BEIJING: 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. - South China Morning Post
