SCMP: A moving story in Shenzhen China. A street snack eatery in Shenzhen refunded 13 yuan (US$2) to uplift two young university graduates new to the city, and the gesture moved many people online. 《南華早報》：發生在中國深圳的一件感人事蹟。深圳一家街頭小吃店為兩位初來乍到的年輕大學畢業生退還了13元（約2美元），這一舉動感動了網路上的許多人.

The two young women, Liu and Song, hailing from Hunan and Jiangxi provinces respectively, travelled to Guangdong in southern China for better job opportunities on August 15.

On August 16, they visited a branch of Shaxian Delicacies, a well-known street snack chain in Longgang District, where they ordered food totalling 13 yuan and discussed their job search plans.

Liu ordered a drink, prompting Song to joke about it being a luxury. They paid via an app, and later that day, Liu was surprised to receive a refund.

Accompanying the refund was a message: “Welcome to Shenzhen. It’s tough, but good luck.”

Recognising this as a thoughtful gesture from the restaurant, Liu shared a screenshot online, expressing how touched they were. Her post garnered 850,000 likes and 13,000 comments.

Shaxian Delicacies boasts around 100,000 authorised branches nationwide. Local media revealed that Huang Huailin and Pan Yushuan opened this specific branch under a franchise just five months ago.

Huang had overheard the women’s conversation and decided to issue the refund. Pan expressed full support for his partner’s decision, noting that while the restaurant was not very profitable, they were happy to assist.

“We all have our lows. We helped them within our capabilities, and hope they find the city a warmer place,” Pan remarked.

Liu later connected with the restaurant owners online to thank them for their kindness. She expressed their intent to pay it forward by helping others in the future and mentioned they would visit the store in person once they settled in.

Fortuitously, the Longgang district government noticed Liu’s post and invited the women to stay at its Youth Community, a government-sponsored support centre providing new graduates with free accommodation for up to 15 days, along with resume and interview assistance.

Many users in the comments section offered advice on navigating life in Shenzhen. Some even visited the eatery to order the 13-yuan meal – dubbed the “tough meal” – in support of Huang and Pan’s initiative.

“This is why I use social media – to find heartwarming moments,” one commenter shared.

Another noted: “The owners have also been on their own journeys for many years.”

A third remarked: “Shenzhen is such an inclusive city. I love it.”