Li Yaqin 李亚芹

It amazes me that, even in those extreme times, people tried to have ceremonies in their lives—they tried to live with decency and had little sweet moments in the never-ending bitter days. The interviewee Ms. Li talked about how her mother agreed to marry her to a complete stranger so that they could survive. Ms. Li was no more than 17 years old and felt relieved when she saw that the stranger turned out to be a nice-looking man with a kind heart. Their wedding banquet was a simple dinner with a few close friends. The couple took great care of each other in those hungry years.

—Zhu Li

See full bilingual transcript of Li Yaqin’s interview.