As a regular traveller between Hong Kong and Beijing, Niuniu finds there's a large group of thirtysomething Chinese women in both cities who are single. Niuniu and her friends Lulu and CC are members of this growing group.
These women are well educated, hold good jobs, earn good money, and are cultured. Each considers herself a Grade A woman. Why are they left out in the marriage game?
'Chinese men don't like to marry up,' says Lulu. 'So Grade A men normally marry Grade B women. Grade B men marry Grade C women. Grade C men marry Grade D women.'
CC chimes in: 'Then Grade D men are what remain, and immediately we can conclude that their choices are limited.
'Grade D men are generally poor, but they expect women to serve them, as if they were exalted, and to take care of the family. In one breath, they are both poor and selfish. And they also think women like us are too westernised.'
Niuniu's single girlfriends all love to buy condos. Condos are collectable items, like stamps or photos or CDs. Whenever they have time, they visit real-estate developments in Beijing. CC owns three places. Lulu and Niuniu have two each.
'We can live comfortably without men,' says Lulu. 'We don't want them to share our wealth, or even worse, to drain our wealth and resources. Just like Chinese men don't want to marry women who are better than they are, Chinese women don't want to marry beneath themselves. It's more shameful than staying single.'