Family differences arise in caring for grandchildren

Chen said: "Secondhand smoke is said to be harmful to children and others, but I don't fully understand this, because in my hometown no one cares about it.

"Although my daughter-in-law may be right, her attitude toward the problem angered me. As a smoker for many years, I can't just quit the habit immediately. I also paid a great deal of attention to many problems, including smoking, after living with my son and daughter-in-law. Every time after I smoked, I stayed outside for a long time."

Chen and his wife used to work at a machinery factory in Lu'an. Due to hypertension, problems with his shoulder, and the imminent birth of his grandson, Chen turned down an offer of re-employment after he retired in 2020.

He said it is only natural for grandparents to take care of their grandchildren. Although some unpleasant family incidents occurred while he was in Beijing, Chen still feels extremely happy about the past year.

However, his medical treatment and travel in the capital caused him problems. Requiring regular checkups and medication, Chen didn't know how to use his healthcare insurance to cover the cost.

"In my hometown, seeing a doctor is almost free of charge, as the insurance covers most of the cost, but living in Beijing for the past year, I spent a lot of money on seeing a doctor for my medical problems," he said.

Chen added that visiting a doctor in Beijing is also inconvenient, as apart from having to make an appointment online, using the subway to go to the hospital is also not that easy for him, as he cannot remember the right route to take.

"We also had to scan health codes to get into the hospital and take the subway during the epidemic, which made life very difficult for us," he said.

"My wife often tells me that my son and daughter-in-law are very busy with work and that we should try our best to solve our problems and not cause trouble for them. I agree, but we often encounter problems that are beyond our control. As we have no friends in Beijing to help us, we have to ask my son or daughter-in-law for assistance."

Chen envies his former colleagues who take care of their grandchildren in their hometown and spend time with their families and friends.

"However, my wife and I are getting older. I only have one son and have to rely on him. I won't ask him to give up his life in Beijing after he fought hard for years to find work and settle in the city. We will stay in Beijing and help him bring up our grandson, before returning to my hometown for a short rest at some point in the future," he said.