In August this year, in Cangnan County, Zhejiang Province, a 28-year-old woman was found dead, with her 2-year-old son staying by her body for several days before being discovered. The news made its way to the hot search on Weibo, and a photo of the lonely and helpless silhouette of the child sparked widespread attention.
According to a report by Dahe Daily on September 10, the deceased Zheng Yu’s residence had a living area on the first floor, and a bedroom for Zheng Yu and her child on the south side of the second floor, with an area of about 10 square meters. Although the windows were open, there was still a strange smell lingering in the air, and the boy stayed with his mother’s body in this room for several days.
The room was not lacking in food, with snacks like jelly rolls spread among the bedding, and there was a pumpkin that appeared to have been gnawed on. The 2-year-old child may have survived after his mother’s passing by relying on these items. However, no one knew exactly how many days the child stayed by his mother’s body.
A bricklayer named Xiang Shu mentioned that on a daytime of August 17th, a colleague who came to help said several times, “Why does it smell so bad?” However, Xiang, whose sense of smell was not sharp, did not notice it. That night, the police arrived as Zheng Yu’s friend, who had been unable to contact her for several days, came to check on her and discovered her deceased, prompting a report to the police.
Neighbors recalled hearing the child’s crying a few days before the discovery of the deceased, but did not investigate further.
One neighbor mentioned that on the night of August 17th, when the police carried the child out of the building, he was wearing a short-sleeved top and had wet pants, swollen and covered in feces and urine. His wife cooked a bowl of noodles for the child, who, after eating and changing clothes, was taken away by an ambulance.
Zheng Yu had three children from three different relationships. A relative of Zheng Yu named Chen Lin said that the first two children were taken care of by their fathers, while the youngest son, Mianmian, who shared the surname Zheng with her, was the one Zheng Yu especially cherished, mentioning that she wanted to rely on him for support in her old age.
Chen Lin said that Zheng Yu did not have a stable income and relied on assistance from relatives. Before her death, she had mentioned to him that she needed to see a doctor.
Zheng Yu had shared her daily life and interactions with her child on social media, often posting videos of injections and sharing blood pressure and blood sugar data, revealing her poor physical condition. On August 1st at 4 p.m., she posted her last video.
Family members believed that Zheng Yu would not abandon her child and suspected that she died from a sudden illness. Chen Lin’s last contact with Zheng Yu was on August 9th when she called and asked him to contact Mianmian’s father to take the child, saying, “I’m going to die.”
“We don’t know how she died,” Chen Lin said. Their family wants to clarify the cause of death and does not want Zheng Yu’s death to remain unclear.
The authorities at the Qianku Police Station did not disclose information about the cause of Zheng Yu’s death. Earlier, on August 19th, the Cangnan County Public Security Bureau issued a police report stating that the 2-year-old boy had been examined at the hospital with no injuries and was taken care of by his father, while the cause of the woman’s death was still under investigation.
The boy’s father, A Liang, stated that the child had adapted well to him and his family’s care and was in good condition. Now he has to raise five children, which brings pressure but he is determined to raise them well.