China policeman acts as couple’s dead son for a decade to comfort ailing mother

Shanghai police officer Jiang Jingwei has two sets of parents: a pair is biological, another arising from a compassionate lie.

Some relations are beyond the ties of blood. A policeman in China, in order to comfort a severely ailing woman, acts as her deceased son, forming the bond of a lifetime.

South Morning China Post reported that Liang Qiaoying, and her husband Xia Zhanhai, residents of Shanxi province in northern China,lost their son to a gas leak accident in 2003. It also left her paralysed and cognitively impaired woman, with the mental capacity of a five-year-old.

Not wanting to give Liang more grief, Xia told his wife that their son was working in another city.

Call it luck, fate or destiny, Xia found a policeman on TV who looked strikingly similar to his son

SMCP reported that through a reality show, XIa was able to contact the man, Jiang Jingwei, and asked him for his help, to which the young man agreed.

Meeting on the show after that, Liang tearfully embraced Jiang. Since then, Jiang has acted as the couple's 'son'.

Jiang, an officer in Shaghai, has acted to the couple as any dutiful son does in China. According to SCMP, he regularly calls the couple to keep in touch, visits them during the holidays and even invited them to trips with him.

Back in September, Xia wrote a heartfelt letter of gratitude to the Shaghai police for training Jiang. SMCP quoted his letter, "Thank you for training such a kind, compassionate, and responsible police officer. For over a decade, Jiang has quietly taken on the role of a son, bringing new life to our once grief-stricken family."

Jiang in response said that caring for his “parents” was never a burden but a rewarding and warm experience.

“As a community police officer, I also extend the same care and compassion to the elderly in my community,” he told SMCP.