Today, a news story broke about babies being taken from their parents because they were an over quota child. The parents couldn’t afford to pay the fine.

My heart is all over the place.

Original story here. English translation below.

■贵州镇远县福利院将交不出罚款的超生婴儿强行抱走→在公告中称之为“弃婴”→送养国外牟利→每送养一名孩子，福利院可获3000美金赞助；

■本报记者调查发现，父母们的窘困和麻木，也是造成这种怪象的原因之一

脖子上、心窝上的刀疤，显示陆显德是个悲剧人物。他曾经自杀过。这些刀疤是他对四女儿的特殊纪念。

作为父母，陆显德夫妇均不记得这个女儿的生日，只知道她出生于2003年农历腊月。2004年农历五月，她被当地计生人员强迫送进福利院，从此不知下落。当时，这个女儿尚未取名。

蒋文(化名)是陆显德的亲戚，在广东闯荡十年。2008年回到故乡时，他听说他的亲戚中，除陆显德外，还有李泽吉、罗幸斌超生的两个女儿，均被当地计生人员抱走，送进福利院。计生人员称，“政府帮他们养。”实际上，这些孩子至今下落不明。

但多年来，这些父母都没有寻找自己的孩子。对于亲人们的麻木，蒋文发出了鲁迅对闰土式的感叹。今年1月份以来，他在网上多次发布寻人的帖子，随着国外网友的回应和记者的调查，一个在贵州省镇远县隐藏多年的秘密渐渐浮出水面。

交不起罚款，就抱走孩子

计生股股长说，抱走孩子就不罚款了，这就和罚款一样的

“你怎么又生了一个？”

“(老公)刚动手术了(结扎)，这怎么办？”

“罚款你养得起吗？现在计划生育这么严，要1万多元钱。”

“要罚款没办法，已经生出来了。”

“那你要给钱，现在政策这么严，你是知道的。”

“我交不起钱。”

“万一你交不起钱，我就(把孩子)抱去。”

这场当事双方记忆中的对话，发生于2004年6月一个阳光灿烂的中午。对话发生在石光应和杨水英两人之间。石光应是镇远县蕉溪镇计生股股长，杨水英是陆显德的妻子，家在蕉溪镇田溪村阳坝组。

按照政策，陆显德只能生两个孩子。他希望能生个儿子。但杨水英在生到第四个孩子时，才如愿以偿。

在这个男孩一岁多时，陆显德去做结扎手术，但此时，杨水英又怀孕两个月了。

“既然怀孕了就要把她生下来。如果做流产，还要花钱。既然生下来了，就不能把她打死。”杨水英说。凭着这种简单、朴素的想法，杨水英生下了第四个女儿。

陆显德的家位于高山上，四周都是绵延的群山，交通极为不便，而且这个寨子仅有三五户人家。外界信息的获取和内部信息的传播，都极为不易。因此，虽然计生工作抓得很严，这个女儿仍然在她身边生活了半年。杨水英干活时，就把她背在身后。

在害怕罚款和重男轻女的山区，弃婴，或者将孩子送给别人的现象都相当普遍，而陆显德夫妇并没有这样做，尽管他们已经超生了三个孩子。

在2008年7月份以前，蒋文已经有十年没有回家。所以，他只记得陆显德对大女儿十分爱怜。

“他对大女儿非常好，别人的孩子吃母乳就可以了，他还用白糖调鸡蛋给大女儿喝。经常把她抱起来亲。”蒋文说。

现在，陆家全年收入不到5000元钱，但是四个孩子无论男女全部上学。对于两个有户口的女儿，陆显德表示，只要她们愿意读书，他会供养她们一直读下去。这些信息都足以说明陆显德并非一个重男轻女的人。

如果四女儿没有被抱走，她也快到入学的年龄了。但不幸的是，2004年6月份的一天，杨水英背着这个女儿在山坡上放牛时，遇到了石光应。

“第一回，我从那边过来，她在看牛，我看见她背着小孩，用毛巾搭着头，我看小孩很小，而她的儿子已经长大了。第二回我就去那里问，正好碰到她在吃饭。”石光应说。

那天，只有杨水英一个人在家。

5年后的2009年6月19日，杨水英回忆当时的情景说：“石光应说，我就把这个孩子抱去了，以后就不罚款了，这就和罚款一样的。”

之后，石光应打电话叫蕉溪镇政府派车来，让杨水英抱着孩子到焦溪镇政府，然后去镇远县福利院。“我不去福利院，他们就把我一起带走，还说要罚款几万元钱，我拿不出几万元”。

为得儿子，舍弃女儿“交不起罚款，就(把超生的孩子)送到福利院。这是县里的政策”

现年54岁的石光应，早有儿孙，孙子在东莞上小学了。他很想念他的孙子。他有正常的人性和情感。

而他在解释他制造的骨肉分离的人间悲剧时说：“交不起罚款，就(把超生的孩子)送到福利院。这是县里的政策。”

“其实，她要是给政府说点好话，说去跟亲戚借钱来交罚款，你们别抱我孩子。这样，我们就不抱。但是她这个人太忠厚……他们那个组就是她家最穷。我们工作上也是很困难。”石光应说。

那天，杨水英抱着女儿，被蕉溪镇政府的干部、石光应等人带到镇远县城，这是她平生第一次来到县城。在镇远县福利院，一个女护士从她手中接过女儿时问：“妹，女儿养这么大了，你怎么舍得？”

杨水英回答说：“我没办法，他们要罚款，可我没钱。他们说，以后不来罚款了。”

那时，女婴正睡得香甜，她没有看见被一群陌生男人包围之中的懦弱的母亲强忍的眼泪。母亲却特意把她抱起来，好好看了一眼。此后，她永远离开了母亲最安全的怀抱。而母亲只能在梦中梦到她。

回到蕉溪镇后，镇政府的干部们让她做了结扎手术，虽然她的丈夫陆显德之前已经做过结扎手术。第三天，陆显德才将她接回家中。

陆显德在得知女儿被抱走时，平静地说，“政策有规定，没办法。”这话是在安慰杨水英，也是在安慰他自己。

李泽吉和陆显德有着相同的遭遇。

6月19日，他语气激昂地说：“如果他们把我儿子抱走，我砍死他们。”

他的几个女儿正环绕在他膝边戏耍，他停顿了一下又说：“如果把我女儿抱走，我也会砍死他们，但是，当时我不在家。”

实际上，他在得知女儿被计生人员抱走时，反应和陆显德相似。

李泽吉是蕉溪镇田溪村烂桥组人，2004年农历三月十八，妻子顺产一名女婴。之前，他已经有了两个女儿了。为了再生个儿子，夫妻俩将刚满月的三女儿给堂哥代养，然后带着两个女儿去浙江打工。

当年农历四月二十，蕉溪镇计生办一名计生人员，将这个刚生下一个月零两天的女婴，从李的堂哥家抱走。临走时说，“你们家太穷了养不起这个女婴，我把这个女婴抱去给政府抚养。”

过了两年，他们在浙江又生了一个女儿之后，终于得到儿子，他们才回到故乡，此时，他们方知当年寄养在堂哥家的那个女儿已经被当地政府抱走了。

“因为超生，我们也不敢去问，怕罚款。以后也没找过。”6月19日，李泽吉说。

妻子并未因此后悔当年外出打工的决定。她指着面前摇摇摆摆刚学会走路的儿子，笑着说：“如果我们不出去，怎么会得到这个儿子？”

生儿子，似乎是他们平生最大的成就。而舍弃女儿似乎成了他们得到儿子应该付出的代价。

2003年，该县都坪镇新寨村的杨再清的妻子生下了第三个女儿，此时，他的大女儿已经因心脏病和淋巴结夭折。按照政策，这个女儿并非超生，但是为了将来生一个儿子，他让镇计生人员通知镇远县福利院将三女儿抱走。

6年来，他从未想到过去看望这个失散的女儿，因为“没有时间”。

制造“弃婴”送养国外外国收养人每领养一个孩子都给福利院3000美元赞助费

而蒋文在得知这个发生在故乡、发生在亲人身上的残酷现实时，他极为震惊。

2009年1月份，蒋文开始在网上寻人。这个帖子很快被一个叫做BrianStuy的美国人发现了，他在中国收养了3个孩子，并有一位中国太太。

Stuy将这个帖子转发给一个叫做W indy的美国女人和一个叫做胡英(音)的中国在美留学生。胡英和W indy是好朋友，W indy收养了一名叫做“古城慧”的中国女孩。

胡 英，杭州人，经常帮助收养中国孤儿的美国家庭做一些翻译。胡英转发来了Brian Stuy所做的调查，他的调查显示：美国和欧洲的一些国家在镇远县福利 院领养了不少女婴，其中，2004年有24名，2005年11名，2006年，该院没有被外国人收养的弃婴。因为2005年11月，湖南省祁东县警方在侦 破一起团伙贩婴案中，发现其幕后指使竟然是衡阳多家福利院。几年间，这些人贩子与福利院勾结，将数百婴儿送入涉外收养渠道，每名婴儿为福利院获得3000 美元的赞助费。该案在2006年审理，引起极大的争议。

2007年，镇远县福利院又有6名弃婴被外国人收养。

他们的领养程序完全合法，他们通过外国中介公司将收养申请提交给中国收养中心，而镇远福利院将自己收养孤儿的信息提供给中国收养中心，由中国收养中心审核配对。中国收养中心受中国政府委托，主要负责涉外收养具体事务。

外国收养人每领养一个孩子都给镇远县福利院3000美元的赞助费。而中国方面把关于孩子的所有相关资料交给养父母，其中包括孤儿的证明材料。

因为按照《中华人民共和国收养法》规定，不满14周岁丧失父母的孤儿、查找不到生父母的弃婴和儿童、生父母有特殊困难无力抚养的子女，可以作为被收养人。

并规定，收养查找不到生父母的弃婴和儿童的，办理登记的民政部门应当在登记前予以公告。

W indy 收养了“古城慧”，所以，她保留了一份贵州都市报于2004年3月6日刊发的贵州省民政厅公告，公告中有10名婴儿的照片。公告显示这些孩子捡拾地址均在 镇远县的某些乡(镇)政府门口、福利院门口。“古城慧”被捡拾的地点就在羊坪镇政府门前。公告下方注明：其父母及亲人见报后，60日之内请来镇远县福利院 认领，逾期将按弃婴安置。

在这份公告中，陆显德、李泽吉等人并没有发现可能的线索。

6月15日，胡英转发来一位荷兰养母保留的贵州省民政厅发布的公告，时间为2004年8月14日，星期六，刊发媒体也是贵州都市报，上有十四名中国儿童的照片。公告下方同样注明，亲生父母请于60日之内前来镇远县福利院认领，逾期按弃婴安置。

这位荷兰母亲收养的女孩叫做古城俊，捡拾地点是该县羊场镇计生办过道。公告显示，这14名儿童中，有5名女婴的捡拾地点在镇计生办、车站、公路边、路口等公共场所，其他儿童均是在村民家门口捡拾的。

公告显示，古城茜，被遗弃在镇远县焦溪镇田溪村村民陆显德家门前，古城娟，遗弃在青溪镇铺田村彭洪德家门前，古城勇遗弃在大地乡大地施村付开金家门前(付开金即徐林珍丈夫)，古城雯遗弃在焦溪镇车溪村李代武家门前(李代武即李泽吉的堂哥)等。

实际上，他们家门前从未发现过弃婴。虽然事隔多年，彭洪德、徐林珍等人还能确凿地指认出照片上的孩子正是从他们家强行抱走的孩子。而李泽吉、陆显德因为孩子被抱走时太小，而且年份已久，他们已经无法辨认。

胡英估计，那个所谓在陆显德家捡拾的弃婴可能就是陆显德的亲生女儿。

多方证据表明，这些从亲生父母，或者养父母手中强行抱走的孩子，被镇远县福利院“制造”成了孤儿。

“把有父母的婴儿强行送到孤儿院，然后送养到国外的情况，经过我们调查，完全属实。”镇远县计划生育管理局纪检组组长唐剑在接受媒体采访时说。

真假弃婴“假弃婴”现象在当地相当普遍，因害怕罚款，亲人均称孩子是捡来的

2003年，彭洪德“捡到”一名女婴。当年8月16日，焦溪镇政府的十几名工作人员，从彭妻手中抱走那名女婴，彭洪德夫妇极力阻止，后被带到派出所，蹲在墙角，并以谩骂干部为名罚款50元钱。

当时，镇政府的干部们来到他家说，这个女孩长得很漂亮，他若能交3000元钱就可以领养她，但当时，他连300元钱也拿不出。他家只有几分地，老婆在逢集时卖米豆腐(当地的一种小吃)。

大约20天后，彭洪德去镇远县福利院寻找女婴，福利院不肯告诉他女婴的去向，只说女婴被送给阿姨在外面寄养。

2009年6月19日，彭洪德坦言，这个女婴是他的亲戚超生的，她害怕罚款，“罚款要是拿不出钱，要拆房子，不拆房子也是要抱人的”，所以亲戚将女婴送给了他。但他始终不肯说出这名女婴亲生父母的姓名和住址。

这种“假弃婴”现象在当地相当普遍。当计生人员从李泽吉堂哥家、罗幸斌姐姐家抱走他们超生的两个女儿时，他们的亲人因为害怕罚款，均称孩子是捡来的。

2004 年3月，大地乡大地施村坳子上组徐林珍竟然“捡到”一名男婴。徐林珍描述的情节是：孩子们戏耍时，在她妹妹家的烤烟棚里发现了这名弃婴，她的妹妹送给了 她。而她有两个女儿，当时，大女儿快到出嫁的年龄，小女儿12岁。她很想有一个儿子。于是，这个男婴就像上天安排的一样，进了她家。她说，“不是我妹妹生 的。”

这几乎是唯一的例外，其他遗弃的，或者送给他人抚养的均是女婴。

6月19日晚，徐林珍在回忆5年前那 名男婴被计生人员抱走的情景时，仍然流下了眼泪。“他们(政府、派出所)来了十几个人，我抱着小孩不放手，我说等过几天找到钱就去上户口，他们说要罚款1 万元。他们拖着我走，把我拉上车，我抱着小孩，一直跟到镇远县福利院，三个阿姨从我手上抢去小孩，我不愿意，但是她们是三个人。抢走小孩以后，我不肯走， 站在福利院门口，二楼有人下来推我走，我又走到里面去。”

那天，她粒米未进，镇政府工作人员在饭店吃饭时，叫她吃饭，但她没去。“那孩子我已经养了十几天，舍不得。”

在山区，男孩的意义并非简单的传宗接代。

陆 显德是家中的长子，他有两个妹妹和一个弟弟。1986年，他在读初三的那年农历大年三十，父亲去世。当年，陆显德成绩优异，尤其擅长字画，班级的黑板报都 由他出。可是当地的习俗是，父亲去世后，长子必须把家当起来。因此，陆显德辍学回家，尽管老师为此来做过他母亲的工作，但他还是从此回家务农了。

当时，他的母亲想再嫁，但正因为陆显德选择退学和族中长辈的劝说，她留了下来。

如今，虽然过去了20多年，男孩对于一个农村家庭的意义仍然没有太大改变。

镇远县共12个乡镇，都分布在山区。沿着盘旋向上的山路，到处可见切割得堪称精密的梯田，倒映着青山和蓝天白云，如梦似幻。站在山上向下俯瞰，那些被切割成一块块形状各异的黄色旱地和绿色梯田交织在一起，如同缤纷的锦缎。

然而，游人眼中的美景，对于生活其间的人们，则意味着繁重的劳动。砍柴、犁田、施肥等，都必须男人才能完成。这就是每个家庭渴望男婴的主要原因之一。

因此，数额巨大的超生罚款，催生了很多真假弃婴。在镇远县各乡镇随意打听，捡拾弃婴的事例俯仰皆是。

一位2002年前曾在镇远县某镇主持计生工作的基层干部说，有几年，计划生育工作抓得很严，所以常有丢弃的女婴，他在任期间，就捡到过三四个女婴，都通过民政部门送给不能生育的本地人领养了。

16年前，江谷乡的秦克勤(化名)捡到一个遗弃的女婴。那时，乡下人经常将女婴遗弃到街上，因为街上的居民比山区富裕。他家就在乡政府附近的街上。

当时，他已经有了两个儿子，他的妻子抱着这个女婴去上户口时，计生部门不同意。妻子说，那我不养了，你们抱去吧。计生部门只好给这个女婴上户。如今，当年的女婴已经长成漂亮乖巧的小姑娘，刚刚参加完中考。

“以前捡到婴儿很容易上户，但现在不行了，都被计生部门抱去，送到福利院。”秦克勤说。

窘困的父母们艰苦的生活，让李泽吉、陆显德们无暇去想失散的女儿

真假弃婴被强行送往福利院的现象相当普遍，当地人早已司空见惯了，再加上弃婴和将孩子送给他人抚养的现象十分常见，人们对于生命、伦理的理解已经十分扭曲，所以当政府工作人员将超生的女儿从杨水英手中强行抱走时，并没有发生激烈的冲突。陆显德更认为这是政策规定。

2008年4月份，蒋文回到故乡，在陆显德家里，他见到了陆的三个女儿和一个儿子。陆说，他还有一个女儿，“政府帮我养去了”。

这时，蒋文感觉眼前的陆显德和十年前完全不一样了，“现在他脑筋很糊涂，以前是个很聪明的人，春节时，很多人找他写对联”。

蒋文惋惜地说：“他向命运低头了，才变成今天的样子，如果他继续完成学业，只要考上中专，也会分配在单位上班。而我决不向命运低头。”

蒋文在读大学二年级时，一直主持家务的母亲去世。按照当地习俗，他也应该回家照顾弟妹。但他没有。此后，他没有再花家中一分钱，全靠个人努力和女友的帮助，完成了学业。现在他和妻子拥有一家培训机构和一家销售空气净化设备的公司。

近年来，在与家人通电话时，蒋文得知陆显德发生了很大的变化，结婚之后，他家田地少，孩子多，吃不饱，陆显德与母亲矛盾日深。2005年以后，陆显德“发癫”了，他常常大声叫喊、拿刀砍人。

2004年，当女儿被强行送到福利院后，陆显德平生第一次外出打工，但在“遍地黄金”的广东，他连回家的路费也没有挣到，只得借钱回家。

2005年的一天，他在姑妈家用杀猪刀抹自己的脖子，剜自己的心窝，被姑妈及时发现。

“就是想不开，女儿失散了，家里经济困难，我觉得自己在社会上没用，活在世上是个渣滓。”6月19日，陆显德说。一只母鸡带着几只小鸡，正在他脚边觅食。

他家一年养二三十只鸡、二三十只鸭子、四五头猪，另外种植五六亩田地，全年收入不足5000元钱。而四个孩子读书全年花费2000元左右，他们都在学校吃午饭。

为了增加家庭收入，2002年到2005年，陆显德常年到镇远县单采血浆站卖血，每个月卖七八次，每次可得80元。后来，镇远县单采血浆站站长因为侵吞960万元国有资产被判无期徒刑，陆显德才停止卖血。

现在，4个孩子中，尚有两个没有上户口，因为上一个户口要罚款12880元。陆显德知道，没有户口，无法读中学，所以他打算让两个没有户口的孩子小学毕业后就休学，因为交不起罚款。

“千辛万苦生了个儿子，难道就是为了他干农活吗？”

陆显德的回答是：“对儿子的希望是有的，但是家庭没有经济来源，没有能力供他读书。在这个社会，即使考上大学，也供不起。遗憾的就是这点。”

李泽吉的4个孩子中，仅1个有户口。计生人员说要罚款4万元，经过讨价还价，降为5000元，但他还是没钱，只借了1000元交给了计生人员。

当年，在浙江打工时，他每月能挣1000元钱，要养活夫妻俩和4个孩子。但是他仍然认为那时的生活比在家里好。可孩子们需要读书，他们必须回来。

现在，全家6口人仅有两亩田地，李泽吉在附近做零工，一天能挣五六十元钱，妻子在家喂养五六头猪。

繁重的劳动、艰苦的生活和沉重的负担，让李泽吉、陆显德们无暇去想那个失散的女儿的下落。

“古城”牌“弃婴”知多少？80个弃婴，都冠以“古城”系列的名字，如古城慧、古城茜等，其中78名已被欧美家庭收养

镇远县福利院送养到国外的婴儿登记资料显示，从2001年至今，该院共有80名弃婴，除两名女婴残疾外，其余78名均被美国、比利时、西班牙等国的家庭领养。

80个弃婴，都冠以“古城”系列的名字，如古城慧、古城茜等。古城是指镇远古城，因为镇远自秦召王30年设县开始，至今已有2280多年的置县历史，其中1300多年作为府、道、专署所在地，1986年被国务院批准为中国历史文化名城。

这些孤儿中，到底有多少和杨水英的四女儿有相同的命运，不得而知，但曾任焦溪镇计生股股长的石光应的回忆具有十分重要的价值。

杨 水英的四女儿是他送进福利院的第一个孩子。他说，“以前也送，但是别人送。”之后，他每年从焦溪镇送到福利院的超生的孩子有三四个。而且镇远县的“每个乡 镇每年都送三四个，12个乡镇都在送，到处都有捡到的(弃婴)，也有超生的，罚不起款的，从家里抱走的，不愿意罚款的，双方达成协议，就送。不签(书面) 协议。”

“(抱小孩时)通过他父母，要他们交罚款，但是交不起罚款，那没有别的，只有这样。哭闹的也有，你哭也不行，你交不起罚 款，这是政策规定。交得起罚款就养，交不起罚款就送到福利院。”石光应说，“实际上，那几年的罚款只要交五六千元就可以了，超生一个交三千，超生两个七八 千(有关系的交五六千)，那几年有些人很穷，‘早饭要买早饭米，夜饭也买夜饭米’……怎么交得起罚款。”

在抱走杨水英的第四个女儿时，杨水英曾问他，“我怀孕的时候你们为什么不来？”石光应回答说，他们不知道。如果知道，她之前超生的两个孩子也要抱走，但那时，已经长大了，没法抱走。

后因福利院收养的“弃婴”太多，以致感染生病，所以，镇远县福利院出钱(每月300-400元)雇请阿姨，将婴儿带回家代养，直到有外国家庭来收养。

李倩华(化名)从2003年开始从事这份特殊的职业，但现在她已经“不列入这个队伍了”。她透露说，那时有很多阿姨都从福利院领婴儿代养，“我们把小孩带到家里养，到时候就去福利院领工资”。

一位姓杨的阿姨于2006年、2007年代养过福利院的“弃婴”，她称，阿姨们全部是镇远县城内的，“福利院有小孩了，就打电话给我们，我们就带回家养……有人来领养，我就抱着小孩和福利院的领导一起到贵阳”。

“送到外面肯定比在家里好，百分之二百的好……别说是娘家，即使现在的县委书记的家都没人家好，我们城里都没人家好……我们去福利院领小孩养，就是为了一点工资。”李倩华说。

W indy一直担心她领养的女儿古城慧并非真正的孤儿，而是亲生父母超生后，被政府部门强行抱走的。

2007年，W indy曾带着女儿找到当时代养过她的阿姨李倩华，试图寻找她的亲生父母，但没有成功。

“如果我的女儿实际上是某些福利系统人员犯罪的产物，我会最大限度地找到她原来的家人，这有利于她的成长，并且和原家庭分享女儿的生活，比如寄照片、通信、或者每年假期时安排女儿探视他们一次。”W indy在给一位中国记者的电邮中说。

除了W indy，还有大量中国儿童的外国养父母，通过中国在美留学生胡英、小叶等渠道，帮助她们寻找“中国的根”。2008年5月，胡英还帮一位美国养母在网上发帖，寻找她养女的亲生父母，这个孩子是2003年9月在镇远县涌溪乡“捡到”的。

可是，当她们的亲生父母，或者在镇远的曾经的短暂的养父母，在得知她们可能的下落时，鲜有人对她们的命运表现出明显的喜忧，哪怕是普通的感叹。6月19日晚，在昏黄的灯光下，徐林珍深深地叹了一口气，却是为她自己的，“不知道我老了怎么办？”

“把有父母的婴儿强行送到孤儿院，然后送养到国外的情况，经过我们调查，完全属实。”

——镇远县计划生育管理局纪检组组长唐剑在接受媒体采访时说

外一篇

湖南衡阳

福利院买八百婴儿

送养国外牟暴利

2005年11月，湖南省祁东县警方在侦破一起团伙贩婴案中，发现其幕后指使竟然是福利院。几年间，这些人贩子与福利院勾结，大肆收买婴儿，将数百婴儿送入涉外收养渠道，从中牟取暴利。

福利院被判买婴牟利负刑责

作为被告人的福利院院长辩称，这些婴儿均为弃婴，而非被拐卖儿童。福利院即使收买了“被拐卖儿童”，也不构成犯罪。而将婴儿送入涉外收养渠道，均是按国家相关政策办理。他们收买婴儿之举，客观上拯救了这些弃婴的生命。

公诉方认为，被告人大肆收买婴儿，进入涉外收养渠道牟取暴利，因此，应依法追究其刑事责任。2006年2月24日，祁东县法院一审判决认定：10名被告人有罪，分别领刑1年到15年。

3000人民币买入，3000美金“送养”

据 警方调查，自2002年12月以来，陈冶金伙同段家三兄妹、吴家两姐妹等人贩子在广东吴川、湛江等地收购婴儿，然后带回衡阳，以每名婴儿3200元至 4300元的价钱，卖给衡阳市的祁东县福利院、衡阳县福利院、衡山县福利院、衡南县福利院、衡东县福利院、常宁市福利院。

而这些福利院通过涉外领养，将这些婴儿送到国外，3000美元赞助费成为境外人士收养每名婴儿的一项正常支出。

这在客观上刺激着福利院想方设法搜寻婴儿。衡阳县福利院曾为此下达任务：一个职工一年内抱回3个孩子，即算完成当年的工作任务，工资可以得到全额发放，年终还有奖金。

后来，他们开始通过中介人从外地买进婴儿。越来越多的福利院卷入贩婴潮中。2003年以来，衡南县福利院买进169名婴儿，衡山县福利院买进232名婴儿，衡阳县福利院买进409名婴儿。

衡阳6家福利院给买进的婴儿伪造虚假资料，向当地派出所报案谎称婴儿为捡拾得来，得到派出所开具的弃婴证明，并顺利通过儿童来源公证，取得证书。

“婴儿经济”弱化救助责任

值得警惕的现象是，“婴儿经济”产生的巨大利益，已经开始弱化一些福利院的福利救助责任。一家福利院为节约成本，曾把一个残疾婴儿抛弃在该县乡野，村民发现并报警后，他们只得抱回孩子。

衡东县福利院附近的一些老人说，福利院越来越戒备森严，有外人要进去看看孩子或老人，福利院总是以“保护婴儿的安全”为由拒绝。

福利院工作重心转移到“婴儿经济”后，那些入住的老人似乎成了累赘。批评者说，现在进入福利院的老人需缴纳1万元，福利院说是“押金”。而需要救助的老人事实上是交不起这笔钱的。

据媒体公开报道整理

采写/摄影：本报记者　鲍小东

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“Manufacturing” Abandoned Infants

Abstract:
■ Zhenyuan county welfare house of Guizhou province took away the over-quota infants by force of parents couldn’t afford the fines→Refer to them as “abandoned infants” in announcements→Profited from sending them abroad for adoption→the welfare house was sponsored $3000 for each infant adopted

■ Investigation of the journalists proves that the impoverishment and numbness of the parents were also one of the reasons that caused this strange phenomenon.

Knife scars around his neck and chest show that Lu Xiande is a human tragedy. He once tried to commit suicide. These knife scars are his special commemoration for his fourth daughter.

As parents, neither Lu Xiande nor his wife remembers the birthday of this daughter, only knowing that she was born in December 2003 in the lunar calendar. In May 2004 in the lunar calendar, she was taken to the orphanage by force by local family planning personnel [the girl's finding ad gives the date as June 8, 2004 at “Jiaoxi Town, Tianxi Village, Lu Xian De Home”]. There has been no news about her since then; she was still not even named.

Jiang Wen (anonym) is a relative of Lu Xiande and he has been in Guangdong province for 10 years. When he went back to his hometown in 2008, he learned that among his relatives, besides the daughter of Lu Xiande, two other over-quota daughters separately by Li Zeji and Luo Xingbin were also taken to the orphanage by local family planning personnel. The family planning personnel claimed that the government would raise these children for them. Actually, these children’s whereabouts are unknown.

But for many years, these parents didn’t search for their children. Jiang Wen heaved a sigh at the numbness of these families, just as Lu Xun sighed on kind of Run Tu. Since January 2009, Jiang Wen posted many messages searching for these children. With the investigation of overseas web friends and journalists, a secret in Zhenyuan County, Guizhou Province that had been hidden for many years, has gradually emerged.

“You pay, or you let the government take care of the baby”
The family planning official said that she wouldn’t be fined any more after the baby was taken away. Taking away the baby would offset the fines:
“Why did you give birth to a baby again?”
“(My husband) just had an operation (vasectomy).What should I do?”
“Are you able to raise the baby after fines? Currently family planning policy is very strict and the fines are more than 10,000 Yuan ($1470).”
“Even if fines will be imposed, I have no other way. The baby was born already.”
“Then you should pay the fines. You must know that policy is very strict now.”
“I can’t afford the fines.”
“I will take away the baby In case you can’t afford the fines.”

This dialogue, existing in the memories of the two parties, happened on a sunny afternoon in June 2004. It was between Shi Guangying, a family planning official of Jiaoxi town in Zhenyuan county, and Yang Shuiying, the wife of Lu Xiande, who lives in Yangba group, Tianxi village, Jiaoxi town.

According to the policy, Lu Xiande can only have two children. He wanted a boy, who finally arrived after three daughters. When the boy was more than 1 years old, Lu Xiande had a vasectomy. But Yang Shuiying found she was two months pregnant.

“I had to give birth to her since I was pregnant already. Abortion needs money. Now that she was born, I can’t kill her.” Said Yang Shuiying. With this simple and inornate mind, she gave birth to the fourth daughter.

Lu Xiande’s home is located in a high mountain, with a group of hills extending around, where the traffic is quite inconvenient. And there are only about five families living in the village. Acquisition of outside information is as difficult as the spreading of inside information. Therefore, although birth control policy was enforced very strictly, this daughter still lived half year within her family. Yang Shuiying carried her on her back while laboring.

It’s quite common to abandon infants or send them to others in mountain areas where people are afraid of fines and treat woman as inferior to men. But Lu Xiande did neither of this though they had three over-quota children.

Jiang Wen hadn’t been back home for 10 years before July 2008, so he only remembered that Lu Xiande loved his eldest daughter very much.

“He was very nice to his eldest daughter. Children of other families ate breast milk only, but he fed her white sugar and egg mix. He often held her in his arms to kiss her,” said Jiang Wen.

Now the annual income of the whole family is less than 5000 Yuan ($735). But all four children, whether boy or girl, go to school. As to the two daughters who have registered permanent residence, Lu Xiande said he would support their studies as long as they were willing to study. This information is to show that Lu Xiande doesn’t treat woman as inferior to men.

If the fourth daughter hadn’t been taken away, she would now be almost at school age. But unfortunately, one day in June 2004, Yang Shuiying was approached by Shi Guangying when she was herding cattle on the hillside with this daughter on her back.

“The first time, I came from the side and she was herding cattle. I saw the baby on her back, and a towel on her head. The baby was very young, while her son was old enough. The second time I went to her home and she was taking meal.” said Shi Guangying.

Only Yang Shuiying herself was at home on that day.

Five years later, on June 19 2009, Yang Shuiying recalled that Shi Guangying said he would take away the child and that this would offset the fines.

Then Shi Guangying called the Jiaoxi Town Government to assign a car, and asked Yang Shuiying to go to the Jiaoxi Town Government with the infant, and then go to the Zhenyuan County orphanage. “I refused to go to the orphanage, but they took us away and said I needed to pay tens of thousands of Yuan (thousands of US dollars) which I couldn’t afford.”

Abandoning a Daughter to Have a Son
“If the parents can’t afford the fines, the over-quota child will be taken to the orphanage. That is the policy of the county.”

Shi Guangying, at age of 54, has a son and grandson already. His grandson goes to school in Dongguan city. He misses his grandson very much. He has normal humanity and sensibility.

While explaining the human tragedy of family separation caused by him, he said:
“If the parents can’t afford the fines, the over-quota child will be taken to the orphanage. This is the policy of the county.”

“In fact, if she begged the government not to take away her child, and said she would borrow money from relatives, then we wouldn’t have taken the child away. But she was too honest. Her family is the poorest in that group. It’s also very difficult for us to conduct our work,” said Shi Guangying.

On that day, Yang Shuiying, with the baby, was taken to Zhenyuan County by Shi Guangying and other officials of Jiaoxi town. That was her first visit to the county. At the Zhenyuan county orphanage, a nurse, while taking the daughter from her hand, asked her, “Sister, how can you be willing to part with her since she is so old?”

“I have no other way. I don’t have money to pay the fines. They promised not to ask for fines any more,” answered Yang Shuiying.

The baby was sleeping deeply and sweetly without seeing the tears in the eyes of her mother, who was besieged by a group of strange men. But her mother held her designedly and had a careful look at her. From then on, the girl left her mother’s arms forever, leaving her mother to only meet her again in her dreams.

The officials of Jiaoxi town arranged for her to have vasectomy operation after she was back to the town, although her husband Lu Xiande had already had the operation. Lu Xiande brought her home after the third day.

Upon knowing that his daughter was taken away, Lu Xiande said calmly “The policy has stipulations. We have no other way.” This was to comfort Yang Shuiying, but also himself.

Li Zeji Has Same Experience as Lu Xiande
On June 19, he said angrily: “I would have hacked them to death if they took away my son.” As his daughters play around him, he paused and continued: “I would also hack them to death if they took away my daughter. But I was not at home at that time.”

Actually, he responded similarly to Lu Xiande upon knowing that his daughter was taken away by family planning personnel.

Li Zeji lives in Lanqiao group, Tianxi village, Jiaoxi town. His wife gave birth to a female infant spontaneously on March 18, 2004 in the lunar calendar, when he had two daughters already. In order to have a son, they went to Zhejiang Province to work, taking the two daughters with them and leaving the one-month old daughter with his cousin.

On April 20, 2004 in the lunar calendar, a person from family planning office of Jiaoxi town took the infant, who was only one month and two days old, away from Li Zeji’s cousin’s home [the girl's finding ad states found on June 3, 2004, at “Jiaoxi Town, Shexi Village, Li Dai Wu Home”]. Before leaving he said, “Your family is too poor to raise the infant. I will take it to the government and the government will raise her for you.”

Two years later, Li Zeji and his wife finally got a son after giving birth to another daughter in Zhejiang, and then went back to their hometown. Only at that time did they know that the girl fostered by the cousin had been taken away by local government already.

“We didn’t dare to ask the government since the daughter was over-quota and we will be fined. We didn’t search for her either afterwards,” said Li Zeji on June 19.

His wife has no regrets about their decision to go to Zhejiang in 2004. She, pointing at the toddling son in front of her, said in smile, “How could we have this son if we didn’t leave?”

It seems that having a son is the greatest achievement of their lives. Abandoning a daughter seems to be the cost they should pay to get a son.

Yang Zaiqing’s wife, who lives in Xinzhai village, Duping town, Zhenyuan county, gave birth to their third daughter in 2003, when their eldest daughter had already died of cardiopathy and lymphoma. According to the policy the third daughter was not over-quota. But in order to have a son in the future, Yang Zaiqing asked the family planning personnel of Duping town to inform the Zhenyuan county orphanage to take away his third daughter.

He has never thought to call on this lost daughter for 6 years because there was “no time”.

Manufactured “Abandoned Infants” Sent Abroad for Adoption

Foreign adopters donate $3,000 to the orphanage for each infant adopted.

Jiang Wen was shocked at the cruel reality of what happened with his relatives in his hometown.

Jiang Wen started searching on web for the children in January 2009. An American researcher named Brian Stuy, who has adopted three children from China, and has a Chinese wife, soon saw his post.

Mr. Stuy forwarded the post to an American woman named Windy and a Chinese student studying in America named Hu Ying (pronunciation). Hu Ying and Windy are good friends and Windy has adopted a Chinese girl named “Gu Chenghui”.

Hu Ying, from Hangzhou, China, often helps American families with adopted children from China with translation. Hu Ying forwarded the investigation of Brian Stuy to Windy. The investigation showed: America and some European countries have adopted many female infants from the Zhenyuan County orphanage — specifically, 24 infants in 2004, and 11 in 2005. There were no record in 2006, because in November 2005, the police of Qidong County Hunan province, while solving an infant gang case, found that the instigators behind the scene were several orphanages in Hengyang City. These human traffickers colluded with the orphanages and sent hundreds of infants to overseas adoption channels. The orphanages received $3,000 in donations for each infant. This case aroused great dispute during the trial in 2006.

In 2007, another 6 female infants from Zhenyuan County orphanage were adopted by foreigners.

Their adoption procedure is completely legal. The adoptive families submitted an adoption application through a foreign agency to the China Centre of Adoption Affairs (CCAA), while the Zhenyuan County orphanage provided the orphan information to the CCAA, who will audit and make matches. The CCAA, entrusted by the Chinese government, is mainly responsible for foreign adoption affairs.

Foreign adopters gave the Zhenyuan county orphanage $3,000 as a donation for each infant they adopted, while the China side provided all related materials of the infant to the adopters, including orphan certification materials.

According to the stipulations of the “Adoption Law of the People’s Republic of China”, orphans under the age of 14 and bereaved of parents, abandoned infants or children whose parents cannot be ascertained or found, and children whose parents are unable to rear them due to unusual difficulties, may be adopted.

The law also stipulates that when an abandoned infant or child whose biological parents cannot be ascertained or found is adopted, the Civil Affairs department in charge of registration shall make an announcement prior to the registration.

Windy adopted Gu Chenghui, so she kept the announcement published in the Guizhou Metropolis News on March 6, 2004 by the Department of Civil Affairs of Guizhou Province. There are photos of 10 infants in the announcement, which reads that the finding place of these children are all at the gates of some town government or orphanage in Zhenyuan County. Gu Chenghui was picked up at the gate of the Yangping town government. The announcement states at the end: “The biological parents or family please come to the Zhenyuan county orphanage to claim the children within 60 days, or afterwards these children will be classified as abandoned infants.”

Lu Xiande, Li Zeji, and the others didn’t find any clue of this announcement.

On June 19, Hu Ying forwarded the announcement from the Department of Civil Affairs of Guizhou Province dated August 14, 2004, Saturday, which had been kept by an adopter from the Netherlands. The media was also the Guizhou Metropolis News. There are photos of 14 Chinese children. The announcement also stated at the end: “The biological parents of these children should please come to the Zhenyuan county orphanage to claim the children within 60 days and afterwards these children will be classified as abandoned infants.”

The girl adopted by this Dutch mother was named “Gu Chengjun”. She was picked up in the corridor of the Family Planning office of Yangchang town, Zhenyuan county. The announcement shows that five of the fourteen female infants were separately picked up in public places such as a Family Planning Office, a bus stop, along the roadside, a road intersection, etc, while the other children were all picked up at the gate of a villager’s house.

This announcement shows: Gu Chengqian, abandoned at the gate of Lu Xiande, Tianxi village, Jiaoxi town, Zhenyuan county; Gu Chengjuan, abandoned at the gate of Peng Hongde, villager of Putian Village, Qingxi town; Gu Chengyong, abandoned at the gate of Fu Kaijin (husband of Xu Linzhen), villager of Da Di Shi village, Da Di town; Gu Chengwen abandoned at the gate of Li Daiwu (cousin of Li Zeji), villager of Chexi village, Jiaoxi town, etc.

Actually, no infant was ever found at the gate of these families. Though many years passed, Peng Hongde and Xu Linzhen, etc., can still exactly confirm that the children in the photos are the children taken away from their home by force. Li Zeji and Lu Xiande can’t identify their children because the children were too young when taken away, and because so many years passed.

Hu Ying estimates that the abandoned infant announced as picked up at the gate of Lu Xiande’s house is possibly his own daughter

Evidence from many ways proves that these children, taken away from their own parents or foster parents by force, are “manufactured” as infants by the Zhenyuan county orphanage.

“According to our investigation, it is true that babies who have parents were forced into the orphanage and then abroad,” Tang Jian, leader of the Disciplinary Inspection Group of Zhenyuan Administration of Birth Control, was quoted by this newspaper.

Genuine and False Abandoned Infants
False abandoned infants are quite common in the Zhenyuan area. The families all claim that their children were picked up somewhere in order not to be fined.

Peng Hongde “picked up” a female infant in 2003. On August 16, 2003, more than ten people from the Jiaoxi Town Government took away the infant from Peng’s wife. Peng and his wife struggled to stop them, but they were taken to the police, locked up in the cell, and fined 50 Yuan ($7.30), accused of abusing the officials.

At that time the officials of the Town Government went to his home to tell him that the girl was very pretty and he could adopt her if he could pay 3000 yuan ($441). But at that time he couldn’t even afford 300 Yuan ($44). His family only has a little farmland, and his wife sells rice bean curd (a kind of local nosh) at the country market when it opens.

About 20 days later, Peng Hongde went to the Zhenyuan county orphanage to look for the infant. The welfare house refused to tell him the whereabouts of the infant, only telling him that the infant had been sent outside and was being fostered by an aunt.

On June 19, 2009, Peng Hongde confessed that the female infant was over-quota by his relative, who is afraid of fines. “If she couldn’t pay the fines, her house would be broken up or the infant would be taken away.” So the relative gave the infant to him. But from the beginning to the end Peng refused to disclose the name and address of the infant’s own parents.

Such phenomenon of falsely abandoned infants is quite common in Zhenyuan county. The cousin of Li Zeji and the elder sister of Luo Xingbin both claim that the children were not their own due to fear of fines when family planning personnel took away their two over-quota daughters.

In March 2004, Xu Linzhen, a villager of Ao Zi Shang group, Da Di Shi village of Dadi town, even “picked up” a male infant. The details described by Xu Linzhen were that the child found this abandoned infant in the shed inside her younger sister’s house while playing around and her sister gave the infant to her. She has two daughters, one of whom was nearly of marriageable age, and the other was twelve. She wished to have a son very much. So the male infant came into her home as if arranged by a god. She said “The infant is not my sister’s son.”

This is the only exception since all the other abandoned infants, or infants who were sent to others, were all female infants.

On the evening of June 19, 2009, while recalling the scene of the male infant being taken away by the family planning personnel five years ago, Xu Linzhen still bursts into tears [his finding ad gives June 3, 2004, “Dadishi Village, Fu Kai Jin Home”]. “More than ten persons (from the government and police) came to my home. I held the baby closely in my arms and said that I would apply for registered permanent residence when I got the money within a few days. They said they would fine me 10,000 yuan ($1470) and pulled me into a car. I held the baby until arriving at the Zhenyuan orphanage, when three aunts snatched the baby from my hands. I was reluctant, but there were three persons. I refused to leave after the baby was snatched, instead I stood at the gate of orphanage. Somebody from the second floor came downstairs to push me away and I went inside again.”

She ate nothing on that day. The personnel of the town government asked her to eat together with them in a restaurant, but she refused. “I had raised the baby for more than 10 days. I really hated to part with him.”

In the mountain area, the value of a boy is more than simply carrying on the family line.

Lu Xiande is the eldest son in his family and has two younger sisters and one younger brother. His father died on the lunar New Year evening in 1989, when he was in third grade in junior middle school. At that time he studied very well, especially good at calligraphy and painting, and he was responsible for the blackboard news in his class. But according to local custom the eldest son must undertake the family after the father’s death. So Lu Xiande stopped schooling and went back home .Although his teacher had tried to persuade his mother, still he became a farmer from that point on.

At that time his mother wanted to remarry but she finally stayed due to Lu Xiande’s decision to stop going to school and through the persuasion of the elders of the clan.

Now, though more than 20 years have passed, the meaning of a boy to a farmer’s family still hasn’t changed much.

There are a total of twelve towns in Zhenyuan county, and all are located in the mountain area. Terraces cut in order, reflecting the green mountains and the white clouds in a blue sky, can be seen everywhere. Those yellow dry land patches and green terraces cut in different shapes, when seen from the mountain top, are interlaced with each other just like colorful baldaquin.

However, the beautiful scene in the visitor’s eyes means heavy labor to the farmers living there. Chopping wood, ploughing land and applying fertilizer, etc, all need to be done by men. This is the main reason why each family is eager for a boy.

Therefore, large sum of fines are imposed for overbearing, which induces many genuine or false abandoned infants. If you inquire in the towns of Zhenyuan county randomly, you will hear the stories of finding abandoned infants almost everywhere.

A low-level official, who once worked in the Family Planning office of some town in Zhenyuan county in 2003, said that in certain years the birth control policy was enforced very strictly, so there were abandoned female infants often. He picked up about four female infants during his term. All these infants were given to local infertile villagers through the Civil Affairs authority.

16 years ago, Qin Keqin (anonym) in Jianggu town, picked up an abandoned female infant. At that time villagers often abandoned the female infants on the street, because residents near the street are richer than in mountain areas. Qin Keqin lives on a street near the town government.

At that time he had two sons already. When his wife took the female infant to apply for registered permanent residence, the family planning office refused. His wife then said she would give up the infant and leave her with the Family Planning office. Then they had to comprise. Now the infant has grown into a pretty girl, and has just attended entrance exams to senior high school.

“Previously it was very easy to apply for registered permanent residence for an abandoned infant, but now it’s not easy any more. All abandoned infants are sent to the orphanage by the Family Planning office,” said Qin Keqin.

The hard life leaves no time for the poor parents such as Li Zeji and Lu Xiande, etc. to miss their lost daughters.

The phenomenon of genuine or false abandoned infants taken by force to the orphanage is so common that local people have already gotten used to it. In addition, abandoning infants and sending children to others happens frequently. All this leads to a terribly contorted understanding by the farmers towards life and ethics. Therefore, there was no ardent conflict when the government took away the over-quota daughter by force from Yang Shuiying. Lu Xiande even considers this as a stipulation of the policy.

Jiang Wen went back to his hometown in April 2008. He saw the three daughters and one son of Lu Xiande at his home. Lu said he has another daughter, but “the Government raises her for me.”

At this time Jiang Wen felt that the current Lu Xiande was absolutely different from ten years ago. “Now his mind is very silly. He was very clever before. Many people asked him to help to write couplets during spring festival.”

Jiang Wen said regretfully, “He surrendered to destiny and turned out like this. If he had continued his studies, as long as he was admitted to a technical secondary school, he would be assigned a formal job. But I don’t surrender to destiny resolutely.”

Jiang Wen’s mother, who had been in charge of the family all along, died when Jiang Wen was in his second year at the university. According to local custom, he should also go back home to look after his younger brother and sister. But he didn’t. He didn’t ask for any money from his family since then, absolutely living on his endeavor and the support of his girlfriend to finish his studies. Now he and his wife own a training centre and a company that sells air cleaning equipment.

Jiang Wen, through phone calls with his family in recent years, learned that Lu Xiande had greatly changed. With little farmland and many children after marriage, they don’t have enough food to eat. The conflict between Lu Xiande and his mother gets deeper as time goes by. Lu Xiande went insane after 2005. He often shouts very loudly and chops at others with a knife.

Lu Xiande went out for a job for the first time in his life after his daughter was taken to the orphanage by force in 2004. However, in the “Gold is Everywhere” Guangdong province, he couldn’t even earn his traveling expenses and had to borrow money to go home.

He cut his own neck with a pig killing knife and cut out his heart at his aunt’s home one day in 2005. His aunt discovered this in time to save his life.

“I can’t think of anything else. My daughter is lost and my family is so poor. I feel myself a futile sort of person and dreg of society.” Lu Xiande said this on June 19, 2009, while a hen is foraging around his feet with several chickens. His family breeds about 30 chickens, 30 ducks and 5 pigs, besides around 5 mu (0.4 hectares) farmland. The total annual income is less than 5000 Yuan ($735). And the four children’s studies cost 2000 Yuan ($294) every year. They all have lunch at school.

In order to increase family income, Lu Xiande went to the blood plasma station of Zhenyuan county to sell blood all the year round from 2002 to 2005. Each month he sold seven or eight times and each time got paid 80 Yuan ($11.80). Afterwards the head of blood plasma station of Zhenyuan county was sentenced to life imprisonment because of the embezzlement of 9,600,000 yuan ($1,411,765) of state property and only then did Lu Xiande stop selling blood.

Now two of the four children still don’t have registered permanent residence because it involves 12,880 Yuan ($1894) in fines. Lu Xiande knows that the children can’t go to middle school without registered permanent residence. So he plans to let the two children quit school after graduation from primary school due to his inability to pay the fines.

“Did you get the son after so much hardship and pains just to make him a farmer?”

Lu Xiande answers: “I do have expectation on my son. But there is no income source in my family and we are unable to support his studies. In this society, even if he is admitted to a university, I’m unable to support him. It is a pity.”

Only one child of the four children of Li Zeji has registered permanent residence. The family planning personnel asked 40,000 Yuan ($5882) as fines, which decreased to 5,000 Yuan ($735) after bargaining. But Li Zeji still can’t afford it and only borrowed 1,000 Yuan ($147) to pay to the family planning personnel.

He could earn 1,000 Yuan ($147) per month when he was in Zhejiang province. His salary needs to support his wife, four children and himself. But he still considers that life there is better than in his hometown. But they had to go back as the children needed to go to school.

Now they only have 2 mu (0.1 hectares) farmland for 6 people. Li Zeji does some odd jobs near his home with a salary of 50 to 60 Yuan ($7 to per day and his wife breeds several pigs at home.

Tiring labor, hard life and a heavy burden leave no time for Li Zeji and Lu Xiande, etc. to think about the whereabouts of their lost daughters.

How many “abandoned infants” named Gu Cheng? 78 of 80 abandoned infants, all named Gu Cheng (such as Gu Chenghui, Gu Chengqian, etc.), have been adopted by American or European families.

The registration material of the infants adopted by foreign countries show that there were a total of 80 abandoned infants in the orphanage since 2001. Excepting two handicapped girls, the other seventy-eight children were all adopted by families in America, Belgium, and Spain, etc.

80 abandoned infants are all given names with Gu Cheng — for example “Gu Chenghui”, “Gu Chengqian”, etc. “Gu Cheng” in Chinese refers to the ancient city of Zhenyuan, because it has a 2,280 year history from its establishment in the thirtieth year of King Zhao of Qin dynasty, including 1,300 years as the prefecture and district seat. In 1986 it was approved by the Chinese State Council to be included in the “Famous Cities of Chinese History and Culture.”

It’s unknown how many children among the infants have the same destiny as the fourth daughter of Yang Shuiying. But the memory of Shi Guangying, who was once head of family planning office of Jiaoxi town, is of great value.

The fourth daughter of Yang Shuiying was the first infant he sent to the orphanage. He said, “There were other infants taken to the orphanage before that, but not by me.” After that, he sent about three or four over-quota children from Jiaoxi town to the welfare house. “And each town in Zhenyuan County sends around 3 or 4 infants every year. There were abandoned infants everywhere. Also there were some over-quota infants whose parents couldn’t afford fines. Then we reached an agreement with the parents to take away the children. But no agreement in written form was signed.”

“We informed their parents (while taking away the children) to tell them to pay the fines. But they couldn’t afford them, and then we had no other choice but to take away the children. This is a stipulation of the policy and it’s no use to cry about it. Pay the fines or to send the children to the orphanage,” said Shi Guangying. “Actually they only need to pay 5,000 to 6,000 Yuan ($735 to 882) in fines. 3,000 Yuan ($441) for one over-quota child and 7-8,000 Yuan ($1029 to 1176) for two over-quota children (5-6,000 if the parents have an acquaintance or relative in the government). But how can they afford the fines? They were too poor in those years. Each meal needs money.”

When her fourth daughter was taken away, Yang Shuiying asked Shi Guangying, “Why didn’t you come when I was pregnant?” Shi Guangying answered that they didn’t know when she was pregnant. If they had known, her other two over-quota children would also have been taken away, but at that time they were too old to be taken away.

Later because there were so many infants in the orphanage that they infected each other and caused disease, the Zhenyuan orphanage employed some aunts, whose salary was 300 to 400 Yuan per month ($44 to $58), to raise the infants at home until they were adopted by a foreign family.

Li Qianhua (anonym) did this special job from 2003, but now she is “out of this team”. She disclosed that at that time many aunts took infants from the orphanage to foster them at home. “We raised the infants at home and got paid by the orphanage regularly.”

An aunt surnamed Yang fostered infants from the welfare house in 2006 and 2007. She said that all the aunts live in the county. “The orphanage would call us when there was a new infant and then we took them home. If somebody came to adopt the child, I would hold the baby and go to Guiyang City (capital of Guizhou province) together with officials of the orphanage.”

“Sending them abroad is definitely better than staying at home, twice better. Even the home of the current “Secretary of County Party Committee” is not as good as a home abroad, not to mention their parent’s home. We raised the baby just for salary,” said Li Qianhua.

Windy has been worrying that the girl Gu Chenghui she adopted is not a genuine orphan, but an over-quota girl taken away by the government by force.

In 2007 Windy took her daughter to Li Qianhua, who once fostered her, to find her own parents, but failed.

“If my daughter is actually the outcome of a crime committed by some orphanage personnel, I will do my best to find her original family and share with them my daughter’s life, such as sending photos, contact by mail or arranging my daughter to visit them once a year. This is beneficial to her growth.” Windy wrote this in her email to a Chinese journalist.

Besides Windy, many other foreign foster parents of the Chinese children help them to find their “origin in China” through Hu Ying and Ye, etc., Chinese students who study in America. In May 2008 Hu Ying helped an American adoptive mother to post a message on the web to search for the birth parents of her adopted daughter, who was picked up in Yongxi town Zhenyuan county in September 2003.

However, when the birth parents or temporary foster parents in Zhenyuan learned of their possible whereabouts, few of them showed any sign of obvious gladness or grief, just a common sigh for their destiny. Xu Linzhen sighed deeply, beneath the halo of a lamp, thinking to herself, “What should I do when I’m old?”

“According to our investigation, it is true that babies who have parents were forced into the orphanage and then abroad,” Tang Jian, leader of Disciplinary Inspection Group of Zhenyuan Administration of Birth Control, was quoted by newspaper.