69-year-old former Best Actress Zhang Yu is entrusting her fortune of over 100 million to her nephew, a choice that hits right on the reality of how childless elders living alone handle their affairs after death.
The screen goddess who was once a nationwide sensation has now handed over her entire fortune to a stranger.
Zhang Yu, 69, has entrusted his entire fortune—worth over 100 million yuan and including a siheyuan courtyard house and a river-view apartment—to his nephew. The question of whom to entrust their assets to after their passing is a reality that every elderly person living alone must face.
In 1980, *Love on Lushan* was released, and Zhang Yu became a household name for her portrayal of Zhou Yun in the film; at the time, her movie posters could be seen everywhere on the streets.In 1981, she swept four Best Actress awards, setting a record that remains unbroken to this day. By then, she was already a well-known actress at the Shanghai Film Studio. She later married fellow industry professional Zhang Jianya, and their union was hailed as a model romance within the industry.
In
1985, at the height of her career, Zhang Yu made a decision that others found hard to understand: she resigned from her government position, filed for divorce, and set off for the United States with only a few belongings to pursue her studies.Her early days in a foreign country were far from smooth; her past accolades did not make things any easier for her. To make ends meet, she worked as a waitress in restaurants and took on odd jobs. It was only after struggling abroad for a full eight years that she boarded a flight back to China for the first time.
After returning to China, Zhang Yu did not continue her acting career in the spotlight but instead turned to film production. Through years of business operations and the gradual purchase of several properties, she slowly accumulated a substantial fortune.For many years, she has lived alone, taking care of her daily needs by herself. Even when she feels unwell, she usually goes to the hospital on her own and handles her own affairs; she lives a quiet, uneventful life.
It wasn’t
until news broke this year that she had gone to a notary office to transfer the right to dispose of the vast majority of her assets to her nephew that many who knew her were taken by surprise. Having been a woman of strong convictions who had always made her own decisions throughout her life, she ultimately chose a blood relative as her trustee.
Those who,
in their youth, dared to give up a stable life—one envied by others—to explore the unknown will gradually come to realize as they grow older that no amount of material wealth can fill the void left by having no one to care for them. Ultimately, we must bear the consequences of every choice we make in life.For those without children, making early arrangements for one’s final affairs and cultivating relationships based on genuine mutual trust are the most reliable foundations for a secure later life.
In the course of a lifetime, how much wealth one must accumulate and how much genuine affection one must preserve to ensure a peaceful and stable old age—I’m sure everyone has their own answer to that question.
