I believe this was misunderstood or some translation problem.
As far as I know compare most of chinese family in that eare at that time, her dad and mom's income were not that poor. Certainly the life there can't compare to life here. I read at sina that the rink she skated in was far from where she live, her dad has to ride her over there for practice every day. Thus sometimes they must eat out. They couldn't bring their home made food to the out side rink it was-20C. While eat out was very rare back then in china and certainly it was a much more expansive than home made food. It was not like her dad was starving all day and every day. 20 years back in china, the monthly income of an up middle family can afford dine out decently about 4 or 5 times. Family usually spent 70 to 80% income on food, but the quality of the food still can't compare what we have here with only may be 1/40 of our income. But there was no taxes, goverment pay medical bills, the housing was almost free, colledge tuation that is if you made into the colledge, etc.
A lot of things you have to live there to understand. Like a lot posters critisizing Pan being too skinny, even my daughter was commenting Pan is too skinny today when we watch them skating. When I told her how much skinny I was before I had her, she was like 'now I get why you always say I'm a little over weighted, but I considering I'm just standard weight'. lol.
