A mischievous yet amusing incident involving a young Chinese boy has taken the internet by storm after he returned to snatch food from the dining table during a minor earthquake—while his panicked family fled for safety.
The earthquake, measuring 4.3 in magnitude, struck Qingyuan in Guangdong Province, southern China, on June 23. A widely shared video captured the hilarious moment when a family, including a father (surnamed Li) and his two sons, was having dinner at home. Their mother was away on a business trip.
As the tremors began, the father instinctively scooped up his younger son and dashed toward the exit in a state of panic. His older son initially followed suit, even yelling to the nanny in the kitchen to evacuate. However, to everyone’s surprise—including his father’s—the boy suddenly turned back toward the table.
Ignoring his father’s desperate shouts to hurry, the determined youngster grabbed a few more bites of food and attempted to take some dishes with him. Concerned that carrying food on the 9th floor could lead to accidents, Li quickly intervened, persuading his son to abandon the dishes before finally leading the family to safety.
After rushing downstairs, the family waited on the ground floor for approximately an hour to ensure the quake had passed.
The video, showcasing the boy’s unexpected priority amid chaos, has since gone viral, amusing millions online.