The popular song proclaims that "Diamonds are forever," but for a poor Chinese trash collector, it didn't take forever for him to afford a diamond jewelry for his wife - just a few decades.

The elderly trash collector finally stashed enough, after years of saving, and went to a mall in Xinjiang to buy a diamond ring for his wife, who was with him during the shopping trip. He had with him wads of yuan.

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The man told store clerks, "We've been leading a hard life. I just hope to cheer her up," Shanghaiist quotes the trash collector, estimated to be in his 70s.

Weibo users were one with the pair in expressing joy that romance is so much alive for the septuagenarians.

One Weibo member wrote, "Holding hands as they grow old, it's the most romantic thing."

Another one gushed, "This is the most romantic thing to ever happen in my hometown Korla. I wish them a better life!"

Actually, the elder couple joins a growing trend in China of giving diamond rings to mark the engagement of a man and a woman in preparation for marriage, according to consultancy firm Bain & Company. Only the elderly couple probably got married 50 years ago and should be celebrating their golden wedding anniversary.

Bain said that the attraction of Chinese to diamonds has made the Asian giant as the top importer of the precious stone, next to the U.S. and followed by India.

From just a 3 percent share in the global diamond market in 2003, China's share jumped to 15 percent. And if the Chinese and Indian demand are combined, they would equal the U.S. demand within the next 10 years, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Tagsdiamond ring, trash collector