A man named Guo Xixiang from Funing County, Jiangsu province spent five years paying off 640,000 RMB in debt for his deceased son, Xdkb.net reported.

Guo's eldest son died in October 2007 in a car accident, leaving debt totaling 637,117 RMB, a huge sum of money for a rural family whose annual income was just 15,000 RMB. As an honest and upright person, Guo decided to pay off his son's debt. Though his friends and fellow villagers tried to dissuade him, he maintained that the creditors deserved their money back.

Guo's wife, Zhou Lan, supported his decision, saying they would get through any hardships as long as the family stayed together. Fortunately, 370,000 RMB of the debt was covered by insurance, which greatly relieved Guo's burden. Guo's second son, who makes a living running a restaurant, has also helped his father pay the debt.

Apart from farm work, Guo also took part-time jobs at construction sites and a pastry factory, earning 3,000 to 4,000 RMB each month. He pinched and scraped in order to save more. Finally, Guo paid off the last of the debt in 2012.

"Now my life has become normal again," Guo said, adding that his eldest granddaughter has married and his two grandsons are in school. A local official praised Guo's story as an example of positive energy from which all of society can learn.