CHINA> Profiles
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CHINA> Profiles
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Love rises from utter despair
By Zhu Linyong (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-10 07:57
Wu Jiafang, a farmer in quake-hit Sichuan province, became known to the world because of a touching photo first published in the United Kingdom's The Daily Telegraph, on May 14. The photo showed the devastated man carrying home the body of his wife Shi Huaqiong - who had died two days earlier in a collapsed building in Hanwang Town - on his motorbike, with her arms tied around his waist. Wu later buried his wife in a lot only 20 m away from his dilapidated house and burned all her belongings, as is traditional at a Chinese funeral, except for her necklace. The photo has changed Wu's life. Many admire him for the deep love he showed for his wife and people recognize him wherever he goes. Moreover, the photo has brought him new love. Having been moved by Wu's story, single women have written him love letters. By November, the 45-year-old had reportedly received love letters from 16 female admirers from across China. But Wu burned all the love letters. "It was hard to think about marrying again at this difficult time," Wu admitted. "The smiling face of my beloved wife still lingers in my mind from time to time, though months have passed." Shi's family and Wu's neighbors had suggested that he should find some other woman to share his burden and build a future together, but Wu was content to stay single for 5 months. On Oct 16, Wu received a phone call from Liu Rurong, a Sichuan woman who works in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. The 45-year-old woman, who divorced about 10 years ago, learned about Wu's and Shi's heart-wrenching story from the local news. "My first impression was: Wu is a responsible guy. He really loves his wife," said Liu, who decided to "call him to say hello". In their first, 20-minute conversation, Liu "showed great concern for me. She asked many detailed questions," recalled Wu. In the following weeks, Liu made several more calls.
"I could sense that she really cared about me ... She is not the first lady to have called me, but she was the one who touched my heart," Wu said. On Nov 8, Liu made an important decision. She would fly back to Sichuan the next day and visit Wu in Mianzhu, a city over 80 km to the north of Chengdu, the provincial capital. "I wanted to get closer to him and see what kind of a person he really is," explained Liu. On Nov 9, Wu rode to Chengdu by motorbike and then to Shuangliu Airport by shuttle bus. Stepping out of the terminal, Liu soon spotted Wu in the crowd. But their first handshake made Liu sad. Tears welled in her eyes when she touched Wu's rough, calloused hand. "Before that, I only heard about how he devoted himself to his family and how deeply he loved his wife. At that moment, I was convinced that Wu was a devoted, caring and hard-working husband." Riding on the motorbike, Liu went to Wu's quake-damaged house in Xinglong town, Mianzhu. By chance, some of Shi's family members were visiting. When Liu stepped into Wu's dilapidated house, they all greeted her with a warm welcome. "Nobody showed any hostility to me. Instead, they were all friendly they treated me as if I were their younger sister," recalled Liu. And to her surprise, two of Shi's elder sisters told Liu that they all wanted Wu to get remarried so as to fix his broken heart. Liu stayed with Wu for a week. The longer they were with each other, the more they needed each other, Liu said. On Nov 17, a day before her departure, Liu softly asked Wu: "Shall we get married?" Wu hesitated for a while and then nodded. Life has to move on. "I feel that my first wife would be happy in heaven to see my life turning around for better," said Wu, father of a 21-year-old son. "She will always have a special place in my heart she probably does not blame me for remarrying." The next day, Wu and Liu went to the marriage registration office. Then, they declared their marriage to Wu's relatives and neighbors, with a humble and simple wedding. "I trust him. I will never regret my decision," said Liu, mother of a 21-year-old son. "Wu treated his first wife so kindly. I think I can also win his love and care." Wu replied: "Liu offered me her love although she knows I am a poor farmer." "Liu is true to me. I can feel it. She gives me the strength to carry on living. I'll always be good to her." Three days after the wedding, Liu hurried back to Shenzhen. Now she has a clear goal: To make more money and join Wu next autumn to build a house. Wu also went to construction sites in Hanwang town, looking for jobs. During the off season for farming, occasional work on construction sites has been a major source of extra income for farmers like Wu who choose not to leave their paddy fields and work as migrant workers in big cities. Wu needs to earn enough money to rebuild his house, which was severely damaged during the earthquake. Many of his fellow villagers have been busy rebuilding their houses over the past months. Wu, however, has made up his mind to postpone the project and stay a little longer in a temporary shelter near his ramshackle, old house. "I want to earn enough money to build a beautiful, bigger house for my new family," Wu said with a smile. For the 120 sqm project, Wu and Liu need to accumulate at least 100,000 yuan ($14,554), not counting 16,000 yuan from a local government relief fund. "For us, that's a big sum to earn. But we will try our best," said Wu, adding he can earn about 100 yuan per day working as a construction worker. Chengdu Business Daily contributed to the story  (China Daily 12/10/2008 page20) |
