A 72-year-old man has become a father, after his 27-year-old wife gave birth to a son this year.

The woman, Zhang Feng, married the 45 years older man, Wen Changlin, on April 17, and gave birth to a baby boy on August 14. The couple lives in a small village in central Hunan Province.

Wen, who is a village doctor and already has three sons and a daughter by his late wife, said this was the happiest moment of his life.

In the summer of 2001, 15-year-old Zhang met her future husband after a stroke left her father paralyzed. Her family was too poor to afford the treatment, but Wen, who was living alone agreed to stay at Zhang's home to treat her father. In 2006, her father passed away, but Wen continued to live with her family because she suffered from frequent headaches.

In 2009, Wen decided to leave, as Zhang began to recover. But she found herself heavily reliant on him, because he had taken care of her during her hardest time in the past eight years. Out of both gratitude and love, Zhang decided to marry him.

Reactions to their union have been mixed. Some people were concerned about the age gap, but others have said that age is not a barrier to love.

The marriage came to light after the Xiao Xiang Morning Herald interviewed the couple. Zhang said "I chose to marry him because I think he is the only man that can save me and make me feel secure."

Due to the large age difference, Wen looks more like grandfather of their son. But Zhang doesn't regret her decision. When asked about their future, Zhang was optimistic. "He is very healthy and never gets sick. We are going to live together for a long time." Zhang said.

Wen's 42-year-old daughter said "Our family does not oppose their marriage. As long as they are happy, we are happy."

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