Yao Nanshan, a native of Qingtian County of Zhejiang, left his hometown and traveled to Spain in 1984. The following year, he opened his first restaurant in Seville. After his life stabilized, he brought his wife (his childhood sweetheart) and three children to live in Spain.
After that, his life took root in this foreign country. Eventually, he acquired assets worth in the hundreds of millions, all due to his diligence and persistent hard work. In early 2002, his wife died of stomach cancer. Since the couple did not live together until old age, this became a permanent regret in Nanshan’s heart.
On July 6, 2013, while on vacation and visiting the terraced field scenic spot in Yunhe County, Zhejiang Province, Yao Nanshan and his friend missed the last train back to the city. The two resorted to knocking at the door of a family residing at the foot of the mountain and stayed overnight. Yao Nanshan’s heart was deeply moved by the generosity, simplicity, and thoughtfulness of their hostess, Liu Lijuan. Unexpectedly, this made him think of making her his wife.
From his conversation with Liu Lijuan, Yao Nanshan gathered that Lijuan was 20 years old when she was introduced to marry Lan Shuiping. Shuiping, a fellow villager, was two years older than Lijuan, came from a poor family, and was an honest man. As fate would have it, the couple did not have any children from the marriage, but one day in June 1987, they found an abandoned baby girl at the doorstep of their house.
The couple, eager to have a child, adopted the baby girl and named her Lan Fangfang. Despite their loving care, Lan Fangfang was frail and sickly. At age one, Lijuan found that her daughter’s legs could not be straightened and thus would be unable to learn to walk at all. The couple sought medical treatment everywhere, but could not find the root cause of the disease. Years of running around and the cost of treatment made the already poor family even more financially stretched. Shuiping had to work in the county town to maintain their livelihood, while Lijuan took her daughter to various major hospitals.
In 2000, Fangfang was diagnosed with femoral head necrosis, and the cost of treatment was nearly 100,000 yuan. This was an astronomical figure for this poor family. After relatives and friends heard the news, they advised Lijuan: “Since she is not your biological daughter and you have done your best to raise her for so many years, why not throw her away while she is still young?” Liu Lijuan insisted: “I have raised her for several years, and I wouldn’t give up even if it were a cat or a dog — not to mention that she is my daughter!”
The couple ended up borrowing money from almost all their relatives and friends. One day, while searching for funds, Shuiping rolled down a mountain and broke his leg. To save money, he forced himself not to go to the hospital. In the end, the couple gathered enough funds for their daughter’s surgery — allowing her to stand up. However, fate did not spare this tragic family. In 2010, Shuiping was diagnosed with advanced stomach cancer.
A year later, he passed away, leaving Lijuan with a massive debt of more than 200,000 yuan. Then, she worked non-stop to support her daughter and pay her debts. Time passed, and Lijuan aged, but it has never dimmed her hope. Despite experiencing such hardships, she remained calm and composed without resentment.
Yao Nanshan fell in love again
Yao Nanshan was both shocked and secretly impressed when hearing of the story. After returning to Qingtian, he was unsettled. “I can’t stop thinking about her! I need to return to Yunhe again.”
Upon his return, Yao Nanshan finally confessed to Lijuan two days later: “I like the feeling of being with you. It would be my greatest fortune if I could accompany you for the rest of my life. Are you willing?” Liu Lijuan sighed, and after a long silence, she told Yao Nanshan: “I can’t promise you! I still have a lot of debts to pay, and I can’t drag you down.” In Lijuan’s tactful refusal, Yao Nanshan heard her sense of responsibility and was more certain she was the woman he sought.
The two seemed to have grown closer after opening their hearts to each other. She felt a little reluctant when Lijuan learned that Yao Nanshan was about to return to Spain. She prepared a lot of local specialties for him and told him to pay attention to safety. He couldn’t help but say: “Come with me to Spain, and I will help you pay off those debts.”
For a normal woman, this would have been such an attractive offer. Who wouldn’t be tempted to get rid of years of debt and live a rich life? However, Lijuan shook her head firmly: “If you pay off my debts, the neighbors will say that I am greedy for money and cling to the rich. These debts owed by my family are all life-saving money borrowed from kind-hearted people. I must pay these debts of conscience. If I can’t pay them off, my daughter will have to continue the burden of paying them off. Only when these debts are cleared can I stand up straight and get married.” Yao Nanshan stood in awe. At that moment, his heart was full of appreciation, admiration, and love for this woman. “Lijuan, you wait for me; I will be back soon!”
After returning to Spain, every night when he looked up at the starry sky, Yao Nanshan missed Lijuan very much. She always appeared in his dreams at night. Having experienced many vicissitudes in his life and feeling the pressure of his remaining lifespan running out, he decided to seize this little time to be with those he loved and to grow old together. After careful consideration, Yao Nanshan entrusted his three children with his Spanish property. He wanted to return to his hometown and the person he missed day and night.
In the fall of 2014, Yao Nanshan appeared in front of Lijuan with a bright look and asked firmly: “Didn’t you say you wanted to open a farmhouse to make money to pay off your debts? This is my strong point, so let me stay in Yunhe and become your chef.” Lijuan didn’t expect that Yao would give up his wealth and come to be by her side. She was surprised and happy, and the love that she had been suppressing surged. She nodded continuously, with tears in her eyes.
From then on, he became a farmer in residence of a woman who lived on a terraced field in the mountain village of Yunhe. Yao Nanshan combined the farmhouse with the homestay and became a designer to create a European-style dwelling. Many inspirations for the design came from his experience in Seville. All windows were made using European craftsmanship, while the bedroom’s ceiling on the top floor was in a Chinese style. The residence was given a beautiful name — Terrace Inn. Yao Nanshan also introduced some Western-style food, such as salad and steak.
As a result of Yao Nanshan’s effort, an endless stream of people came to Lijuan’s house for meals and accommodation. Many people at the inn heard their stories and sighed, saying: “I always thought such stories only existed in idol dramas. I believe in true love again.” During this time, the inn was always filled with laughter.
In this way, under the cloud-studded sky, beside the terraced fields, with people who spoke the local dialect and a companion with whom to chat, Yao Nanshan felt as if he had returned to his youth. Someone once asked him: “You two had completely different living habits in the first half of your lives. Don’t you have any conflicts after coming together?”
Yao Nanshan smiled disapprovingly and said: “It is precisely because we have experienced vicissitudes in the first half of our lives that we understand how to cherish and maintain the happiness in front of us better. We know how to respect each other’s habits and try to adapt to each other. If you learn to give and take, isn’t life perfect?”
In October 2015, Nanshan and Lijuan finally put their marriage on the agenda. At first, Lijuan was reluctant to get a marriage certificate or hold a wedding banquet. She said to him: “I love your sincerity. I don’t want our marriage to affect your and the children’s inheritance.”
A woman who has lived all her life for money possesses a broad mind and elevated realm. Yao Nanshan was deeply moved: “Don’t worry, I will handle the relationship well and will not affect anyone who loves me and whom I love!”
When Yao Nanshan gave up everything to return to China, he was vehemently opposed by his three children. However, they softened their hearts when they saw the smile and satisfaction on their father’s face that they had not seen in many years. Lijuan was busy greeting them, without any restraint or embarrassment, as if they were wanderers who had finally returned to their warm home. Standing on the green terraces overlooking the mountains and rivers, they suddenly understood their father’s love. In the end, the children chose to respect their father’s decision.
On December 25, 2015, the two held a simple and warm wedding ceremony with the blessings of their relatives and friends. Yao Nanshan hugged Liu Lijuan tightly and enjoyed the warmth of his love for her and her love for him.
Translated by Chua BC and edited by Maria
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