A father quit his job and traveled 900 km to set up a food stall near his daughter’s university. The father made the decision after his daughter complained that the canteen food lacked the “taste of home”. The incident happened in China, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
Daughter Li Bingdi is studying at Jilin Normal University in Jilin Province. She often said that the food was unsanitary and tasteless. This worried her father.
A man left his job at a barbecue restaurant. Not only that, but he also learned how to cook fried rice and noodles before renting a stall near her campus.
The business started in October. But on the first day, he only sold seven meals and earned less than 70 yuan ( ₹870), his daughter’s income for tutoring.
Despite a slow start, his story has reached millions online. Many praised his dedication, sacrifice and fatherly love.
Li and her father have relied on each other since her mother died of leukemia several years ago. When Li wasn’t sure which university to attend, her father promised to follow her wherever she went.
“He fulfilled his promise,” SCMP quoted Li as saying.
According to her, her father’s love is “warm as the sun” rather than “firm as a mountain”.
Social networks come to the rescue
Feeling bad about her father’s poor sales, Li shared her story on her university’s social media page. She explained how he always cooked clean food and looked for ways to improve his stall.
The post went viral. The next day, long queues of students, teachers and locals appeared to support him. Some customers even ordered it. Since then, Li spends his free time helping his father at the stall.
“Last month, my father said he was cold while running at the stall because of the weather. But now he is busy at work and his heart is warm,” said the daughter.
“My father didn’t want to make big profits, he just hoped to earn a living. That’s why he feels comfortable staying here for two reasons: he takes care of me and he makes a living,” she added.
