Malaysian woman marries bedridden Chinese man

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Malaysian woman marries bedridden Chinese man

(Xinhua) 15:28, August 26, 2013

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Dressed in a draggletail wedding dress, Yan Shuying stepped toward her groom, squatted down and held his hand before saying "yes, I do."

Her husband smiled but barely moved - he cannot because he has been lying in bed since childhood.

The unusual wedding ceremony, in the city of Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province, moved not only family members but also netizens.

Due to rheumatoid arthritis, Li, 38, has been confined to bed for 31 years. Most parts of his body have degenerated, he is unable to sit up and even turning his head is a difficult task.

He was educated at home by his father, and learned to use the Internet with the help from friends.

Despite his physical disability, Li is an optimist. This is what first attracted Yan to him.

She lived in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, when they first made contact online in 2011. Months later, Yan told Li that she was in love with him.

"I was very nervous when I told him I loved him. He cannot walk, but he is knowledgeable about history, geology and current affairs. He is smarter than many and can be my life mentor."

Yan visited Li five months after they met online.

"I felt so excited and so happy the first time I met him. His physical condition was worse than I expected, but he was living a happy life," said Yan.

In the eyes of her husband, Yan is like an angel. "She's a kind-hearted girl, and that's the most beautiful thing about her," said Li.

After two years of online dating, the couple decided to get married. At first, family members were opposed to their decision.

In China, Li's only income is a low government subsidy of 2,300 yuan (375.76 U.S dollars) per year. Li's sister tried to persuade Yan to give up, as they "didn't want him to ruin her life".

On Aug. 8, they held a simple wedding ceremony.

They only invited close family members and Yan did not even wear makeup. "We hired a dresser who only asked for 100 yuan, it was very cheap but still was turned down by Yan," said Li's sister-in-law. "She didn't want to waste money."

To their surprise, members of the public attended their wedding, and they have received an outpouring of support from well-wishers on the Internet. On Sina Weibo, China's Twitter, Yen Ling wrote, "This is true love, may god bless them."

Now married, Yan is thinking about the future. "I will start a small business at home. No one will take care of him if I work outside, I cannot leave him alone."