In Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province, two photographs taken nearly three decades apart recently captured the hearts of countless netizens. The images — one a faded 1999 snapshot and the other a crisp 2026 digital portrait — depict a chance reunion between 49-year-old fruit seller Yang Guoping and a female artist known as Wang Mango.

The story began when Wang, from Jiaozuo in Henan province, was sorting through childhood belongings. She found a photo taken when she was just 3 years old: a candid moment captured by her father during a family trip to Taiyuan. In it, a young, lean vendor stands behind a fruit-laden tricycle.

Yang was the fruit vendor. To Wang's surprise, a cousin in Taiyuan immediately recognized the fruit vendor in the picture, who still ran a shop near the original photo location. When Wang paid Yang a visit with the old photo in hand, he was both surprised and delighted, initially not recognizing his younger self.

The pair took a new photo together at the same location, capturing both the passage of time and the continuation of a remarkable connection that had spanned a quarter of a century.

After Wang posted the two comparison photos on Douyin, China's version of TikTok, the response from the internet was immediate, with many commenting on the stark changes.

For Yang, these developments have just been a normal part of his daily life.

"Back then, hardly anyone had mobile phones, and cameras were rare. The photo was quite a novelty," he told China Daily.

In the early 1990s, Yang left his rural home in Xinzhou, Shanxi, to work in Taiyuan. He started as a waiter in a restaurant, eventually saving enough to buy a secondhand tricycle and set up a mobile fruit stand on Yijing Street. By 2009, he had established his own shop.

Yang reminisced about old Yijing Street, once a bustling, ordinary street filled with the lively atmosphere of a farmers' market. Now it's a trendy food street — and one of Taiyuan's most popular destinations.

"Time has changed the marks of the years, the progress of the era and the development of technology. The old phone booth in the background is now a 5G service center, and the street has been transformed," Yang said, commenting on the photos. "But what remains unchanged is the simplicity and kindness of people's hearts."

Today, Wang is a children's art teacher, running her own small studio in Henan. She said that this reunion, spanning 27 years, was both a magical connection and a testament to the perseverance and passion found in ordinary people. "I hope to be like him, steadfastly pursuing what I love and doing every little thing with heart," Wang said.

In the old photo, there was another heartwarming detail: the woman standing behind Yang was his wife, Li Xiuying. For over 30 years, the couple relied on their fruit business to raise their two children and help them establish homes in the city. Over the decades, the mobile stand was transformed into an 80-square-meter fruit shop, and the second-hand tricycle was replaced by a delivery truck.

"I'm incredibly grateful for my wife's companionship," Yang said. "When I had nothing and started this venture, she endured hardships without complaint. Without her, we wouldn't have what we have today."

Yang's shop has remained in the same location all these years, with many loyal customers who grew up eating his fruits now bringing their own children to his store — something he deeply cherishes.

After the video went viral, many new customers came to see the shop, but Yang remained humble. "I'm just an ordinary fruit seller. Being noticed and appreciated by everyone is already very touching. I will continue to serve each customer with care and sell the best fruits," he said. Following their reunion, Wang and Yang promised to meet again on Yijing Street next Chinese New Year.

Zhang Zhiyao contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at zhuxingxin@chinadaily.com.cn