The saga of a migrant worker's search for his son that has captivated Chinese social media users took a turn on Friday when police said they had confirmed his son's death over a year ago, a finding his parents refused to accept.
The story of the 44-year-old migrant worker, who authorities have identified only by his surname Yue, went viral on China's Twitter-like platform Weibo on Thursday after he caught COVID-19, prompting details of his movements to be published online that revealed a gruelling working schedule.
He drew widespread public sympathy after state media reported he was in Beijing and undertaking odd jobs to look for his son, who had been missing since 2020. The case spurred online discussions about inequality in China, an issue that last year led President Xi Jinping to call for achieving "common prosperity".
