A teenage girl in Shanghai stole jewelry worth one million yuan (approximately US$140,000) from her mother and sold it for just 60 yuan (about US$8) to buy lip studs and earrings.
The incident has sparked a heated debate about parenting on Chinese social media.
The mother, surnamed Wang, discovered that her daughter, surnamed Li, had sold the jewelry for only a fraction of its true value. Shocked, she reported the theft to the Wanli police station of the Putuo Public Security Bureau.
Investigations revealed that Li, believed to be going through an “adolescent rebellion,” had taken the items to get some quick cash. The stolen jewelry included jade bracelets, necklaces, and other gemstone pieces. However, Li did not realize their actual worth and thought they were fake. She sold them to a jade recycling shop at a local market.
According to Wang, when she asked her daughter why she sold the jewelry, Li explained that she needed money for the day. “She told me she wanted lip studs, which cost about 30 yuan, and the shop was offering a pair of earrings for another 30 yuan,” Wang said.
The police quickly took action after receiving the report. They reviewed security footage, worked with market management, and managed to recover the stolen jewelry. The shop owner was contacted and came to the police station to assist in returning the items to Wang.
The case has gone viral, with many Chinese netizens weighing in. Some supported the mother, while others sympathized with the teenage girl.
One person wrote: “If a family owns jewelry worth a million yuan, why not give the child some pocket money?” Another said: “Parents need to reflect on why their daughter felt the need to sell jewelry for 60 yuan. With such wealth, they could have given her some pocket money.”
However, others disagreed. “I can’t support giving pocket money for lip studs. As a college student, I think that’s wrong,” one comment read.
Another person criticized the situation, saying, “This is a failure in parenting. Adolescents need to communicate with their parents, but stealing is still theft. It’s not an excuse for teenage rebellion.”
The incident has raised questions about parenting and the responsibilities of both parents and teenagers in maintaining open communication and trust.
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