Du Yingrong and Lu Suying bought a 17-yuan lunch, about 2,50 dollars, and split it into two dishes.
One for him, one for her. They lived much of their retirement that way in Shanghai, without children, with the same eyeglasses repaired over the years and furniture that no one else would want anymore.
In 2018, Du saw a poster outside a hospital asking for help for children with congenital heart disease. He did not hesitate. First, they donated 500.000 yuan for 10 children, and then another 4,5 million.
A hospital worker, seeing how worn their home was, asked him to keep some money for himself. He replied that they did not have much time left, and that their pension was enough for them.
Du died that same year of cancer, at 81. Lu died in 2025, at 92. Together, they left 5 million yuan, about 735.000 dollars, which now fund treatment for 455 children who will never know their names.