One Sizzling hot, Warm Afternoon During the , I found myself towards the an airplane going regarding Los angeles so you can Asia. I was happy, especially regarding viewing my grand-parents, aunts, and you will cousin-brand new prolonged family I was raised with ahead of immigrating so you’re able to Boston within age seven. More over, I became thinking about the chance off undertaking a different sort of research endeavor.

Into plane, We acquired a Chinese paper leftover inside my cabin seat and you can already been planning to. In the near future, this new personals section, and therefore looked pictures of a few middle-aged female, stuck my personal eye. The ladies demonstrated themselves because the compassionate, gentle ladies who desired financially secure, family-oriented men residing overseas. So far, Jeff, a businessman out-of Beijing with which I’d talked prior to, glanced more my personal neck and you may told you within the a pessimistic tone, “Don’t believe in those advertising for a moment. You understand, those individuals women can be all lao you tiao [deep-fried money sticks], very tough to day.” His terms struck myself, for example his use of the identity lao you tiao, that Chinese means people who are slick, wise, and you can economic.