A septuagenarian man in Shanghai, China has a small home, but he prefers to live in a supermarket in the city, as if he is homeless, because he fears dying alone.
Divorced in 2000, self-described drifter Qiangming, 78, has been sleeping on a mat at the staff entrance of the supermarket and hanging out in the supermarket’s dining area during the day for the last decade, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports.
In 2021, Qiangming met a nanny surnamed Huang at the supermarket and she started bringing him meals and cleaning him up, according to SCMP.
In gratitude, the pensioner decided to bequeath his flat to Huang in exchange for her care until the end of his life, SCMP reports.
Unfortunately, his estranged son did not agree and took over the 20-square-meter flat. Now Qiangming is staying with Huang at her flat.
Meanwhile, a 25-year-old woman, who moved from Jiangxi province to Suzhou in eastern Jiangsu province for work, was lucky to find a really cheap place to live.
For the last two years, Zhang Jin has been living in the home, paying only 200 to 300 yuan a month in rent, which is 10 times lower than the prevailing rates in China’s urban centers. She works weekdays at a company 30 minutes away from home, which has 1,500 beds.
In exchange for the low rent at the Yiyang Senior House, Zhang serves as a live-in volunteer who gives companionship to its elderly residents. When she returns from work, she chats with the residents, including an 89-year-old grandfather assigned to her as a partner. On weekends, they have dances and other fun activities.
The setup is mutually beneficial. The seniors have companionship while Zhang tells SCMP she feels less lonely and stressed with the love and care she receives from the elderly residents.
