A man in China has sued his ex-fiancée to get back the money he spent on her while they were dating, claiming she has excessive eating habits. - Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Sohu
BEIJING: A “petty” Chinese man has faced online scorn after he sued his fiancée to get back all the money he had spent on her because she “ate too much”.
A court hearing involving the ex-couple went viral on social media after it was reported on Dec 9.
According to the Chinese media outlet Zonglan News, the man, surnamed He, sued his girlfriend, surnamed Wang, to secure the return of a 20,000-yuan (US$2,800) initial bride price payment his family had made to her family.
He also demanded that Wang return 30,000 yuan (US$4,200), which he spent on her while they were dating. The amount included purchases of black tights and underwear.
He and Wang are from the same village in northeastern China’s Heilongjiang province. They met via a matchmaker and got engaged.
The pair then went to northern China’s Hebei province and ran a malatang restaurant owned by He’s family.
Malatang is a popular Chinese street food characterised by a mix of meat, vegetables and noodles in a spicy, numbing broth.
Wang helped run the business for six months.
However, He grew dissatisfied with her because she “only worked on easy jobs”.
“She ate our malatang every day. What we sell was not enough for her to eat,” He told Heilongjiang TV.
People carry engagement gifts during a ceremonial procession in rural China. - Photo: Getty Images
He added that his family became unhappy with Wang, believing that she had changed.
He also showed the court a list of items that he bought for Wang.
“He is too calculating. I was his girlfriend,” said Wang.
“You did not enjoy the tights and underwear you bought me?” she asked He in court.
The court did not support He’s request for Wang to return the 30,000-yuan of spending because it was spent on private items that provided emotional value to both parties.
As for the prepaid 20,000-yuan bride price, the court ruled that the woman return half of it.
Both parties were happy with the result.
A bride price is a traditional custom in China involving the groom’s family paying to the bride’s family upon marriage as a gesture of sincerity to welcome the woman into his family.
Debates have arisen over the custom in recent years.
Some consider it an outdated tradition that treats women as commodities, while others believe it is necessary compensation for the sacrifices women make in a marriage.
According to China’s Civil Code that took effect in 2021, Chinese courts should support a demand to return bride price if the two parties have yet to marry, have not lived together after registering their marriage or cause difficulty to the life of the groom’s family.
“If he is so calculating, why does he not pay a salary to the woman?” one online observer said.
“He should not get a wife but a nanny,” said another.
“Congratulations to the woman who got rid of a petty man like this,” said a third. - South China Morning Post
