A 1999 Mom Fights for Her Rights, and the Internet Goes Wild

Li Jie, a young mother born in 1999, and her husband, Yang Wei, drained their savings and took on more than 600,000 yuan in mortgage debt to buy a 120-square-meter apartment off-plan in Haiyan City. They looked forward to moving into their new home once their child started school.

The developer promised to hand it over in two years, but five years later, only half the building was complete. The developer vanished, and the hard-earned money of more than 900 households went down the drain.

With no other options, Li Jie started posting videos online to ask for help, but none of the first few got any views.

Then she took someone’s advice and changed her outfit for a video. It suddenly went viral, racking up millions of views.

But the attention didn’t bring only good things. Netizens gradually forgot about the stalled construction and began attacking her clothes. Some accused her of seeking attention, while others maliciously photoshopped her pictures.

The relevant authorities now plan to investigate, though nothing has been confirmed yet.

Later, thanks to her connections, Li Jie put pressure on the developer, and work on the unfinished building gradually resumed.