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the day after returning to shanghai, ni xia lian had not had time to adjust to the jet lag, but she did not show any signs of fatigue. she appeared in public refreshed and energetic, just like she was on the court.

"it's beautiful, how can it be beautiful!"

in the hall where the heifeg table tennis club is located, she was surprised by the huge poster that took up an entire wall. she kept expressing her love for it with a smile in her eyes.

"people always think that i live an extraordinary life," ni xialian told a reporter from xinwen morning post. "in fact, my life is very down-to-earth, just like everyone else's, with oil, salt, sauce and vinegar, ordinary but with a sense of fireworks."

the smell of fireworks is a more real breath of life outside the spotlight. ni xia lian regards it as a treasure and it is the moment of life that she likes more.

xiaolongbao wants to "eat eight kinds of food when poor"
jacky cheung and the masters tournament are also worth watching

according to the plan, ni xia lian will stay in shanghai for three days.

"after that, i will go to spain to attend an event and meet old friends there, and then i will start preparing for the european table tennis club league. after that, i will go to beijing to participate in the wtt (world table tennis professional league) china grand slam."

the purpose of heifeger's somewhat hasty trip was mainly to meet new and old friends from cihi haoyun and jiaotong university, such as the youngest fan who was 5 months old to the oldest table tennis club member who was 79 years old.

the media present asked her many questions that she had answered countless times before, such as her experience as a sparring partner for the chinese team at the paris olympics, the details of her match with sun yingsha, her plans for the next olympics, etc.

amid the lively scene, fans kept asking for autographs and photos, and reporters kept asking questions. ni xia lian waved her hands and said, "no problem, no problem at all!" she said she was not tired at all, only excited, friendly and grateful.

"after returning to shanghai, everything is still as friendly as before. this time i feel more, and everyone is more enthusiastic. although this is still inseparable from the enthusiasm of the olympics, i really feel a lot of love and am very moved."

although the trip was short, eating was a must, which is a must every time i return to shanghai. "i always like shanghai snacks, such as xiaolongbao and shengjian mantou. i want to eat a lot. i have already told tommy (ni xialian's husband) not to laugh at me."

"will you go to jacky cheung's concert in shanghai in october?" the reporter asked.

"really? when? how many shows will there be? can i reserve tickets?" when ni xia lian heard jacky cheung, her eyes lit up and her voice instantly rose eight octaves.

the staff member whispered, "the tickets have been arranged." the tickets for jacky cheung's concert, which were originally intended to be a secret gift, were revealed in advance because of this interview, which made ni xia lian very excited: "really! oh my! it's really great!"

last month, jacky cheung imitated ni xialian's celebration at a concert in hangzhou and paid tribute to her. "a 61-year-old athlete doesn't care about winning or losing in the olympics, but enjoys the process of the competition. it feels great and worth learning from."

ni xia lian, who was in paris at the time, responded remotely, "jacky cheung is my idol and the memory of an era! i am very happy to interact with him in this way." now, jacky cheung will be holding a concert in shanghai, and ni xia lian will also go to the scene to meet him in person.

however, due to various reasons, the two may not be able to perform a real-life collaboration in shanghai. "it's great that i can go to see jacky cheung!" ni xia lian said, "there will be a tennis masters tournament (in shanghai) next month, i will also come to watch it!"

today is always younger than tomorrow
“i feel like i’m 16.”

in order to watch the tennis masters, ni xialian cancelled her european championships match, which had a conflicting date. with her "freedom", she also had more time, so she had the opportunity to attend a jacky cheung concert.

"playing table tennis over and over is boring, isn't it?"

in ni xia lian's view, the next olympic games will be four years later. as for what will happen in the next four years, there is no need to worry or force it in advance. "there are still four years left. why rush? we just have to take it slow. we have to live our lives, buy groceries, and wash clothes." she is not in a hurry to make any decision and lets everything take its course.

dancing like a young girl, ni xialian's real age is not clear at the moment. however, the outside world is always used to reminding people of her age, and in order to link her with the record, "61 years old" is often prominently mentioned in news headlines and various forms of report topics.

"i feel like i'm 16 years old." ni xialian laughed at herself. her inner youth and love for life gave her the confidence to face life with a girl's mentality, but she also had moments of being frustrated by her age.

"sometimes i suddenly feel very tired, and i realize that i can't fight against nature. but you have to know that we are always younger today than tomorrow. don't waste today worrying about tomorrow. enjoying every minute of today is the most important thing. so by slowly working on my own thoughts, i tell myself not to fight against nature, don't force things that don't belong to me, and don't try to take all the good things. just live happily."

she emphasized that the classic quotes of shanghai people convey the clearest ideas, "shanghai people say, be clear-headed and think things through. once you think it through, you'll be relieved." no wonder her husband tommy laughed and said that ni xia lian's mentality is so good that she hardly has any gray hair, which is something he envies.

however, being open-minded does not mean lowering one's own requirements in table tennis. for example, when she represented luxembourg in the competition, she could not help but strive for "perfection" when she thought of the mission she shouldered. "no one else puts any pressure on me. it is i who always put a lot of demands on myself in order to better fulfill my duties." whenever this happens, tommy tries his best to relieve her pressure, "you shouldn't feel pressured. it would be embarrassing for others to lose to an old lady like you."

ni xia lian said, "i think it's true. everyone needs to put themselves in the right position. if you put yourself in the right position, your troubles will naturally be left behind. i have also learned a lot from him and i am very grateful for his help."

being ordinary is also a dream
returning to the ordinary is a blessing

"you can't live without an ordinary life."

although she has stood on the highest podium, enjoyed glory and is still enjoying the pursuit and cheers from the outside world, ni xia lian admits that compared to the world with rackets in hand, the life of a normal person is also very hard and special.

"people may think that i have servants at home and i don't have to worry about the trivial matters in life, but this is not true. my life is the same as everyone else's, down-to-earth."

this ordinariness makes her feel at ease and happy. "it is a blessing to return to ordinary life. you have been standing high in the sky. is it difficult? are you tired? freedom is the happiest thing. children should also have a normal family life. i hope they can feel happy in their ordinary lives."

accompanying ni xialian back to shanghai this time were her husband tommy and her son willy. willy, 32, is a physiotherapist who runs a physiotherapy clinic in luxembourg. a few years ago, willy became interested in traditional chinese medicine and had the idea of ​​taking further courses in traditional chinese medicine.

so this time, willy also chose shanghai university of traditional chinese medicine to study tcm-related techniques such as acupuncture under the recommendation of his mother. at this time, ni xia lian's identity was a mother who sent her son to "school". "hometown is hometown. although we have always lived in luxembourg, we have always spoken shanghainese at home, and willy has been able to speak shanghainese since he was a child."

when talking about children, ni xialian's tone softened unconsciously, which is a bond that is far deeper than table tennis. so when asked about the moment she recalls most, ni xialian did not mention the highly anticipated competition or the moment of winning. she smiled and said, "in fact, i still recall my children more. i was happy when my children were young. when playing, i just think about it when i am on the court. family life is the most important. now that i see my children grow up, i think about how fun they were when they were young, and how they slept with their thighs and calves clamped together. that moment was so fun."

she mentioned, "i gave birth to my daughter when i was 40 years old. i caught the last train. it was not easy. i even gave up playing basketball to accompany her to grow up. i cherish the moments with her every day. it is really unforgettable. i am always happy when i recall it."

life outside of table tennis is made up of more real moments. ni xia lian’s dream is simple - to be healthy and safe.

as for the title of "legend", she feels that she does not deserve it. "i can only say that i am very grateful for everyone's love for me. i have just been quietly working hard to be myself and have persisted for several years. but there are many details behind persistence. there are many people who love me and push me forward. i am very happy and grateful to be able to stand on such a platform. after all, not everyone has such an opportunity."

so, if you had the chance, would you want more?

"being ordinary is also a dream. how much more do you want? how much can one person eat? eating too well will make you sick."