International

The longest married couple, in China

After 82 years, a peasant farmer-couple

GUILIN: A peasant farmer-couple from China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has been married for 82 years. This was stated to be longer than the existing Guinness Book record. [The Hindu published on June 24, 2005, a report on John and Emilia Rocchio, two Americans married for 82 years, and on June 26 one on Philipose Thomas and Sosamma from Kottayam, Kerala, who were stated to be married for 87 years at that point.]

Zheng Suncai turned 101 on October 15. His wife, Wang Xiuying, is 100. They married on October 15, 1904, when Mr. Zheng was 19. They live in Zhuzizhou village, about 100 km from this scenic city. They have three sons and three daughters. The eldest, a son, is 78, and the youngest, a daughter, is 58. The family comprises more than 70 members spanning five generations.

Zheng Zailian, a 43-year-old grandson, said his grandparents wear linen clothes. His grandfather does not smoke but drinks some rice wine occasionally. He loves vegetable dishes, ginger and sweet potato leaves being his favourites. Ginger is believed to drive away colds and sweet potato leaves help digest food. But he never eats vegetables and melons that blossom out during the night.

Mr. Zheng still has good eyesight and reads books and newspapers every day. But his wife has poor eyesight and cannot walk by herself as her feet suffered a fracture.

Mr. Zheng takes care of his wife, doing everything from washing her face to feeding her. Every morning they have a routine of gargling and scraping their tongues with a spoon.

Mr. Zheng smiles a lot but his wife is different. She raises her voice when she wants something and even beats the bed and table. Mr. Zheng handles her as he would a child.

— Xinhua

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