Posted on 12/03/2022 12:49:43 PM PST by nickcarraway
"Return my dowry": A husband's campaign to get a refund from his estranged wife for wedding expenses after their marriage lasted only 33 days trends in China. Weibo.
A man in China who borrowed heavily to pay for his 510,000-yuan (S$98,000) wedding, which fell apart just 33 days later, has demanded his bride refund a substantial part of their marriage costs.
The 25-year-old man, surnamed Hou, from Henan province in central China, trended on mainland social media after launching a one-man campaign late last month seeking the return of 140,000 yuan he spent on the wedding, reported Jimu News.
The couple were introduced to each other by a matchmaker in 2021 and were engaged just three days later.
The money used to cover the couple's lavish wedding had come from Hou and his parents, who all took on extra part-time work to raise the funds, while some money was borrowed from other relatives.
Hou kicked off his refund campaign by hanging a banner on his car and using a loudspeaker to call out his demand for compensation outside the home where his estranged wife, surnamed Li, lives with her parents in Biyang county, Henan province.
Hou said Li moved out of their home following an argument after he fell asleep at home and she was locked out late at night after finishing work, just one month after they tied the knot in late January.
He applied to a local court for a divorce, but this was refused in June after Li claimed they were happily married, according to a verdict by the Biyang County People's Court. Hou has lodged an appeal, which will be heard next month.
"We lived close to each other, just 3km apart, when we met via a matchmaker. We felt good about each other and were engaged just three days after that," Hou said.
The cost of the couple's wedding was lavish by the standards of Henan province, where the average annual income was just 22,000 yuan last year.
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The expenses included a car, cash for the bride price asked for by Li's family, and some betrothal gifts.
Hou borrowed 160,000 yuan from relatives, with the rest coming from his parent's savings and the money they and Hou made by working odd jobs far from home.
"We only want the return of the jewellery we bought her, which is worth over 40,000 yuan, and 100,000 yuan in cash," Hou said.
The story of the couple's marriage breakdown has triggered heated online discussion in mainland China, where surging wedding costs, particularly in smaller cities and rural areas, are an increasingly large financial burden for many families.
"More of these cases should be made public. In Henan, the bride price is normally more than 100,000 yuan. It's common for parents to borrow money when their sons get engaged," one Weibo user commented.
The Chinese government has rolled out directives aimed at reforming wedding traditions and encouraged more frugal spending on gifts and wedding receptions in recent years, but despite these efforts bride prices have continued to rise, often costing hundreds of thousands of yuan.
‘I Want my $27,000 Back’: China Man Demands Wife Refund Wedding Costs After 33 Days
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The Amazon exchange period is up to 30 days. I’m sorry, you’re beyond the exchange or refund period.
The lamentation of many a man. I want my money back. I want to buy back my introduction. There was something in the wedding cake which changed her.
Maybe she just wants some General Tso’s chicken.
$818.18 per day does seem kind of high.
This is what happens when a one-child policy results in 100,000,000 more men than women.
LOL 😂
“two-bit”
See? And people say you can’t buy anything for a quarter these days!
This happens in the USA too. Probably everywhere.
He must have just suddenly noticed that she had a pie face and an insufferable arrogance.
Boy did you screw up.
I think he was far too generous. But that he is right to demand a refund. It’s ridiculous to divorce after just a couple weeks. It looks like a ripoff of the donut, frankly
Hahaha! Good one!
Could be a reasonable rental rate but we’d need to see some spectacular videos to determine that
Does she not have her own key or know the door code? Sounds fishy. That said, if my husband left me locked out of the house late at night, he’d be fixing a broken window amd making me morning coffee for a few days.
Yikes you hear about men in the US getting screwed after a divorce settlement, in China the men get screwed even before the marriage. Then people wonder why less men are committing to marriage these days.
My wife and I spent 300 dollars on our wedding.
We been married 43 years that’s about 2 cents a day.
I think I revived the better bargain.
I want my MTV but nobody cares.
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