The middle child always gets fucked. This is especially true for the second child of Li Lin and Li Juan. Like many 21 year-olds, they would rather play video games than be parents. Unfortunately, they didn’t always have the money to play. Children can be a total drain on resources, and Li Lin and Li Juan have three of them. So they figured it was time to lighten their load.
That’s when the middle child bit the dust. No they didn’t kill the kid (they’re not animals!), but they did sell child #2 for $500. You would think $500 goes a long way in China, but the Internet Café is a cruel mistress. They ended up selling their other two kids as well, but this time for around $4600. Now, that should buy you tons of WoW hours. But as karma would have it, Li Lin and Li Juan won’t be able to spend their earnings, since they will most likely be spending forever behind bars.
Let this be a cautionary tale, gamers. Don’t sell your kids for ANYTHING.
Not even for that Duke Nukem game.
It’s amazing how that Duke Nukem joke went over so many people’s heads. I feel sorry for the kids. I hope they don’t grow up to have a video game addiction over this.
Girls are worth a lot less $$.
Good thing I’m not much of a gamer, or my dog would be in trouble!
They were 21 and had three kids to sell already? Sounds like they have a lot o kid selling years to go. /sarcasm
that new duke nukem sucks I wont sell my sperm for that game
I’ve never heard of this news on our own medias in China. And, that picture doesn’t really suit this article.
This really doesn’t feel true, and it’s not well-sourced online. One of the commenters on the ABC News piece explains that the story is closer to a Snopes-like morality tale. It’s not running in a mainstream paper, nor has it been picked up by one. I think ABC News just couldn’t resist the headline.
http://abcnewsradioonline.com/world-news/chinese-couple-sells-all-three-kids-to-play-online-games.html
China’s a pretty messed up country, so I’m not surprised that there’s messed-up people there. Not to say that it’s all bad, 99% of Chinese people are great people, but that 1% gets disproportionately given power.
As for the population thing, they’re not exactly as strict as they’ve always been. The way I understand it is like this: 1st child gets public schooling, health care, other benefits. 2nd child you have to pay for schooling. 3rd child you have to pay for everything. If you can’t afford school, etc. your only choice is to give up your child.
Also, I assume they weren’t playing $15 per month WoW, but were probably playing “free, but you have to pay $50 per raid if you want gear that’s not shit” -type games. Those are more popular in China and Korea.
Fuck these people. They are evil beyond descripton.
I thought you could only have one child in China. Population control and what.
If only I had kids. Video games can get expensive…
But Duke Nukem Forever? Really?
ESPECIALLY not for Duke Nukem Forever. Seriously, though, WTF is wrong with those people?
Prison may not be as much punishment for the parents as we think it might be:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/25/china-prisoners-internet-gaming-scam