On the morning of yesterday, a cold drizzle was falling on the Baiyun District's Huangshi flyover bridge. A man was found dead under this bridge. As the funeral home staff carried away his body, the dog that had accompanied him followed closely until people waved brooms at it to make it step back.
About two months ago, this middle-aged man appeared under the bus stop near the Huangshi flyover for shelter. Ms. Wang, a cleaner from Sichuan, noticed that not long after, a light yellow golden retriever also showed up there. The two became companions ever since. During the day, the man would go out to collect plastic bottles and search through trash bins for food, bringing some back for the golden retriever.
Five or six days ago, as the wind picked up in Guangzhou, the man moved to the base of the flyover pillar where the wind was less severe. Accompanying him was a bamboo mat, a once-burned bamboo pillow, a green broken cloth, and a ragged cotton wadding no bigger than a pillow. He would sleep with the golden retriever by his side.
The neighbors around usually saw this man but did not know his name. He only mentioned that he was from Hunan Province.
The little dog helplessly watched as the funeral home staff took away its master's body and then never left.
After the homeless man's body was taken away, his dog lay in the place where his master used to sleep, looking sorrowful.
Three days ago, the man staggered over the concrete railing at the bottom of the bridge to buy water at a nearby convenience store. "He only wore pants, his upper body was nothing but ribs," Mr. Zhen, the store owner, remembered that the man bent over, his whole body trembling as if he could barely stand.
"It was obvious that he was sick," but what specific illness, Mr. Zhen couldn't say.
At noon the day before yesterday, when the Sichuan-born homeless man Old Chai came to stay nearby, this man was already unable to speak. Old Chai discovered that the man could no longer eat, only drink some water, "he even defecated and urinated on the blanket." And that golden retriever, still warmed his body on the wet blanket.
At 9:15 AM yesterday, Ms. Wang passed by the bridge and saw the man wearing a dirty suit jacket, sitting on the bamboo mat, trembling all over while trying to put on pants. These pants were also thin dress pants, very dirty, but the belt on them was relatively new.
At around 10 o'clock, when Ms. Wang passed by again, she found several homeless people already gathered around him. A young person had called the police. And that golden retriever, obediently lying on the mat shivering, occasionally licking his body.
At 2:40 PM, the funeral home vehicle arrived, and the golden retriever anxiously moved around. When the man was lifted onto a white bedsheet, the golden retriever wouldn't leave, sticking close. It wasn't until the staff waved their brooms that it whimpered and stepped back. Even as the car drove far away, it still stood under the bridge looking.
"Truly a loyal dog!" said the onlookers. After the crowd dispersed, the golden retriever still curled up on the bamboo mat, half-closed eyes trembling. A few meters away in the high-voltage room, Old Chai, another homeless man, was huddled in his blankets. (Tip provided by an anonymous donor of 100 yuan)
■ News Link
Man dies on the street the day before yesterday
In the morning of the day before yesterday, at the intersection of Zhanqian Road and Zhanan Road, a man was found lying by the roadside, already without breath.
"The person seemed to have come the previous night, probably looking for a warm place to sleep." Said a security guard from a nearby parking lot, at about 11 PM the night before, he saw this man come to the intersection. The lighting was poor, so it was unclear about the man's exact age and identity. But afterward, the man spread out a plastic bag on the ground and then lay down. Because the position where the man lay was just above the exhaust outlet of a nearby underground mall, during cold weather, the wind blowing out of it was warm, so often some homeless people would sleep here.
However, early in the morning the day before yesterday, someone in the fine rain found that this man was still lying on the damp exhaust outlet. A citizen went to check, and the man had no reaction. The police then arrived at the scene and confirmed that he had died.
■ Rescue Updates
No citizens have checked into the shelter yet
Since the night of the 14th, more than 1300 shelters across all streets and communities have been open 24 hours a day, allowing elderly people and those in need within the jurisdiction to stay. At the same time, the city's mobile rescue team has sent out rescue members to distribute cold-weather supplies to the homeless. From these past few days of interviews, reporters have found that some homeless people are unwilling to stay in the rescue stations.
Yesterday morning, reporters came to the Xihulu Beijing Street Shelter Station, which is also the street's "Elderly Starlight Home". Reporters saw that there were more than 20 elderly people playing mahjong inside. "With the colder weather, more elderly people come to the shelter station to play mahjong for entertainment compared to usual." Shelter station staff introduced that the station provides more than 10 beds for those in need, with bedding and other cold-weather supplies in the rooms. There are also warm furnaces and hot water available. However, since the cold center opened, no citizens have come to stay overnight, and the elderly who come for entertainment generally go home in the afternoon.
Reporters learned that the cold-weather bedding in each shelter center is sufficient, but cold-weather clothing is relatively lacking. "Regarding bedding, the street will replenish according to the situation at any time, but cold-weather clothing is relatively scarce. Therefore, we hope that enthusiastic citizens can donate some warm clothes that are seven-tenths new," said the staff of the Beijing Street Shelter Center. Ms. Wei, a staff member at the Haizhu District Sushe Street Shelter Station, also stated that there isn't much cold-weather clothing in the shelter station, and the elderly people in the jurisdiction enjoying home-based elder care also need more cold-weather clothing, hoping that enthusiastic citizens can donate some. It is understood that citizens wishing to donate clothes or food can contact each street office, as the shelter centers are generally located in the "Starlight Elderly Homes" under the jurisdiction of the streets.
Yesterday, the city's mobile rescue team continued to send out rescue members to distribute cold-weather supplies to the homeless. The rescue team went to the overpasses and flyovers at Xinshi in Baiyun District and Wushan Road in Tianhe District, distributing supplies to 52 homeless people, and escorting 15 of them into the rescue station. The urban branch station of the shelter management station located at Shuiyin Road also received more homeless people staying there, increasing by more than 20 people compared to usual.
And the day before yesterday, the mobile rescue special vehicle came to the bottom of the elevated bridge at Cangbian Road, delivering cold-weather supplies and food to three squatters. Despite repeated persuasion, the squatters still chose to continue sleeping outdoors.