Boy rushes back to finish meal mid-quake; father teaches ‘lesson of life’

When an earthquake jolted Qingcheng district, South China's Guangdong Province, a child rushed back to the dining table mid-tremor, driven by a craving to finish his meal. He even tried to carry dishes away, only to be dissuaded by his father, who later taught him that life and safety come first.

A 4.3-magnitude earthquake struck Qingcheng district in Qingyuan city at 6:48 pm on Monday, with tremors felt across Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Foshan in Guangdong, according to Guangming Daily. 

A video clip circulating online captures a local boy experiencing the earthquake while dining with his father and his younger brother, quickly sparking widespread attention.

The clip shows when the quake hit, the father rushed outside carrying the toddler, the boy initially followed them to the doorway, but suddenly struck by the thought that his meal was unfinished, he scampered back to the dining table. 

Amid his father's repeated calls, the boy even spun the rotating table, clutched a platter in one hand and a bowl in the other as he bolted toward the door, the report said.

But his father stopped him, telling him to stop eating the dishes. He complied and ran downstairs with the rest of the family.

The boy's father, surnamed Li, later shared, "My eldest son has a natural knack for humor." He said he only realized how funny it was after watching the video. "I was panicking, yelling at him to run."

Recalling the moment his son tried to evacuate with the dishes, Li said he immediately told him to put them down: "We live on the 9th floor, and carrying food during an earthquake could cause a fall or injury."

The family safely evacuated to the ground floor, waited for about an hour, then returned home to resume their meal, Li said. 

He later taught the boy that life and safety come first, and material possessions can wait. "When earthquakes strike, evacuate immediately, safety comes before everything," Li told his son.