The milk of human kindness flows in Mong Kok as customers offer food and money to the old vendor who lost a week's sales to thieves. Photo: Metro Daily
An old lady who lives alone in her newspaper stall in Mong Kok must have felt the weight of the entire world on her shoulders after suspected drug addicts stole her waist bag containing HK$35,000 while she was taking a nap on Sunday.
But despite the calamity that has befallen her, the 72-year-old vendor, surnamed Chun, must have thought that there is still goodness left in this world, thanks to the kindness of neighbors and strangers.
After news of what had happened spread in the neighborhood on Monday, many residents and passersby in the area came to her to console her.
They also brought small tokens of commiseration such as food, fruits and mooncakes, Ming Pao Daily reported.
Not a few customers bought newspapers and magazines with HK$100 and HK$500 notes and told her to keep the change.
A young lady bought a tissue packet with a HK$100 bill but when Chun handed the change, the office worker told her to keep it.
Chun tried to decline, saying, “I still have food to eat.” But the young lady insisted.
The old woman finally accepted it and said, “Thank you, wish you good health.”
It was not the first time Chun lost money, but the amount stolen from her on Sunday, representing a week’s sales, was the biggest yet, Chun told the newspaper.
Getting up early to prepare her stall, Chun would take a nap at daytime whenever she felt tired.
Things had run smoothly for Chun; even while she was taking a nap, customers would simply plonk the money into the till.
However, suspected drug addicts in the neighborhood would sometimes steal things from her — food, drinks, money. Chun said she has lost about HK$300,000 to theft and fraud over the years.
Despite the latest theft, the old woman maintains a positive outlook in life.
She put the biscuits and mooncakes she received from neighbors in front of her stall and shared them with customers and passersby.
Chun said she inherited the stall from late mother. She said she would continue the business as long as she could.
Her stall on Shan Tung Street has become her temporary home since moving out of a small flat when the landlord refused to renew the lease.
She uses a public amenities facility for her needs and buys food from a nearby service complex.
“Living this way is actually quite good,” Chun said.
Thief catches old newspaper seller napping, steals HK$35,000 (Sept. 22, 2015)
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