At 101, I’m Still Holding Hands with My 97-Year-Old Wife – And We’re the Happiest Couple in Our Chinese Village
By Khoon Daily Staff | Published: December 6, 2025 | 2 min read
Shenshiqiao Village, Cixi City, Zhejiang Province, China – Everyone in our small village knows us. My name is Wang Huaibai (汪槐柏), I am 101 years old. My wife, Zhang Lanfeng (张兰凤), is 97. We have been married for 77 years since 1949.
Villagers often ask us two questions:
- How did you live so long?
- How did you stay so happy together for almost eight decades?
The answer to both is the same simple rule we have followed since our wedding day:
“Never go to bed angry. Never give each other the silent treatment.”
We married in 1949, the year New China was founded. In 1951 we moved from Shanghai to Inner Mongolia to help open up new farmland. Life was extremely hard – famine, cold winters, endless work – but we faced everything together.
In 1961, my wife returned to Zhejiang with our children to farm, while I stayed in the north working and sending money home. We were separated for many years, but we wrote letters almost every week and never lost trust in each other.
We raised five children who are all hardworking and kind. Today our house is full of grandchildren and great-grandchildren who take wonderful care of us.
Yes, we sometimes argue – who doesn’t after 77 years? But we made a promise on our first day as husband and wife: any disagreement must be solved the same day. No cold wars, no silent treatment.
Our children say: “Dad and Mom might bicker for three minutes, but they’re laughing and holding hands again in five.”
I had major surgery at 80 and was dancing again at 90. At 101 I still sing old songs every day. People ask for my longevity secret. It’s not special food or medicine.
The real secret is a peaceful heart. Let go of anger quickly. Speak kindly. Laugh often. Forgive completely.
Every morning we sit together in front of our house, hands clasped, watching the great-grandchildren play. The feeling is exactly the same as in 1949.
So here is our gift to you from a 101-year-old man and his 97-year-old wife:
Talk openly. Forgive quickly. Never give the cold shoulder.
That’s how you live long.
That’s how you live happy.
What is YOUR secret to a happy relationship? Share in the comments below!
