Empty-nester Wu Huoran posted a notice on a building in Chongqing to find a single young woman with whom he could share his apartment free of charge in this undated photo. [Photo: Chongqing Morning News]
A 74-year-old empty-nester posted an advertisement last month in Chongqing to share his apartment free of charge with a single woman who was willing to talk to him, the Chongqing Morning News reports.
Wu Huoran posted a notice for a" thrifty, thoughtful single lady with black hair and yellow skin" on a building in downtown Chongqing. The same day, a young migrant worker contacted him and moved in. Wu also agreed to let one of her friends move in even though his 20-square meter room was already cramped.
The two young women said at first they feared Wu would cheat them, because the deal was too good to be true. But they discovered that the grandfather was quite nice, and they did not feel it was awkward or inconvenient to live with him. They said because Wu was aware that they were new to Chongqing and did not have stable incomes, he always cooked for them or treated them to meals in restaurants.
"He talked with us about philosophy and played his erhu for us at times, so as to make us feel at home," the young women said. The erhu is a traditional Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument.
The number of elderly empty-nesters in urban and rural China is estimated to have reached more then 50 percent, while in most big cities the rate has exceeded 70 percent.
