One farmer by the name of Wang in Yongjia County, east China’s Zhejiang Province, went to his ex-wife’s home with candies to visit their daughter under the care of her mother.
The father still regretted deeply having abandoned the right of taking care of their daughter in the court.
Wang and his wife by the name of Xie used to be a couple who had led a poor life and had lived in a remote mountainous village in Yongjia County. Both were engaged in their childhood under their parents’ arrangement.
After their arranged marriage, however, they did not get along well for lack of mutual understanding. But they both cherished a deep love for their only daughter.
Last autumn, Xie proposed a divorce and Wang agreed under the condition that he would take care of their daughter. Xie objected to Wang’s condition, and insisted that she would take care of their daughter without any money provided by Wang. Wang offered the same terms. Neither gave in and they could not reach an agreement in a local court.
The judge learned that their daughter had spent a longer time with her father but had greater affections to her mother. Both the husband and the wife had much the same conditions in taking care of their daughter.
The judge pondered the case again and again and then was bit by a good idea. On the condition of their own will, the judge asked Wang and Xie to bid in court for the right to take care of their daughter. The two parties began bidding with 500 yuan (US$60) as the bottom line. When Wang offered 2,500 yuan (US$300), Xie, after some hesitation, gave 3,000 yuan (US$350).
Wang had to give up in view of his poor financial conditions. Xie finally realized her wish by obtaining the right to take care of their daughter.
Tong Pingning, a council member of the Zhejiang Lawyers’ Association, said that the practice of bidding in court for the right to take care of one’s children can be accepted provided that the parties concerned have similar financial conditions.
He noted, “However, money is not the only criterion. Some parents are able to take care of their children financially, but they are not qualified in terms of their own conditions. For example, they are drug takers or are offenders.”
(Xinhua 02/19/2001)
