A bizarre legal battle in China has grabbed widespread attention online after a man sued his fiancée to reclaim the money he spent on her because she “ate too much.” The dispute involved a man surnamed
He and his fiancée, surnamed Wang.
According to a report in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the man, surnamed He, demanded that Wang return a 20,000-yuan (around Rs 2.55 lakh) bride price previously paid by his family to hers. In addition, he sought 30,000 yuan (over Rs 3.8 lakh) that he spent on her during their courtship, which included items such as black tights and underwear.
Chinese Man Says Fiancée ‘Ate Too Much’
As per the report, He and Wang are residents of a village in northeastern China’s Heilongjiang province. They met through a matchmaker and then got engaged. Following their engagement, the couple moved to northern China’s Hebei province, where they worked together in a malatang restaurant owned by He’s family. Malatang, a popular street food in China that includes a spicy, numbing broth filled with meat, vegetables and noodles.
Wang assisted in running the restaurant for six months. But He grew dissatisfied because as per him, she “only worked on easy jobs” and consumed excessive amounts of malatang. “She ate our malatang every day. What we sell was not enough for her to eat,” He told Heilongjiang TV. He further stated that his family felt Wang had changed and had become unhappy with her behaviour.
Courtroom Drama
During the court hearing, He presented a detailed list of purchases made for Wang. Wang responded sharply, saying, “He is too calculating. I was his girlfriend.” She also questioned the practical aspect of the gifts in court: “You did not enjoy the tights and underwear you bought me?”
The court ruled against He’s demand to reclaim the 30,000 yuan spent on private items because these purchases held emotional value for both parties. Regarding the prepaid 20,000-yuan bride price, the court decided that Wang should return half of the amount. Both parties reportedly expressed satisfaction with this outcome.
But What Is Bride Price?
A traditional custom in China, bride price is what the groom’s family pays to the bride’s family as a gesture of sincerity and to welcome the woman into the family.
But many people argue that it commodifies women, while supporters see it as compensation for the sacrifices women make in marriage.
Under China’s Civil Code, which came into effect in 2021, courts may order the return of a bride price if the couple has not married, not lived together after registering their marriage or caused difficulty to the groom’s family.
