Recently, The Paper reported on a marriage dispute in Liangshan County, Shandong Province (China) that has attracted public attention in recent days.
The story begins with a couple breaking off their engagement, leading to a dispute over the "bride price" of up to 380,000 yuan (about 1.3 billion VND).
According to information from the groom's family, in April 2023, the groom signed a marriage contract with a woman in the same district according to local customs. Along with that was a "bride price" of 380,000 yuan, along with "Four Golds" (four gold wedding gifts including: gold ring, gold necklace, gold earrings and gold bracelet) and an iPhone.
However, the marriage did not end up happening. However, the bride and her family refused to return the "bride price". According to the groom, the bride repeatedly cursed him, and once forced him to buy a car worth 200,000 yuan (about 700 million VND), forcing him to cancel the engagement...
The conflict escalated when the groom's family repeatedly demanded payment but the bride blocked contact, the groom's family had to resort to drastic measures such as posting debt collection signs and gathering people to protest in front of the bride's family's hot pot restaurant. The tense situation required the intervention of local authorities.
According to the civil conciliation letter of the Liangshan District People's Court, the two sides have reached an agreement: the bride's family will repay a total of 320,000 yuan (about 1.1 billion VND) according to a specific schedule, paid in installments from July to September 2024.
As of August 31, 2024, the groom's father confirmed that he had received 310,000 yuan (about more than 1 billion VND).
Just when it seemed like everything had been resolved peacefully, the story suddenly took a new turn when on August 29, the bride was arrested by the authorities on charges of disturbing public order. Although the reason was not disclosed by the police or her family, many people suspected that it was related to the dowry.
The case is currently under investigation. Public opinion hopes that the parties involved will find a harmonious solution, while calling for a review of marriage practices that could cause similar disputes in the future.
