The girl was not far from me, under a dingy street lamp. I couldn't see clearly what she was doing. Whenever men passed by she would speak to them individually, but women she ignored. I approached her and stood next to her, waiting to be spoken to. When she didn't respond I asked her about the products she was selling. She said they were pornographic VCDs, and seemed indifferent. "Do you really know what you are doing?" I asked, but she didn't respond. I persisted with my questions. Why was she selling them? Didn't she feel ashamed? She just turned away.

Maybe, I'm foolish to care about this matter, because in most people's mind, we Shanghainese don't care about anything which is not related to our interests.

However, this issue really upset me. I don't know how to help her, or how to switch her onto the correct track. It is useless to send the girl to a police station.

Sometimes, laws are limited - they can't really change a person's character. I wonder whether, if kind people supported the girl's education and placed her in a good environment, would she be still dealing in pornographic VCDs? I think bad habits can be very difficult to change.

How did this bad habit come about?

In the final analysis, I think that it is the poor and misinformed parents who contribute to this dire plight. Surely if the girls parents could make a decent living, there would be no need for them to allow their child to sell pornographic VCDs, risking imprisonment.

Why can't such parents support their families? I think it is due to the blind influx of migrants into Shanghai. No doubt these country people feel confident before arriving in Shanghai. They think they will be able to make a lot of money here, since this is a modern prosperous city. Yet, much to their dismay, it is not easy to find a job here. All the more so if they are not adequately trained in relevant skills. No job; so no pay. How then to earn an honest living?

In their desperation, they exploit their innocent children to make money. It is reported that, in the evenings, a lot of poor people gather around Yu Garden to beg from foreigners whilst carrying children in their arms.

A little girl goes through the throng, harassing prospective donors till they part with a meagre sum of money. The cost of sacrificing their children to gain money is not considered.

They really don't seem to know that their habits will change the destiny of their children unconsciously.

I do hope that parents will pay more attention to their children, providing them with a good environment to study if conditions allow it. Don't exploit children to make money, and don't let crime mislead us anymore.

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