House owner enters hearts of renter's family

Recently, a Shanghai renter who posted a video online telling a touching story between him and his landlord moved many netizens, Hongxing News reported on Monday.

The renter, surnamed Kang, said in the video that his wife (then-girlfriend) came to Shanghai to work in 2017 and rented a spare room of an apartment. He met her later and they fell in love. Every time Kang visited her, the house owner, who the couple affectionately called "uncle", would cook meals for them. The couple and the "uncle" developed a deep bond through long time interaction.

In 2020, the couple got married and was originally thinking about moving out to live on their own. But Kang's wife couldn't bear to leave "uncle" and the couple decided to stay at the invitation of the house owner.

"Uncle is a Shanghai local, and he prefers a slightly sweeter taste in his food. However, he accommodated our tastes and habits, making noodles and spicy food. He also respects our daily routines," said Kang. He's from Shanxi and his wife from Shandong.

"One time, when I got back home from work, the moment I entered the house, I smelled the hotpot. Uncle had specially prepared it for us as he rightly thought we wanted to eat hotpot," Kang added.

In 2022, the couple's daughter was born, and "uncle" took the initiative to take care of her. "'Uncle' often holds her in his arms for over half an hour until she falls asleep. He also feeds her and plays with her. He helps us a lot," said Kang in the video.

According to Kang, "uncle" also wraps red packets for their daughter every Spring Festival and treats her like his own family. Now the child can talk, and calls "uncle" grandpa.

And for Kang and his wife, they and "uncle" are already a family. The 71-year-old "uncle" has lived alone since his wife died in 2017.

Talking about the future, Kang said he and his wife are considering settling down in Shanghai, but they still need to work hard to save money to buy a house.

"But for now, we will live here. We are a kind of company for each other. The emotional ties between us are firm, and we are a family," Kang said.

After the story went viral online, many netizens shared their similar experiences, leaving heartfelt comments: "They are not relatives, but better than relatives"; "A kind old man meets a pair of kind couples, interpreting the great love of the world."