18-year-old woman lives in office's toilet while supporting brother's education

The woman, 18-year-old Yang, comes from Hubei Province in southern China. She works in sales at a furniture store in Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province, earning a monthly salary of 2,700 yuan ($370), compared to the city's average salary of 7,500 yuan.

With rent prices in the area ranging from 800 to 1,800 yuan, Yang could not afford a place to live. As a result, she arranged with her employer to stay in an office restroom, which is six square meters and contains two squat toilets and a sink. Yang has set up a folding bed, a cooking pot, a curtain, and a clothes rack to make the space livable, according to the South China Morning Post.

Yang has been staying there for a month now, occasionally cooking noodles in the evening. Her coworkers use the toilet normally during the day.

Her boss revealed that Yang had considered other options, such as living in an unused office space or renting a room for 400 yuan a month. But chose the company toilet because it was safer, given the company's 24-hour surveillance system, and close to her workplace.

The boss plans to move Yang into a newly renovated office room, according to Sina.

Yang shared her living situation on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, and quickly gained over tens of thousands of followers. While some questioned whether her situation was staged, Yang insisted that it was simply for convenience.

Yang said she grew up with her grandparents after her parents left for work when she was just one year old.

At 16, Yang left home to support herself. Her parents often ask her to send money to support the education of her brother, 10 years her junior.

While some netizens praised her perseverance, others expressed concern about her living conditions, warning that the humidity in the toilet could affect her health as the weather warms.

One netizen also wished that all families would treat their sons and daughters equally.