bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Zoey Zhang

A paralysed woman in China who fell in love and married a “doctor” she met during rehabilitation has been left distraught after he disappeared with a loan of more than three million yuan (US$420,000).
Li Shangxuan, 31, from Hebei province in northern China, shares her life as a single mother with 220,000 followers on a popular short video platform.
Li’s family was once well-off, with her parents working in business.
Paralysed from the waist down in a 2013 car accident, she has used a wheelchair ever since.

During her rehabilitation, Li met a man, surnamed Ding, on social media who claimed to be a surgeon.
Ding said he had studied medicine and once interned at a hospital.
He pursued her intensely, and they quickly fell in love.
Li became pregnant, and Ding promised her access to better medical care, saying he had left the hospital to start a business.
Li and her parents believed he was dependable and caring.
“When he proposed, he made me feel special. I thought my life was finally turning around,” said Li.

Two months into their marriage, Ding was detained by the police over an alleged rape but secured his release after borrowing money from Li.
During her late pregnancy, he kept asking her for money, claiming it was for his business. When she refused, he would kick her out of the house.
Li said he pressured her into taking out a three-million-yuan loan and often pushed and insulted her while she was pregnant.
They divorced the day after the baby was born, and Ding gave up custody.
“I realised my child and I were just pawns to him,” said Li.

Soon after, Ding left and cut off all contact.
Li has raised their son alone, saying the boy has never met his father or felt any fatherly love.
Later, she discovered Ding had been dismissed from his hospital internship for sexual harassment and settled the matter with money.
“He never had a medical licence and did not even graduate from university,” added Li.
She also revealed his business was fake and that he was more than three million yuan in debt.
On May 22, Li went public with her story on social media, hoping to pressure her ex-husband to come forward.
She also urged other women with similar experiences to speak out.
“There is no such thing as a perfect person. Be cautious of pretence in relationships,” she said.
“If you have been through something like this, do not be afraid. Stand up for yourself and your child.”
Li can stand now but is unable to walk and still relies on a wheelchair.
She supports her son by live-streaming and selling food and household items.

In a recent video, she said that her lawsuit against Ding over the loan is set for trial in June.
Fu Jian, a lawyer from Henan Zejin Law Firm, told the Xiaoxiang Morning Post that if Ding lied about the purpose of the loan, Li could file fraud charges and demand full repayment with interest.
Fu suggested that Li also pursue legal action against Ding for domestic violence and abandonment.
Li’s story has gone viral on mainland social media, with related posts achieving more than 35 million views.


Why Empress Dowager Cixi and people in ancient China used animal faeces in beauty routines

How emperors and nobles kept warm without down quilts during winter in ancient China

China influencer amasses over 1 million followers in 2 weeks by sharing how to rent a home tips

Chinese mum leaves son, 6, in hotel room for more than 2 weeks; staff act as carers

Trending in China

Paralysed Chinese woman falls for ‘doctor’ during rehab, he disappears with US$420,000 loan

A paralysed woman in China fell for a “doctor” during her rehabilitation who then disappeared with a US$420,000 loan she took out for him.
Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin


Li Shangxuan was left paralysed from the waist down after being involved in a car accident in 2013. Photo: 163.com

Ever since the accident, and despite extensive rehabilitation, Li needs to use a wheelchair. Photo: 163.com

Li and her baby who has been denied the love of a father after Ding disappeared. Photo: 163.com

Li can stand up but cannot walk and is still required to use a wheelchair to move around. Photo: 163.com

China ‘folded boy’ stands up straight for first time after surgeries to break, reset bones

China’s “folded boy” stands upright for the first time after undergoing complex surgeries to break and reset his bones. Photo: SCMP composite/news.pku.edu.cn/Douyin

Jiang Yanchen, 21, has battled a form of arthritis that causes severe inflammation in the joints and ligaments of his spine since his primary school years. Photo: cnhubei.com

A video of the procedures went viral online, showcasing the moment when the doctor knelt while performing surgery on Jiang. Photo: cnhubei.com

‘Man mums’ in China sell 5-minute hugs for US$7, gain popularity among lonely women

Emotion-starved women in China are buying five-minute hugs from so-called  man mums for US$7 to make them feel better. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote

One woman said she wanted a hug from a kind, fit man to cope with the stress of her studies. Photo: QQ.com

So-called man mums must display feminine traits as well as have a muscular physique. Photo: QQ.com

One “man mum” said charging a fee for hugs helps maintain an “emotional distance”. Photo: QQ.com

Korean influencer suffers horrific bruises from health injection, wins case after 4 years

A South Korean influencer who suffered extensive bruising after being given so-called health injections at a clinic has won a four-year legal battle for justice. Photo: SCMP composite/Facebook/IG@minyoung_aori

The influencer, who is known online as Aori, has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. Photo: Instagram/@minyoung_aori

Aori suffered horrific and extensive bruising as a result of the procedure. Photo: Instagram/@minyoung_aori

Aori’s case has reignited an online debate about how beauty clinics operate. Photo: Shutterstock

Korean eatery boss impresses guests by balancing table full of dishes on head while serving

An eatery owner in Korea has impressed his customers by balancing a table full of dishes on his head while serving.
Photo: SCMP composite/YouTube

Kang Jin-gyu with a fully laden table on his head. He turned to carrying food orders this way after his hands became sore serving traditionally. Photo: YouTube

Kang’s extraordinary carrying skills have turned his eatery into a tourist hotspot. Photo: YouTube

Some of the restaurant’s customers, like the one above, try to copy Kang’s skills, but they are no match for the “master”. Photo: YouTube

On rainy days, the eatery boss simply covers the loaded table with a plastic sheet and turns it into a de facto umbrella. Photo: YouTube

China pop idol live-streams sale of own sanitary pad brand, earns US$3 million in half an hour

A Chinese pop idol live streamed sales of his own sanitary pad brand and  earned US$3 million in half an hour doing so. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/Weibo

Huang Zitao says his team has invested US$40 million to build the sanitary pad brand which is promoted and sold during live streams. Photo: Douyin/Weibo

During the live streams, potential buyers are shown a video of the production process. Photo: Douyin/Weibo

Huang Zitao pictured at the Cannes Film Festival. His sanitary pad business venture has divided opinion online. Photo: Shutterstock

News

People & Culture

Wheelchair-using woman meets ‘surgeon’ on social media during recovery from car accident, has baby, he vanishes


Wheelchair-using woman meets ‘surgeon’ on social media during recovery from car accident, has baby, he vanishes.


Scams and swindles

Disability

Paralysed Chinese woman falls for ‘doctor’ during rehab, he disappears with US$420,000 loan

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Wheelchair-using woman meets ‘surgeon’ on social media during recovery from car accident, has baby, he vanishes

Wheelchair-using woman meets ‘surgeon’ on social media during recovery from car accident, has baby, he vanishes