WUHAN - A recent online post seeking a live-in maidservant for a 17-year-old boy has drawn huge attention.

Huang Yufei, nicknamed Wuhanpadapeng, posted an advertisement on Sina micro blog. The online recruitment notice released on Dec 13, said a 17-year-old stay-at-home person, or "otaku" in Japanese, wanted to recruit a maidservant who might serve, and also, live with him. No sexual demands would be made, the post stated.

Huang told China Daily that the right candidate has since been found and the girl has signed an official contract with the employer.

The notice stipulated that the successful applicant should dress in uniform and call the employer "master" at work.

The other required services include watching cartoon together with her "master", making tea and generally looking after him. Cooking and washing are excluded though.

The notice also said the employer will offer a contract to the successful applicant, covering social welfare benefits, weekend break, at least 3,000 yuan ($480) as basic salary, not counting bonus payment for extra work.

Huang said the 17-year-old on whose behalf he released the advertisement was from a wealthy family, was studying in a university and liked watching cartoons very much.

"He is just shy and does not like the complications of having to socialize, so he wanted somebody at home to keep him company," he said.

Huang said more than 30 girls responded to the post but refused to divulge details about the college student who was finally picked for the job.

The said blog post was forwarded more than 1,600 times. Some of the netizens questioned if this was actually a veiled advertisement for Huang's own video game store, opened in Hangzhou, Shenzhen and Wuhan.

Huang denied such allegations. He told China Daily that he too was a fan of cartoons and wanted to help his friend out of empathy.

Xiao Jingsong, professor at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, said the post threw light on the boy's emotional needs.

"It is his way of participating in social life."

Xiao said the 17-year-old boy was lonely as well as worried about the pressure to socialize.

"Maybe a maid was the best choice for him," Xiang said. While parents, relatives, schoolmates, friends even a girlfriend, might interrupt his freedom and lifestyle, a hired servant would not, he added.

Wang Jianrui, a lawyer in Hubei Today Law Firm, said the employee should have a closer look at the contract to protect her interests.

China Daily

(China Daily 12/28/2011 page7)