● After the death of Lieutenant-level cadre Liu Tingyi from the Yibin military sub-district retirement home, it was discovered that he had only left behind 300 yuan in savings and 32 yuan in cash, despite receiving a monthly retirement stipend of 6000 yuan.
● Anning Xiao School principal He Hongwei said that many of the school's sports equipment were donated by Liu Tingyi during his lifetime.
● The political commissar of the retirement home, Cui Hua, said that Liu Tingyi led an extremely frugal personal life, often eating just two steamed buns for a meal, but sometimes paid party fees in the thousands of yuan.
After the death of Lieutenant-level retired cadre Liu Tingyi from the Yibin military sub-district retirement home, his children found out while sorting through his belongings that despite receiving a monthly retirement stipend of 6000 yuan, he had only left behind 300 yuan in savings and 32 yuan in cash. Recently, Mr. Zhang, Liu Tingyi's son-in-law, published an article online titled "Where Did My Father-In-Law's Money Go?" to mourn his father-in-law. In just two days, the article was reprinted by Phoenix News, Tianya Forum, and other sites. On Phoenix News alone, the article received over 300,000 views. Netizens have praised Liu Tingyi as a good cadre.
● Sudden cerebral hemorrhage leading to death, leaving only 332 yuan?
"My father-in-law suddenly passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage, and after his passing, the family discovered that he only had a savings book with 300 yuan and 32 yuan in cash," Mr. Zhang said. The article that has been widely discussed online was written on his blog to mourn his father-in-law, but he did not expect it to cause such a strong reaction.
Liu Tingyi was from Shanxi Province, joined the army in 1945, and participated in several famous campaigns including Linfen, Jinzhong, and Taiyuan, earning a second-class merit award. He retired in 1981 and was awarded the People's Liberation Army Independent Merit Medal in 1988. Liu Tingyi served as the Minister of the County Armed Forces Department and concurrently as the County Party Secretary. In 1970, he became the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Yibin Military Sub-District, with a monthly retirement stipend of 6000 yuan. "Initially, the family could not believe that the old man would be left with only this much money."
● Truth revealed at mourning ceremony
"We learned the details at my father-in-law's mourning ceremony; those days, many people came." Mr. Zhang said that the principal and some students from the Anning Hope Primary School in Yunxi Township, Gao County, Yibin, who had been long-term beneficiaries of his father-in-law's support, came, as well as many others who had been helped by him.
Wang Wanjun, the former principal of Anning Primary School, worked with Liu Tingyi for over a decade. Since 1994, the school became a designated assistance unit of the retirement home. The senior cadres helped 50 students, and Liu Tingyi personally helped two more. Wang Wanjun said that Children's Day and Teachers' Day were holidays when Liu Tingyi would definitely visit the school, bringing many books, gifts, and condolence money each time. "Over the years, the money and goods Liu Tingyi donated to the school have exceeded ten thousand yuan. We are very grateful to him and always wanted to invite him for a meal, but he said the school was struggling. Only after our persistent insistence did he agree to eat a bowl of noodles." Wang Wanjun said that although Liu Tingyi dressed very simply, the quality of the things he bought for the children was very good. Wang Wanjun mentioned that when the school was under construction and lacked funds to buy cement, the nearly 80-year-old Liu Tingyi, upon learning about it, helped the school secure 37 tons of cement.
Principal He Hongwei of Anning Primary School said that many of the school's sports equipment were donated by Liu Tingyi during his lifetime.
Yan Qin, now a university graduate working at a software company in Chengdu, is one of the students who received help from Liu Tingyi. Yan Qin's father said that they would never forget the help provided by Liu Tingyi and other senior cadres. "Because of our impoverished family situation, without their help, Yan Qin wouldn't have been able to attend university."
Recalling past events, Yan Qin said that starting from the second grade, Liu Tingyi and another senior cadre began helping her until she graduated from university. "Every year, I would bring my report card to visit them. Seeing my good grades made them happy too, and our relationship felt like that of grandfather and granddaughter." Yan Qin said that because they knew about her family's difficulties, "besides tuition and stationery, Grandpa Liu and the others also cared about our daily lives."
A discharged soldier who once received help from Liu Tingyi said that at the time of discharge, for his own job-related issues, Liu Tingyi, though unrelated, went through great lengths within policy limits to assist him. "Grandpa Liu has always cared about us soldiers, but he never ran around for his own children's jobs."
In his later years, Liu Tingyi actively organized veteran activity teams and shouldered many of the associated costs himself. Political Commissar Cui Hua of the retirement home said that Liu Tingyi was a very enthusiastic public welfare cadre, always the first to donate money, and sometimes even donated outside. Cui Hua said that Liu Tingyi led an extremely frugal personal life, often seen buying just two steamed buns for a meal, but sometimes paid party fees in the thousands of yuan.
In Dr. Wang Yifu's memory, the doctor at the retirement home, Liu Tingyi was a humorous old leader. "The reading board in the current retirement home was funded by him." A logistics staff member of the retirement home showed a panel with a photo of Liu Tingyi participating in a croquet activity, saying that the elder loved playing croquet and was quite skilled.
Children expressed understanding, calling their father actually very ordinary
Some netizens and Liu Tingyi's former colleagues praised his selfless spirit and demanded that current officials learn from Liu Tingyi's selflessness.
In Liu Tingyi's home in the courtyard of the retirement home, the furnishings were outdated, and on the wall, there was a picture frame with Liu Tingyi's photos taken before his death. His wife, Han Jinyun, said that Liu Tingyi only handed over 2000 yuan plus for household expenses each month, and she was unaware of how much he had donated. Han Jinyun said that compared to his generosity towards public welfare causes, Liu Tingyi was very stingy with his family, "he didn't give a single cent for his son's wedding."
Liu Tingyi's eldest daughter, Liu Ping, said that her father enjoyed helping others and did not leave any deposits, and neither she nor her family blamed him for it. Regarding the heated online discussions about her father, Liu Ping said that everything her father did was due to his character, and she hoped everyone would not magnify her father's donation deeds, "actually, my father was very ordinary." By reporter He Dong