"Marriage for Inheritance" Sparks Daughter's Fury
Ongoing Debate in Local Community
A woman in China has sparked controversy after marrying her deceased boyfriend's father.
According to recent reports from local Chinese media outlets such as China.com, a man identified as Mr. A (86), who lives in Shunde, Foshan, Guangdong Province, married his deceased son's girlfriend, Ms. B, after his son died of a liver disease. Previously, Mr. A had been living with his son after losing his wife in 2022. In early 2024, his son brought his girlfriend, Ms. B (53), to live with them, and the three lived together. Mr. A also has a daughter, but she had married and moved out.
However, when Mr. A's son died of liver disease in February, Mr. A's daughter tried to send Ms. B away and place her father in a nursing home. Mr. A refused, which led to conflict. The situation escalated further when, in March, Mr. A and Ms. B announced their intention to get married. Mr. A's daughter claimed that Ms. B was after the assets registered under Mr. A's name.
The daughter explained that the family owns a house that has been passed down for generations and a warehouse measuring 100 square meters (about 30 pyeong), both of which are legally registered under the name of Mr. A's late wife. She emphasized that since the house and warehouse have never been transferred to Mr. A's name, Ms. B, who recently married into the family, has no legal rights to the property. According to Chinese inheritance law, a deceased person's assets are generally inherited equally by the spouse and children.
However, Ms. B countered by saying, "I only married Mr. A to prevent him from being sent to a nursing home; I have no other intentions." She also argued, "The property in question is an illegal building and is considered communal property of the village, so outsiders cannot freely transfer ownership. In fact, it is Mr. A's daughter who is after the assets." Mr. A added, "Ms. B has treated me kindly," and claimed, "It is actually my daughter who frequently visits, threatens me, and destroys household facilities, which has seriously affected my life." In fact, it has been reported that Mr. A's daughter broke down the door to his house, cut electrical wires, and threw his belongings outside. Mr. A is also said to have stated that he intends to leave his assets "to whoever takes good care of me when the time comes."
Ms. B and Mr. A's daughter have filed counter-charges against each other, accusing one another of assault and property damage. Despite more than ten attempts at mediation by police and lawyers, no resolution has been reached.
Local internet users who came across this story commented, "I've seen cases where someone marries their late husband's brother, but never their late boyfriend's father," "There really are all kinds of people in the world," and "It seems obvious that the marriage was for financial gain." However, some supported Mr. A, saying, "If you want to be cared for, it's only right to pay for that care. Mr. A's decision to give his assets to the person who looks after him is a reasonable one."
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