Footless Beggar Reunited with Hunan Family After 12 Years

By Matthew Bossons, September 1, 2016

There was a happy ending to a sad story this past Sunday when a 41-year-old Hunan man was reunited with his family after more than a decade apart, according to reports.

The man, Peng Xiaoliu, disappeared roughly 12 years ago after sustaining a head injury and was recently discovered begging in a Guangzhou market in Huangpu District by a childhood friend.

According to ejinsight, a woman surnamed Zhou spotted her long-lost friend while shopping with her husband. He was lying flat on the ground and without feet.

The couple asked the man his name in Liuyang dialect in an attempt to confirm his identity and then snapped a couple photos to send to his family.

Once the couple was sure it was Peng, they asked him to return to Hunan with them, at which point a man in his 50s arrived and attempted to drag Peng away. Naturally, the suspicious duo assumed Peng was the victim of human trafficking at the hands of a criminal group and called the police.

Once the police arrived, Peng was unable (or unwilling, more likely) to endorse Zhou’s assessment of the mysterious man and he was released without being charged.

Peng was reunited with his family the following day and he allegedly recognized each of them, despite the amount of time that had passed.

Peng’s mother was understandably devastated to see her son without feet – something he blames on being “attacked by dogs.” In an interview with a reporter from The Paper, Peng said he panhandled to help others in need – although he also had to pay his 'boss' for clothing and petrol (presumably for transportation).

According to reports, his elder brother said he will get to the bottom of Peng’s prolonged absence and will seek damages from those accountable for his anguish – if they are ever caught, that is.

[Images via ejinsight]