The family of the girl, Xiao Tong, faces financial hardship. Her mother suffers from schizophrenia, and her father is the sole provider, but his health is poor due to lasting effects from carbon monoxide poisoning in 2025. He works odd jobs, earning about 150 CNY daily.

Fearing an unforeseen incident, he entrusted his 13-year-old daughter with his bank card and password for management. On 9/5, when the father took his motorbike for repairs, he discovered that the 180,000 CNY in savings was gone.

In an interview with Henan Television, Xiao Tong stated that her love for 2D animation led her to commission online artists to draw characters based on her personal ideas.

Platform data revealed that Xiao Tong's account had continuous transactions starting from 5/2025. In 2/2026 alone, she placed 14 orders. The most expensive drawing cost 5,400 CNY.

To acquire these desired artworks, Tong asked artists to expedite the process from one month to 5 days, agreeing to pay higher prices. On her personal page, she declared, "My family has the means to pursue my hobbies."

Artist Xiao Bei, who created the most expensive drawing for Tong, stated that he did not know the client was a minor. "I had announced that I do not accept requests from underage individuals and had to stay up all night to meet the client's deadline," the artist explained.

This artist proactively contacted the platform to refund the cost. Another artist named Yan also immediately returned the money when Tong requested to cancel an order, citing "needing money for hospital fees."

Xiao Tong's family is currently negotiating with the involved parties to request refunds, primarily focusing on uncompleted orders. The girl also promised her father not to use the card indiscriminately.

Mr. Xie and his nephew in Henan province discovered his daughter had taken money to buy 2D drawings on 9/5. *Photo: 163.com*

After Xiao Tong's story aired on television, many education experts noted that the root cause lies in children's lack of understanding of money's value and lax family supervision. In the era of digital payments, currency appears merely as numbers on a screen, preventing children from grasping their parents' hard work.

"Love is not about unconditionally satisfying material desires, but about helping children differentiate between 'wants' and 'needs,' to understand that behind every personal joy lies the silent sacrifice of loved ones," a netizen wrote.

*Minh Phuong (According to Sohu, 163)*