Old woman gives life savings to officer as thank you for friendship

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A 70-year-old Chinese woman has decided to give her life savings, worth 100,000 yuan (14,700 US dollars), to a police officer as a sign of gratitude for being a better son than her own.

The lady, identified by her surname Wang, is a resident of the city of Jiande in east China’s Zhejiang Province, and for the last three years, she has developed a close relationship with Huang Huan, who has kept her company and filled the emotional void the divorcee was dealing with, reported Hangzhou Daily on Friday.

VCG Photo‍

“I am at an old age, so I have no need to take possession of a large sum of money. I will give all my savings to Huang because my son has always let me down,” Wang explained.

In 2015, she opened a bank account under Huang's name and placed all the savings she had accumulated over the year. But the man rejected to inherit her money.

Two years later, the two are still in contact, and the lady doesn't seem to have abandoned her original plan.

The old woman has an only son, who is in his 40s. But while others of his age have secured a decent job and established their own families, Wang’s son spent his years doing the complete opposite. He was detained in 2014 for larceny, and his returns home have since been few, leaving his mother with her loneliness.

Photo via Jiande City Police

“What he doesn’t forget is to ask his mother for money and continuously spend her pension. If Mrs. Wang decides not to give him what he is asking for, he would swear at her,” Huang told the newspaper, noting that he often tried to persuade him to express filial piety towards Wang.

Not willing to see the old lady living in solitude, Huang became a close friend of hers, and looked after her needs.

“I used to see her often sitting on the roadside, spacing out when I would be on my way back home after work. Sometimes, she sat there until midnight,” Huang recalled.

“She looked so pitiful, so I once stopped by and had a chat with her. Getting closer to her and knowing more about her family, I checked in on her regularly and started helping her from time to time.”

In return for his consideration and affection, Wang took him as her own child and frequently visited him with gifts and money as a thank you gesture. However, as a police officer in the neighborhood where they live, Huang thought looking after anyone in need was his duty.

Photo via Jiande City Police

“In 2015, I declined Wang’s banknote gift. Several weeks ago, she bought me a medical equipment, worth 37,000 yuan, instead. I could not accept such valuable gift and negotiated with the seller to return it,” Huang said.

The considerate police officer was praised online, after news of his kindness was shared.

“He's a good man, and the elder (Wang) is also nice. Both of them are warmhearted,” said a user who goes by the name @Zhaozhiyong on China's Twitter-like Weibo.

“It’s hard to imagine how bad her son is,” said another user @offtan.