Chinese Man Turns To Media To Track Down Ex-Girlfriend, Repay $1,400 She Lent Him To Start Business

A Chinese man, identified by the surname Li, is seeking media's help to track down his first love, a woman named Ma, so he can repay a 10,000 yuan (approximately Rs 1,24,652) loan she gave him decades ago. According to South China Morning Post, Li, who lives in Huaibei, Anhui province, reached out to a local television program, "Xiaoli Helps You", to aid in his search. The show is popular for helping solve the problems of ordinary people.

Li met Ma in 1991, when he was 23 and she was 25, a divorced mother of a child. They fell in love while working together and were in a relationship for eight years before parting amicably. The breakup was prompted by Li's father being diagnosed with cancer, and his wish for Li to settle down in their hometown. Years later, in 2001, when Li needed financial help to start his own company, Ma was there to support him. 

She loaned him the money - a significant sum at the time- to help him start a business. "Without any hesitation, she transferred me 10,000 yuan (US$1,400). In those days when people's average income was not high, this amount of money was a lot," Li told the media.

He lost contact with Ma after misplacing his mobile phone some years ago and has felt regret ever since, hoping to return the money and find out how she is doing. Li's wife has expressed her full support for his mission, stating she is "not jealous" and wants him to return the money. 

The initial search efforts, including checking Ma's last known address, were unsuccessful. Ma's family used to live in a slum area in Donggongren Town, Pingdingshan, Henan, but the area has since been demolished and replaced with high-rises, and local officials could not locate them. 

The story has generated mixed reactions on Chinese social media, with some praising his integrity and others suggesting he should return a much larger sum due to inflation. Some questioned if his public search might cause Ma inconvenience. One user wrote, "Heaven rewards those who work hard. I believe you will finally find your first love and return the money to her. Your wish will be realised."

Another commented, "Did you not expect that your behaviour would bring inconvenience to her?"