A honeymoon in western Tibet came to a tragic end in October when the newlyweds suffered from altitude sickness and crashed their car on a mountain road.
Yu Yanyan, a 27-year-old from Shanghai who was sitting in the passenger seat, was seriously injured.
She was taken to a local hospital, but due to rapid bleeding and lack of sufficient blood stocks, it was likely that she would not survive.
However, Yu's husband, using the couple's networks and connections, was able to secure blood donations from local officials and ordinary people in that region of Tibet, which helped stabilize the bride.
Yu's father then arranged for a chartered plane to take her to a larger hospital for more advanced surgery.
Yu's life-saving surgery is a remarkable initiative in China, particularly in remote areas such as Tibet, where many people lack access to quality medical care.
Some said they couldn't believe it.
Success stories meet skeptical Chinese public
Bai Xinhui, who is from Shanghai like Yu, started following the story after Yu, who is currently recovering, posted a video about her near-death experience.
“It was really amazing to hear how so many people came together and contributed to saving her life,” Bai, a 26-year-old UX designer, told Al Jazeera.
At the same time, however, Bai wondered, “Is it possible for an ordinary person to receive so much help?''
“Maybe her husband and she have very good connections or maybe she comes from a very wealthy family,” Bai said.
“Maybe it's all true, maybe it's only half true,” she said, suspecting that some details of the rescue were changed to make officials appear more positive.
“These days in China, it's sometimes difficult to decide what to believe and who to believe,” she added.
Bai is not alone in thinking deeply about the circumstances and details of Yu's ordeal.
After the article received national media attention and circulated on Chinese social media in November and December, people began to have questions.
“How were we able to involve so many people to help her? And how were we able to help so quickly?” Marketing expert from Suzhou, asked Li Xueqing, 31.
“Medical care in China is so poor in many regions that I don't think Yu's story is indicative of how patients in her situation are usually treated,” Li told Al Jazeera. No,” he said.
Yu's survival has gone from dramatic rescue to symbol of rights and privilege in modern China, with some calling her Tibet's “Princess of Shanghai.”
The story garnered so much attention that Chinese authorities and media began investigating signs of wrongdoing regarding the resources mobilized to save Ms. Yu.
So far, there is little evidence to suggest that abuse of position or power was involved.
Around the same time that Yu's rescue was being dissected by China's skeptical online community, another story of overcoming incredible odds began trending on Chinese social media.
There was a similarly lackluster response to that.
Lottery players in the central Chinese city of Nanchang won the equivalent of about $31 million in the state-run welfare lottery in early December.
The winners reportedly spent a total of $14,000 on nearly 50,000 sets of identical lottery numbers, winning about $625 each.
Additionally, his total winnings were tax-free because the individual wager winnings were relatively small.
This situation immediately aroused suspicion.
“He probably had help from someone inside,” one user on Chinese social media platform Weibo speculated.
Both China's health sector and state lottery have been plagued by stories of embezzlement and corruption.
Li, who lives in Suzhou, said of the incredible efforts to rescue Yu in Tibet and the unprecedented lottery win in Nanchang, “A lot of money is taken and bribes are given in many areas in China.'' So of course we have our doubts.”
The outpouring of public skepticism suggests a lack of alignment between success in life and the experiences of everyday Chinese people, said Jodi Peng, a high school teacher in Shenzhen.
“Most people have never won a big lottery ticket or had an entire community come to their aid during a medical emergency,” she told Al Jazeera.
Peng has also had his faith in China's health system tested in recent years.
Her grandfather died of COVID-19 last year in a crowded public hospital, before overworked medical staff had a chance to properly care for him. Penn was also the victim of medical fraud several years ago in connection with post-surgical treatment.
“So of course I was happy to hear about the successful rescue of the Nanchang lottery winner and the Shanghai woman in Tibet. But that doesn't happen in Greater China, where I live,” she said.
China's party-approved “positive energy” story
Articles circulating in Chinese media and online often reflect the narrative intended by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), said Yao Yuan Ye, an associate professor of Chinese studies at the University of St. Thomas in the United States. The lived experiences of ordinary people.
“The Chinese internet is full of articles sponsored by the Chinese state,” Ye told Al Jazeera.
Chinese leaders have repeatedly called on the media to spread stories with “positive energy” that uplift and inspire people.
The internet is heavily monitored and regulated in China, and articles and commentary that do not support government orders can be quickly removed by censors without warning or explanation.
So when official data showed that China's youth unemployment rate reached a record high of 21.3% in June, Chinese censors blocked critical discussion of the numbers online, Removed negative comments about the state of China's economy.
The following month, the publication of China's youth unemployment data was suspended.
The fight against negativity has also resulted in authorities targeting individuals.
Li Wenliang, a Wuhan-based doctor, began warning colleagues in early December 2019 about the emergence of a virulent respiratory disease that would become known as COVID-19. He was arrested by the police for “spreading rumors.''
Lee contracted the virus and died several months later.
Last year, when students at a university in Nanchang found a rat head in their rice in the cafeteria, attempts by some to hide bad news from China drew ridicule online. , cafeteria staff, the school, and the local food authority were all reported. He claimed it was duck meat.
The catering company later threatened legal action against anyone “spreading rumors” about their food, while students were told by school officials not to discuss the rodent heads in their rice. was told.
“It's hard to trust what you see and hear in the media as those in power try to cover up their heads,” said Li, who lives in Suzhou.
Peng, from Shenzhen, agreed.
“China currently has a lot of problems with the economy, corruption and many other things,” she said.
“You can't hide everything behind a positive story,” she added.
“We should be able to openly discuss China issues, otherwise the lack of trust will only grow.”
