Fate: Yao Nanshan, right, and Liu Lijuan met and got married by a twist of fate following Yao's botched hike
A Chinese multimillionaire has given up his wealthy, metropolitan lifestyle in order to live with his true love in her modest rural village, in a story that has touched hearts across the country.
Yao Nanshan, 60, made his considerable fortune abroad in Spain after running a restaurant chain business in Seville for 30 years, according to a report by People's Daily Online.
He married Liu Lijuan, who he met whilst he was stranded in the mountains on holiday and kept in touch with, in December 2015 and wants to live a simple life with her where she comes from.
Yao gave up the seven homes he owns in his hometown of Qingtian, southeast China, and always had a yearning to detach himself from 'big city existence.'
In 2002 he was devastated by the tragic loss of his first wife to aggressive stomach cancer and felt as if he had lost the purpose of his life in her death, despite his significant riches.
Real feeling: Yao gave up the seven homes he owns in his hometown of Qingtian, southeast China for love
During a hiking trip to a local mountain range in later 2013, Yao and a friend got lost and missed their last bus to take them back to Qingtian.
The only option was to knock on the doors of local villagers' houses and grovel for a bed for the night - and fortuitously stumbled upon the home of Liu.
Yao has told of how he was impressed by Liu's 'kindness' and 'happiness', even in spite of the cruel and difficult upbringing she had faced earlier in life which had left her in serious poverty.
The pair, who were attracted to each other, kept in touch once Yao returned to Spain to work and eventually he returned to see Liu and profess his love to her.
Yao told reporters how 'at first she did not believe [him]' and that she thought he was 'playing with him', particularly given the significant financial gulf between them.
Sympathetic ear: Yao was impressed by Liu's 'kindness' and 'happiness', even in spite of the cruel upbringing
After news of their impending marriage was announced, Yao gave up all his properties and businesses to his three children from his previous marriage to live a more 'rustic' life.
According to reports, Yao has purchased a small countryside hostel since their wedding on Christmas Day last year, in order to make a meagre but stable living together.
The touching story of Liu and Yao has now got Chinese internet users believing that there may be such a thing as true love after all.
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