Villagers finding it easier to wed in cities

CHICHENG, Hebei - Xie Qing found nothing to her liking when she first visited her husband's home in a remote northern village a year ago: The food was bland, the bed was not comfortable and the air was too dry for a southerner.

"My mother-in-law doesn't eat spicy food, and I don't like noodles," said Xie, who is 26. "We have to eat separately, which is really bad."

Xie's husband, Wang Chun, was born in Xiahu village, which is an hour's drive from the seat of Chicheng county in Hebei province. In recent years, young villagers like Wang have been leaving the land behind to seek better opportunities in cities. That has allowed them to bring home both more money and wives who had upbringings that were quite different than their own.