The ugly wife is a treasure at home is not just an idle expression in China. For centuries, Chinese marriage involved matchmakers, child brides, dowries, and concubines, until the Peoples Republic of China was established by Mao Zedong and his Communist Party in 1949. Initially encouraging citizens to reject traditional arranged marriages and instead wed for love, the party soon spurned the sin of putting love first, fearful that romantic love would distract good Communists from selflessly carrying out the States agenda. Under Mao the party established the power to approve or reject proposed m