Chinese policewoman supports parents of colleague who died in line of duty for 20 years

A policewoman in southern China has fulfilled the filial piety duty of her colleague for his parents for two decades since he died while saving people from drowning.

On September 4, 2006, Deng Wenguo, a police officer at the frontier inspection station in Dongguan, Guangdong province, lost his life when saving people from drowning in a reservoir. He was later recognised as a martyr by China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Yangcheng Evening News reported.

Zhu Shuo, Deng’s colleague who got along well with him when he was alive, first saw his elderly, distraught parents when she was told to help deal with his funeral affairs.

At that moment, Zhu decided to take up Deng’s responsibility to take care of his parents from a long distance as she hoped to learn from his heroism, the report said.

Deng’s parents live in Yongzhou, central Hunan province. Since his death, Zhu has regularly sent them money on important traditional Chinese festivals, although she is not rich and lives a frugal life herself.

She often mails them daily necessities, sends them good wishes through the phone and assists them to cope with their difficulties just like their daughter.

Years ago, Zhu was in debt of one million yuan (US$150,000) after her father and her brother borrowed from her for the treatment of their diseases. But even in such a situation, she did not give up helping Deng’s parents.

It is estimated that the money and the essential materials Zhu gave Deng’s family were worth 150,000 yuan in total.