China Scene: North

New Year tragedy for newlyweds

Gifts for parents and relatives during the Spring Festival holiday cost a newlywed couple four months' wages, and the bride attempted to kill herself after quarreling with her husband about the expense on Saturday in Shenyang, Liaoning province.

Xiao Xue (not her real name) and her husband decided to visit every relative from both families during their first Spring Festival since they married. But gifts for 14 relatives cost them about 6,000 yuan ($950) and the red envelopes with cash for children amounted to 2,400 yuan. Altogether, with the expense of dinners with their friends and transportation, they spent more than 22,000 yuan in a week.