Woman Offers Flat, Rs 37,000 Monthly Pay To Hire A ‘Daughter’. The Reason Is Heartbreaking

In a bizarre piece of news, an elderly Chinese woman has offered a flat and a $420 (approximately Rs 37,550) monthly salary to “hire” a daughter to care for her in place of her biological daughters.

The South China Morning Post

identified the woman as Ma from Henan province, who shared her motivations behind the peculiar search for a daughter on a local TV programme, which led to mixed reactions from the Chinese public.

Ma said she had two biological daughters, one of whom wanted to sever all ties with her, while the other suffers from a mental disability and is unable to take care of herself. Her elder daughter had distanced herself from her mother due to disagreements over the upbringing of the Ma’s granddaughter.

The elder daughter claimed she

was unemployed and unable to look after her mother, stating that Ma’s decisions are “none of her business.” Furthermore, Ma also divorced their father at a young age and has lost contact with most of her relatives.

Struggling with asthma and limited mobility, Ma is searching for a woman who can care for her, support her during medical visits, and treat her with a daughter’s warmth. She has also agreed to offer this “daughter” one of her two flats, along with her possessions and her monthly pension of 3,000 yuan ($420) as a monthly salary. She is also open to signing a formal contract to confirm the arrangment

Ma’s search for a daughter got mixed reactions from the online community. While some users expressed interest in applying, others raised concerns about the arrangement’s viability, as per the SCMP. “It seems to me that she is seeking someone to care for both herself and her younger daughter,” a user said.

“With declining housing prices, the flat and cash she offers may not be enough to afford even a nanny for two people,” a third person commented.

However, a lawyer stated that Ma’s elder daughter has a legal obligation to support her mother, which she cannot evade by renouncing her inheritance rights, and any surrogate arrangement should include a proper legacy support agreement.

The bizarre request has brought the spotlight to a growing crisis of elderly isolation in China. A 2021 nationwide survey by the Ministry of Civil Affairs found that nearly 60% of mainland Chinese aged 60 and above are living on their own. This situation has boosted an industry of hiring “children”, involving individuals hired to act as companions for the elderly.