China's Second Wives

Book excerpt: Why do men cheat? What do their wives put up with it? Who are the women they cheat with? Why do these women choose married men instead of single guys? Is it for money, sex, or love? In modern day China, marital infidelity is rampant and mistresses/second wives are prevalent. China's Second Wives offers an intimate look into China's second wife culture, a modern incarnation of the concubine tradition of feudal China. To uncover the mystery of this social phenomenon, the author infiltrated secret second-wife chatrooms as an undercover. She tracked down a second wife broker and a second wife lawyer. She interviewed friends, family, classmates, and strangers in the street. She mingled in the banquets of the power elite, male bastions where young mistresses were signs of prestige. She traversed big cities and small villages. As we follow the author on her exciting investigation journey, we embark on an unforgettable culture tour of contemporary China. One can't help but contemplate these universal themes in her own life - love and sex, money and power, gender conflict and dependency, marriage and infidelity, and the never ending pressure of life itself.