Centenarian Couple in the Deep Mountains
As evening approached, Yang Shengzhong's family warmly invited the guests to stay for dinner. Yang Zailin brought out a pot of steaming homemade chicken stew and placed it on the hearth, filling the room with its fragrant aroma. Four generations of the family gathered around the warm stove, enjoying an early reunion dinner. The two elders had excellent appetites; Yang Shengzhong quickly finished a bowl of rice and sat aside watching everyone eat. His daughter-in-law had cooked the rice extra soft, and Jin Jifen slowly ate two bowls of rice mixed with chili before her daughter-in-law served her a bowl of chicken soup.
It was hard to guess the actual ages of this elderly couple at first glance. However, their household registration book revealed: Yang Shengzhong was born in December 1902, making him 109 years old this year, while Jin Jifen was born in September 1905, making her 106 years old. Together, their combined age is 215 years. Yang Shengzhong and Jin Jifen had two sons and four daughters. Their eldest child passed away early, while their youngest son, Yang Xiuli, who is 61 years old, lives with them and takes care of his parents. Their youngest daughter married far away in Hebei Province. In total, this elderly couple has 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Currently Longest-Living Couple in China
Yang Shengzhong is well-known in the village for his good nature. Tang Lujun, the Party Secretary of Dangzhen Village, said that other couples in the village might argue or even fight, but this old couple has never been seen angry or upset with each other. When asked if they still quarrelled now, Jin Jifen laughed heartily: "He can't hear well now, and his eyesight is poor, so how could we argue?" As everyone laughed and talked, Yang Shengzhong quietly sat aside, looking at his wife with a peaceful and kind expression in his cloudy eyes.
● The secret to longevity is simple: keep working as long as you're alive, and be content.
Not long ago, the World Kim Association headquartered in Hong Kong specially visited the mountain to pay respects to these two centenarians, Jin Jifen and her husband. The association representative also brought news from the outside world: On January 6th, a British couple celebrated their 87th wedding anniversary. The husband, Karam, is 105 years old, and the wife, Katari, is 99 years old. They planned to apply for the Guinness World Record as the "longest-married living couple in the world." Upon hearing this news, the children and grandchildren of Yang Shengzhong and Jin Jifen, along with the villagers, all expressed disbelief. Tang Lujun said: "Both Yang Shengzhong and Jin Jifen are several years older than that foreign couple. According to Mrs. Jin's stated age at marriage, their marriage duration is close to 90 years, which is rare in the world."
"Backpack Relatives" Seal a Hundred-Year Marriage Vow
"When we got married, he carried me home in a sedan chair with four people carrying it. The dowry was just a few new clothes and two pairs of silver bracelets. My family bought two cabinets, a table, and four stools as my dowry," Jin Jifen recalled these old events with great interest. She mentioned that the bracelets were made of fake silver because after taking charge of the household, she had to do farm work, and wearing bracelets was inconvenient, so she never wore them again. "Our family was poor, and I didn't blame him." The old lady burst into laughter. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, there was a period when there wasn't enough food to eat, so the couple went up the mountain to dig wild vegetables and tree roots to fill their stomachs. Although life was tough when they were young, the whole family worked hard and never complained.
The marriage between Yang Shengzhong and Jin Jifen lasted nearly a century. According to Jin Jifen's recollection, when they were both infants, their parents arranged a "backpack relative" (local term, also known as a childhood betrothal) through a matchmaker. When Jin Jifen was 17 years old, she married Yang Shengzhong, who was three years older than her, as per the agreement. Before their marriage, they had never interacted.
● Married for nearly ninety years, possibly the longest-living couple in the world today.
Reported by Wang Manqi, Correspondent Jin Liming
Grandson Yang Zailin (son of Yang Xiuli), 38 years old, is a chemistry teacher at a middle school. His wife works at the county court and resides in the county seat. Due to busy work schedules, they rarely visit. This time, Yang Zailin returned to his hometown with his 3-year-old son to visit his great-grandparents, celebrating a joyous family reunion across four generations. Elder Jin Jifen was delighted to see her lively and adorable great-grandson. The elder said that her descendants are scattered across various places, and over the decades, it has been difficult for the entire family to gather. The elderly couple seldom travels far and rarely leaves the village. Jin Jifen recalls that the last time they went out was fifty years ago when the couple visited their youngest daughter in Hebei Province. That was their only trip.
Recently, the Chinese Gerontology Society officially recognized Yang Shengzhong and Jin Jifen as the currently longest-living centenarian couple in China.
A lifetime of devotion, simplicity is happiness.
Situated at an altitude of a thousand meters, Yajing Group of Dangzhen Village is enveloped in the crisp chill of late winter, yet the green terraced fields reveal patches of vitality amidst the misty mountains resembling a fairyland. Walking through the thick carpet of fallen leaves under the shaded path, one reaches a traditional wooden house. From afar, laughter can be heard—originally, Yang Zailin had returned with his children for the New Year celebration. Knowing that guests were coming, the two elders emerged from their rooms, warmly inviting everyone to sit around the hearth with its glowing charcoal fire, chatting casually.
The "secret" to the longevity of Yang and Jin lies more importantly in their mindset: they have lived through the dynastic changes since the end of the Qing Dynasty but have spent their entire lives deep in the mountains, leading a life almost isolated from the world. Whether it was wartime turmoil or the decade of disaster, they remained unaffected, always living a simple and contented life without desires.
Many people ask what the secrets to the longevity of this centenarian couple are. They always answer with the simple language of rural folk, such as "working every day," "a harmonious family," "letting go of difficulties," "being satisfied," etc. In recent years, Yang Shengzhong's mobility has become somewhat inconvenient, but he can still walk with the help of a cane. Jin Jifen rises early in the morning to cook, pick vegetables, feed pigs, and sweep the floor, keeping busy all day. "As long as you're alive, you should work; if you don't work, you won't survive," Jin Jifen believes.
Yang Shengzhong is tall and has always been robust, never suffering from any serious illness. Occasionally catching a cold, he would take some medicine or even drink a few sips of liquor to recover. Only recently have his eyesight and hearing begun to deteriorate. On the other hand, his wife Jin Jifen is very talkative, sharp-eared, clear-eyed, and mentally alert. At happy moments, the old lady would laugh heartily despite her toothless mouth.
● They sealed a hundred-year marriage vow from childhood, having never interacted before their wedding.