Lei pledges to honour both his biological parents and his ‘parents’ in Shenzhen for their unwavering support and love
2-MIN READ2-MINFran Luin BeijingPublished: 9:00am, 30 Jun 2026After playfully sneaking onto a train and being transported away unexpectedly, a deaf and non-speaking man from central China was finally reunited with his biological family recently – following 35 years away from home.
On June 11, Lei Zeqing joyfully reunited with his father, older brother, and sister, who made the journey from their hometown in Henan province to Shenzhen, in southern China’s Guangdong province.
Lei was overwhelmed with excitement to finally see his long-lost family, for whom he had searched tirelessly over the past 35 years.
In 1991, Lei and his friends playfully sneaked onto a train. He fell asleep beneath a seat, only to wake up in a “strange place.”
Unable to communicate effectively, Lei began living as a homeless individual near the Shenzhen railway station.
Fortunately, Lei encountered a woman he considered his first “mother” in Shenzhen, who taught him how to write.
Five years later, this woman moved to Hong Kong. However, Lei did not return to homelessness; he found a restaurant owner near the railway station who generously offered him food, a place to sleep, and even helped him secure a job.
