The Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021 came to an end, and Liu Shiwen, a 31-year-old outstanding athlete from China, embarked on the journey home, returned to the warm embrace of her hometown, and shared the rare joy of reunion with her parents who got along day and night.
Over the years, whether it is hardship or glory, her parents have always wholeheartedly supported her deep and persistent table tennis dream, and now, Liu Shiwen has stepped into a new stage of life that needs to take on family responsibilities and find a life partner.
Different from the warm moments of the past, this time, the parents' main concern has quietly changed, from the once keen to discuss Liu Shiwen's superb skills and superb performance in the ring, to the deep hope of when she will find her ideal partner.
Looking at the deep wrinkles on her parents' foreheads and the mottled white hair on her temples, Liu Shiwen's heart swelled with endless emotion. They are no longer as excited about their daughter's performance in the competition as they used to be, but are more focused on her personal life and happy future.
In the face of such changes, Liu Shiwen is also thinking about how to move forward in her next life. Dating back to 1991, Liu Shiwen, who was only four years old at that time, was first contacted and fell in love with table tennis under the enlightenment and guidance of her mother Wang Lifeng.
As a retired athlete, Wang Lifeng pinned her unrealized sports dream on her daughter. When she first learned to play, Liu Shiwen couldn't reach the table due to her lack of height, so her father Liu Shu cleverly used a few wooden planks to build a simple table, so that Liu Shiwen could stand on a high place and swing a racket to hit the ball.
Whenever they see their daughter concentrating on practicing serve, Liu Shu and Wang Lifeng will smile and sigh at their daughter's love for table tennis.
Under the careful guidance of her mother, Liu Shiwen's ball skills have improved rapidly. In 1995, the famous coach Zhang Jingqing saw the pearls, took a fancy to Liu Shiwen's talent, and took him into his disciples, and since then Liu Shiwen's career has begun.
In 2004, Liu Shiwen finally got her wish and joined the ranks of the national team. She stood out from many players of the same age and was highly valued and carefully cultivated by the national team.
For Liu Shiwen's parents, this is undoubtedly a great encouragement and pride.
In order to fully support their daughter's career development, Liu Shiwen's parents have made great sacrifices. His father, Liu Shu, resolutely resigned as factory director, and his mother, Wang Lifeng, also gave up her stable public position.
They began to devote themselves to their daughter's career without complaint.
Liu Shu chose to live near the training base, running and eating with his daughter every day, and strictly supervising her daily training. He found that Liu Shiwen's weakness was that her willpower was slightly weak, so he deliberately strengthened the sharpening of her endurance.
In order to inspire his daughter to climb the peak, Mr. Liu Shu has always enthusiastically discussed with her the emergency decision-making strategy in the competition. Deeply feeling that his daughter's achievements in the national table tennis team are among the forefront, Mr. Liu Shu is proud and full of joy.
In 2007, Liu Shiwen, who was only 16 years old at the time, defeated Li Xiaoxia, the first sister of women's table tennis and world champion at the time, in the final of the National Championships, and successfully topped the national championship, which was the first time she won this honor.
After the game, Liu Shiwen couldn't hide her excitement and immediately dialed her parents' phone. When Mr. Liu Shu heard the good news, he danced with excitement and announced the exciting news to his neighbors.
At the 2009 World Cup, 18-year-old Liu Shiwen once again performed a miracle, defeating Olympic champion Guo Yue in an unexpected way to win her first world title.
With this championship, Liu Shiwen became famous in one fell swoop and became the leader of the national table tennis team.
However, the good times didn't last long. During the 2010 World Table Tennis Championships, Liu Shiwen, as a rookie in the competition, lost two games in a row at a critical moment, causing the Chinese team to miss the magnificent glory of nine consecutive championships, which attracted strong condemnation from public opinion.
The crushing defeat almost brought Liu Shiwen, who was in the prime of her youth, into such a collapse that she did not even dare to mention the name "Moscow" again.
Fortunately, her father's timely appearance led her out of the trough with endless love and encouragement.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Liu Shiwen finally realized her dream of a team gold medal. In the Women's Singles, however, she struggled on the brink of defeat.
The thought of retiring often haunts her mind.
Fortunately, the arrival of the new coach Ma Lin has rekindled her fighting spirit. Liu Shiwen, who has been tempered, finally won the women's singles gold cup of the World Championships for the first time at the 2019 World Table Tennis Championships in Budapest.
At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, 31-year-old Liu Shiwen and her old partner Xu Xin teamed up again to compete for the mixed doubles crown. Despite their defeat to the Japanese pair, they still won the silver medal.
After the match, Liu Shiwen couldn't help but shed tears, feeling relieved for the hard work of herself and her partner, and also feeling deep regret for not being able to realize her dream of singles gold medal.
Looking back on her career, she has always been accompanied by the unwavering support of her parents and her own unremitting efforts, and finally reached the Olympic podium at the age of 31.
After the Tokyo Olympics, Liu Shiwen returned home, and her parents welcomed her back with affection. This time, the parents' main concern is no longer her competition and training, but her marriage.
"When will you be able to introduce us to a suitable partner?" was repeatedly asked by parents. In their opinion, 31-year-old Liu Shiwen has entered the best age for marriage.
For Liu Shiwen, she deeply understands and appreciates the care and expectations of her parents. After all, they are no longer young, and they are also looking forward to the day when their daughter will enter the marriage hall.
However, Liu Shiwen, who is devoting herself to the table tennis arena at the moment, knows that the marriage matter can be put aside for the time being, because she still loves training and competitions passionately, and more importantly, she firmly believes that she still has the strength and passion to pursue higher honors.
"I am eager to fight for another two years and go all out to compete in the next Olympic Games!" Liu Shiwen said firmly.
Between her parents' ardent expectations and her own dreams, Liu Shiwen fell into a dilemma. However, she resolutely decided to move forward bravely and firmly walk on the path of table tennis.
She hopes to show her parents the courage and tenacity that her daughter has shown in her unremitting struggle from the age of 18 to the age of 31.
It will undoubtedly take time to weigh and grasp, but Liu Shiwen firmly believes that she is capable of doing her best.
Back in the scorching summer of 2009, 18-year-old Liu Shiwen became famous with her outstanding performance, and since then, her name has frequently appeared in major media reports.
That year, she successfully defeated many table tennis veterans, won the World Cup women's singles championship, and became a rising star of the national table tennis team, as well as the most watched successor to the women's singles.
At that time, people were talking about this 18-year-old girl, who carried the expectations of countless people and was regarded as the hope for the future of Chinese women's table tennis.
Time flies, more than ten spring and autumn seasons have passed in a blink of an eye, and now Liu Shiwen is 31 years old. When she stood on the Olympic podium, she was no longer the young and immature girl she was back then.
The baptism of the years has made her face more and more mature, replaced by a calm and introverted temperament.
Although the "silver" on the commemorative medal cannot be compared with the glory of the year, it has witnessed her consistent hard work and perseverance for more than 10 years.
Since the moment she first held the racket at the age of 4, Liu Shiwen has formed a deep emotional bond with table tennis for 27 years. Although the glory of the former World War to fame has faded, she has never stopped moving forward.
She has gone through countless ups and downs, fought hard for victory, and struggled in the troughs. She has tasted the sweetness of the peak, and she has also experienced the pain of falling into the abyss.
And always by her side are the two parents who work hard for her and run around.
Their mentality has also changed over time, from the initial expectation that their daughter will create brilliance, to now only wish their daughter peace and happiness.
Whenever the wanderer returns home, the parents always hope that their daughter can get married as soon as possible. However, for Liu Shiwen, the journey of table tennis has not yet reached the end.
She will continue to pursue her dreams, whether it is a storm or a rainbow that awaits her.