Elderly man lived at supermarket despite actually owning his own apartment

by

A man in China is getting a lot of attention online for choosing to live in a supermarket, even though he actually owns a house.

Many children fantasized about living in a place like a supermarket or toy store. They imagined having the entire store to themselves at night, free to explore and play without supervision – it felt like the perfect adventure.

Popular YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, recently created a challenge where people lived in a grocery store for as long as a year, with a $1 million prize for the winner.

Meanwhile, in China, a 78-year-old man had been living in his local supermarket for nearly a decade, even though he owned an apartment.

Man loses home in court battle with son

I was reading Lanta News, and I couldn’t believe this story! Apparently, this guy named Qiang Ming actually owned his apartment, but he just… gave it away! He said he was feeling really lonely living alone, and he ended up giving it to someone he met at the supermarket. It’s such a strange but kind of heartwarming thing to do, honestly.

Huang Lanjie cared for the 78-year-old man by providing him with meals and bathing him. He, in turn, considered her like a daughter, giving her a place to live and financial support in exchange for her continued care.

So, get this – I was reading the South China Morning Post, and it turns out this guy, Qiang Ming, got into a really messy legal battle with his own son. Apparently, the son claimed Qiang Ming had transferred ownership of their house to his mom during their divorce. The son actually won the case, which means he got the house and his dad ended up homeless – but this time, it wasn’t because of his own choices, which is just… rough.

I always saw this amazing older gentleman whenever I went to the supermarket. For nearly ten years, he’d been living there – he slept on a mat in the store! During the day, he’d hang out in the dining area, and people would stop and chat with him. He really became part of the community, and all the staff knew and loved him – he’d always have a friendly conversation with them too.

Thankfully, Huang has let him stay at her apartment – which she rents – so he no longer has to live at the store.

In Greece, people can get free housing in exchange for caring for cats. This includes things like feeding, bathing, and simply giving them affection.

You do, however, have to pay your own way there and commit to at least one month of volunteer work.

Read More

2026-05-19 14:18