Ningbo watermelon attack ends with nearly RMB70,000 payout
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A violent dispute at a night market in Beilun, Ningbo, on July 28 ended with a civil settlement after police intervention and multiple rounds of mediation. A 21-year-old fruit stallholder, identified as Xiao Meng, was injured after a man surnamed Yang allegedly hurled more than 10 watermelons at his head within about 30 seconds, while Yang’s wife also threw grapes at him. The couple were administratively detained and fined, and later agreed to pay nearly RMB70,000 covering medical costs, damaged fruit, lost income and emotional distress. The stallholder’s father said his son had two watermelon knives nearby at the time but did not retaliate, avoiding a potentially worse outcome
Key Points
- The incident happened at about 8pm on July 28 at a night market in Daqi Subdistrict, Beilun, Ningbo, after a dispute over selecting watermelons.
- Xiao Meng, a 21-year-old watermelon seller, told a customer to handle the fruit more gently and not leave nail marks on the rind.
- During the confrontation, the customer’s daughter, identified as Fan Mouling, called her husband Yang Mouri, who arrived and began attacking the stallholder
- Video cited by both reports showed Yang smashing more than 10 watermelons onto Xiao Meng’s head in roughly 30 seconds as he remained seated.
- After bystanders called police, Yang allegedly threw banknotes at the victim’s face, said he would buy all the melons, and tried to leave before being stopped.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the case is a stark example of how a minor retail dispute can rapidly become a serious assault with legal and financial consequences. It also underlines the practical value of restraint by victims and quick intervention by bystanders, which in this case may have prevented an even more serious injury incident