Viral Week is our weekly round-up of the weekend’s trending memes, humor, rumor, gossip, and everything else Chinese netizens are chatting about.

This week, a mother is buried alive, a teacher is forced to give up parttime work, a 9-year-old turns herself in to police, a blackbird fights dirty, and a beached dolphin is saved:

Early burial

A 79-year-old woman in Shaanxi province was buried alive by her son and barely rescued 3 days later. The son, surnamed Ma, reportedly resented taking care of his elderly mother after he left him in the care of his uncle when he was 12 years old. Ma has been charged with attempted murder, with authorities calling for severe punishment.

Young offender

A 9-year-old girl in Hubei surprised police officers when she arrived at the station to turn herself in for “theft.” She had been sent there by her father, who sought to teach his daughter a lesson about “honesty” after the girl had made purchases in an online game without telling him.

Deadly masks

Several education bureaus across China have told schoolchildren not to wear masks while exercising or taking part in physical education classes after the death of three students while wearing face coverings. Schools have gradually been reopening across the country, but with strict social distancing and virus prevention measures in place.

Teacher trouble

A teacher in Sichuan surnamed Li was pressured to resign from his part-time job delivering takeout after his situation went viral online, with many netizens arguing that he should be focused solely on teaching. Others defended Li’s right to make some extra money during the weekends and on holidays.

Postal fees

Fengchao, a postal locker service provider, announced that it would start charging storage fees for anything kept in its lockers longer than 12 hours. The price rise (0.5 yuan for an additional 12 hours) has enraged many users, with some communities boycotting the company’s lockers in protest.

Dirty bombs

A household in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, has recorded footage of a blackbird firing its droppings at their window whenever their house cat sits there. Netizens have been wondering what caused such enmity between the two animals.

Historic discovery

Archeologists in Zhenzhou recently announced that a pre-historic site first discovered in 2005 in Shuanghuaishu village, Henan province, holds evidence of the earliest Chinese civilization. Dating back to 5,300 years ago and covering 117 hectares, archeologists have hypothesized that it may have been the capital city around the time of the Yellow Emperor. Pottery found in the shape of the Big Dipper constellation and the complete skeleton of an elk were among the relics excavated, which suggest this may have been the palace of a ruler.

Full financial disclosure

Chinese stand-up comedian Chizi (stage name) accused CITIC Bank of disclosing his bank statement to his former employer without his permission, which the CITIC branch described as a part of their service for “VIP customer needs.” The bank later apologized and fired the branch head. The Chinese banking authority is investigating the case.

Dolphin rescue

A seven-hour rescue mission to save a Chinese white dolphin succeeded in releasing the animal back into the wild. The dolphin was spotted stuck in the mud of a river in Taishan, Guangdong province, by local fishermen.

Cover Image from VCG