Zhuang Biao's father, Zhuang Zedong
February 10, 2013 is the Spring Festival of the Chinese, a day of reunion. However, on this very day, Zhuang Zedong, a legend in the table tennis world, unfortunately passed away in Beijing You'an Hospital due to the deterioration of cancer.
In the ward, Zhuang Zedong's son Zhuang Biao gently covered his father's face with a snow-white sheet, looked at his father's body, and said to his father silently in his heart: "Dad, in your life, you are worthy of Atsuko's mother's four-word evaluation of your 'brilliant magnificence', and you have lived up to these four words." ”
On February 28, 2013, a strong wind blew in the city of Beijing. However, there was an endless stream of people who came to attend Mr. Zhuang Zedong's funeral. In addition to colleagues in the sports world, there are also many celebrities in the cultural world such as Zhao Zhongxiang, Pu Cunxin, Chen Luyu, Chen Zhe, etc., who all braved the biting cold wind to bid farewell to the hero who had won the men's singles championship of the World Table Tennis Championships three times in a row.
At the memorial service, Zhuang Biao said to the reporters who came to interview: "It is beyond the reach of ordinary people to do this in a person's life. I admire my father very much, he is a very good person, and he never complains. ”
In Shanghai in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a Jewish real estate tycoon, who was Hartung. Hartung was born in Baghdad in 1856 and later moved to Bombay with his parents and became a British citizen.
In 1872, he came to Shanghai alone and worked in a foreign firm. It was here that he became acquainted with Luo Jialing, a woman of mixed Chinese and French descent. At that time, under the rule of China's late Qing Dynasty, the nation suffered great suffering.
However, the British-born Hartung gained a foothold in Shanghai with his business experience and served as a director of the board of directors of the French Concession in Shanghai with his connections. It wasn't long before he became a director of the Shanghai Public Concession Bureau.
Hartung was well-connected, founded a foreign firm in 1901, and devoted itself to real estate with a keen business vision, successfully operating Nanjing Road, accounting for 44% of the real estate share that year.
Over the next three years, he built the largest private garden in Shanghai, covering hundreds of acres and even setting up a university in it. With the decline of the status of the Qing Dynasty, many powerful people poured into Shanghai, and the "Ten Mile Foreign Bank" prospered again.
Because of the early prediction of Shanghai's potential, Hartung successfully purchased today's Nanjing East Road, and as the place became Shanghai's commercial and financial center, Hartung successfully became the "richest man in the Far East", with countless wealth.
The Hartungs had no biological children, but adopted many orphans as adopted children, among which Luo Jialing adopted nine Chinese daughters, one of whom married Zhuang Zedong's father, so Hartung was also Zhuang Zedong's grandfather.
Zhuang Zedong became famous for the historical event of "a small ball prying a big ball", but his life did not rely on his grandfather's halo, but on his own efforts. In 1971, when Sino-US relations were still tense, the Chinese team participated in the World Table Tennis Championships at the invitation of Japan.
Cohen accidentally stopped the bus of the Chinese team because he missed the bus of the American team, and Zhuang Zedong took the initiative to communicate with him and give gifts out of the idea of "not neglecting the guests", and this unexpected exchange became the beginning of Sino-US table tennis diplomacy.
The arrival of the members of the Chinese table tennis team has attracted global attention. Because of China's prestige in table tennis, they were filmed by reporters waiting there as soon as they got out of the car.
This scene became a turning point in history and immediately made headlines in the world's major newspapers. This group photo has even become an important step in the "icebreaking" of Sino-US relations.
The two delegates who met by chance -- Harrison, deputy head of the US delegation and Song Zhong, deputy head of the Chinese delegation, because of this chance encounter, Harrison found Song Zhong and expressed his desire to visit China.
However, this decision is not within the power of the table tennis team. However, when the news came from Beijing that the invitation was agreed, it was already the last day of the World Table Tennis Championships.
Before that, the U.S. team was already planning to go home. However, the turning point came at this time. Cohen was particularly thrilled when the U.S. table tennis team was invited, and he thought it must have something to do with his encounter with the Chinese delegation on the bus.
Even, after accepting the invitation, the U.S. team held a special meeting to discuss whether it would really agree to the invitation.
During Team America's flight to China, team leader Jack Howard felt as if he had traveled to another world, as if he was on the moon. Cohen was even more ecstatic, he waved his hands when he entered the customs, and deliberately pinned a *** badge on his clothes.
Their initial nervousness quickly dissipated, and they climbed the Great Wall, toured the Summer Palace, and even went to Shanghai and Guangzhou. At that time, every action of the U.S. table tennis team was big news for the whole world.
In the spring season, ** personally met with all the members of the U.S. table tennis team in the Great Hall of the People.
Although Cohen failed to win any medals in the competition and did not represent the United States in any international competitions, that didn't stop his story from taking a major turn.
Because of that day, he met Zhuang Zedong and changed the trajectory of Zhuang Zedong's life. As a result, Zhuang Zedong is known as "the first person in the sports world to make great contributions to human peace".
In 1973, he was elected as a member of the 10th National Committee of the Communist Party of China, and in the following years, he was elected as the director of the National Sports Commission and a deputy to the Fourth National People's Congress.
And Zhuang Zedong himself has also had two marriages, the second of which is another attempt in Zhuang Zedong's life. His first wife was pianist Bao Huiqiao, and the two finally tied the knot after 8 years of long-distance love.
Their son Zhuang Biao and daughter Zhuang Lan are very fond of **.
Their relationship broke up in 1985, leading to their breakup. Then, he met a Japanese girl named Atsuko Sasaki. Atsuko Sasaki said she was born in Shenyang, China, and later spent some time in Harbin.
In 1949, her father wanted to stay and participate in the construction of New China, so the family lived in Zhangye, Gansu Province for many years. However, in 1962, her father died in Lanzhou.
So, in 1967, her mother returned to Japan with her and her family. After returning to Japan, Atsuko Sasaki was 23 years old, and she felt very uncomfortable with life in Japan, because she had always felt Chinese for all these years.
Before 1971, table tennis was not widely accepted around the world, but the arrival of the Chinese table tennis team brought Atsuko Sasaki a deep sense of belonging, just like a visit from a family member.
To express her passion, she took a train ride of more than 10 hours to Nagoya, despite the long distance. The Japanese host was amazed by Atsuko Sasaki's enthusiastic response and asked her who she wanted to meet, to which she replied firmly: "As long as it's the Chinese team, I want to see it." ”
However, due to the hectic nature of the competition, the athletes were unable to find time to meet her. So, she waited patiently for a week, came to Nagoya again, and finally met Zhuang Zedong.
Although the meeting was only a short ten minutes, Atsuko Sasaki's excitement was palpable, and although he forgot to bring a gift, the conversation between the two was unusually pleasant.
A year later, Zhuang Zedong represented China again, this time Atsuko Sasaki was working for a Japanese trading company and was in charge of ticket sales, so the two old acquaintances had the opportunity to meet again.
It has been 13 years since the separation in 1972. Although Atsuko Sasaki has been following Zhuang Zedong's news, she can only occasionally see his news in the newspaper.
While working in Beijing, Atsuko Sasaki happened to hear that Zhuang Zedong was working as a coach at the Children's Palace in Beijing, and they became acquainted with table tennis. However, Zhuang Zedong's life was not easy, he and his mother were crowded in the ancestral courtyard, but because of his former table tennis world champion, he found a job teaching children to play table tennis in the Children's Palace.
When Atsuko Sasaki's brother came to China on a business trip, he took her to Zhuang Zedong and told Zhuang Zedong: "My sister likes you very much. This fate contributed to the relationship between the two, and although it was not easy for Chinese and foreigners to get married at the time, they decided to work hard for love.
So, they wrote to Mr. *** three times, hoping to get a blessing so that their love could be continued.
When they were disheartened, the good news came like a spring breeze: "I agree that you will enter the palace of marriage, but Atsuko Sasaki needs to voluntarily become a Chinese citizen." ”
Atsuko Sasaki was ecstatic at the news, as she had always cherished the dream of becoming a Chinese citizen. So, on December 19, 1985, they tied the knot, and Zhuang Zedong gave his lover a Chinese name: Mengying.
Atsuko Sasaki still remembers the first time she met Zhuang Zedong, and she begged Zhuang Zedong to give her a national emblem, because the badge symbolized China, and she missed her motherland deeply.
Zhuang Zedong said eagerly at that time: "No, I still have to wear it to the competition." When the two got married, Atsuko Sasaki was already Chinese, so Zhuang Zedong gave her the badge.
Atsuko Sasaki, who originally worked in Japan, gave up a lucrative position for love, became a housewife in an alley, and lived an ordinary life, although this life is simple and ordinary, but the relationship between the two is deep, no matter the wind or rain, it is always the same.
Zhuang Zedong was plagued by illness in his later years, and after 20 surgeries, seven-eighths of his liver had been eroded by cancer cells, and his weight dropped from 75 kilograms to 62 kilograms. However, he did not give up and fought the disease with determination.
Even on his birthday on August 7, he still cut the birthday cake at home, expressing his love for life and indomitable spirit.
"Today is not a birthday, it is the anniversary of my first surgery after suffering from cancer," he said. Zhuang Zedong's body has been tempered for many years. As early as 2006, he already felt unwell, because of blood and diarrhea in the stool, he went from hemorrhoids to a diagnosis of rectal cancer, during the two years of **, he never put down his work and took medicine to participate in the Olympic volunteers.
Over the years, he has traveled to Shenyang, Dalian, Changchun, Guizhou and other places, firmly conveying the belief of "walking with the Olympic Games". In 2008, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, but he never gave up** and actively fought against it with a combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine, saying: "No matter how long the cancer is, we must do our best**."
Since then, his surgery has been extended from Beijing to Shanghai, and he has gone through more than 20 difficult journeys, but he has always been courageous.
In his difficult life in his later years, he always exuded a tenacious spirit. From August 31 to October 26, 2012, in just two months, he underwent four surgeries and successfully removed 11 egg-sized tumors.
Even though life is difficult and his wife's pension is meager, he raised more than 60 yuan for natural disasters such as the ice and snow disaster in Guangdong and Wenchuan ** by auctioning his calligraphy works.
In 2011, the National Art Museum of China held a calligraphy exhibition entitled "The Motherland in My Heart", and he gave more than 200 speeches to share his life insights. Even though he is in his old age, retirement life has made it even more exciting.
This is the real Zhuang Zedong, an athlete who has won many honors, and a tough guy with iron bones.
Zhuang Zedong, a person who focuses on family, art and charity, failed to win the Beijing Olympics because of surgery, which became his deepest regret in his later years. His friends complimented him on not looking like a sick person, and that he was still in good spirits.
Although he was not able to witness the Beijing Olympics in person, he has always maintained a positive attitude towards life. Unfortunately, he died in Beijing in February 2013 at the age of 73.
Zhuang Zedong's death made Chinese men's table tennis head coach Liu Guoliang feel deep regret, and he delivered a eulogy of "Zhuang Lao, go all the way" on social **.
After Atsuko Sasaki returned to Japan from China, she still retains her Chinese nationality and holds a Japanese "permanent residence visa". After Zhuang Zedong passed away, old friends found a cemetery for him and erected a monument, and Zhuang Zedong's favorite ** was also three-dimensional treatment to set up a statue.
China Broadcasting Network's "News Vertical" first reported on this matter, and then when all walks of life mentioned him, they all mentioned the history of "ping pong diplomacy". From this point of view, Zhuang Zedong's contribution to the development of the world situation has affected the development of the world situation at a certain moment.
"The Small Ball Turns the Big Ball" is still the most classic chapter in the history of East-West diplomacy in the 20th century. The world will always remember the table tennis player Zhuang Zedong, not his former grandson as China's richest man.
Take Zhuang Zedong as an example and bravely fight against the disease: as long as life is still alive, we will continue to fight. Beijing Evening News, either a hero or a prisoner? Let's review Zhuang Biao's memories of his father Zhuang Zedong and feel his tenacity and courage.
Southern Weekly.