Honesty wins hearts: Teen finds, returns lost bag with fortune inside

A 13-year-old student in Suqian, Jiangsu province, displayed remarkable honesty recently by returning a lost bag containing nearly 160,000 yuan ($22,500) in cash.

Yang Xuan's selfless act earned him praise from local authorities and his community, especially poignant in light of his family's own financial burden due to his father's critical illness.

Yang, on his way home after visiting his hospitalized father who suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, spotted a motorbike rider drop a bulging black bag. Unable to catch up to the speeding rider, Yang took the bag home and discovered it contained a dozen bundles of 100-yuan notes, totaling 158,000 yuan, a sum greatly exceeding his family's immediate needs.

"Mom, the person who lost this money must be really worried," Yang told his mother, Chu Xiaorong. "Maybe they're in a situation like dad's, desperately waiting for this money to save their life. We should report it to the police!"

Chu Xiaorong promptly contacted the authorities. Police utilized facial recognition technology to locate the owner and return the cash, expressing their gratitude for Yang's honesty.

On Dec 11, Yang's school and the police jointly held a commendation ceremony. Yang received a certificate and praise for his integrity, with many offering well-wishes for his father's speedy recovery.