Boy Seeks Police Help After Father Takes His Angpao
CHINA – A young boy reported to the police that a “bad guy” had stolen his Lunar New Year lucky money or angpao, only to reveal that the culprit was his own father.
The incident took place during the first week of February 2025, in Lanzhou, Gansu province, China. According to a report from the South China Morning Post on February 15, the boy contacted a local police station, claiming, “A bad guy is in my home, and he has robbed my money.” It was not specified how old the boy was.
In China, as well as in the Philippines and other Asian countries, it is customary for elders to give “red envelopes,” or angpao, filled with money to younger relatives during Chinese New Year. This tradition is a way to wish them good fortune for the year ahead. In many families, children’s lucky money is kept by their parents for safekeeping. However, in this case, the boy’s father had taken the money.
Upon hearing the boy’s call, the officer on duty reportedly heard a man shouting at the boy, saying, “You naughty boy, you did call the police!” The police quickly responded by sending a team to help the boy. When the officers arrived, the boy was overjoyed to see them and immediately pointed to his father, asking them to catch the “bad person.”
The father, apologizing to the officers, explained that he was sorry for the situation. He mentioned that his son had gotten upset after they had argued about who should be responsible for keeping the red envelope. Interestingly, it was the father’s own smartphone that the boy had used to call the police.
The police resolved the matter by advising the father to take better care of the money and explaining to the boy that his father should manage it. They also suggested that the boy should ask his father for money when needed and keep a record of expenses. Lastly, the officers advised the father to be more clear with his son about money matters and to avoid taking his money without a proper agreement.