Recently, the news of an 11-year-old boy in Haicheng, Liaoning, setting up a stand to sell grilled sausages by himself has drawn public attention. Sources revealed that the boy dropped out of school at the age of 6 to take care of his sick father, and this year, he started selling grilled sausages to support his family.
According to local netizens in Haicheng, Liaoning, a video was posted recently showing an 11-year-old boy selling grilled sausages near Xiguan Elementary School at a fixed time every afternoon.
The video captured by the netizen shows a boy in a down jacket pushing a mobile cart selling grilled sausages near Xiguan Elementary School in Haicheng, Liaoning. He took out a long extension cord from the cart, searched for a power outlet, while many locals queued up to buy grilled sausages.
On November 21, a teacher named Luo, who runs an educational childcare institution opposite Xiguan Elementary School, told Jiemu News that she encountered the 11-year-old boy, nicknamed “Xiong Mao (Panda),” in May while taking the children out for a play.
Upon inquiry, it was found that Panda’s father, Mr. Xiong, used to be a chef and once invested in a restaurant. However, after the business failed, he suffered a stroke. Panda’s mother left when he was young, leaving father and son to rely on each other for years.
Luo mentioned that Panda and his father moved from Heilongjiang to Haicheng several years ago. Upon learning about Panda’s family background, she often invited him and other children to study, play, and provided meals for them.
It was understood that Panda attended kindergarten before, but due to difficult family conditions, he dropped out of school at the age of 6 to take care of his sick father.
In order to help Panda support his family, in September this year, Luo purchased a cart and a sausage machine at her own expense for Panda to sell grilled sausages. She also arranged for Panda to apprentice at a bubble tea shop during the day and sell sausages in the afternoon, allowing him time to study and read in his spare time.
Luo mentioned that Panda and his father have been renting a place near Xiguan Elementary School all year round, with Mr. Xiong working as a casual laborer in the local labor market. Despite dropping out of school for many years, Panda has always wanted to return to school, but circumstances did not permit.
In response to the situation, a staff member from the News and Information Bureau of the Haicheng Municipal Party Committee mentioned that they have been monitoring the situation. On the 21st, several local departments provided assistance, taking on the responsibility to address the child’s enrollment in school and subsequent living issues.
Concerned mainland netizens have been questioning why Panda and his father were not assisted earlier, given their long-term residence in the area. Some raised doubts about the authenticity of the current assistance efforts, suggesting that it might be more for show due to public pressure. Many netizens also inquired about Panda’s contact information, expressing a desire to help him fulfill his wish to study.