80-year-old Chen Yanzhen has been tightening his belt and aiding poor students since becoming a teacher in the 1960s.

To get enough money to help more children, Chen, upon retiring at the age of 60, decided to start his own business. After years of striving, Yang settled down and got two gas stations, with most of his income going to his newly-launched education assistance foundation. Since it was established in 2017, 529 students have been aided through the foundation. 

Chen in his gas station

He lives on the cheap and counts pennies, said Chen's collegue, noting that Chen is too frugal to use an air conditioner for himself, but has donated most of his assets, a total of two million yuan ($280,000), to the foundation without hesitation.

"I am already 80 years old, fame and wealth don't matter to me", Chen said. "I've already made a will that says all of my assets will be donated to the foundation, to enable the cause of charity to go as far as possible".