When a Woman Takes 23 Family Members on a Blind Date: A Recipe for Disaster

If you think your last date was bad, wait until you hear about the woman who thought it was a good idea to bring 23 family members to a blind date dinner. Yes, you read that right. Welcome to the ultimate social experiment gone awry, where our heroine tests the boundaries of human generosity—one pork dumpling at a time.

The Catastrophic Test That Wasn’t

Imagine being Mr. Lui, all set for what you hope will be a lovely dinner with Miss Zhang. You’ve dusted off your best manners and maybe even your best shirt. But as soon as you arrive, you’re not only greeted by Miss Zhang but also by 23 extended family members ready to dig into a multi-course meal. Instead of an intimate dinner, you’re basically hosting a small wedding reception—and you’re the one stuck picking up the check. Instead of showing his generosity, Mr. Lui demonstrated what any sane person would do: He hightailed it out of there, leaving Miss Zhang with a massive 20,000 yuan ($3,100) bill. Good luck to her for even daring to call this a test.

Setting the Stage for Awkwardness

The scene of this social experiment—the restaurant—couldn’t have been more picturesque. Nestled in Zhejiang, a province in eastern China, the setting was ripe for romance. But instead of swooning hearts and affectionate glances, we got extended family members eating their way through the menu while a flabbergasted Mr. Lui mentally calculated the bill. Miss Zhang’s motives may have been noble—testing Mr. Lui’s willingness to share and to provide—but her method turned the evening into an awkward mess no one in the restaurant will forget any time soon. Seriously, girl, ever heard of just asking him if he’s a generous person?

How Not to Pick Up the Check

As the dinner from hell wore on, Mr. Lui’s patience wore thin. Was he really going to pay for dumplings, noodles, and whatever else her relatives ordered? No, he was not. Instead, he left, leaving Miss Zhang to deal with the colossal 20,000 yuan bill. Cue shock, cue mortification, cue life lesson in why you don’t stage covert generosity tests on first dates. This guy saw the bill coming and decided he wasn’t auditioning to be someone’s personal ATM. Can’t say we blame him.

Legal Battles and Lessons Learned

In a tale that continues its bizarre twists, Miss Zhang wasn’t about to let Mr. Lui off the hook so easily. Hell hath no fury like a woman stuck with a monstrous restaurant bill. Legal action ensued, and the court sided with Mr. Lui, ruling he only had to pay a reasonable portion—about 1,400 yuan. It’s enough to make you wonder if Miss Zhang learned anything from her escapade. Maybe the lesson here is a mix of communication and common sense. If you really want to know if someone is generous, dear readers, don’t slap a surprise 23-person dinner bill in their lap. How about, oh, we don’t know… just asking?

A Costly Lesson in Dating Etiquette

Reflecting on this disaster date, it’s clear that Miss Zhang’s intentions—though perhaps in the right place—led her down a very costly path. All jokes aside, this incident underscores a valuable lesson: that honesty and straightforwardness should be the bedrock of any relationship. Unsuspecting tests are just a quick trip to Awkwardville (population: you and your date). And let’s be real, our dear Miss Zhang will think twice before bringing a village to her next romantic outing.