China woman marries rescuer who plucked her from under quake rubble when she was 11

A Chinese woman who was unexpectedly reunited with the man who rescued her from the rubble of an earthquake more than 10 years ago when she was 11 has tied the knot with him.

The story was revealed on November 29, in Changsha, Hunan province, in southern China, during the 5th Annual Han-style Collective Wedding Ceremony, where 37 couples gathered to wed.

The special couple, Liang Zhibin, who is 12 years older than his bride Liu Ximei, shared a love story that began over 15 years ago.

In 2008, during the devastating Wenchuan earthquake, 22-year-old Liang was a soldier dispatched to help with rescue efforts.

He rescued 10-year-old Liu, who was trapped on the second floor of a collapsed building, pinned under steel bars and bricks.

Liang and his team dug for four hours before finally pulling Liu to safety and sending her to the hospital.

After her recovery, Liu and her family returned to Zhuzhou, Hunan.

“For many years, I could not remember what his face looked like. All I had was a blurry image of a figure in my mind,” said Liu.

The turning point came in 2020 when 22-year-old Liu was having dinner with her parents at a restaurant in Changsha.

Suddenly, her mother stared at a man sitting at the next table and said: “He looks just like the soldier who saved you back then.”

Liu stood up, walked over to the man and greeted him: “Brother Liang? Is that you?”

“I was so excited and a bit embarrassed,” Liu recalled.

“She had changed so much, I did not recognise her at all,” Liang said.

That night, Liu added his contact details and it was her who broke the ice, sharing moments from her day and chatting with him.

Gradually, Liu realised just how deeply she felt for him.

Liang’s resilience and loyalty moved her, and eventually she gathered the courage to confess her love first.

“I do not love him out of gratitude,” she said. “It was through spending time together that I realised this is someone I can entrust my life to.”

Liang was also gradually moved by her sincerity and energy.

“She is a ray of light in my life,” Liang said. “Whenever I feel low, her positivity lifts me up and reminds me that life is still full of hope.”

“Back then, saving people was my duty, but now I truly love her. These are two different things,” said Liang.

“Fate is truly amazing. Twelve years ago, I saved her. Twelve years later, she became the light in my life.”

Netizens flooded mainland social media with blessings.

One person said: “This is truly fate destined by the heavens.”

While another wrote: “A love story that began in the rubble and ended at the altar. This real-life fairy tale is just too heartwarming.” -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST