A way to a woman's heart is through her stomach.

At least, that seems to be the proverb at the heart of 27-year-old Chinese soldier Yin Yunfeng, who cooked a year's supply of meals for his wife before leaving on deployment.

Stationed in an isolated outpost in Tibet, Yin only sees 26-year-old Zhao Mai once a year. During Yin's latest visit he was saddened to see that Zhao, a teacher in the city of Anshui in China's Guizhou province, was so busy after work that she would often miss dinner.

The devoted spouse commenced a cooking marathon to ensure his wife would be well fed. He lovingly made 1,000 dumplings, 150 liters (about 40 gallons) of her favorite noodle soup and dozens of homemade meals to get her by. Each neatly packaged meal was stored in their fridge and at the homes of nearby loved ones.

"I have to admit his food packages help me keep going and it's great to know that he loves me. In some way, every time I have my meal, I know he is with me," Zhao is quoted as saying in metro.co.uk.

Her hubby didn't stop there. In case Zhao needed cheering up, Yin hid several sweet treats with hand-written love notes all around their house, the whereabouts of which he plans to divulge during phone calls and letters throughout the year. In his first such letter to Yin he wrote, "Here is your first surprise. You can find a bag of raisins at the back of the sofa in the living room."

The old adage is probably correct that food equals love.

(SEE the husband's 12-photo slideshow in China Daily)

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