A centenarian passed away at her home in Guizhou, China, on Saturday (March 8) while managing to hold onto an old pillow cover which she had used when she got married in 1940. The 103-year-old woman, named Du Huzhen, had apparently waited more than 80 years for her husband’s return.
According to a report by the South China Morning Post, shortly after Du married her husband, Huang Junfu, in 1940, he joined the army and left home.
In 1943, Du found Huang’s whereabouts in the army and stayed with him, though she soon became pregnant and went home, where she gave birth to their son, Huang Fachang, in 1944.
Huang managed to return home for his son’s birth as well as his mother’s funeral, and once matters were settled, he went back to the army and was not seen since.
But that wasn’t the last she heard from him
Huang wrote letters to Du, with the last one dated January 15, 1952, where he emphasised the importance of his son’s studies.
“For Fachang’s education, you should let him attach importance to studying no matter how poor the family is. There will definitely be some time for our reunion,” he wrote.
The papers he used suggested that he was working at a Chinese construction company in Malaysia at that time.
This was backed up by government documents which showed that Huang had settled in Malaysia in 1950 and later moved to Singapore. However, there was no other information on his whereabouts.
She waited for her husband until the day she died
In order to earn an income for her family in her husband’s stead, she worked on a farm as well as made sandals and weaved cloth.
“What if he returns someday?” she asked when refusing marriage proposals.
Du’s family did everything they could to locate Huang but their search bore no fruits.
Her granddaughter, Huang Liying, shared that Du seemed peaceful when she passed as if she had seen a vision of her reuniting with her husband.
While Du’s son had passed away before her in 2022; her remaining family members shared that they will continue to search for Huang and his descendants, based on Du’s wishes.
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