Zhengzhou Evening News, July 19, 2010

A community patrolman in Zhengzhou picked up a pigeon with the following note strapped to its neck:

Xiao Mei:

I really haven't done anything to hurt you. We've been together for five years. Don't you know what kind of person I am by now? It's too bad that our "Little Gray" is just a pigeon. It would be great if it could speak. It would be able to prove my innocence. I have no other choice. Is "death" the only way to prove it? Loving you is really hard! Shiyazi (last words)

The newspaper spoke to a member of a pigeon racing club, who confirmed that the markings on Little Gray's leg-band indicated that it belonged to someone in Zhengzhou. However,

Lu Qing did not have a high opinion of Little Gray's lineage and build. He felt that the bird was just an ordinary homing pigeon, and despite its being more than a year old, it was hard to judge whether it had been in competition.

Lu said that Little Gray was probably raised by Shiyazi and Xiao Mei together and had probably lived in the homes of each. It probably flew alone, carrying letters between the two lovers.

Zhengzhou Evening News certainly has influence among its readers: according to today's top headline, a report late last week on a road blockage spurred the municipal party secretary to visit the scene in person. So perhaps today's report will help reunite Xiao Mei and Shiyazi.