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Fran Lu

Business boomed at a street snack stall in China in a touching show of support for its owner whose son had died from cancer, leaving the man with three small children to look after.
Video clips of long queues in front of a tanghulu stall near the Shandong Institute of Petroleum and Chemical Technology, in eastern China’s Shandong province, went viral online.
People came to support the stall owner, surnamed Tian, whose 36-year-old son died from liver cancer this month.
Tian junior was diagnosed with late-stage cancer in September. The family borrowed money to treat him, but could not save his life.

Tian’s son left three young children aged between four and seven. He also has parents in their 90s to look after.
Tian’s wife, who ran a roast sausage stall, is yet to fully recover from a broken arm caused by an accident years ago.
A nearby stall owner posted Tian’s story online.
Students at the institute saw the post, reposted it and soon queues formed dozens of metres long in front of the stall.
The tanghulu snack sold by Tian is a traditional Chinese candied treat featuring fresh fruit, mainly hawthorns, strawberries, oranges and grapes, coated in melted sugar on a bamboo skewer.

Tian’s tanghulu skewers cost four to five yuan (60 to 70 US cents) each. Some students bought 30 to 40 skewers to share with their classmates to support Tian’s business.
One bought four skewers and paid 1,000 yuan (US$140).
As Tian’s story spread, students even formed a chat group to order tanghulu directly from Tian.
Other residents in the city also drove to Tian’s stall just to donate money.
They paid hundreds of yuan to Tian’s payment code and left before buying anything. Some also dropped off daily supplies and children’s clothes.
Even Tian’s neighbour came to help him make the tanghulu skewers.

One person who came to support Tian said: “I want to do my bit to give the grandpa warmth and strength to live their future life.”
Tian said his normal daily takings of 200 yuan (US$30) had jumped to 3,000 yuan (US$420).
He said he felt guilty about accepting donations without giving anything in return.
“I will raise the children well and ask them to study hard. When they grow up, I will tell these Good Samaritan stories to them so that they can repay society,” Tian told China National Radio.


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Grieving seller of traditional sweet skewered delicacies sees 15-fold rise in daily takings as students rally round after son’s cancer death


Grieving seller of traditional sweet skewered delicacies sees 15-fold rise in daily takings as students rally round after son’s cancer death.


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Long queue of customers at China snack stall to support owner, whose dead son leaves 3 kids behind

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Grieving seller of traditional sweet skewered delicacies sees 15-fold rise in daily takings as students rally round after son’s cancer death

Grieving seller of traditional sweet skewered delicacies sees 15-fold rise in daily takings as students rally round after son’s cancer death