Li Man, a Chinese environmental sanitation worker, returned nearly 150,000 yuan ($22,000) he had picked up as garbage, and refused to accept a reward equivalent to a year's salary for his honesty. She said she didn't need to thank her for doing the right thing.
Li Man discovered the bag containing money on the morning of October 2 while clearing the road in Hai Khau commercial center, Hai Nam province capital.
The bag attracted Li Man's attention because it was quite heavy. When opening the bag, Li discovered a smaller bag containing a 100 yuan bill.
Someone must have dropped it by accident and must be very worried. I know I have to return it immediately" - Li told Hai Khau TV.
After contacting his manager, Li took the bag and handed it over to the police station.
The police conducted an investigation and, based on the invoices inside the bag containing the money, found the owner, a businessman surnamed Zhu.
Within just 2 hours of Li Man discovering the bag, the entire amount was returned to Mr. Zhu at the police station.
Mr. Zhu said that he was the director of a company and the bag was mistaken for garbage by the cleaner, so he threw it away.
Mr. Zhu suggested giving Ms. Li 20,000 yuan ($3,000), equivalent to her annual salary, but Li Politely refused. That is what I should do, there is no need to take responsibility, Li told Hai Nam News.
Li was hailed on Chinese social media as a "beautiful cleaning worker" and "a noble figure".
Responding to Hai Khau TV station, Li said: "Although my conditions are difficult, the important thing is to maintain good ethics. Returning the money was the right thing for me to do.
Li's story has also fueled an online debate about the low salaries of environmental sanitation workers.
In Heizhu, this salary is 1,430 yuan/month (200 USD), the lowest in China. Environmental sanitation workers are paid an average of 20,000 yuan ($3,000) a year, less than half of the province's average salary of 45,540 yuan ($6,600) - according to SCMP.
