BEIJING, Aug 9 — Divorce battles usually involve dividing houses, cars, or money — but a couple in south-western China found themselves quibbling over 29 chickens instead. 

The unusual dispute took place during the divorce proceedings of a Sichuan couple, only known as Tu and Yang, whose main livelihood came from livestock farming.

According to South China Morning Post, the couple raised 53 birds in total: 29 chickens, 22 geese, and 2 ducks. 

While the geese and ducks could be split fairly evenly, the chickens sparked a bit of a feather-ruffling argument. 

Tu, who had personally raised the chickens and felt emotionally attached, insisted she deserved one more than Yang. Yang countered that he too had invested a lot of time caring for the animals.

Local judge Chen Qian stepped in with a practical but charmingly traditional solution. 

She suggested the couple could either share the extra chicken by eating it together as a “farewell meal,” or have the one keeping it pay compensation to the other. 

As South China Morning Post reported today, “Eating the chicken together complies with legal regulations and respects rural customs.”

The couple ultimately chose to share the chicken meal before finalising their divorce, with Yang even giving Tu a ride home on an electric bike afterwards. 

Despite the split, they agreed to remain financially independent but continue supporting one another as friends.

The judge explained that dividing poultry isn’t as simple as counting heads, given the different feeding costs and growth cycles involved. More importantly, the shared meal reflected traditional Confucian wisdom — the concept of li, meaning ritual propriety that fosters respect and balance even during separation.

As South China Morning Post noted, “The idea was not only practical but also reflected traditional Chinese wisdom, which is deeply rooted in Confucian thought and values harmony among people, society and nature.”

The story quickly ruffled some feathers on mainland social media, with one netizen humorously commenting: “The judge offered a fair solution, but the chicken is the real victim.” 

Another joked, “Maybe after sharing a chicken soup, the couple reconciled and decided not to divorce.”

With China’s divorce rate climbing — over 3.6 million couples registered in 2023, a sharp increase from the previous year — the Sichuan chicken tale offers a warm reminder that even in separation, a little shared humanity (and a chicken dinner) can go a long way.