He, from Ningxia, China, is a power transmission worker at State Grid Ningxia Power Transmission and Transformation Engineering Company.

She, from Osaka, Japan, is a senior foreign consultant at a well-known law firm in Suzhou.

A romantic encounter suddenly brought two parallel lines together, creating a perfect cross-national marriage.

During the May Day holiday, the author was interviewing at the construction site of the Shandong Haiyang Nuclear Power to Daze 500 kV line project, undertaken by State Grid Ningxia Power Transmission and Transformation Engineering Company, when I偶然 met the protagonists of the story—Li Keyin, an employee of State Grid Ningxia Power Transmission and Transformation, and his Japanese wife, Furukawa Kinuyo, who came to "visit" him during the holiday. I learned about a little-known love story of this cross-national couple.

Romantic Encounter

When people mention power transmission workers, many think they are a group who least understand life and romance, always working in the wild, covered in dirt and mud. Li Keyin is exactly like that. Since joining State Grid Ningxia Power Transmission and Transformation Engineering Company in 2007, he rarely goes home throughout the year. While others go shopping at malls on weekends, he does quality inspections and climbs poles; while others watch movies at night, he reads blueprints and drafts plans.

July 10, 2009, is a day Li Keyin will never forget. At that time, he had been working on the 750 kV transmission line project from Urumqi North to Turpan to Hami in Xinjiang for four months without going home. The project department arranged for him to take a week off to go home and see his family.

After boarding the train in Urumqi, just as he put away his luggage, Li Keyin saw two girls on the opposite berth carrying heavy suitcases onto the train.

"Your suitcases are big. I'll take mine down and put it under the seat, and help you put yours up!" The tall Li Keyin easily helped them place their suitcases on the luggage rack.

Thus, they started chatting. Through further conversation, Li Keyin learned that they were international students at Tianjin University of Technology, one from Hong Kong, Cindy, and the other from Japan, Furukawa Kinuyo, who were traveling in Xinjiang during summer vacation and preparing to return.

"When you have time, please come visit my hometown Ningxia. Ningxia is known as the 'Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall,' a magical and beautiful place. I can be your guide." Perhaps it was the beautiful scenery of his hometown that Li Keyin introduced along the way that attracted them, or perhaps his honest image and simple words moved them. In any case, the two girls let down their guard, changed their itinerary, and actually went with him to Ningxia. In Ningxia, Li Keyin took them to visit Sand Lake, Helan Mountain rock carvings, and the Western Xia Imperial Tombs, and treated them to Ningxia's specialty foods. The hospitality of Ningxia people left a deep impression on them. In just one week, they formed a deep friendship and reluctantly said goodbye.

Of course, the story did not end there. After Li Keyin returned to Xinjiang, he kept in touch with Furukawa Kinuyo, and gradually, they developed feelings for each other.

Warm Mutual Understanding

In early 2010, after graduation, Furukawa Kinuyo found a job at the Suzhou branch of Shanghai Yishi Law Firm as a senior foreign consultant.

"Xiao Li, she is a foreign student and now a senior white-collar worker. You don't have a high education and often work in the field. Even Chinese girls might not fancy you. Life is realistic; there isn't that much romance and passion. Do you think you're in a Korean drama? Break up, and when you come back, we'll introduce you to someone nice in Yinchuan." At that time, many people were not optimistic about the relationship, and colleagues always advised him like this.

"I believe in a saying: Love has no specific rules. That's how Kinuyo and I are. No one should love someone, no one is matched with someone. She understands me, I understand her. I think love is that kind of feeling of mutual understanding." Li Keyin always firmly held on to his persistence in love.

The main tools for power transmission workers to communicate with their loved ones are mobile phones and the internet. At first, Kinuyo's Chinese was not very fluent, and Li Keyin didn't know any Japanese, so their communication was often unclear. Later, Kinuyo taught Li Keyin simple Japanese through QQ video, and they persisted. Kinuyo also enrolled in a Chinese class in Suzhou, and her Mandarin became better and better.

In their chats, Li Keyin often mentioned his work. Although power transmission work is hard, he never felt inferior; instead, he was very proud. He often told Kinuyo that behind every light, there is the sweat and dedication of power transmission workers. It is electricity that makes the night more colorful. Through their continuous communication, Kinuyo also fell in love with this young power transmission worker who was persistent in love, motivated at work, and optimistic about life.

Three years passed quickly, and the two visited each other's parents in Yinchuan and Osaka. Unexpectedly, both sets of parents were very open-minded and did not view the couple with worldly eyes. The expected resistance was almost nonexistent.

When it came to buying a house, Li Keyin knew his family's financial situation was not good, so he didn't ask his parents for money. He wanted to use his savings over the years for the down payment and take a bank loan. At that time, Kinuyo said only one thing: "Let's share the down payment, and we'll pay off the loan together. Don't work too hard." In today's world where materialistic and realistic women prevail, this kind Japanese girl deeply moved Li Keyin.

"I didn't expect Japanese girls to be so unrealistic. Kinuyo's family is the same. Not only did they not ask for a bride price, but her parents thought we had to pay the mortgage and life would be tight, so they wanted to give us money. But we didn't take it either, because we are both independent." Li Keyin said moved.

At that time, the project was quite tight, and Li Keyin couldn't come back for several months after going to the construction site. When Kinuyo went to reschedule the wedding photos for the third time, even the photographer at the studio smiled helplessly: "What does your husband do? How can he be so busy?" Each time, Kinuyo answered seriously and proudly: "He is a power worker."

After a three-year long-distance relationship, overcoming language and cultural barriers, Li Keyin and Furukawa Kinuyo chose to enter the marriage hall. In February 2013, they held their wedding in Yinchuan, blessed by relatives, friends, and colleagues.

Happy Companionship

After marriage, the long-term life of being apart more than together did not dilute their feelings but instead added a deep affection. In life, from initial discomfort to gradual integration, mutual understanding and tolerance, they put in more effort than ordinary couples.

Afraid that her husband would be distracted by answering calls during the day, the careful Kinuyo would quietly calculate his rest time after work based on the project progress schedule he sent, and then call, send WeChat messages, or video chat online, reminding him every day to pay attention to safety and health. During this year's May Day holiday, the project department did not rest. Unable to restrain her concern for her husband, Kinuyo bought a ticket and went to the Shandong construction site to visit Li Keyin. The couple, separated for several months, were reunited. This Japanese wife's thoughtfulness made Li Keyin's colleagues envious.

At the project department, Li Keyin showed the reporter his treasured tokens of love: a stack of train tickets with different departure places but only one destination: Suzhou. "Because the company's projects are all over the country—Ningxia, Tibet, Qinghai, Shandong... After each project ends or when I have time off, others go back to Yinchuan, but I go to Suzhou to accompany Kinuyo. Kinuyo is the same; whenever she has vacation, she comes to see Li Keyin. The brief reunions are especially sweet. Don't underestimate these tickets; they are the best witness of our love." Although showing happiness, Li Keyin's smile still had a bit of guilt and helplessness towards his wife.

Northwesterners often love spicy food, but this is completely different from the Japanese preference for light flavors. At first, the two basically couldn't eat together. Later, Li Keyin took advantage of the winter break to attend a cooking class in Suzhou. Every day when his wife came home from work, a table full of dishes was set, which moved Kinuyo deeply. Now, the Japanese wife has fallen in love with the fish-flavored shredded pork and Kung Pao chicken made by her Chinese husband, and the Chinese husband has also fallen in love with the sushi and curry beef rice made by his Japanese wife.

Li Keyin said: "Having a wife who loves me with all her heart and supports my work is a blessing." In Furukawa Kinuyo's view, Li Keyin is a man who loves life, works hard, and is worth relying on. She said: "Chinese people always say, 'Don't marry your daughter to a power transmission man; she'll be alone in an empty room all year round,' but I don't think so. The most attractive thing about Chinese power transmission men is their sense of responsibility. Keyin stands out in this regard. Whether for family, work, or love, it's something Japanese men absolutely don't have. Marrying him, I am very happy and have no regrets!"