In July 2005, Guo Xiuqin, an elderly woman in her late fifties from Fanzhuang Village, Xuliang Town, Bo’ai County, suddenly went missing. She suffered from intermittent mental illness, and her family, two sons and daughters-in-law, were frantic with worry. They reported her missing to the police and published notices in the media. They searched everywhere within a hundred-mile radius but to no avail.
Six months passed, and still, there was no news of Guo Xiuqin. Concerned neighbors began to speculate about what might have happened to her. They worried whether, given her condition, she could survive the harsh winter.
A year and a half passed, and Guo Xiuqin had still not returned to the village. Her sons and daughters-in-law often sighed deeply, sometimes even breaking down in tears. Especially during meals or bad weather, they would think of their poor mother. They wondered if she was hungry, exposed to the rain, or where she might be keeping warm on cold winter nights. They even feared that she might no longer be alive.
The question of Guo Xiuqin’s fate — whether she was dead or alive — became an unresolved mystery that weighed heavily on her family’s hearts.
A kind-hearted village girl finds a new mom
The residents of Fanzhuang Village and Guo Xiuqin’s family would never have imagined that she was alive and well cared for thanks to a kind-hearted “daughter.”
So what exactly happened? After Guo Xiuqin fell ill, she lost her sense of direction and wandered. In the winter of 2005, she ended up on a deserted mountain in Mianchi County. Weak and exhausted, she collapsed by the roadside. It was then that Zheng Xiuzhen, who had been working in the mountains all day with her boyfriend Wang Qinghua, found her lying there. This sight stirred something deep within Zheng Xiuzhen, as she had faced similar hardships in her own life.
Zheng Xiuzhen’s father had passed away early, and her mother, who suffered from mental illness, had also gone missing. Zheng had endured a difficult childhood, growing up with the help of relatives, friends, and neighbors.
The scene before her reminded her of her mother. Driven by the longing for her mother, Zheng Xiuzhen didn’t hesitate to take Guo Xiuqin home. She fed her and cared for her with the full support of her boyfriend, Wang Qinghua. Thanks to their attentive care, Guo Xiuqin gradually regained her strength, and a smile slowly returned to her face.
In the following days, Zheng Xiuzhen treated Guo Xiuqin like her mother. She prepared delicious meals, bought new clothes, and dyed her hair black.
The bride’s special day with her mother
Because of her mental state, Guo Xiuqin couldn’t remember her past. She didn’t know where she was from or even her name — days turned weeks and weeks into months.
“If you never find her family, what will you do? You’re still a young girl who hasn’t married — think carefully,” some neighbors kindly advised Zheng Xiuzhen.
“I can’t just abandon her on the street again. I will take care of her as long as she stays here,” Zheng Xiuzhen replied. Her intention was simple: She would keep looking for Guo Xiuqin’s family, knowing that somewhere, her biological children were surely worried and waiting. But until she found them, she would continue to care for this unfamiliar mother. Zheng’s kindness moved all her relatives, who supported her and often helped care for Guo Xiuqin.
In April 2007, when Zheng Xiuzhen married Wang Qinghua, she brought Guo Xiuqin with her. She told her husband: “If you love me, you shouldn’t resent the elderly.”
A miraculous reunion
A year and a half later, something miraculous happened — perhaps because of the environmental change. Shortly after the wedding, a neighbor, chatting casually with Guo Xiuqin, asked: “I work for the census. Where are you from?” This offhand comment suddenly triggered Guo Xiuqin’s memory. Although she struggled to articulate her thoughts clearly, the neighbors mistakenly heard her son’s name, Huo Caiwang, as “Wa.” Fortunately, the county and town address she provided was correct, and a letter eventually reached her family.
When Huo Caiwang, Guo Xiuqin’s eldest son, received the letter in 2007, he was overjoyed. He couldn’t sleep that night and set off for Sanmenxia at dawn. When he saw his mother, who had been missing for two years, he was overwhelmed with emotion, bursting into tears of joy. He immediately offered money to thank Zheng Xiuzhen and her family, but Zheng refused.
“If I hadn’t found you, I would have continued caring for her as if she were my mother. I don’t expect anything in return — I’m happy to do this,” Zheng said. She understood the feelings of a child searching for a lost mother because she had experienced it herself.
While recounting this story to a reporter, Guo Xiuqin’s daughter-in-law, Hu Meihua, was moved to tears several times. She said: “We can never repay Zheng Xiuzhen for her kindness. Even though we’re not related by blood, we want to become her family and be there for her whenever she needs us.”
“I know this kind sister was pregnant, and we have been in frequent contact recently,” Hu Meihua added. She planned to take care of Zheng Xiuzhen during her postpartum period to thank her for taking care of her mother-in-law.
In a world where people are often reluctant to help others, Zheng Xiuzhen’s selfless care for a lost stranger reminds us of the profound power of compassion. Her kindness united two families, showing that love and generosity can transform lives unexpectedly.
Translated by Katy Liu and edited by Tatiana Denning
Follow us on X, Facebook, or Pinterest
