High bride prices in China aren't entirely without merit.

I often withdraw cash to take to HK, and mainland banks have become very strict about cash withdrawals.

Every time the bank teller asks what the cash is for,

if I say for spending, they ask what I'm spending on. I say buying a car, and they say I can use a card.

I say it's fine, I'll keep it at home, and they say keeping it at home is unsafe.

Basically, nothing I say works.

Later, I discovered I could say it's for the bride price. Now, every time the teller asks what I'm withdrawing cash for, two words: bride price.

Then the teller won't ask a second question, and even looks at me with a sympathetic expression.

A 300k bride price, and it usually has to be cash. In China, that's perfectly reasonable 😁