Love and compassion in China: Moroccan student saves drowning woman, long-ago pen pals reunite

A Moroccan man studying in eastern China has been hailed as a hero by local residents and received an award for saving a drowning woman from a lake.On the evening of April 6, Ayoub Fadil, 21, a student at Hangzhou-dianzi-university" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="115877" data-entity-type="organization">Hangzhou Dianzi University in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province and several foreign friends were walking around Jinsha Lake when they noticed a woman floating in the water.A lifebuoy thrown by some residents did not help because she was too far away from the bank, Hangzhou Daily reported.Fadil’s girlfriend urged him to jump in and save the woman because he is good at swimming. He did so after taking off his shoes and coat and putting down his mobile phone.The dramatic moment when Fadil finally managed to get the drowning woman to safety. Photo: baijiahao.baidu.comFadil soon reached the woman and began dragging her ashore. It took him a few minutes to save her, according to witnesses.One witness, surnamed Chen, gave Fadil a thumbs up, praising him in Chinese “you are awesome and brave”.Fadil just smiled and nodded before leaving the scene with his friends. He did not leave his name or contact details.However, the video of his heroic act went viral online, and before long the police had identified him as the Good Samaritan.The next day, reporters flocked to Fadil’s school to interview him.Fadil also received a “positive energy award” from the Alibaba Foundation. The Alibaba Group owns the South China Morning Post.Fadil pictured at the school in eastern China where he studies. Photo: baijiahao.baidu.com“The award was a shock but it makes me proud,” Fadil told the media.Further ReadingHe said he plans to use the award to buy a “love gift” for his girlfriend.“I want to thank her for giving me the courage to save a life,” said Fadil.Pen pals reuniteA woman in China who borrowed 1,200 yuan (US$175) from her pen pal three decades ago has finally tracked him down.However, the writing buddy declined her offer of 20,000 yuan (US$3,000) saying he values the friendship more than money.The touching story was disclosed on social media by the woman’s son, known as Aduo, Xinhua Daily reported.In 1996, his mother, Jiang Shufang, who was a student at a nursing school in Hunan province, southern China, got to know her pen pal Xu Xing, who ran a bike business in Jiangsu province, north of Shanghai.One of the pen pal letters between the woman who borrowed money 30 years ago and her co-correspondent. Photo: mbd.baidu.comAfter exchanging some letters, Jiang asked if Xu could lend her some money as her family had financial difficulties.Xu remitted her 1,200 yuan which helped Jiang complete her studies.She said she had planned to return the money to Xu once she had a job.However, she was paid little and had to cover her mother’s medical bills.Years later, Jiang lost Xu’s contacts after moving home.When football league matches were held in Hunan and Jiangsu provinces last year, Xuzhou where Xu lives and Yongzhou where Jiang lives interacted on social media because residents in both cities are enthusiastic about the sport.Jiang wrote a post in January, hoping to find Xu.“I owe Brother Xu a big favour. If I cannot thank him in person, it would be a great regret,” said Jiang.Luckily she managed to get in touch with Xu days later based on clues provided by internet users.Xu Xing, above, said friendship was more precious than money when Jiang offered him a repayment. Photo: mbd.baidu.comJiang offered him 20,000 yuan, but he refused.“I should absolutely help when my friend is in trouble,” Xu was quoted as saying. “Compared to money, I think the friendship is more precious.”The 1,200 yuan was a quarter of Xu’s savings at the time he gave it.In March, Xu and five friends visited Jiang and her family in Yongzhou. Jiang gave Xu a big hug to express her gratitude.Xu bonded with Jiang’s family and Aduo calling him “uncle”.“Without my uncle’s money, my mother would have dropped out of school and her life would be changed completely,” said Aduo.