For nearly five months, an eight-year-old child in Hubei province skipped breakfast and used the money to purchase lottery tickets, hoping that he might win big and give the earnings to his sick father who is in need of a kidney transplant.
Song Biyang’s grandmother would give the boy two yuan every day for breakfast, according to Xinhua, but instead of spending it on food, he’d buy a lottery ticket at an outlet in his hometown of Jianli county, where eight-year-old children are apparently able to buy lottery tickets.
Song’s dad gave up working due to his worsening condition. His transplant surgery is expected to cost around 300,000 yuan, money which the divorced and indebted father does not have.
Young Song said he drank water to make himself feel full as he skipped off to school every day. The most he’d every managed to win was 10 yuan.
When Song’s father learned that his son was going to class on an empty stomach so that he could play the lottery, he was shocked. He tried to persuade Song to stop, but with no luck. Now, his grandma gives him three yuan every morning so that he can buy his lottery ticket and get something to eat as well.
[Images via People’s Daily]
Monday, March 1, 2021
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