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I am Yang, born in 1985 in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang Province. My parents were ordinary workers, but as their only child, I was showered with their love and care. From an early age, my parents instilled in me the values of responsibility and perseverance. They always said that a man must face challenges head-on, without ever giving up.
Although I wasn’t the top student in school, my parents had high expectations for me, and they supported me wholeheartedly in my education. I passed the college entrance exam and enrolled in a police vocational college in Heilongjiang, fulfilling my childhood dream of becoming a police officer.
However, after graduation, I faced an unexpected challenge: university no longer guaranteed job placement. To enter the public security system, I needed to pass civil service exams. So, I spent two years at home, preparing for these exams, and every year, I came close but never quite made it.
After giving up on civil service exams, I didn’t know what to do. My major was law enforcement management, which didn’t seem to open many doors. I decided to pursue further studies. After careful consideration, I decided to study in Japan, not only because it was relatively close to home but also because the tuition fees were lower.
In 2010, I went to Japan to attend a preparatory school and later enrolled in Chiba Institute of Technology. To ease the financial burden on my family, I worked part-time jobs while studying. The more I interacted with Japanese people, the better my Japanese became.
After graduation, I got a job at a company in Japan, where I worked for seven years with a monthly salary of over 400,000 yen. Japan's sanitation was great, my colleagues were polite, and I had a steady income. But despite all that, I always felt lonely.
My Japanese girlfriend
One of my colleagues, a single mother younger than me, would occasionally need help moving heavy tools. I would help her, and she began bringing me lunch. This turned into a friendship, and eventually, we started dating. It was a pleasant surprise for me. My life became much more colorful with a girlfriend.
In Japan, my social life was pretty limited. Outside of work or the occasional drink with friends, I enjoyed going to the Ueno Zoo to see the giant pandas. Being in a foreign country, I found great comfort in seeing these adorable creatures - there was something deeply familiar about them.
However, in August 2019, after one of my closest friends announced he was returning to China, I found myself in a deep sense of sadness. Without a friend to chat with or have a drink, life felt even lonelier. It was also around that time that I broke up with my girlfriend. I realized that it was time to return to China and close my chapter in Japan.
In January 2020, I wrapped up my time in Japan and returned to China. The moment I arrived home, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, and everything was put on hold. I couldn’t go anywhere, job opportunities were scarce, and starting a business seemed unwise. Life was becoming increasingly depressing.
But simply staying home all the time wasn’t an option. A friend of mine was living in Ukraine, and I thought, why not go to Ukraine to get a student visa, learn a new language, and perhaps explore business opportunities?
Moreover, I had heard that there were many beautiful Ukrainian women. I was getting older, and if I could find a wife in Ukraine, that would be perfect. So, I applied to study at Dnipro State Maritime and Transport University in Ukraine. The application process was simple, requiring only my diploma, transcript, and proof of 100,000 yuan in savings.
In November 2020, I was granted admission to study the language in a preparatory course for a year. I took a 10-hour flight directly to Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. The moment I stepped out of the airport, I was amazed by the tall, blonde, and blue-eyed beauty everywhere. The sight was quite shocking.
Kyiv, while being the capital, seemed a bit outdated, with many old buildings that lacked modern flair. The cars on the streets were mostly second-hand ones from Japan or South Korea, which made me wonder how a former European industrial powerhouse had fallen into such decline.
My university was located in Dnipro, Ukraine’s fourth-largest city. A friend picked me up from Kyiv and we headed to the train station for the night train to Dnipro.
It was at the train station that I was approached by another Ukrainian beauty. She asked in broken Chinese, "Hello, are you Chinese?" I confirmed, and then she said, "Can I marry you?"
I was stunned again! Ukrainian girls were so bold! I didn’t know how to respond and, once again, ran away. My friend laughed all the way on the train, making me feel like my “Northeastern tough guy” image was somewhat popular in Ukraine.
When I arrived in Dnipro, I stayed in the dormitory, where the accommodation cost just under 2,000 RMB per year. The dormitory had basic amenities, including a bathroom, shower, and a simple kitchen. However, things took a strange turn when I discovered a camera installed in the bathroom corner. When I asked the dormitory manager, they said it was for security purposes to prevent theft. I had to hang a curtain for some privacy.
Living in Ukraine was quite an adjustment for me, especially the food. Bread, sausages, salad, and pasta - there was nothing like Chinese rice and stir-fried dishes. Fortunately, I could cook, and I often prepared simple dishes and enjoyed them with friends over a glass of vodka.
I began learning Ukrainian, which was challenging for me due to the difficult pronunciation. I used every opportunity to practice with locals, and often watched films to improve my skills.
Over time, I became more familiar with Ukrainian culture. The country’s vast landscapes, including the nude beach along the Dnipro River, were intriguing. Though I never ventured to that particular area, I was struck by the openness of the local people.
I noticed the struggles of the Ukrainian economy as well. While the streets were full of people, the average salary was quite low, around 2,000 RMB per month. Many elderly people, without savings, ended up living on the streets.
It was during one of my routine visits to the pharmacy in May 2021 when I met her - Marina, a 21-year-old pharmacy worker. I was sick at the time, and as I struggled to explain my symptoms in Ukrainian, Marina switched to English and helped me with some medicine recommendations. That was when I truly noticed her - her delicate features, her golden hair, and gentle demeanor. She was exactly the type of woman I had always dreamed of.
We exchanged contact information, and after a few days of chatting, I invited her to coffee. To my delight, she wore a traditional Chinese qipao, which looked stunning on her. We spent time talking, and despite the 15-year age gap, I felt no hesitation in asking her to be my girlfriend during our third date.
Marina's sister, Marina (middle), and my mother-in-law
From then on, we spent more time together, going to parks, having coffee, eating meals, and even enjoying some fun activities like bowling and shooting. Marina was gentle and kind, but when it came to shooting, she was fierce and competitive.
By June, we had been together for more than a month, and Marina introduced me to her family. I realized that I had not only found my true love but was also becoming part of her family.
On November 26, 2021, Marina and I got married in Ukraine. At 36, I had finally found the love of my life. After so many twists and turns in my journey, I never imagined that I would marry a 21-year-old Ukrainian girl, 15 years younger than me, in a foreign country.
Due to the pandemic, we didn’t have a big wedding. We simply went to the registry office, got our marriage certificate, and held a modest ceremony. Afterward, we had a meal with everyone at a restaurant, and celebrated by dancing and singing.
In Ukraine, weddings are different. There’s no dowry, and there’s no demand for a house. My in-laws even bought us our wedding rings and funded our honeymoon trip.
As a Chinese man, I didn’t want Marina to feel neglected, so I bought her clothes and some household items. I made sure to pay for all the other expenses, like the wedding banquet and hotel bookings, well in advance.
In February 2022, Marina and I planned to go to Turkey for our honeymoon. Turkey isn’t far from Ukraine, separated by the Black Sea, so it seemed like the perfect getaway.
We left on the 19th, but by the 24th, the war broke out. We were lucky enough to be away from the war, but Marina’s parents were still in Ukraine.
We saw brutal war footage online, and Marina became so worried that she couldn’t eat or sleep. She often cried quietly. We were both anxious, but there was little we could do. All we could do was pray for the war to end soon and for our families to stay safe.
At that time, we didn’t know how long the war would last. We thought maybe it would be over in a month or two. So, we decided to stay in another country until the war ended, hoping we could return to Ukraine afterward.
To our surprise, the war didn’t seem to be slowing down. Marina was pregnant at that time, and I couldn’t bear the thought of her having the baby abroad. However, returning to Ukraine wasn’t an option, and bringing her to China was difficult because she didn’t have a visa.
We ended up going to Georgia, where Marina’s aunt lived. We stayed there for a few months, but it wasn’t a long-term solution.
Later, I found out that, during this special period, it was possible to process Marina’s Chinese visa in Georgia. Once the visa was ready, I started researching how to return to China and looking for flight routes. With the war and the ongoing pandemic, flight cancellations were common, and policies changed rapidly. It was no easy task to return to China!
After several attempts, we eventually made it - flying from Georgia to Turkey, then to Saudi Arabia, Laos, Thailand, Hong Kong, and finally arriving in Chengdu. We then took a flight to Mudanjiang.
It was a grueling journey, full of hardships and obstacles. After five months, we traveled through seven countries and regions, spending 100,000 yuan. Finally, we made it back to China.
Marina was still adjusting to China when we arrived, but she was happy. The wide, smooth roads and the stunning architecture amazed her. Even in small cities, she felt they were as advanced as the big cities of Ukraine. The Chinese people treated her warmly and took good care of her as a foreigner.
My parents were overjoyed to meet their daughter-in-law. They spoiled Marina, and she was quickly accepted into the family.
But we still worried about Marina’s parents. My mother-in-law went to her sister’s home in Georgia for safety, but my father-in-law couldn’t leave Ukraine due to a wartime law that prevented men under 60 from leaving the country.
After returning to China, I had our marriage certificate notarized and then applied for a one-year visa for Marina. At last, we were able to settle down.
Recently, our mixed-race son was born, and Marina is gradually adapting to life in China. She’s learning some simple Chinese and loves Chinese food. She especially enjoys dishes like shredded potatoes, Guo Bao Rou, and Peking duck - although she can’t handle spicy food.
Through our time together, I’ve come to realize that Ukrainian women are very traditional and simple. In family life, they center their world around their husbands and children, and they don’t expect much in terms of material wealth.
Now, we are living a peaceful and stable life in China. I now share videos of my life with Marina on social media. Honestly, making these videos brings some benefits, but it's more of a hobby for me. Long-term, I want to focus on real-world businesses.
But for now, with our child being so young and Marina still new to life in China, she needs me. In times of peace, without war, as long as we work hard, I believe everything will be just fine.
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