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Fran Lu

The Chinese social media was shaken by a Good Samaritan deed that ended in tragedy when an elderly farmer died in a car crash shortly after receiving kind help from an influencer.
The influencer, who has dedicated himself to helping farmers in central China’s Henan province and has 84,000 followers, posted a video of himself assisting an 81-year-old farmer on June 25.
The influencer, surnamed Zhang, bought all the vegetables the elderly man was selling. The farmer, surnamed Jing, gave Zhang a discounted price of 0.80 yuan (12 US cents) per kilo.
The spinach, cucumbers, and eggplants Jing sold weighed 75kg in total and cost Zhang 60 yuan (US$8.8).

Like many farmers, Jing brought the vegetables he had planted to the city for sale every day.
Zhang also tried to help Jing earn more money by putting his foot on the scale to increase the weight.
Zhang jokingly asked Jing for a free lunch. Jing agreed without hesitation, but Zhang ultimately paid for a substantial meal that included two large bowls of braised noodles and four dishes.
Jing shared with Zhang that he had two daughters; the elder one had suffered from depression and taken her own life 15 years ago. He works hard to earn money for his two grandsons.
Jing mentioned that he had never eaten braised noodles before, as they were too pricey.

At the end of the video, Zhang also asked Jing to take away the unfinished dishes for his wife at home.
The heartwarming video unexpectedly received a comment from Jing’s grandson, announcing his grandfather’s death.
The young man, who goes by the handle @xibeilang, stated that his grandfather died in a car accident on his way home after lunch.
Jing junior noted that they had found many items at the crash site that his grandfather would have considered too luxurious to buy.
They were confused until they saw the video.

The young man thanked Zhang for treating his grandfather to a “hearty meal.” “This is his last meal. And this video is his last footage. In all these years, this is the first time I saw my grandpa so happy,” he said.
However, his comment attracted some criticism. Some suggested Jing may not have died if Zhang had not treated him to lunch.
Jing’s grandson replied again, defending Zhang. “On my grandpa’s last day, a man bought all his vegetables and treated him to lunch that he would never have had himself. If good deeds are criticised and unprotected, no one would do good anymore.”
Another woman, who claimed to be the elderly farmer’s niece, said, “My uncle planted vegetables all his life, always lived a frugal life, and this was his first-ever big meal.”

Three days later, Zhang posted again, stating that he had sent all the footage taken of Jing on his last day to his family.
He also offered to help them in the future if they needed it, and said he would respect their wishes.
More people supported Zhang online and praised his kind gestures.
“If anyone is to blame, it should be the reckless driver at fault, not the influencer,” one commenter said.
“Fate has its plans. Maybe his time had come that day, and knowing how hard his life had been, heaven sent him a kind man to treat him to a grand last meal before his death,” another remarked.


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A heartwarming act of kindness by a Chinese influencer ended in ultimate heartbreak when an 81-year-old farmer tragically lost his life in a car accident shortly after they shared lunch. Photo: Douyin

Influencer Zhang bought out the entire vegetable stock of the elderly farmer, Jing, who offered a discounted price of 0.80 yuan per kilo. Photo: Douyin

Zhang then treated Jing to a hearty meal of braised noodles and four dishes, even packing up the leftovers for the farmer’s wife. Photo: Douyin

After parting ways, Zhang received a heartbreaking message from Jing’s family revealing that the elderly man had been killed in an accident. Photo: Douyin

Shaken by the loss, Zhang now faces cruel online criticism claiming his lunch invitation altered the farmer’s routine and indirectly caused his death. Photo: Douyin

A childless Chinese couple who split US$2.5 meals left a five-million-yuan (US$735,000) legacy to heal children with congenital heart disease. Photo: Weibo

Du Yingrong and his wife, Lu Suying, in their youth. The childless couple quietly amassed a massive fortune to donate before passing away. Photo: The Paper

Charity workers later discovered that the late couple lived in an incredibly modest, “old and shabby” home. Photo: The Paper

Amid the dilapidated furniture, charity workers found a pair of eyeglasses held together with adhesive bandages. Photo: The Paper

Though material wealth was absent, their rich inner world included reading notes, a vintage record player, a violin, and sports gear. Photo: The Paper

Following their final wishes, a burial at sea and a commemorative charity exhibition were held in Shanghai to honour their incredible selflessness. Photo: The Paper

A Shanghai establishment sparked online controversy by pricing a standard household dish of tomato scrambled eggs at US$75. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

Scrambled eggs and tomatoes is widely considered the ultimate national comfort food and the most common family dish in China. Photo: Shutterstock

Rather than using a conventional bowl, the chef cracked the egg directly into a goblet, which bloggers felt “exuded a true sense of ceremony.” Photo: QQ.com

The chef used a massive, dark green emu egg instead of chicken or duck eggs. As pictured, these large birds have striking features—and their eggs are equally dramatic. Photo: Shutterstock

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A delivery rider from Hangzhou bravely entered a burning flat three times to extinguish the flames before collapsing from smoke inhalation. Photo: QQ.com

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An regained consciousness in hospital hours later, and while resting during treatment, he reflected that fear had never crossed his mind during the rescue. Photo: Handout

An expressed a long-standing desire to give back to Hangzhou, a city that had welcomed him warmly upon his arrival. Photo: Handout

A charred doorway marks the entrance to the flat after An successfully extinguished the blaze. Photo: Handout

Chinese tourist-site performer portraying poet Li Bai offers advice to burned-out visitors

A tourist-site performer portraying the carefree Tang poet Li Bai, middle, has become a sanctuary for stressed workers seeking life wisdom. Photo: SCMP composite/QQ.com/globalpeope

Wang Haonan, left, amassed a million online followers after going viral as Li Bai at Tangshan’s Tang dynasty-themed Hetou Old Street in Hebei. Photo: Weixin

Wang uses his spare time at work to recite and memorise more of Li Bai’s poems. Photo: Weixin

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Following a government live-streaming ban and the suspension of Three Sheep Network, co-founder “Crazy Big Yang Ge”, above, has transitioned to selling high-priced corporate training courses. Photo: Douyin

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An online advertisement promoting Crazy Older Brother Yang’s training course. Photo: Douyin

A training session in progress. A basic three-day workshop costs 1,980 yuan (US$290), while a premium four-week programme is priced at 19,980 yuan (US$2,945), aiming to equip absolute beginners with comprehensive industry skills. Photo: Douyin

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Elderly Jing dies in accident while carrying food for wife after Zhang buys out all his farm produce, treats him to his first lavish meal


Elderly Jing dies in accident while carrying food for wife after Zhang buys out all his farm produce, treats him to his first lavish meal.


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China influencer’s act of kindness ends in tragedy as farmer dies in car crash after shared lunch

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Elderly Jing dies in accident while carrying food for wife after Zhang buys out all his farm produce, treats him to his first lavish meal

Elderly Jing dies in accident while carrying food for wife after Zhang buys out all his farm produce, treats him to his first lavish meal