A 75-year-old newspaper vendor claims that HKD35,000 in cash was stolen from her on Sunday night while she was asleep at her stand on Shantung Street in Mong Kok.
The woman, who lives at the stand and is thus there 24 hours a day, says that she was asleep when a thief reached into her purse and took out a red plastic bag, reports Apple Daily.
Along with the cash, which represented seven days of revenue, the plastic bag contained her HKID card, her senior citizen card, and her bank passbook.
She had been planning on depositing the money at the bank the day after.
The vendor, surnamed Chan, woke up when she felt her bag move, and gave chase to the thief, but failed to catch up to him. She immediately went to Mong Kok police station to report the crime. No arrests have been made.
The elderly woman says that she’s lost more than HKD300,000 to scammers and thieves in the past few decades.
She has lived at the stand since her landlord refused to renew the lease on her flat on Canton Road six months ago.
In order to bathe herself, she goes to the local municipal building every two to three days. She leaves the stand and goes off to eat when she’s hungry.
When local residents see that she’s asleep, they’ll simply put down money if they buy newspaper or a pack of cigarettes so that they don’t disturb her.
She and her mother immigrated to Hong Kong from the mainland when she was a small girl.
Her mother, who only attained a primary-level education, ran the newspaper stand before her, taking care of her while she tended to customers.
Starting from a young age, Chan helped her mother on the stall – meaning she has been selling newspapers for over 70 years.
She has two grown daughters and a son. Her husband, who was a garbage truck driver, passed away 10 years ago.
Though her children have often pleaded with her to retire, she refuses. She has also refused to seek government assistance, as she says she wants to rely on herself.
“I don’t need your help, I’m doing pretty well relying on myself, I’ve got a job, and it’s better for my mental health anyway!” she reportedly told a social worker who wanted to help her apply for government assistance.
“As long as your children are happy! If your children are very happy, then you’re very happy, and very content,” she said.
Photos: Screenshots via AppleDaily.com
