Commuter saddles up to get to work

Cui, 81, is struggling in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Elderly father of 5 struggles through life

An 81-year-old father in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, lives alone in a shabby rental house after his four sons refused to support him, even though each of them has as many as four houses. The old man, surnamed Cui, raised four sons and one daughter.

After his third son was sentenced to prison in 2005, Cui gave his salary card, Medicare card and Old Age Security to his third daughter-in-law to help her. But she never returned them after the son was released in 2013 and even evicted Cui from her house this year. The other sons are all reluctant to accept Cui because he gave all his savings to the third. Cui's old house now belongs to his fourth son and Cui's wife lives with the fourth.

The sons' behavior is being fiercely criticized in their village and the village committee has tried to reconcile the family but failed. It is a legal duty to support the elderly in China and refusal to do so is a violation of law and may constitute the crime of abandonment.

Next up: getting a ride to work means mounting a horse for one man in Hubei province.