Sorry, that came out wrong. What I meant to say is that I am shocked (shocked!) to have read the following story in that quality newspaper (and certainly not scurrilous propaganda rag) the China Daily:

Mother sells teen girl's virginity for 10,000 yuan
July 29, 2005 (From the Shanghai Daily)

Prosecutors in Shanghai have charged the owner of a small beauty parlor in Jiangsu Province with selling her daughter's virginity and then forcing the 17-year-old girl to have sex with the businessman who paid to deflower her.

Prosecutors allege a businessman from Shanghai surnamed Chen paid the mother 10,000 yuan (US$1,235) for the right to ravish her daughter.

Prosecutors wouldn't say, however, if they have taken any legal action against the businessman.

According to officials, the mother surnamed Kuang ran a hair salon in Wujiang, Jiangsu Province and several months ago she asked her daughter to work for her.

The daughter, who Shanghai Daily will only identify as Xiao, worked as a shampoo girl.

After her arrival in the salon, a frequent client surnamed Yan noticed the good-looking girl and asked her mother about the possibility of sleeping with her.

While many small hair salons engage in prostitution, prosecutors wouldn't say if the beauty parlor in question routinely offered sexual services.

Yan offered 3,500 yuan to sleep with the girl, but Kuang rejected the offer claiming her daughter was a virgin and the price was too low, prosecutors said.

When Yan later told his friend Chen about the cute teenager, the businessman rushed to the hair salon.

Chen took the mother and daughter to a coffee shop in Wujiang on May 30. While Xiao waited elsewhere, Chen and her mother negotiated the price for taking her virginity.

Mom wanted 16,000 yuan, but Chen talked her down to 10,000 yuan, prosecutors said.

Xiao knew nothing of the deal until her mother took her to Chen's apartment in the Baoling Residential Area in Baoshan District later that night.

Xiao's mother forced the girl into Chen's bedroom and became violent when Xiao refused to have sex with the businessman, prosecutors said.

"Kuang slapped her on the face and even hit the girl with a belt," said one prosecutor.

When Xiao finally gave in and agreed to have sex, her mother waited in the dining room, he added.

The next day Xiao was rushed to a local hospital with massive hemorrhaging. After she told doctors what happened, they called the police.

Xiao's mother faces a maximum of 10 years in prison if she is found guilty, according to the Baoshan District Prosecutors' Office.

The reason I am shocked is because I am sure that I would have had to front up at least 20,000 yuan. It's this kind of double standard that is so frustrating for foreigners living here.

I do note, however, that the original bidder really did lowball his opening bid, at an insulting 3,500. But, in the best Chinese tradition, the final price (agreed with the original bidder's flush buddy) seems to have settled nicely between the opening bid and offer, to everyone's satisfaction, I'm sure.

If you're comparing the price of virgins in your own country, or thinking of arbitraging Chinese virgins, the agreed price, 10,000 yuan, is US$1,233. Before China's recent currency revaluation you could have had the same virgin for US$1,208, so if your virgins are denominated in dollars you may want to make your move now before the yuan is allowed to appreciate any further. Or hedge with a futures contract. Remember to add the 5.25% government business tax when calculating.

Tasteless okes aside, I also note that while the mother who pimped and beat her own teenage daughter faces a well-deserved 10 years if convicted, there is no mention at all of prosecuting either man. I hope that's simply because their cases haven't been heard yet, and not because of some awful double standard.

Kevin in Pudong has also blogged this.