Liu’s daughter washes Ruan’s feet (Photo by Baidu)
An elderly person who lived alone in China died, leaving a large amount of property equivalent to five flats to his carer who had been looking after him for 12 years.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 10th, Ruan, who was born in Beijing in 1930, lived alone throughout his life, without marrying or starting a family. His parents died when he was young.
As Luan grew older and no longer had the strength to look after herself, she turned to the village committee for help. The committee contacted us with a young man called Liu (male) who was known in the village for being sincere.
Liu cared for the elderly very sincerely, and even moved his family to the elderly home to provide better care. They became like a family to the extent that Rio’s children washed the old man’s feet.
The old man promised to hand over his property when he died.
Then, in October last year, when the elderly’s land was included in real estate development, compensation equivalent to five flats was received. When converted to market price, this equates to millions of dollars.
Seven months later, the old man died aged 93.
After his death, Liu inherited the property according to a promise made during his lifetime, and a legal battle broke out with the old man’s younger brothers.
Luan lived a solitary life and was rarely visited, even by her own relatives, SCMP said. (Photo by Baidu)
Throughout the trial, villagers testified to Liu’s sincere care.
One resident said, “The old man had bad lungs, so Liu installed five oxygen machines for him. “For over 10 years, Liu boiled eggs and milk for the elderly man every morning, and often changed the breakfast menu to porridge, noodles, and stewed meat,” he testified.
The court eventually ruled in Liu’s favor after confirming that the older man’s younger siblings rarely visited him during his lifetime.
This decision received overwhelming support online.
Some people said it was possible because there was compensation. Then, one netizen said, “Liu initially took care of the elderly without knowing anything about the five properties,” and added, “His initial intentions were pure. “The compensation came later and it was deserved,” he said.
Another said: “Caring for someone for 12 years is no small task. “There are not many people who can show such patience,” he said. “Liu is fully qualified to inherit,” he cheered.
Recently, China has faced the problem of rapid population aging. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that China’s population over 60 will reach 28% by 2040 due to longer life expectancy and lower birth rates.
Tae-geun Park, Donga.com reporter ptk@donga.com
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