China Scene: North

Web and police help family reunite

Thanks to the online police office, Wang Yufeng found her aunt 37 years after losing contact.

Wang, 62, a resident in Xingtai, Hebei, in North China, has an aunt living in Xi'an, capital of Northwest Shaanxi Province. They met for the last time in 1970 and later lost contact. But by accident, Wang's daughter logged on to the website of the Xi'an online police office, and with the help from local police, Wang was reunited with her aunt on Saturday.

(Chinese Business View)

Chicken union produces 'eggsellent' results

A domestic-raised hen fell in love with a wild cock living in the forest, and their six siblings born last year have begun laying unusual blue-colored eggs.

The hen, which belongs to Li Xiangyun, a 58-year-old farmer living in a village in Changchun of Jilin Province, was bought three years ago, and has been often seen looking for food in the forest nearby. The siblings are a bit smaller than ordinary hens, but their eggs apparently taste more delicious than the usual egg. Experts said the appearance of the eggs has been influenced by genetic crossover, between the hen and the wild cock.

(East Asia Economic and Trade News)

An Olympic idea at least one man believes will fly

A man in Beijing has thought of a novel way to get the city cleaner before the 2008 Olympics: buying flies.

Sixty-year-old Zhuo Zhanqi, who comes from Chicheng County of Hebei Province, will buy flies - two yuan (23 US cents) each - from people with his own cash savings.

He hopes his efforts will raise awareness about the need to make Beijing beam with cleanliness, with less flies.

Zhou's dislike for flies began 10 years ago when he opened a restaurant, and they were a pesky problem.

(Beijing Youth Daily)

Seafood restaurant boss up to something fishy

The boss of a seafood restaurant in Benxi, Liaonin, attempted to frame staff by saying they owed 10,000 yuan ($1,290) to the restaurant. Jiang Qizhuo, who came from Guangzhou of South China's Guangdong Province, worked at the Dalian Seafood Habour and noticed his boss was defaulting on the wages of his work companions.

Jiang complained but was beaten, and his cash of 3,700 yuan ($477) and a bank card carrying 4,000 yuan ($516) were stolen.

The boss also forced Jiang to sign a debt receipt saying staff wasted raw materials worth 10,000 yuan ($1,290) while working. Jiang reported the case to local police.

(Liaoshen Evening News)

Man compensated for loss of sexual function

An unmarried young man from Shenyang, Liaoning, sued a local company for a record 2.46 million yuan ($315,384) in compensation after completely losing his sexual function during a traffic accident caused by a driver working for the firm.

The driver ran down Zhao Fei, 26, one morning three years ago on a street of Shenyang and seriously injured him.

Of the compensation he claimed, 1.5 million yuan ($192,307) was "spiritual damage", the largest amount of its kind in Liaoning, his lawyer surnamed Gao said at a court, which heard the case last Friday.

(Liaoshen Evening News)

Man returns money because he 'should do'

A 70-year-old man from a rural village of Hebei Province, who borrowed money to save the life of his wife, who has a brain tumor, burst into tears on Saturday when the 25,000 yuan, ($3,205) he lost was returned to him.

A migrant worker surnamed Zhang found the money. The man gave Zhang 5,000 yuan ($641) as a reward for his virtue. But Zhang refused, saying that was what he should do.

Zhang picked up the money that was wrapped up with a piece of newspaper on his way home and informed one of the owner's relatives with the help of the address written on the package.

(Yanzhao Metropolis News)

(China Daily 04/04/2007 page6)