Chinese man forced to choose between wives

A Chinese man is being forced to choose between his two wives after his first wife was found 13 years after going missing. Ren Shushao, 52, a barber in Qijiang, Chongqing, will face bigamy charges unless he divorces either Xiong Jinzhen or Cai Chengrong. Xiong disappeared from home in 1997 and Ren never saw her again until she was rescued this year.

It turned out she had been kidnapped by a neighbor who sold her on to a man in another town who in turn sold her on to another man. Earlier this year, a friend of Ren's spotted Xiong in Shijiao town and told the barber who immediately launched a successful rescue attempt. "When we finally saw each other again, we hugged together for a long time, crying," he admitted.

He brought Xiong back to the home he shares with new wife Cai Chengrong who he married in 2002, thinking he would never see Xiong again. Ren said the three had managed to agree new domestic arrangements: "Each of my wives has their own room but I sleep more with my old wife, Xiong Jinzhen," he said. The two wives got along well together and his second wife, Cai, would even cook and wash clothes for Xiong, he added.

However, Li Yusheng, a local senior lawyer, said Ren had to divorce one of his wives, otherwise he would be sued for bigamy. Ren said: "I plan to divorce Cai Chengrong. However, she can continue to live with us, and we will take care of her."