who truly love each other are together, the external conditions are no longer important, and the emotions that are sincerely given are eternal.
Women are pursuing happiness in their own way, some are fighting for their careers, some are giving in their families, and they all deserve to be understood and respected. When women are independent, they also crave a warm arm.
Choices and mistakes coexist on the road of life, and you don't have to be harsh on every decision.
Watching two innocent children frolicking in front of me, and in the past 8 years with Lu Chuan, we have also overcome many difficulties, and the happy moments are far more than painful.
He may not be perfect, but he is the best person in my life. Every couple who loves each other will have their own problems, but as long as they have the same heart, everything will eventually fall into place.
I will also tell my daughter that every girl's life is unique and that there is no need to distort herself for anyone's expectations. I hope they all have a bright future.
The most precious emotion in the world is the experience of being treated gently. This is also the life credo I want to convey the most.