‘I believe in us’: woman pays US$26,000 debt for fiancé she met a month ago and refuses betrothal cash from him, triggers debate in China
- A woman in China has gone against the norm of accepting a bride price from her future husband, instead paying him money
- China’s census data for 2021 showed the country’s gender ratio was 723.11 million men to 689.49 million women
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A woman in China who paid off her future husband’s debt worth 180,000 yuan (US$26,000) and did not accept the traditional bride price normally paid by a groom has sparked debate on mainland social media.
The woman, surnamed Zhou, from Nanchang city in Jiangxi province, eastern China, met her fiancé, surnamed Hu, on a blind date and continued to see each other for a month before deciding to get married end of this year, Jimu News reported.
Zhou said she did not accept a betrothal gift or engagement ring from Hu, and instead gave him financial support to cover a debt as a result of a bad investment.
“I gave him all my savings of 180,000 yuan to pay back a loan he owed,” the woman said in an interview with Star Video.
In addition to giving her savings to Hu, Zhou returned a bride price of 300,000 yuan (US$43,000) and a traditional red packet containing 10,000 yuan she had received from his family.
“Money is not the basis of love and it’s not a decisive factor. He can give me infinite love,” she added.
In a video posted online after her story trended, Zhou pushed back against negative comments accusing her of being naive and irrational, explaining that she trusted her future husband to do the right thing for his family.
“I believe in us working together for a better future,” she said.
Hu has reportedly pledged to return the money Zhou loaned him as soon as possible and said he would work hard to look after her.
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The news story about the couple has gone viral, receiving more than 4 million views. Opinions among readers were divided, with many applauding the couple’s “true love”, but some said they had no empathy for Zhou.
One commenter said: “It’s the power of love.”
“As long as she feels happy, it will be fine,” another said.
One person questioned why Hu’s family had not paid the debt for him, given the far larger amount they had offered as a bride price.
“His family can offer a bride price of 300,000 yuan, but they can’t repay his debt of 180,000 yuan, seriously?” One netizen questioned.
Another person said: “I really think Zhou is a fool.”
Other data revealed that the bride price men in China customarily pay to women ranged from 10,000 yuan to 1 million yuan (US$143,000).
