A 26-year-old Chinese man who was kidnapped as a child and reunited with his biological family last year has chosen to make his own way after rejecting three apartments and a car given to him by his wealthy father. South China Morning Post,
Xie Qingshuai, from Jingtai, Hebei province, was kidnapped on January 20, 1999, when he was just three months old. His biological parents, wealthy construction company owners, spent more than a decade and more than one million yuan (US$140,000) searching for him. Their efforts bore fruit when they reunited on December 1 last year.
Overnight, Xie’s life changed, with netizens joking that he had gone from an “orphan” to a “rich second generation.” However, in an interview with Shandong Radio and TV on December 5, Xie revealed that she had rejected lavish gifts given by her father, expressing concern that the sudden wealth would negatively affect her values. This could lead to irresponsible spending.
“I was worried that accepting these gifts might change my mindset,” Zee said. “Suddenly becoming ‘second generation rich’ reminded me of Hello Mr. Billionaire, where the hero moves from poverty to riches and starts spending recklessly. I didn’t want to end up like that.”
Hello Mister Billionaire, a 2018 Chinese comedy, tells the story of a man who must spend 1 billion yuan in 30 days in order to inherit 30 billion.
Zee clarified that his only request to his father was a modest marital home as he plans to marry his girlfriend. He said, “I don’t need anything else. I can buy my own car, even if it means working hard and earning only a few thousand yuan.”
Since reuniting with her family, Zee has transitioned to live-streaming, initially facing criticism for taking advantage of her story only 23 days after reuniting. Netizens accused him of seeking sympathy, which led Zee to stop his online activities for a while.
In July, he launched a live-stream e-commerce business, which quickly gained popularity. Their first five seasons attracted more than 20 million viewers and generated sales of 50 million yuan (US$7 million). Zee defended his decision, emphasizing that the venture would enable him to support his family and help others.
“In today’s attention economy, it would be a waste not to utilize such resources,” he said.
Zee’s decision to decline her father’s estate has sparked widespread discussion online, with many praising her independence and entrepreneurial spirit.
