Zhuang Zedong, a legend in the Chinese table tennis world, when his life was about to come to an end, the last thing he could let go of was his Japanese wife Atsuko. With no health care and no salary, once he dies, how will Atsuko face the harsh life alone?
Zhuang Zedong, this name has an indelible mark on the history of Chinese table tennis. His life can be said to be the embodiment of legend. Zhuang Zedong was born into a scholarly family, and his grandfather was the richest man in the Far East, a Jewish Shanghai real estate tycoon Hartung. Hartung's estate is as high as $170 million, enough to worry about future generations of dealers. Zhuang Zedong has never been complacent because of his family's wealth, and he has chosen a completely different path in life.
Zhuang Zedong's childhood was not smooth, he was frail and sickly and was sent by his father to learn martial arts and table tennis to strengthen his physique. Unexpectedly, this decision completely changed his fate. Table tennis, a seemingly simple small ball sport, opened Zhuang Zedong's legendary life. At the age of 15, he won the men's singles championship of the Beijing Youth Table Tennis Competition, and at the age of 18, he was selected for the national youth team, and set a record of more than 100 consecutive victories in China, an amazing achievement that no one has been able to break so far.
Zhuang Zedong, who has made great achievements in sports, also has a rich emotional life. His first wife was the pianist Bao Huiqiao, and the union of the two was once known as the "Golden Boy and Jade Girl". The good times did not last long, but with the rapid development of Zhuang Zedong's career, there was a crack in the relationship between the two. Bao Huiqiao once vividly compared their relationship "like a small wooden boat, whirling in a whirlpool, although the whirlpool eventually spins out, but everything on the ship is not the same as before." ”
After the divorce, Zhuang Zedong's life fell into a trough, and he once lived alone in a small house of ten square meters, often reminiscing about the glory of the past. In order to make a living, he even had to leave Beijing and go to Shanxi to work as a table tennis coach. There, his monthly salary was only 70 yuan, and his life was extremely difficult. But Zhuang Zedong did not give up, he still insisted on contributing his strength in the field of table tennis.
It was during this low period that Zhuang Zedong met his second wife, Atsuko Sasaki, a Japanese woman. The encounter between Atsuko and Zhuang Zedong was completely arranged by fate. When the two first met, Atsuko was just visiting Zhuang Zedong's table tennis club as an ordinary traveler, but she developed a deep respect and curiosity for this once beautiful champion. Zhuang Zedong's sincerity and tenacity touched Atsuko, and the two quickly fell in love. Atsuko even gave up his nationality for Zhuang Zedong, and the two got married and began a transnational married life.
The marriage with Atsuko gave Zhuang Zedong a second spring. He said that Atsuko was the "everlasting light" of his later years, giving him light and hope in the darkest of times. Happy times are always short-lived. Zhuang Zedong's health began to deteriorate, and he knew that his days were numbered. In the last stage of his life, Zhuang Zedong's biggest worry was not about himself, but about his beloved wife Atsuko. Zhuang Zedong knows that without himself, Atsuko, who does not have medical insurance and stable income, will face great pressure in life.
In the last years of Zhuang Zedong's life, he decided to auction off his collection of 143 calligraphy works and leave all the proceeds to Atsuko as living expenses. These works are all masterpieces created by Zhuang Zedong over the years, and every stroke carries his love for art and dedication to life. Zhuang Zedong's move not only shows his deep love for his wife, but also reflects his adherence to family responsibilities.
Zhuang Zedong's calligraphy works attracted huge attention at the Chinese New Year auction of Rongbao in Beijing. People in the art and sports worlds have praised the veteran's work, praising Zhuang Zedong's calligraphy as powerful and beautiful as his table tennis skills. The auction eventually sold all the works, bringing Atsuko a considerable amount of money, which allowed Zhuang Zedong to finally feel a little more at ease in the last moments of his life.