Wang Lichun, 45, was left at home taking care of her granddaughter by herself in Shuangfeng County, after her husband, two sons and daughter-in-law moved to Changsha, a city over 1,000 km away, to work.
Xiao Kaiquan, the girl’s father, said that from September 20, his mother stopped answering the phone.
Tremendously worried, he and other family members rushed home, and upon arriving on September 27 were shocked to see the little girl lying with the decaying corpse in the bathroom doorway.
Xiao said his mother had likely already been dead for seven days. Fortunately, the girl was found alive but severely malnourished.
She was taken to hospital on September 28 and was under intensive care.
Xiao said that his daughter is still shocked from the ordeal and is suffering from some infections but should recover fully.
Workers migrating to other cities in search of work have difficulties accessing services such as housing and education under the hukou registration system.
This means that children can often stay behind to live with their grandparents for periods of time.
