A Chongqing man won the heart of a beautiful
Russian pianist, thanks to the help of a bit of home cooking.
Dubbed the "piano princess", Galina, 23, fell in love with
Chinese musical student Wei Hefu in Russia two years ago after
eating a Chinese dish he had prepared, reports the Chongqing
Evening News.
The dish was yuxiang rousi, or fish-flavored pork
threads, which is traditional Sichuan cuisine.
Wei Hefu (right) and
Galina look at flowers for their wedding.
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The couple tied the knot in Chongqing's Kaixian County early
this month and held a traditional Chinese wedding.
Wearing a red wedding gown, Galina bowed to her parents-in-law
and a number of friends and relatives at the wedding ceremony and
told them her love story with Wei.
Born in a musical family in St Petersburg in Russia, Galina
became the chief pianist at the Conservatory of Music of National
Normal University two years ago.
Wei, 27, the son of teachers in Chongqing, studied singing in
the university and became the lead singer of the school chorus,
meaning the two crossed paths.
The two became friends, and this relationship blossomed into
love when Wei invited his friends to have a dinner at his home six
months ago.
Wearing an apron, Wei made several Chinese dishes in his
kitchen, including the simple yuxiang rousi.
"The dish tasted very delicious and I was amazed that a Chinese
man can make such good dish at home," Galina said.
In Russia, most men do not know how to cook and the kitchen is
the domain of women, she said. However, Wei's cooking skills and
gentle manner won her heart, she said. "He is a family-oriented man
and is an ideal husband," Galina said.
Her mother is also fond of the future son-in-law after Galina
brought Wei home for dinner. The mother encouraged her daughter to
keep hold of him, saying "Wei is a good boy".
Wei brought his would-be bride back to China at the end of last
year. They dashed to a nearby hotpot restaurant right after getting
off the plane in Chongqing.
The Russian girl, who is accustomed to eating mild food, quickly
adapted to hot and spicy food in Chongqing. She says she loves life
in Chongqing, the people, the food, the shopping malls, and
especially her "caring and responsible" husband.
Wei's parents, in their 50s, are happy to get a beautiful
daughter-in-law and they have begun to learn Russian.
(China Daily February 27, 2007)
