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69-Year-Old Embalmer Falls in Love with a Prostitute
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In July 2003, in Jia Yu County, 69-year-old Li Zheng sat in his empty house, staring blankly at a portrait of his late wife. Li Zheng had once been an employee at the Jia Yu County Post Office, but after retiring in 1997, he went to Wuhan to study mortuary cosmetology.
"You old man, why are you thinking about handling the dead?"
After completing his studies, Li Zheng opened a funeral service company in the area, specializing in body beautification and preservation. While others considered this work unlucky, Li Zheng approached it with dedication, honing his skills over time. His monthly income stabilized at over 5,000 yuan, which was quite decent for a small county.
However, the sudden passing of his wife completely altered the course of his life. In July 2002, his companion of many years passed away due to illness. After the funeral, Li Zheng felt as if he had lost his soul. During the day, work helped distract him, but at night, an overwhelming sense of loneliness washed over him like a tide, nearly swallowing him whole.
Initially, his children would often visit and urge him, "Dad, why don't you come live with us?" But Li Zheng felt he wasn't too old yet and didn't want to burden them. As time went on, each child became engrossed in their own lives and visits became less frequent.
The house was terrifyingly quiet. He began to suffer from insomnia and spiraled into negative thoughts, feeling that the remaining days of his life held little meaning.
Then one weekend in October 2002, while wandering around the county town, Li Zheng passed by a hair salon called Qiao Qiao Leisure House. A few women were sitting outside; one woman in her forties smiled at him.
"Sir, would you like to come in for a seat?" The woman stood up and greeted him warmly.
Li Zheng hesitated for a moment before nodding and stepping inside. The woman's name was Sun Yan; she was 44 years old and came from Paizhou Bay. Though not particularly beautiful, she was charming and had a knack for making people feel good.
Inside, Li Zheng had his hair washed while Sun Yan chatted with him as she gave him a massage.
"I can tell from your face that you're a good person; you must have loved your wife very much," Sun Yan said as she continued her work.
"She’s gone; she passed away last year," Li Zheng sighed.
"How lonely it must be for you living alone now."
"A good man like you should have someone to take care of him," she said, warming Li Zheng's heart. It had been a long time since anyone had shown him such concern since his wife passed away.
Sun Yan intentionally or unintentionally made contact with him, her hand lingering on his shoulder a bit longer, leaning in closer as she spoke. Although Li Zheng was 69 years old, he was still a man, and how could he not be moved by the gentle treatment from such a woman?
"Grandpa, you are such a nice person. You should come by my place to sit and chat whenever you have time. I'll make you some tea," Sun Yan said playfully.
From that day on, Li Zheng seemed enchanted, visiting Qiao Qiao Leisure House every few days. Each time, they would just wash his hair and chat, but gradually, their relationship began to shift into something more delicate.
Sun Yan was adept at reading the room; she noticed that Li Zheng was actually quite well-off. With his pension and income from the funeral business, he earned at least seven to eight thousand a month. Moreover, this old man was very frugal; he wouldn't even buy toys for his grandchildren and saved most of his money.
Sun Yan began to cater to his preferences. "Old Li, you are truly wonderful. If only I could meet a man like you," she said. "As a woman running a business here, it's not easy. Sometimes I encounter difficult customers, and it really scares me." She put on a pitiful expression.
"At my age, I also want to find a reliable man to live a stable life with, but where can I find someone as good as you?"
Li Zheng felt elated upon hearing this. To him, this woman who was 25 years younger truly liked him and saw him as someone to rely on. The feeling of being needed and depended upon restored his dignity and value as a man.
In November 2002, they officially established their romantic relationship. Li Zheng began to be generous, completely unlike the frugal old man he used to be. When Sun Yan mentioned wanting to buy a down jacket because it was getting cold, he immediately gave her 2,000 yuan; when she said the salon needed renovations, he handed over 8,000 yuan; when she expressed interest in learning a skill for future job opportunities, he unhesitatingly provided 5,000 yuan for tuition.
In less than half a year, Li Zheng had given Sun Yan over 50,000 yuan. For an elderly man earning seven to eight thousand a month, that was quite a fortune.
Li Zheng also solemnly promised Sun Yan: "Don't worry; I will buy you social insurance to ensure your livelihood for the rest of your life. Although we cannot marry, I will take responsibility for you."
Sun Yan was deeply touched and hugged Li Zheng tightly, saying, "Old Li, you are so good to me; I will never forget this in my lifetime."
Li Zheng was immersed in the happiness of this "twilight romance," feeling as if his life had regained its color. He began to pay attention to his appearance, started dyeing his hair, and even bought new clothes, making himself look considerably younger.
One evening in June 2003, Li Zheng arrived early at Qiao Qiao Leisure House to meet Sun Yan, only to find her engaged in a close conversation with a man in his thirties. The man's hand rested on Sun Yan's waist, and she showed no signs of resistance, even laughing joyfully.
Li Zheng stood outside the door, his heart feeling as if it had been twisted. He chose not to go inside and quietly left instead. Sun Yan had not stopped her "old profession"; she continued to entertain clients and maintained relationships with different men. To Li Zheng, he was merely one of her more generous "customers."
What infuriated Li Zheng even more was that Sun Yan had a steady boyfriend named Chen Bin, who had recently returned from Guangdong. Chen Bin was hospitalized due to illness, and Sun Yan visited him daily, bringing soup and meals, caring for him meticulously.
In the past few days, Li Zheng had tried to arrange a meeting with Sun Yan, but she always replied, "I can't. I have to go to the hospital to see Chen Bin; he's very ill, and I can't just ignore him."
Hearing those words left Li Zheng's heart completely cold. He had given Sun Yan over fifty thousand yuan and promised to buy her social insurance, treating her as his last hope in life. But what did she do? She took his money to care for another man—what did that make him?
"I poured out my heart only to be met with complete betrayal!" Li Zheng sat at home, growing angrier and more resentful with each passing moment. He felt like a complete fool, played around by a woman of the night.
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