A Touching True Love Story 2: Prison Lovers
One was a female prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment, and the other a reform-through-labor convict whose sentence wouldn’t end until 20xx. Their long lives behind bars were filled with regret, pain, and despair. But because of love, hope rekindled in their hearts, and they gradually climbed out of the mire of their lives, ushering in a second spring ahead of schedule.
In the spring of 20xx, when Ma Zhengxiao and Yu Weifeng stood with their daughter Xingxing outside the high walls of Jiangsu No.1 Prison to commemorate their love in this special way, their hearts were filled with complex emotions.
A Tearful Speech Stirs the Heart
1985, Jiangsu No.1 Prison.
On this day, the prison hosted a prisoner speech event themed “Farewell to Yesterday, Seize Today and Tomorrow.”
The warm sunlight shone on the prison grounds, and the breath of spring strongly evoked the prisoners’ longing and yearning for the outside world. However, for Ma Zhengxiao, who had been imprisoned for five years, everything seemed meaningless.
Ma Zhengxiao had been imprisoned for “intentional homicide.” In July 1979, while working in Nanjing’s rural county, he learned that his brother had been injured by a gang. He gathered some educated youths to confront the gang, accidentally causing a death. In January 1980, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. In November 1984, he received an additional nine years and nine months for fighting in prison, extending his sentence to 20xx.
In prison, he wanted to end his life to seek relief. He slammed his head against the window glass, put his hand into a high-speed milling machine, and even swallowed 21 blades at once. Fortunately, each suicide attempt was timely discovered and he was rescued by the guards.
While the prisoners listened to the speeches, Ma Zhengxiao appeared indifferent.
He looked up and glanced sideways, noticing a frail female prisoner walking towards the podium. Her face was pale, and the large prison uniform made her look even more thin and weak.
A strange force struck his heart.
Her name was Yu Weifeng, an educated youth from Shanghai whose parents had divorced early. At 17, she was sent to Lianyungang.
Her life away from home was lonely and dull. At this time, a young and handsome man entered her emotional world. They quickly fell in love and got married swiftly.
Happiness was fleeting. She soon discovered that her husband started mingling with other women and often brought them home secretly, causing her immense pain.
He knelt and begged for forgiveness, writing a pledge never to repeat his mistakes. She forgave him, but soon he resumed his old ways.
When everything failed, she filed for divorce, but he refused. She moved into the factory dormitory, but he found her there, publicly humiliating and beating her, spreading false rumors. Ashamed, she returned to the cold home but insisted on separation. He resorted to violence, tormenting her madly.
Desperate, she walked to the railway tracks. Staring at the vast fields of northern Jiangsu, she thought of her son and mother in Shanghai, telling herself through tears, “I can’t do this.” One night, after another brutal assault by her husband, she picked up a hammer and ended his life while he slept.
She was sentenced to death for intentional homicide, later commuted to life imprisonment.
She regretted ending her tragic marriage in such a way, vowing to reform herself in prison.
Listening to Yu Weifeng’s tearful speech, an unprecedented feeling began to stir in Ma Zhengxiao’s numb soul.
Yu Weifeng’s Paintbrush Brings Spring to Life
After that speech, Yu Weifeng’s frail figure in a large white prison uniform often popped into Ma Zhengxiao’s mind.
One day, he suddenly told the guards, “Please give me paper and a pen. I want to draw.” The guards, unsure of his intentions, still met his request. To their surprise, this usually defiant inmate drew quite well.
This caught the attention of the prison leaders. They took his drawings to experts, who praised his skills. In fact, Ma Zhengxiao had studied painting as a child under the famous painter Professor Jin Zhiyuan from Jiangsu Academy of Chinese Painting.
With his revived spirit, he poured his heart into his paintings. His works were exhibited and won awards, boosting his confidence to reform himself.
Fate took a turn. Soon, he was transferred to the prison management bureau’s art team for publicity work, often being sent to different teams to create posters and murals.
This job gave Ma Zhengxiao opportunities to go to the fourth team, where Yu Weifeng was.
While creating posters, he would secretly search for Yu Weifeng’s unforgettable figure. He noticed she always kept her head down, silently working, seemingly disconnected from the world. While other prisoners commented on his drawings, she remained indifferent.
Her unusual behavior was quickly noticed by other female prisoners, who told Yu Weifeng, “That artist keeps looking at you. It seems he likes you.” She also sensed his fiery gaze but remained cautious, remembering her past pain and wary of all men, especially fellow prisoners.
Once, he mustered the courage to write his feelings on a note wrapped in a cotton ball and secretly handed it to her. She didn’t refuse but didn’t respond either. He longed to hear her voice, even just a word, but there was none.
One day, Ma Zhengxiao received another task to replace the display board in the fourth team. While painting, he saw Yu Weifeng walking slowly. As she approached the display board, he nervously asked, “Did you read my letter?” “Yes,” she replied coldly.
“Are you sick?” he asked with concern. “My heart is already broken. Please don’t sprinkle salt on my wounds,” she said. “I just want to care for you.” “It’s not the time for care. Wait until spring comes.” She walked away quickly. “What does she mean?” he wondered. “Wait until spring comes!” Spring, so far and uncertain. Yet, he couldn’t forget her—her melancholy, her frailty, her elegant demeanor despite the large prison uniform. Her coldness didn’t dampen his passion. Each visit to the fourth team, he searched for her.
Time quickly passed into the winter of 1990. The 11th Asian Games opened grandly in Beijing. His family sent him four pandas, the mascot of the Games, hoping he would reform and reunite with them. Ma Zhengxiao kept two and secretly gave the other two to Yu Weifeng, implying his feelings.
To his surprise, a few days later, he received a gift from Yu Weifeng: a red silk heart-shaped ornament with the words “I love you” in English.
Love quietly blossomed. They began exchanging notes, expressing their feelings and encouraging each other to reform and gain early release.
In winter, she sent him handmade woolen gloves, telling him his hands wouldn’t freeze while drawing.
In July 1992, Yu Weifeng was transferred to Nantong Women’s Prison, starting a long period of silent longing between them.
After she left, Ma Zhengxiao’s life grew lonelier. Outside work hours, he often expressed his longing through drawings, depicting autumnal forests, babbling brooks, and vibrant French planes on Nanjing streets. His piece “Autumn Forest Creek in Memory” won the first prize at the National Craft Exhibition for Prisoners. Subsequently, “Autumn Rhyme” and “Longing” also won national awards.
Ma Zhengxiao’s unique talent was unanimously recognized by the guards, earning him the title of “prison artist.” In 1993, he was hired as a special art editor by the “New Shore News” run by Jiangsu Reform Bureau. He worked diligently, driven by the belief of reforming well to see his beloved.
His hard work paid off with substantial rewards, leading to multiple sentence reductions, totaling 8 years and 3 months.
In March 1996, Ma Zhengxiao was released early, regaining his freedom.
Spring finally came.
Longing in Silence, a Bluebird Delivers
“Wait until spring comes!” He remembered her words.
Returning home, he immediately wrote to Yu Weifeng, expressing his continued longing and encouraging her to reform actively. He sent the letter but received no response. He wrote three more, all like stones sinking into the sea.
Starting life anew was challenging, as he expected before his release. The prime of his life was spent in prison, and now, at middle age, he had to start over. It was not easy! But he was determined not to be looked down upon. He borrowed 30,000 yuan from relatives and friends and went to the south, opening a gallery in Huizhou, Guangdong. However, business was poor, and after several months, he returned to Nanjing penniless. It was a city of painful memories and also where his heart was awakened.
In Nanjing’s Nanhu, he opened a fabric store, doing relatively well.
Amidst life’s struggles, he never forgot Yu Weifeng. Whenever he changed his work environment, he left his address with Yu Weifeng’s stepfather, hoping he would pass it on to her.
On October 17, 1996, a seemingly ordinary day became significant for Ma Zhengxiao. Love gently knocked on his door. The postman delivered a letter from Shanghai. Seeing the beautiful handwriting, his heart raced: “Yu Weifeng! It’s from Yu Weifeng!” He couldn’t suppress his excitement and tore open the envelope, eagerly reading:
“Ma Zhengxiao, we’ve been apart for 1572 days.
Without your and the guards’ encouragement, I might not have been released early. When I left the prison, no one came to pick me up, but luckily, your four letters were waiting at the door, just like you were waiting for me. Zhengxiao, I didn’t know if I should write this belated reply, but I’m so happy. You know the joy of freedom, and I swear I won’t lose it again. If you’ve forgotten me, consider this letter unwritten. I won’t blame you. If you haven’t forgotten, come to Shanghai.”
After reading, Ma Zhengxiao jumped with joy, immediately closing his shop and rushing to a public phone to call her home. The voice on the other end said, “Hello,” but remained silent, only the sound of sobbing. Unsure what to say, he said, “I’m coming to Shanghai right away!” After hanging up, he realized his face was already wet with tears.
His days were frugal, but to see his beloved quickly, he took a taxi to the Hanfu Street bus station in the west of the city. The last bus to Shanghai had already left. He then took a taxi to the Central Gate bus station in the north, but again, the bus had left. Desperately, he rushed to Nanjing train station.
His train ticket was for 8 p.m., requiring a three-hour wait, the longest hours of his life.
The train sped eastward, but he still found it too slow. Finally, at 1 a.m., he arrived in Shanghai. The neon-lit night of Shanghai was peaceful. He gently knocked on Yu Weifeng’s door. Her stepfather answered, seeing the dusty man who had visited before, understanding everything. He invited Ma Zhengxiao in, telling him she was staying at her cousin’s house.
Ma Zhengxiao sat in the living room, unable to sleep. Dawn finally broke. He went to her cousin’s house and saw his long-awaited beloved. His heart lightened. She shyly looked at him. For a while, neither knew how to start. After her cousin’s family left for work, Ma Zhengxiao finally said, “Xiaoyu, are you alright? We can finally be together freely.” Tears streamed down her face. He held her tightly, feeling her hot tears.
She told him she had earned six sentence reductions for good behavior, gaining early release.
The next day, they went to Suzhou to pay respects at her mother’s grave. Kneeling, they respectfully offered flowers. Ma Zhengxiao said to the grave, “Aunt, please rest assured, we will live well, and I will take good care of Xiaoyu.”
Together Through Thick and Thin
On December 2, 1996, Ma Zhengxiao and Yu Weifeng registered their marriage, holding a simple ceremony in Nanjing. With no family or friends to celebrate, they shared a wedding toast in their borrowed house, feeling deeply happy.
After marriage, Yu Weifeng helped Ma Zhengxiao manage the fabric store. Having been out of touch with society for years, she couldn’t even tell the money apart, once mistakenly giving a customer a 100 yuan bill as change.
To make ends meet, they opened a car repair shop, sold clothes, and ran a street food stall. Ma Zhengxiao also sold beer, earning just a few cents per bottle, barely making a profit. In tough times, Yu Weifeng even worked as a maid.
Ma Zhengxiao felt guilty for not providing a better life for his wife. When down, she would cheer him up, saying, “No worries, if you beg, I’ll beg with you. If you drink cold water, I’ll drink cold water with you.” Like all couples, they sometimes argued over small things. Once, during a fight, she angrily tore their wedding photo in half and threatened to return to her mother’s. He stopped her, saying, “We’ve been through so much. This home can’t take any more storms.” They smiled and quickly reconciled.
In 1998, they moved into a house left by his parents, finally having a permanent place in the city. While decorating, they both liked a lamp with the words “Forever” written on it.
Indeed, what could better express this couple’s post-trauma wish than “Forever”? Their past may leave scars, but it was behind them. Their beautiful love would soothe the pain and heal the wounds.
On June 6, 1999, their daughter was born, a new life from their love. They named her “Xingxing,” hoping she would shine like a star, bright and honest.
In August 1999, Ma Zhengxiao opened a real estate agency in Nanjing, naming it “Tianyuan” to commemorate their love.
Having been through so much, Ma Zhengxiao and Yu Weifeng seemed calm. They felt lucky to have this love in their lives. Every spring, they visited the high walls of Jiangsu No.1 Prison to “pay respects,” bidding farewell to the past and looking forward to the future.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
