‘Best friends’ rent flat together after abusive marriages to men; story sheds light on country’s long history of ‘collective’ female living
Liang Shichun, 59, and her best friend Li Yan, 51, bought a house together in Nanning, Guangxi province, and share everything from household chores to the mortgage.
Both women had unhappy marriages and chose not to remarry, instead opting to live together and support each other.
Their friendship, which has lasted more than two decades, included Li being treated like a daughter by Liang’s late mother.
Liang said that her ex-husband always ignored her work efforts and verbally abused her, while Li discovered her ex-husband married her for company housing benefits.
Disillusioned with marriage, the two women met in a factory and began a lasting friendship.
They launched a construction waterproofing business and rented a home.
