In a quest that has riveted the attention of China, a 64-year-old woman named Wang Yunjuan from Hangzhou in southeastern China’s Zhejiang province is tirelessly searching for the daughter she was compelled to give up for adoption forty years ago. Her objective is to bequeath over 1 million yuan (US$138,000) to her child, an inheritance amassed from her and her late husband’s hard-earned savings.
In 1981, at just 21 years old, Wang found herself in a precarious position when her husband was incarcerated for life on assault charges. She was expecting their child and, after her husband’s brief encounter with his newborn daughter during a prison visit, the couple never saw their child again.
In 1983, while Wang was away, her husband’s family took her daughter, citing her dire circumstances, and arranged for her adoption in Beijing. The heartache of the forced separation weighed heavily on Wang, creating a void that grew over the decades.
Upon her husband’s release in 1998, they both agreed not to have another child and instead focused their efforts on finding their lost daughter. There was a reluctant pause initially, not wishing to disrupt their daughter’s new life, but as they aged, the longing to reconnect with her intensified.
Sadly, her husband passed away in 2022 from a heart attack, just as they were beginning to actively search for their daughter. The unexpected tragedy only fueled Wang’s resolve to find her child and fulfill her husband’s dying wish – to pass on their life savings to their long-lost daughter.
Despite possessing only scant information about her daughter – her birth name, Jiang Ling, a distinctive red birthmark on her left arm, and the knowledge that she was living with a good family in Beijing’s Haidian district in 1991 – Wang remains hopeful. She has provided her DNA to the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau, believing that advancements in technology and databases for missing persons could aid in her quest.
Following the broadcast of her story, Wang’s endeavor garnered widespread attention online, generating a wave of support and sympathy across China. Several people empathized with her plight, expressing their understanding and admiration for her enduring maternal love.
Others questioned the legality of the adoption, asserting that the family members who facilitated the child’s adoption lacked the legal guardianship required to do so and potentially engaged in human trafficking if they profited from the process.
This deeply touching story underscores the enduring bond of parental love and the lengths a mother is willing to go to in order to reconnect with her lost child.
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