How a woman uncovered her husband’s 16-year affair at a funeral in China— and got him jailed

A routine family funeral turned into a life-altering revelation for a woman in eastern China when she spotted a stranger in mourning clothes acting like a member of her family.

According to Henan Television, cited by the South China Morning Post, the woman, known only by her surname Shang, is from Shandong province and had been married to her husband Wang for 19 years. It’s unclear whether the couple have children.

In June 2022, at the funeral of Shang’s father-in-law, she noticed an unfamiliar woman among the mourners. Dressed in mourning attire and introducing herself as the “daughter-in-law,” the woman—later identified as Wen—stood beside the coffin weeping, seemingly part of the family.

Shang grew suspicious when Wang dodged her questions about Wen’s presence. Determined to get answers, she took the matter to court. It was there she learned that Wang had been carrying on a secret relationship with Wen for 16 years, starting just three years into his marriage with Shang.

Investigations revealed that Wang met Wen while still married. Their affair produced a son, and Wang frequently claimed to Shang that his long absences were due to work as a long-haul trucker, when in fact he was living with Wen in another city and raising their child.

Neighbours told authorities that Wang and Wen referred to each other as husband and wife, even though they were never legally married. On one occasion, Wang signed Wen’s surgical consent form, identifying himself as her spouse.

In court, Wang defended himself, claiming he and Wen were merely “supporting each other” and had never registered a marriage. However, the court found he had effectively formed a common-law marriage with Wen while still legally married to Shang—constituting bigamy under Chinese law.

Wang was sentenced to one year in prison. He appealed the verdict, but the appeal was rejected, confirming the legal consequences of his double life.