SHANGHAI — A Chinese man in Jilin province, China, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after stabbing his wife in a jealous rage — all because she got a discount at the local butcher, South China Morning Post reported today.
The attack took place in March in Songyuan city, where the man, surnamed Zou, became convinced that his wife of more than three decades, Zhao, was having an affair with the butcher who offered her a price cut.
Consumed by suspicion, Zou hid a knife in a bedside drawer and later attacked Zhao during a heated argument in their living room, stabbing her repeatedly and leaving her with severe internal injuries.
Zhao told investigators she could not recall how many times she had been stabbed. Yet despite her injuries, she chose to forgive her husband — and even pleaded for leniency.
“Zou and I have been married for more than 30 years. We have always had a good relationship and never had any serious conflicts. I do not want to pursue an injury evaluation,” she said, adding that her husband “has always been good at earning money and hands it all over to the family”.
She also declined to apply for disability compensation, citing their son and grandson as reasons she didn’t want to take the matter further.
During Zou’s trial, the Songyuan Ningjiang District People’s Court ruled that his actions amounted to attempted intentional killing. However, as he confessed after his arrest and the case stemmed from a domestic dispute, the court opted for a lighter sentence.
The story, originally reported by Red Star News, sparked a mix of disbelief and dark humour online.
One user wrote, “If they were having an affair, the meat would be free. Why would there be a discount?”
Another quipped, “So, 30 years of marriage destroyed by a pork discount?”
A third added, “Even a butcher’s discount can trigger a stabbing, and he was still forgiven? Absolutely ridiculous.”
The case has since become one of the more bizarre reminders that, in some relationships, jealousy can be far more dangerous than a sharp knife — or a cheap cut.
