‘No sweet without sweat’: boy, 11, helping single dad run food stands for 17 hours a day during holidays praised for maturity, starts childhood debate
- Chinese media has picked up the story of a boy, 11, helping at his dad’s three food stands during his summer holidays
- The boy starts early in the morning and works till midnight, often for up to 17 hours a day, some have questioned if this is fair on the boy
A story about an 11-year-old boy in eastern China who spends up to 17 hours a day helping at his father’s three food stands has gone viral on the mainland.
The boy, from Zaozhuang city in Shandong province, was featured in a news story last Sunday by Henan Broadcasting System. It was reported that he helped at his father’s three food stands from early morning to late night during his summer holidays.
In the video report, the boy said he was taking care of three food stands selling shredded pancakes, soy sauce pancakes, and porridges in front of a small restaurant, while his single-parent father prepared pancakes and food in the kitchen.
Standing at the pancake stand dressed in a blue T-shirt, the boy is seen slicing the pancakes into portions and packing them in plastic bags skilfully.
“How long are you helping at the food stand each day?” The man filming the video asked.