Kind China nephew transforms homeless uncle into ‘bossy CEO’, gifts him US$1,400 before family reunion after 25 years
- Man goes searching for work 25 years ago, disappears, lives under bridge
- Found by social services, reunites with nephew, has new lease of life
A thoughtful nephew in China who transformed the look of his shabby homeless uncle and gifted him 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) to attend a family reunion, has captured hearts on mainland social media.
The story began 25 years ago when Tan Changgen, originally from Loudi in the central Hunan province, lost contact with his family while away looking for work.
Recently, social worker Zhang Shiwei found him living under a bridge in southeastern Guangdong province.
“We inquired about his circumstances and he said he hadn’t been home for many years and wasn’t sure if his house was still standing. He wanted volunteers to help him find his family,” Zhang told The Paper.
Tan’s family had assumed he had passed away a long time ago.
However, on March 3, through the dedicated efforts of social workers Tan was reunited with his nephew Tan Wuzhao.
Although the nephew immediately recognised his uncle from a photo, the lengthy separation made Uncle Tan initially sceptical that his nephew was who he said he was.
Eventually though, trust was established.
Realising his uncle was concerned about his shabby appearance, the nephew spent half a day helping him achieve a look he had once favoured and which he referred to as a “bossy CEO”.
The generous nephew began by booking a hotel room for his uncle to take a shower, followed by a visit to the barber for a haircut. He then gave him a smart business suit to wear and gave him 10,000 yuan.
“I did not want my grandmother to see my uncle returning home in that state, it would have saddened her. I remembered what my uncle looked like when he was young, and based the transformation on that. I gave him a makeover,” the younger Tang said.
As seen in the online trending video, his uncle previously had long unkempt hair and a beard, was wearing shorts – even though it was winter – and was huddled in a blanket.
After the transformation, he appeared in a formal suit with a crisp, white shirt and his hair neatly styled, embodying the successful businessman look which is highly popular in Chinese television dramas and novels.
Proudly sporting his brand new look, Uncle Tan met his 86-year-old mother on March 4.
“My grandmother, who has been bedridden, wept and sat up in bed when she saw my uncle,” the nephew said, adding: “He said he wants to take good care of the elderly and spend some time at home with grandmother before making any further plans.”
The revamped appearance of the uncle sparked an online discussion.
“This is a true makeover, much better than those done by internet celebrities,” said one online observer.
“This nephew was raised well by his parents, he is warm, considerate and sensible,” another said.
“The nephew is filial, taking good care of his uncle before bringing him to see the elders so that it wouldn’t be so hard on them,” a third person said.
“His intentions are good, but giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him to fish. The uncle might revert to his previous state in a matter of days,” one online observer cautioned.
