China dad pays daughter US$70 every 10 days to text him daily while at university for safety
Worried father’s financial plan to make sure daughter is coping with new life in ‘strange’ city attracts criticism of his parenting style
A father in central China is so worried about his daughter’s safety while she is at university that he has offered to pay her to send him messages every day.
Cao Qianhong, who lives in Xiantao, Hubei province, released a video on a leading social media platform on September 6 about his 18-year-old daughter’s enrolment at college.
Cao told his daughter: “You are about to kick off your college life. I will transfer you 500 yuan (US$70) three times a month. On top of that, I will give you another 500 yuan at the end of each month on condition that you text me at least one message every day.
“Any message, like a short video, a picture or even a comma, is acceptable. The point is that you should contact us.”
The father went on to bemoan the fact that his daughter had not picked up the phone when he called in the past and that the only time she got in touch was to ask for money.
In the viral clip, Cao asked his daughter if she agreed with the arrangement.
After she nodded in agreement, Liu and his daughter hooked up their pinkies and gave them a pull, a gesture normally used to seal a promise.
