- Li Guoyou lived isolated in mountains for 25 years to keep a promise to his employer
- He survived by farming, raising animals, fishing, and occasional trips to a nearby store
- His former employer forgot about the house but found Li still guarding it after 25 years
A 63-year-old Chinese man named Li Guoyou has finally returned home to his family after living in complete isolation deep in the mountains for 25 years because of a promise he made to a former employer, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. Li's long journey began back in 1987 when he left his hometown in Sichuan province to find work in southern China. Over the years, he lost touch with his two brothers, who were his only surviving relatives after their parents passed away.
In 1998, Li moved to Harbin, a city in northern China, where he got a job at a roadside restaurant owned by a woman named Lin.
Recognising his trustworthiness, Lin asked Li to look after her property in the remote mountains. Li gave his word that he would take care of the house, and he meant it.
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For the next 25 years, Li lived completely off the grid. To survive, he built a self-sufficient lifestyle by growing his own corn, raising farm animals, fishing in nearby waters, and walking 3 kilometres to the nearest small grocery store whenever he needed basic supplies.
Meanwhile, Lin moved away to pursue business opportunities in Beijing and Russia, completely forgetting about the mountain house and the promise Li had made.
When she finally returned 25 years later to put the property up for sale, she was shocked to find Li still living there and faithfully guarding her house.
"I thought he wouldn't stay long. It was my one sentence that kept him there," she said as quoted in the report.
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Deeply moved by his loyalty, Lin asked Li what he wanted to do next. He said he wanted to return to his hometown and find his brothers.
Because Li's identity card had expired years earlier, he could not buy train tickets on his own under China's travel rules.
Lin immediately stepped in to help. She worked with local police departments to get him the official travel permits he needed, personally accompanying him on the long, 40-hour train journey back home.
The report mentioned that Li recently received his renewed hukou booklet, which is China's official household registration, at a police station in Pingtan.
Local government officers met Li when he arrived and escorted him to his village, where he shared an emotional reunion with his long-lost brothers after nearly three decades apart.
The story moved social media users, with one user reportedly saying, "Li is a man of honour. He stayed at the house for 25 years just to keep a promise."
"While the cornered man had nowhere to go but the borrowed house, the drifting woman provided him refuge - and in return, he cared for her property. It's pointless to argue who owes who," another user said as quoted.
