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On December 17, a woman named Xiao Zhou, living in a rural village in Shandong, shared her year-long experience of returning to the countryside. She noted a striking change: no one is willing to introduce her to potential partners anymore. Her mother even approached local matchmakers, but they showed little interest in helping, citing her age as a significant barrier.
Born in 1990, Xiao Zhou, now 35, will turn 36 after the Lunar New Year. She lamented how challenging it is for women, and even men, over 30 to find a partner. "A friend once said that women over 30 are like train meals that no one bought after hours of selling - they just lose appeal," she remarked.
Xiao Zhou highlighted the dilemmas faced by matchmakers. Younger men in their 20s are not interested in her, while most men in their 30s are either divorced, often with children. Being unmarried herself, she is reluctant to marry someone with children and take on the role of a stepmother.
In rural areas, finding a suitable match is tough, she said. Xiao Zhou advised younger women to seize the opportunity and marry early. "When you're in your 20s and meet someone suitable, just go for it," she urged.
However, a deeper look at Xiao Zhou's online presence reveals that her struggles with finding a partner have been a recurring theme. Since December 2023, her posts have frequently addressed the difficulties faced by women born in 1990 in finding a match.
Some netizens speculate that the issue isn't a lack of introductions but rather her high standards. Xiao Zhou is described as beautiful, hardworking, and capable. Yet, others unearthed an old clip from 2019 where she allegedly mentioned that she had turned down numerous suitors, saying, "I just don't like that kind of person." At that time, she was only 29 and not yet over the "30-year threshold."
This has led some to believe that her predicament might stem from being overly selective. A netizen shared a similar story of a friend who spent 10 years in the dating scene, unable to find a match due to high expectations. Eventually, this friend settled for someone unreliable, leading to an unhappy marriage.
Xiao Zhou also noted that men over 30 face challenges in finding partners. But some netizens suggested she could cast a wider net by involving friends and family in her search, increasing the chances of finding a suitable match.
In reality, rural men often face greater difficulties in finding spouses than women. Even divorced women tend to have more matchmaking opportunities. In some regions, such as Henan and Shandong, it's not uncommon for men to seek wives from countries like Laos, Pakistan, or Vietnam due to the imbalanced gender ratio.
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