‘She helped me when I had nothing’: Chinese man’s TV appeal to find ex girlfriend who lent him $1,400 goes viral

A married man’s emotional search for his first love — a woman who lent him money more than two decades ago — has deeply resonated across China.

As reported by the South China Morning Post, the man, surnamed Li, from Huaibei in Anhui province, appeared in late October on the Henan Provincial Television programme Xiaoli Helps You, known for assisting ordinary people with personal issues.

Li hoped the show could help him find his former girlfriend, surnamed Ma, who had supported him during his toughest times.

Li and Ma met in 1991, when he was 23 and she was 25. Ma was divorced and raising a child from her previous marriage. They worked together, fell in love, and maintained a relationship for eight years.

Their romance ended peacefully after Li’s father was diagnosed with cancer and urged his son to return home, get married, and care for the family. Li eventually married a woman from his hometown, while Ma stayed behind.

In 2001, years after their breakup, Li was struggling to establish a small company when Ma stepped forward to help him financially. “Without any hesitation, she transferred me 10,000 yuan (US$1,400). In those days, when people’s average income was not high, this amount of money was a lot,” Li told the media.

Not long after, Li lost his mobile phone — and with it, Ma’s contact information. Since then, the memory of her kindness has stayed with him. “I have been feeling regret over the past years. I hope to return the money to her. I am also wondering how she is living now,” he said, visibly emotional.

When Li travelled to Ma’s old neighbourhood in Donggongren Town, Pingdingshan, he discovered her family home had been demolished and replaced with high-rise apartments. “It made me very sad when I realized her old family home no longer existed,” he said.

Local officials told the TV programme that their investigations could not locate Ma or her relatives, suggesting the family might have moved away many years ago.

Despite his wife’s full support, Li’s search has so far been unsuccessful. “I am not jealous. If he finds that woman, just return the money to her,” his wife told reporters.