A woman in China is embroiled in a legal battle with her late husband's family after he died in a tragic accident just 41 days after their wedding. The couple, Zhang Xiu and Yu Dao, had celebrated their wedding on May 7, 2025, but had not yet registered their marriage due to a delay caused by Yu starting a new job. Unfortunately, Yu suffered a fatal motorcycle accident on June 11, leaving behind assets worth over 4 million yuan (approximately 15.5 billion VND).

After Yu's death, Zhang approached his family to request a portion of the assets to support herself. However, the lack of a marriage certificate posed significant challenges to her claim. The situation escalated when, on the 100th day after Yu's passing, four men, including Yu's brother, invaded their honeymoon suite, vandalizing property and ultimately forcing Zhang out of the family home.

Yu's family denied any intention to withhold compensation from Zhang, claiming that her actions, which included publicly mourning Yu, had angered them. Following this, the dispute led to three lawsuits, including one regarding the division of joint assets.

Initially, Zhang sought to negotiate with her in-laws, but after the violent incident and her mother-in-law's lawsuit for the return of the bride price, she opted for legal action. Zhang requested the court to order Yu's mother to pay her over 2 million yuan, covering shared living expenses, the down payment for a house, maintenance funds, and profits from Yu's stock account.

Yu's mother argued that since the couple had not registered their marriage, Zhang was not a legal wife and thus not entitled to any claims. The court largely agreed with this argument, stating that expenses incurred during their cohabitation were not Yu's debts and that Zhang had no legal basis to claim half of the down payment or maintenance funds since the house was in Yu's name. Additionally, Zhang could not prove her contributions to Yu's stock account, nor did she have the legal standing to claim death compensation.

However, the court acknowledged Zhang's contributions, stating that despite the absence of a marriage certificate, it could not disregard her role in their relationship. The court recognized that Zhang had cared for Yu during his illness and had organized his funeral, reflecting her genuine affection for him. The ruling emphasized that ignoring Zhang's contributions solely based on the lack of legal marriage would contradict ethical standards and fairness.

On July 31, 2026, the court ordered Yu's mother to pay Zhang 400,000 yuan (approximately 1.5 billion VND) in economic compensation. Yu's mother has since appealed the decision.