The name Yuzhou was chosen by her father.
Yu means to give.
Zhou means boat.
Many years later, Shen Yuzhou gradually came to understand the meaning of her name.
Her parents really had given her a boat.
It was sturdy and steady, shielding her from many storms. She had a comfortable home, the chance to get an education, and the freedom to choose her own path in life. What many of her peers needed their parents to decide for them, such as what to study, whether to focus on liberal arts or sciences, and whether to pursue art or academics, she had started deciding for herself at an early age.
Her parents gave her a boat, but rarely taught her how to sail.
They were busy making a living, and believed she would learn to steer sooner or later. So she had to find her way through many things alone: learning to read the wind, avoid reefs, and search for her own lighthouse when she was lost.
Then, one day, someone came aboard her boat.
He didn't take the helm for her or decide which way she should go. He simply helped her see that the sea held more than storms, that the horizon held more than the unknown, and that sailing could be something to look forward to.
Many years later, Shen Yuzhou understood that what he gave her was more than the flutter of first love. He gave her a new way to see the world.
From then on, she began to see her parents' awkward love, her family's unspoken concern, and the distant places she truly wanted to go.
Her parents gave her a boat, and it took her many, many years to learn how to sail it.
