Southern and western states have the highest shares of those who are thrice (or more often) married, partly because of younger median marrying ages, more poverty and poorer education.
That has provoked a debate about whether the phenomenon is an aberration, or whether natural selection favours it, at least when it is rare in a population.
An old friend once told me that she found it difficult to look at men now she was single because an ex boyfriend had been so possessive that she had always looked at the ground when they were out.
His literary diction would give food for merriment to our elders behind his back, some of his high-flown phrases finding a permanent place in our family repertoire of witticisms.
With its fascinating stories and superb language, a Dream of Red Mansions has reached the zenith of the Chinese classic novels, and has an important position in the history of world literature.