House husband: Yunnan woman hid lover in attic for 24 years

Wang Xin, left, sits in the courtyard for the first time in over two decades.
===============================================================

"To tell you the truth, I've had a man hidden in my house for a long time," Zhang Ling, a 59-year-old woman from Zhaotong in southwest China's Yunnan province recently told local police.

Zhang's story is not as sinister as it sounds. She says that 24 years ago she decided to run away with her lover Wang Xin, a married man, but they were afraid they could be arrested for adultery or bigamy and both sent to jail. Wang Xin began living a secret life in hiding at Zhang's home. The couple hopes that now their secret has been revealed, they can be issued a marriage certificate and live their lives in the open, according to our Chinese-language sister newspaper Want Daily.
In June, Xiao Jifen, a police officer in Zhaotong, found Zhang Ling with a broken leg and sent her to hospital for treatment, reports Life News, a newspaper in the provincial capital Kunming. Xiao helped

Zhang raise 2,450 yuan (US$385) for her medical treatment and also bought 200kg of rice for 1,000 yuan (US$160) to help out further.

Zhang was touched by Xiao's generous spirit and told him, "You've been too good to me. I won't feel at ease unless I tell you a secret." Then she revealed the secret she had kept for 24 years.

Over the last two and a half decades, Wang Xin's only window to the world was through Zhang, books and television. Living in the attic, he took care of the housework while Zhang was out at work.

Both feel relieved that their secret has finally been revealed. They say their biggest wish is to apply for a marriage certificate, take wedding photos and become a legally married couple. Any charges related to adultery or bigamy have reportedly passed the statute of limitations.