A blind man's hopes for marital happiness were dashed when the woman who had promised to take care of him for the rest of his life disappeared with his money shortly after their marriage registration went through.
Ding, 58, met Yang Xia, a 40-year-old divorcee, in July. They decided to get married after about two weeks.
The day after their marriage was registered, Yang Xia said she needed 280,000 yuan (US$33,700) to buy a restaurant.
Ding gave her 270,000 yuan (US$32,500) that he had inherited from his father the next day.
But Yang disappeared soon afterwards.
When Ding tried to contact her, he received a threatening phone call saying that he would be killed if he kept bothering Yang.
Yang had actually never left her ex-husband, police said.
She has been arrested for fraud but Ding might have trouble retrieving his fortune because he is legally married to her.
Ding has requested a divorce.
(China Daily December 20, 2002)
