In ancient times, the status of women were relatively low, but all men with a little money and status wanted to marry three wives and four concubines. But with the development of the times and social progress, monogamy began to be practiced. During the time of the Republic of China, due to natural and man-made disasters, how many families faced the situation of being separated from their wives. At that time, in order to survive, women remarried, or capable men would take several wives, which was still permitted by the law at that time. The phenomenon of old and young wives was very common at that time, for example, Xiong Xiling and Li Benqi, Lu Xun and Xu Guangping, Guo Yicheng and Cheng Qian and so on. Today, I would like to introduce you to Guo Yiqing and Cheng Qian.

Cheng Qian was born in Liling County, Hunan Province, and at the age of nine he entered a private school and became a scholar at the age of sixteen. Afterwards, he was admitted to the Yuelu Academy in Changsha, and seeing the suffering of the Chinese people, he decided to give up the path of the imperial examination and abandoned the literature to study martial arts. Afterwards, he was admitted to the Hunan Martial Arts Academy with the top grade. He was sent to Japan, where he met Huang Xing, Song Jiaoren and Li Lijun, and formed the Revolutionary Comrades Association. He became a follower of Sun Yat-sen after an interview with him and joined the League of Alliance.

After the Wuchang Uprising, he took part in the Battle of Yangxia. Soon afterward, he served as the commander of the Sixth Army of the National Revolutionary Army, the commander of the First War Zone, and the director of the Hunan Pacification Office and chairman of the provincial government. In the late Liberation War, he declared a peaceful uprising in Changsha. After the founding of New China, he served as Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Democratic Revolutionary Party, Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), Vice Chairman of the National Defense Commission (NDC), a member of the Central People's Government (CPG), and the Governor of Hunan Province.

Just when Cheng Qian was 54 years old, he met a 17-year-old girl, Guo Yiqing, who was Cheng Qian's later fourth wife. And the union between the two of them followed the order of their parents and the words of a matchmaker. Guo Yi-Qing and Cheng Qian's union was a typical case of marriage before love. In her later recollections, Guo Yi-Qing said that she lived with Cheng Qian for more than 30 years and had a very sweet life. Cheng Qian did not like to talk much and only talked about household chores when he was with her. Only when he was in a particularly good mood would he tell her and his children some historical stories and classical literature.

They lived together for more than 30 years and had six daughters after their marriage***. Cheng Qian was a relatively stable person, never expressed his love to her, only when he came back from the field, he often brought her some favorite snacks and fruits, and in the past decades, he never forgot to send living allowances to her poor relatives. When Cheng Qian died, she did not choose to marry again, after death and Cheng Qian buried together.