Imagine still owing someone money from two decades ago, and the guilt hits you so hard, you go on national TV to find them.
That’s exactly what happened to Mr. Li, a man from Huaibei, China, who’s been trying to track down his first love from 20 years ago. Not to rekindle romance, but to repay a $1,400 debt that’s been haunting him like emotional interest.
Back in 1991, Li was a 23-year-old dreamer who fell in love with Ma, a 25-year-old divorcee with a child. They worked together, dated for eight years, and broke up after Li’s father fell ill.
In 2001, desperate to start a company, Li turned to Ma, who, without hesitation, wired him 10,000 yuan (about $1,400), a huge sum at the time. But fate (and a lost phone) cut all contact. Li’s business took off, but that debt and Ma never left his mind.
Now married, Li appeared on Henan TV’s “Xiaoli Helps You”, asking for help to find her.
“I’ve felt regret for years,” he said.
“I hope to return the money to her. I just want to know she’s okay.”
His wife, showing saint-level patience, said,
“I’m not jealous. If he finds her, he should just return the money.”
Unfortunately, the search led nowhere.
Ma’s old neighborhood, a slum in Pingdingshan, was demolished years ago, replaced by high-rises.
Officials couldn’t find any trace of her family. But I do not get how he forgot to pay the money back.
Like if someone important to me helped me and my business took off, I would immediately meet them, thank them, and return the money in full. That’s like the least you could do.
I guess, this isn’t about money. It’s more like a memory that’s haunting him. Li’s story shows us that some debts live in your head. He just wants peace. You know, the kind you can only buy with honesty, even 20 years late.
THE WHY: CONSCIENCE
Weirdness Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½
3.5 stars because this isn’t weird-weird, but at least the guy’s still trying to make things right. A love story turned moral ledger and one man’s attempt to balance it before life’s final audit.
“Look, most of us want a normal life without any drama, but life in this world is always strange, and uncertain.
I don’t need your email. I don’t want to bug you with a billion notifications. All I ask is this, if you felt something here, if this made you think, laugh, or even shake your head in disbelief, turn on notifications or just bookmark ‘Averagebeing.com’ and come back tomorrow.
That’s it. No strings. Just you, me, and this stupid world.”
