In early March 2007, Liang said he had a business deal that required 200,000 yuan for turnover. It was a pure Xinjiang snack business, and if it failed, the loss would be heavy. As a result, Zhou Xue gave him her entire savings of 120,000 yuan. In return, Liang gave her an engagement gold ring and promised to repay her in two months. Soon after, Liang said the business needed additional investment. If things went well, they could buy a luxurious house and get married. He persuaded Zhou Xue to mortgage her mother's property for 100,000 yuan and give it to him. Over half a year, Liang repeatedly borrowed money from Zhou Xue under the pretext of doing business. Zhou Xue then borrowed another 200,000 yuan from the bank under her own name and lent it to Liang.
Currently, apart from losing all her savings, Zhou Xue and her family are burdened with over 300,000 yuan of debt. Zhou Xue feels helpless: even if Liang is released from prison in the future, she has no evidence left to reclaim her money from him.
During their few meetings, Liang always drove a small car and took Zhou Xue to high-end restaurants for meals. He also said his previous marriage broke down because his wife had a low level of education, and he wanted to find an excellent woman to start a new family. He told Zhou Xue: "You are a highly educated intellectual, your grace made me fall in love." Liang's flattery and the demeanor of a successful man made Zhou Xue feel very satisfied. After about a month of dating, she planned to marry him.
Initially, Zhou Xue felt too embarrassed to admit being deceived and refused interviews. She said she now chooses to make her experience public so more people can be aware when choosing a marriage partner not to be dazzled by material appearances.
Report: "I am a Ph.D., and I didn't expect to be easily deceived by someone with only middle school education, now I'm burdened with over 300,000 yuan of debt..." Yesterday, exhausted Zhou Xue (pseudonym) told her story to the reporter, which was heartbreaking.
At the age of 37, Zhou Xue is a teacher at a workers' university in Wuchang and is pursuing her Ph.D. After her divorce in 2006, she joined a matchmaking agency upon the advice of her family. Through the introduction, she met Liang, a 55-year-old man from Zaoyang, Hubei. Liang claimed he graduated from a military medical university, ran a beauty salon in Hankou, and also partnered with friends in the herbal medicine business.
In early 2008, just as Zhou Xue was immersed in the dream of buying a house and marrying Liang for a happy life, the police in Huangshi took Liang away. Later, Liang was imprisoned for two years due to fraud. Only then did Zhou Xue realize her boyfriend was actually an unemployed swindler with only a middle school education.
The article also lists several hotels where Zhou Xue might have met Liang or considered staying during her search for answers, but these details are less relevant to the main storyline.