A bag containing 150,000 yuan ($22,221) in cash was recently returned to its owner after being discovered in garbage by an honest couple from Dalian, northeastern China’s Liaoning province.

The couple Dong Decheng and Li Huijun spotted the cash bag when collecting garbage to gain extra income after their retirement.

The 69-year-old Dong and his wife were surprised to find a huge amount of cash when they opened the black plastic bag.

“It was lucky enough that we found it. It could’ve been burnt after being shipped away by the garbage truck,” the couple said.

Eager to find the owner of the money, Dong and his wife went to the residential property management office without even counting it.

Fortunately, the office found the owner surnamed Zhang. The money was intended to pay for the medical treatment of his family, but his wife thought it was garbage and threw it away.

Zhang offered 10,000 yuan to the couple to show his appreciation, but the old couple declined the offer.

Dong joined the Communist Party when he was young. He doesn’t take the matter as a big issue, saying it would a shame if he didn’t return the money.

A local party member Guo Qingjun told People’s Daily that he was not surprised at what Dong has done, because that was his true self.