On April 25th, a story titled “Elderly Person Makes Only 8 Yuan a Day But Charged 10 Yuan Booth Fee” sparked heated discussions on Weibo, highlighting the harsh living conditions faced by the bottom of the society and the meager pensions received by the elderly, once again striking a chord with netizens.
According to “Later Wave Videos,” on April 24th, an 85-year-old person in Shangrao, Jiangxi, set up a stall at the entrance of a vegetable market and was charged a 10 yuan booth fee. Mr. Li, the person who filmed the incident, stated that the elderly individual was selling a few bamboo shoots at the entrance of the market, and before the market officially opened for the day, the market staff already collected the 10 yuan booth fee. The elderly vendor only made 8 yuan that day, which was not even enough to cover the booth fee.
Popular Weibo influencer “Changchun West Gate Master” posted, “An octogenarian selling bamboo shoots in front of the vegetable market was charged a 10 yuan booth fee. A kind-hearted man saw that the bamboo shoots were sold out and only made 8 yuan, then helped sell the remaining eggs.” He also attached a related video.
Soon, this incident went viral on social media and sparked outrage among netizens.
Writer and General Manager of Ruyang Dukang Heritage Distillery Co., Ltd., “Plate Micro Talk,” wrote, “With this income, the elderly person may only afford to drink some water for the day, probably unable to even spare money for a proper meal, and yet still needs to walk back and forth for hours… Sigh, how difficult life is for the people!”
The author of a headline article, “Zheren Wuwei,” stated, “Have you forgotten that in rural areas, there is a group of elderly farmers in their seventies and eighties, who receive only one to two hundred, two to three hundred yuan as their monthly pension? What can this money do for them? If they don’t set up stalls, farm, or take odd jobs, what will they eat?”
China Poetry Network columnist and high-quality content creator on Netease platform, “Volcano Poetry Talk,” wrote, “This incident undoubtedly reflects the hardships faced by the grassroots people, especially the elderly. When even their adult children struggle to make ends meet, many elderly people choose to be self-reliant. The crops grown in their own land become a necessary means of survival.
“…This incident sheds light on a deeper issue, the matter of elderly care in rural areas. Without proper pensions, many elderly individuals are barely scraping by, still relying on their own hands to earn their living expenses.”