The reunion with a long-lost friend after 33 years moved Liu Ruishu to tears.
On the afternoon of September 27, a Beijing couple in their 60s arrived in Ningde on motorcycles after traveling thousands of miles. Over nearly 2,000 kilometers, the couple endured dust storms, scorching sun, fierce winds, and torrential rains. They rode for 18 days and nights, covering this vast distance just to meet an old friend they hadn’t seen in 33 years in Ningde. But finding a long-lost friend in an unfamiliar city like Ningde was like looking for a needle in a haystack. After unsuccessful searches, the couple had no choice but to turn to the police for help. Fortunately, with the assistance of the Jiaonan Police Station, the old friends were finally reunited after 33 years.
“Motorcycle” Brought Them Together
A Southern youth meets a Beijing brother
On the morning of September 30, reporters met the long-lost friends who hadn’t seen each other in 33 years in Dongqiao Economic Development Zone and learned about their precious and extraordinary friendship story that spanned mountains and rivers. It turned out that the Beijing couple who rode all the way from Beijing to Ningde to find their friend were named Liu Ruishu and Li Zhenyu, and their friend from Ningde was named Lin Yuhong. The three became friends in Beijing 33 years ago.
Lin Yuhong, now over 50 years old, was a young man in his 20s 33 years ago when he worked at the Ningde No. 3 Plastic Factory. In 1980, the young Lin Yuhong was sent by the factory to Beijing to handle raw material procurement. As the supplier’s factory was located near Beijing Airport, it was quite remote, which caused many inconveniences for Lin Yuhong who lived in the city. To make commuting easier, Lin Yuhong decided to buy a second-hand motorcycle in Beijing. Soon after, at a Beijing second-hand car market, Lin Yuhong happened to meet an enthusiastic second-hand motorcycle owner, Liu Ruishu, and their friendship began with that motorcycle.
Liu Ruishu had been an avid motorcycle enthusiast since his youth. When he met Lin Yuhong, Liu Ruishu was planning to sell his motorcycle and buy a new one. After encountering “the potential buyer” Lin Yuhong, the two struck up a conversation. During their talk, they took a liking to each other—Liu Ruishu thought the southern youth was sincere and down-to-earth, while Lin Yuhong felt the Beijing brother was warm and genuine. Soon, with Liu Ruishu’s help, Lin Yuhong got the second-hand motorcycle he wanted, and the two became good friends who could talk about anything. During Lin Yuhong’s business trip in Beijing, Liu Ruishu often invited him to his home for meals. Liu Ruishu’s wife and mother-in-law also grew fond of the southern youth, and the warmth of the Liu family made Lin Yuhong, who was far from home, feel at home. In the autumn of 1981, Liu Ruishu took Lin Yuhong to visit major historical sites in Beijing, and the two even took a photo together at the Summer Palace.
33 Years Apart
A Thousand-Mile Ride to Find a Friend
In late 1981, due to work needs, Lin Yuhong returned to Ningde. After bidding farewell in Beijing, Lin Yuhong boarded the train back home. The two never imagined that this parting would last for 33 full years. In an era with limited communication, the only thing Lin Yuhong left Liu Ruishu was an old photo and an address.
More than 30 years flew by, and the Liu couple had both retired. After retirement, the couple started riding motorcycles around China. Every spring and autumn, they would set off from Beijing, ride through densely populated cities, traverse sparsely inhabited deserts and wastelands, scale the rooftop of the world—the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau—and travel as far north as Mohe Arctic Village and as far south as Sanya, Hainan. Over five years, the couple logged over 40,000 kilometers on their motorcycles. But even after traveling across most of China, the couple still had one wish unfulfilled—that was to see an “old friend” in Fujian.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to see him, but if I don’t go, I might never get the chance in this lifetime,” Liu Ruishu told reporters. In the 33 years they had lost contact, he had imagined scenarios where Lin Yuhong might have moved or even gone abroad. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to see his old friend in Ningde this time, but for the sake of their 33-year bond, the couple set off again on their motorcycles on September 9. Passing through Lianyungang, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and other places, they traveled over 2,000 kilometers and spent 18 days and nights to reach Ningde. Thinking their friend was just “a stone’s throw away,” the couple was overjoyed. But after searching extensively, they found that the old address left by Lin Yuhong no longer existed, and finding their friend in an unfamiliar city was no easy task. The couple was deeply troubled.
Police Lend a Hand
Long-Lost Brothers Reunite
With the guidance of some kind locals, the couple decided to try their luck at the Jiaonan Police Station, hoping the police could help them find their old friend after 33 years. The officers at the Jiaonan Police Station, moved by their story, immediately agreed to assist the couple in their search.
Based on the old photo and address provided by Liu Ruishu, the police carefully investigated and cross-referenced information through various means and finally tracked down details about Lin Yuhong. However, according to the records, Lin Yuhong had moved to Xiamen. Disappointed to hear that their friend had relocated, Liu Ruishu told the officers that even if Lin Yuhong had moved to Xiamen, they would continue the search there. To save the couple from taking a fruitless trip, the officers kindly helped them find Lin Yuhong’s contact information so Liu Ruishu could reach out first.
At the Jiaonan Police Station, Liu Ruishu dialed Lin Yuhong’s phone number. The moment the call connected, Liu Ruishu was almost too emotional to speak. When he told Lin Yuhong, in a trembling voice, that he had come all the way from Beijing to see him, the reply he got dampened his spirits. It turned out that Lin Yuhong had just finished business in Fuding and was on his way back to Ningde when he received the call. Due to poor call quality, Lin Yuhong initially thought it was a scam. After hanging up, Liu Ruishu sent Lin Yuhong a text message. When Lin Yuhong saw the name “Liu Ruishu” in the message, memories from 33 years ago flooded back, and he immediately called Liu Ruishu back. They quickly agreed to meet that evening at the steel factory Lin Yuhong had founded.
A Tight Embrace
Laughter and Tears
When they met again, the two embraced tightly and shed tears of joy. Lin Yuhong told reporters that when he saw the heavily bundled Liu Ruishu couple arriving at the factory on motorcycles, he was stunned. Thinking of the hardships the couple must have endured on their journey, he was filled with emotion and guilt.
Lin Yuhong said helplessly that his family used to live near Xiaodongmen in Jiaocheng. Every rainy season, the stream in front of his house would flood into their home, submerging belongings repeatedly. The photos he brought back from Beijing and Liu Ruishu’s address were washed away in the floods. In 1982, Lin Yuhong got married and wanted to invite Liu Ruishu, but he had lost contact and had to give up the idea. In 1999, Lin Yuhong moved his entire family to Xiamen and only returned to Ningde this May to invest in a factory. Lin Yuhong said that in 2008, he went to Beijing to look for Liu Ruishu, but the city had changed so much that he couldn’t find him. He thought he might never see Liu Ruishu again in his life.
“I never expected Brother Liu to come all the way to Ningde to find me. I’m truly moved,” Lin Yuhong said emotionally to reporters. After 33 years, the once spirited brothers had aged quite a bit, but seeing that his old friend was now the chairman of Ningde Longhui Color Steel Industry & Trade Company and had achieved some success in his career, Liu Ruishu felt deeply gratified. Lin Yuhong, on the other hand, truly admired Liu Ruishu’s experience of riding around China. The two caught up like old times, sharing laughter and tears, with endless stories to tell. Liu Ruishu said with a choked voice, “After 33 years apart, picking up our friendship again means this brotherhood is for life!”