Woman trying to boost brother’s marriage hopes has everybody talking
The actions of a 33-year-old woman from Anhui province who has put her own future on hold to buy a home and car for her younger brother so he can get married have sparked a fevered debate on mainland social media.
The unidentified woman shocked many netizens after it was revealed she had spent the past 12 years working and saving money so her brother would be able to cover the increasing cost of tying the knot on the mainland.
While running a small restaurant specialising in Chinese pancakes, the woman had lived frugally to take responsibility for her brother’s bride price, Miaowen Video reported. She said she had bought a 129 sq metre property, a car and also gifted the younger sibling her restaurant.
She said she had not thought about buying a home for herself at the moment, but might do so in the future, adding her parents would live with her younger brother when they were older.
After learning to make Chinese pancakes at the age of 19, she built up the business and the restaurant now had a monthly turnover of 100,000 yuan (HK$108,000).
“Over the past four years or so, I have been so stingy, even when buying new clothes for myself,” the woman, who is single, said.
When asked if she was thinking about her own marriage, the woman said now was not the time as she was prioritising her brother’s future. “I will think about myself after my brother gets married. My wedding can wait.”
The woman also pushed back at some of the negative public reaction, saying her actions were positive. She said: “Everyone’s life is different. They may not have experienced hardships like we did during our childhood, so it’s normal not to be understood.”
The woman’s actions have left many internet users surprised.
“The more she gives to her brother, the more her brother may take it for granted,” said one.
Another asked: “Is her brother unable to work or something? This is unfair on the poor sister!”
I will think about myself after my brother gets married. My wedding can wait
RESTAURANT OWNER FROM ANHUI
Chinese society struggles with a gender imbalance that sees males outnumber females, placing pressure on families to make their young males as eligible as possible to the opposite sex. In February, the National Bureau of Statistics released census data for 2021 that showed the ratio of the population was 723.11 million males to 689.49 million females.
The extent to which the issue affected families was illustrated in September when a 29-year-old woman in southern China had a fallout with her parents because she refused to buy her younger brother a flat.