A 21-year-old man in Hunan, China has drawn widespread attention after his story of supporting a large family of six younger siblings while working in a pork business went viral on mainland media.
The young man, identified as Sun Pan, revealed that he works alongside his father in the early hours of the morning, starting as early as 2am at a slaughterhouse before heading out to sell pork at a market with his younger sister at dawn.
By mid-morning, the siblings operate a market stall selling meat, often finishing sales by noon. In the afternoon, Sun also turns to livestreaming to sell pork online and arrange deliveries, as the family relies heavily on both offline and online sales to sustain their livelihood.
Sun said his household includes his parents, six younger siblings, and an extended family member requiring long-term care due to health conditions, placing significant financial and emotional pressure on him as the eldest son.
He also shared that one of his younger sisters suffered a serious head injury as a child and lives with permanent disability, while a younger brother was born with Down syndrome and requires constant care from relatives.
According to Sun, the family currently operates two butcher stalls, with daily sales reportedly reaching several pigs a day to cover basic living expenses and medical needs.
His father, who is nearing 50, reportedly believes having more children increases the family’s chances of future success, a view that has created tension within the household as Sun has expressed strong opposition to further expansion of the family.
Despite his struggles, Sun said he continues to work tirelessly, though he admitted feeling overwhelmed at times, saying he hopes his parents will stop having more children so the family can focus on raising the existing siblings.
