70-Year-Old Beijing Granny Delivers Water To Support Family

An old lady in her 70s delivers water in China to support her family.

From Sina:

70-year-old lady delivers water to support entire family, children and grandchildren suffer serious illnesses

70-year-old Gao Meiyun, in order to support the entire family and pay for her son and grandson’s medical care, must repeat these steps every day nearly 100 times. A 20kg bottle of water before this 37.5kg elderly person is truly too heavy. In order to support her physically handicapped son and mentally handicapped grandsom, 70-year-old Gao Meiyun alone shoulders the burden of financially supporting the entire family. To make a living, she opened a water store, becoming the well-known “Water Delivery Granny” in a neighborhood of [Beijing's] Shijingshan District Yangzhuang Middle District. Every day, the morning and evenings are the peak hours. It doesn’t matter if it is 6 in the morning or 10 at night, no matter if it is windy or raining, as long as a customer calls, the old lady will immediately deliver the water to their door. Transporting [water] over time has caused her back to become severely hunched. The old lady has written a letter to this newspaper seeking kind-hearted peoples’ help, help to provide medical care to her son and grandson, to help them get past this difficult time. Readers who want to help can call this newspaper’s hotline at 58635863 to register, and we will quickly get in touch with you.

An old Chinese lady in her 70s delivers water in China to support her family.

An old Chinese lady in her 70s delivers water in China to support her family.

An old Chinese lady in her 70s delivers water in China to support her family.

An old Chinese lady in her 70s delivers water in China to support her family.

An old Chinese lady in her 70s delivers water in China to support her family.

From NetEase:

70-year-old lady swindled

Summary: 70-year-old granny Gao depends on delivering bottled water to support her physically handicapped son and mentally handicapped grandson. After her circumstances were reported by the media, kind-hearted city residents donated over 100,000 yuan within three days. However, her neighbors have instead accused her of “swindling money”. With regards to this, the neighborhood district office/committee has released a statement showing that the Gao family has a monthly income of 3000 yuan, and their basic livelihood is guaranteed [they already have enough money].

An old Chinese lady in her 70s delivers water in China to support her family.An old Chinese lady in her 70s delivers water in China to support her family.

Comments from NetEase:

网易欧洲网友:

面对居民的指责,几名前来帮忙送水的网友并不理会。网友Radon认为,老太为生活奔波,每天送水是事实。儿子孙子有病也是事实。难得的是老太这么坚强。“我们献爱心,是针对事情本身,并不是针对这个人。希望能把爱心传播。”Facing resident criticism, several … Netizen Radon believes, the old lady runs around to make a living, that her delivering water is real. That her son and grandson are sick is also real. What is rare is how strong the old lady is. “Our kindness is with regards to this issue, not with regards to this person in particular. Hope this kindness can be passed on.”
Everyone knows the deal with medical insurance, and how limited use it is. How can 3000 yuan income including 2000+ yuan earned from delivering water be called swindling and cheating? It looks more like there is something fishy about this district neighborhood office/committee.

网易广东网友:

This society…I’m simply speechless…what is fake and what is real cannot be discerned.

网易湖南娄底网友:

Your efforts to support yourself have determined that you are a strong person worthy of everyone’s admiration. Hope peace and happiness for you and your family.

网易江西鹰潭网友:

I trust netizens are not stupid. Support the old lady, life is hard, stay strong!

网易火星网友:

That said, their family is not poor. It is very normal for elderly of this age to work. People’s bodies can be trained, and it is very normal for people of this age to be working in the countryside. However, delivering 100 times each day is definitely an exaggeration, and it would mean that [she makes] at least 2700 yuan per month, which in the countryside should be considered well off. Plus, everyone can image what her water delivery fee is. I think most netizens don’t even have as high an income as her family!

网易广东东莞网友:

Naked envy, the beast of the district neighborhood office is definitely not a good person.

网易广东广州网友:

Delivering 100 bottles of water in a day is indeed difficulty. If delivering one bottle takes 20 minutes, then 100 bottle would require 33 hours. I say 100 bottles a month is probably more like it.

网易江苏无锡网友:

Ai! The country [government] doesn’t do something, and when our adorable netizens donate money you guys don’t like it, fuck! A sick society!!!!!

网易浙江台州网友:

Who will supervise the media, who should shoulder the responsibility when the media’s fails in its duty?

网易四川宜宾网友:

All problems caused by money.

网易火星网友:

Would anyone envy a truly poor neighbor? The media digs up some news, and everyone leaps to express their concern? The ones who actually know the truth are still those neighbors.

Tough women. chinaSMACK personals.

  • karze

    Good for her. She looks fit.

    • yomismo

      ouch you were faster….

  • yomismo

    sofa its mine? for the very first time (shit, so many words)

  • angryman

    That she is accused of swindling is truly disgusting- if she’s doing the work, she’s doing the work- it doesn’t matter the reasons. Bloody neighbours.

    • Justin

      She was accused of swindling for writing to the media to ask for donations and she received 100,000 yuan from the public. It has nothing to do with her water delivery business.

  • Wish you well

    People can work so hard…

  • Chris

    They usually injure kids to make money… I like this approach better.

  • John

    There’s an old Chinese woman in my neighborhood who is always out with her stick and bag to collect bottles and cans. She is very old and her back is crooked like this woman’s. I gotta say, I have a ton of respect for people like this.

    We all get dealt a different hand of cards in this world. At the end of the say, it’s not who has the best hand, but who best plays their hand.

    • DePutaMadre

      I would say that living 70+ years, not developing any real skills, and ending up collecting garbage poorly played their hand.

  • Justin

    Note how few comments there are on this topic. Since a portrayal of a selfless act by a loving grandmother doesn’t provide an opportunity for foreigners to bash China, then they remain silent.

    It’s an interesting twist on that old saying, “If you don’t have anything bad to say, then say nothing at all.”

  • DePutaMadre

    Why did her physically handicapped son have a child? Who is the fat guy in the second to last photo? His fat belly must be where all of her money is going.

    • Tom12GA

      I think that there are a myriad of possibilities: a) The grandchild could have belonged to a different and/or deceased sibling of the son, b) the son could have been injured/disabled working an honest job, or c) people who are physically disabled still enjoy having sex.

    • Frank

      It might be that her son was injured and disabled after having a child. Happens a lot.

  • expatriate

    this is real. desires are not. dreams of a self-seeking nature are fake, and never good. let it go now before it does anymore damage. advertisement of ‘the good life’ is all bullshit, leaving one unsatisfied from a day to day basis. want less and you will receive more as a trustworthy stewart. the real you must know where your ancestors came from (poverty) and never forget those who are still in poverty.

  • Koreansentry

    This is so sad to see granny trying to support her son & grandson, how about Chinese nationalists collect donation and support this poor lady rather than having keyboard wars with Japanese and Koreans.

    • Chef Rocco

      Set an example for them by doing it by yourself first, remember, a war has to be fought by two parties.

  • chucky

    I live in a hopeless country

    • Chef Rocco

      Under depression? Two options: leave or take anti-depressants..

      • Alikese

        If he’s Chinese he can’t leave.

        • Chef Rocco

          If he is Chinese and doesn’t want to take anti-depressants, then turning himself into an online Chuckie may be the solution, child’s play may drive depression away..

  • xmcx

    Surprisingly, none of the comments view the story as a scathing indictment of the country’s total lack of adequate healthcare and pension. How comes?

    • Chef Rocco

      xmcx, the comment on Netease reveals that the family is paid 3000 yuan a month welfare by government, but living in the most expensive city Shanghai with disabled sons and grandchildren, obviously the money is far from sufficient for Cao to support her family, especially to cover medical costs. her neighors must be some very jealous dudes.

      China still has a long way to go in terms of welfare and healthcare for its people.

    • aquadraht

      Hypocrite. A relative of mine is still working in the age of 71, commuting 5 hrs every workday. She is not living in China, but in the United States. Part of her pension burnt out in the financial crisis due to the highly adequate US pension system, that’s why she couldn’t quit at the age of 68 as planned previously.

      China still is a country with a GDP per capita below 4k US$. Yet, the number of absolutely poor dropped from 800m in 1978 to 65k this year.

      • Alex

        Sorry but it’s impossible that China only has 65.000 poor people.

      • Chris

        64,000 out of 1.4 Billion? hahahaha…

        Aquadraht, you crazy monkey, you humour knows no bounds. I will still be laughing at this during my lunch break.

        Well done.

      • Fabulous

        Did you say 65k?
        Maybe your definition of “absolute poor” is the decisive factor.
        Does “absolute poor” mean that a person is so poor that they live naked on the street, eating second hand chewing gum and sucking drops from Coke bottles? Is there poorer than that?
        Even then 65k seems like it wouldn’t be accurate.

        • Frank

          Bingo. What do you mean by “absolutely poor”?

      • bobiscool

        *sigh*

        Above people with no economic knowledge whatsoever laughs at someone who does. What a world we live in…

        Aboslute poverty is defined as not making enough for basic necessities such as food, shelter, water, clothes.

        Of course there are millions upon millions of poor people in China…

        Although I have to say I do doubt the number 65k. if you said 650k I might believe it.

        • Alex

          Just to say that Spain has 20 million poor, almost 2 million of those are extreme poverty…

      • Alex

        Just to say that Spain has 20 million poor, almost 2 million of those are extreme poverty…

        Of course it’s not the best example in Europe but… Compare population.

      • xmcx

        Argh you have unmasked me as a hypocrite and troll. It is true. I must now admit the truth.
        -The Chinese race, are God’s own chosen people, as was clearly made known by decree of the son of heaven over 5000 years ago.
        -I still feel deeply moved in my entrails by a sense of irreparable loss and bitter denial concerning the fact that my great great great great grandfather personally urinated on the smoldering ruins of the Summer Palace. Not only that but my great great great great great uncle was one of the masterminds behind the decision of politicians at that time to sack the Summer Palace, and his brother was actually a very large and obnoxiously wealthy opium trader. I feel that this is an insult to the Chinese race that I can never repair with a lifetime of good deeds.
        -It is fair to say that much of the wealth I and my country enjoy today is directly derived from these acts of plundering and the others that were carried out by my great great great great grandfather and his descendants down to my great grandfather. This guilt leaves me with an unbearable feeling whenever I see my grandfather receive expensive medical treatment entirely afforded by the community.
        -Consequently, it would be only a just return if China were to acquire by all means available some of the wealth that has been unjustly taken by my ancestors. If the People’s Liberation Army need to use a space-laser and a tailor-made germ targeting Caucasians, then that is only the fair retribution of what my ancestors have done, and I will not budge or complain. The concept of baoying is entirely different from bearing a grudge or eye-for-an-eye, it is a deep theological concept meaning that the West must pay. No amount of roundabout rhetoric or nitpicking argument can stand against this religious truth. What is to be shall be.
        Ai (ni) zhonghua. wansuiwansui.
        I hope this clears our argument.

  • Bill Rich

    Wonderful life to look forward to for the young in China. China is the paradise of workers. Therefore you must work to receive the wonderful care from the beloved government and party.

    • Chef Rocco

      Yeah, Chinese youth are damned for sure. Unlike those American youth, they don’t need to work hard because their beloved government would take care of their pension by simply printing more greenbacks and borrowing from one evil empire, such a paradise, no wonder so many Chinese young people want to study and stay there forever…

  • Name (required)

    She sure is healthy.

  • http://na palpal

    becareful friends, these kinds of appeals look genuine, but there
    are plenty of poor out there. help when you know and not when
    told if you understand what I mean?

    • Vakeesan

      wow a chinese super women, i admire her responsibility to take care of her loved ones, ta shi zhen bang

  • John Q

    People should help this lady. Besides she is taking up a job fit for you young chinese collage grads who are too stupid and lazy to do an honest days work. Disgraceful!

  • Erin

    God bless her. <3

    • principle

      if she born in 1940 she is born in year of metal dragon. dragons have principle and are determined. i dont think she would accept that money if she really didnt need it.

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  • Hypocrisy

    a 3rd world country can spend billions $$$ on extravagant and wasteful events but would not help the poor? i see poor people like this old grandmother all the time. poverty is no fakery.

  • Chef Rocco

    I smell hypocrisy from your above comment. How about you recommend that first world country U.S. government stop the billions $$$ expenditure on military to help its homeless and the poor people?

  • http://www.ethansenglishcafe.com Ethan

    Logic wont work against someone insulting a 70 year old lady for being lazy without having event he slightest inkling of what her life has been…

  • zammo

    Anonymously insulting people, this is your ‘life skill’ DePutaMadre.

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