Niuniu, Beibei and Lulu meet at a trendy French cafe in Beijing's Factory 798 arts hub - ostensibly to make plans for the weekend. But Lulu has told them she's got a big announcement to make. They start with their usual banter, over salad and iced tea. Then, Lulu drops her bombshell. 'Well, I'm going to America,' she says 'What?' the other two ask. Lulu tells them she's been granted a scholarship to study at the University of California at Berkeley. 'But when did you take the tests? Asks Niuniu. 'When did you apply?' 'Last year.' 'You did all that without telling your best friends?' Beibei asks, shaking her head. 'Well, I knew you wouldn't want me to leave if I told you before.' 'Of course not,' says Beibei. 'We don't want our friend to leave us. And anyway, life in China is great now. Look at Niuniu. She's really talented, and she came back from the States.' 'Niuniu had a choice,' says Lulu. 'What I need is the freedom to choose.' For a long time, Lulu's life has been tough. Her boyfriend, Ximu, married somebody else secretly while still courting her. Then, she lost her job as an editor at a fashion magazine because of office politics. So, Lulu wrote a novel about her love affair with Ximu called Lover's Socks. It became a best seller. Niuniu and Beibei think she should try to turn the book into a movie or a TV series, and then write a follow-up. But Lulu has her own way of thinking. It's difficult to make a living as a writer in China. Even a best seller doesn't guarantee a big payout or a steady income. For instance, it's common practice for publishers to reprint books without telling the authors, depriving them of their royalties. Lulu wants to get married far more than be a best-selling author. What good is fame - and, hopefully, fortune - if she doesn't have a partner, she thinks. And she feels she has little chance of meeting Mr Right in Beijing. She's tried everything - and so have her friends. Beibei threw two parties for Lulu, in Shanghai and Shenzhen. Lots of desirable bachelors came. But they seemed more intent on showing off their wealth and competing with each other, than in Lulu. Lulu tried the internet and went on a number of dates. Three of the men only wanted one-night stands. One complained that she was too smart. One said he was looking for girls in their 20s. Lulu is 31. The guy was 43. 'I think I'll have more choices in America,' Lulu tells her friends. 'I guess you mean the choice of a husband,' Beibei says. 'Exactly,' says Lulu. 'I hear that there are many educated, well-paid, single professionals in San Francisco. Apparently, some of the best and brightest Chinese men are there.' 'You're more interested in being the wife of a PhD graduate than in being one yourself,' says Niuniu. 'Yes, I am.' 'Will you come back to China?' Niuniu asks. 'It depends. I'm hoping to find Mr Right and get married. Then, I want to be a mother. If I have a girl, I'll stay in America, because I don't want her to have my life here as a poor single woman. But if I have a boy, I'll rush back because I know he'll have plenty of choice, in terms of finding me a good daughter-in-law. I can even help him screen the candidates.'
