Happy in death: millions view China influencer’s tribute to cancer victim friend at peace after life marred by controlling parents

In China, a well-known blogger named Wang Bowen recently shared a poignant story about his friend who succumbed to cancer at the age of 30. Wang, who hails from Liaoning province in northeastern China, received the news of his friend's demise on October 29. The following day, he expressed his thoughts in a video on his Weibo account, which garnered almost 16 million views. Wang has a substantial following on the platform, with 4. 04 million followers.

His friend had been diagnosed with cancer a year and a half ago and had immediately informed Wang. The news had left Wang shocked. He revealed that his friend's life had been heavily controlled by his parents. His friend had shared with Wang that his family and friends felt sorry for him, but he was actually relieved because he would finally be free from his parents' control.

His friend's parents were extremely strict and would interfere in every aspect of his life, from eating meals to shopping for clothes and shoes. They would suppress his attempts to express himself and insisted he obey them. The constant pressure not only intruded on the minutiae of his daily routine, but his parents also set ambitious life goals for him. This exacerbated the problem as he worked tirelessly to please them, which negatively impacted his happiness. His parents never acknowledged his efforts, instead, they intensified their demands. When he was accepted into a top university, they showed no enthusiasm and instructed him to find a part-time job at a fast-food restaurant to learn about real life. His friend believed that his parents, who earned about 5,000 yuan (US$680) a month, had pinned all their hopes on him. He recalled an instance when his father insulted him by calling him an animal when he performed poorly in a secondary school exam. His mother would invade his privacy by reading his diary. The oppressive environment was unbearable, but he was too fearful to confront his parents about his feelings. He confided in Wang that he believed the stress from his situation contributed to his cancer. At the time of writing, Wang's Weibo post has elicited around 13,000 comments. Everyone was taken aback by his friend's cancer diagnosis, but his friend viewed it as a relief.