Global Courant
Illustrative photo of a woman counting coins in China.Longhua Liao/Getty Images
A woman in China rents out her time-out to strangers for just 1 Chinese yuan, or 14 cents.
The woman, known as Peggy, said her clients are shy and lonely, according to SCMP.
Chinese users are divided: while some find her work inspiring, others say it’s just another job.
A woman rents herself out to strangers for a little over a dime – and in return she’ll accompany them to do things they don’t want to do alone.
The 26-year-old woman, known as Peggy, rents out her time for just 1 Chinese yuanor 14 cents further Xiaohongshu, a social media platform similar to Instagram, according to The South China Morning Post. The report did not specify how long she spent time with these strangers in exchange for the money.
Peggy, who was born in Xinjiang, a province in northwestern China, said in the SCMP report that she offers her time to strangers to “feel alive” and help people “do things they are afraid to do alone.” . She is currently based in China’s capital, Beijing, where she meets people looking for companionship.
Since May, three people have hired Peggy: a programmer who wants to sell balloons at a park, a rock climbing enthusiast and a man who wants to attend a gaming event hosted by McDonald’s, according to the SCMP. The report did not specify how much she was paid in total, or if she quit her job for this performance.
Peggy described her clients as “shy” and “lonely,” according to the SCMP, citing an interview with the state-owned Jiupai News. She added that it is simply symbolic to make these people pay a few cents because she wants to give herself “a sense of ritual” and that they both pay for the things they do together.
Peggy said she started renting out her time online to people after realizing she didn’t like working at the regular jobs she had before, according to the report.
Chinese users on Weibo were divided over Peggy’s lifestylewith some people praising her for spending time with strangers.
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“I want to hire myself out too,” commented one user.
Another user wrote, “She’s very brave and amazing.”
But one user pointed out that what Peggy is doing is nothing more than a job, albeit not very lucrative.
“I don’t understand, what’s the difference between this and going to work? Apart from the price, what’s the difference between a salary of 10,000 yuan?” wrote the user. The amount of 10,000 yuan is equivalent to about $1,400, considered high income in Beijing – and unlike Peggy, many locals are trying to land well-paid jobs in China’s bleak job market.
It’s not the first time someone has rented their time to strangers. In January, a Japanese man said he works like a “Do Nothing Rent-a-Man,” guiding people in activities such as eating and shopping. In the U.S, websites like RentAFriend.com have gained some tractionwhere people can hire strangers who live nearby to interact with them.
Read the original article Insider
