RED ROSE WHITE ROSE

THERE WERE TWO WOMEN IN ZHENBAO'S LIFE ONE HE CALLED HIS WHITE ROSE, THE OTHER HIS RED ROSE. ONE WAS A SPOTLESS WIFE, THE OTHER A PASSIONATE MISTRESS. ISN'T THAT JUST HOW THE AVERAGE MAN DESCRIBE A CHASTE WIDOW'S DEVOTION TO HER HUSBAND'S MEMORY - AS SPOTLESS, AND PASSIONATE TOO? MAYBE EVERY MAN HAS HAD TWO SUCH WOMEN - AT LEAST TWO. MARRY A RED ROSE AND EVENTUALLY SHE'LL BE A MOSQUITO-BLOOD STREAK SMEARED ON THE WALL, WHILE THE WHITE ONE IS 'MOONLIGHT IN FRONT OF MY BED'. MARRY A WHITE ROSE, AND BEFORE LONG SHE'LL BE A GRAIN OF STICKY RICE THAT'S GOTTEN STUCK TO YOUR CLOTHES; THE RED ONE, BY THEN, IS A SCARLET BEAUTY MARK JUST OVER YOUR HEART. IN EILEEN CHANG'S ELOQUENT AND EVOCATIVE NOVELLA, ZHENBAO IS A DEVOTED SON, A DILIGENT WORKER, AND GUARDED IN LOVE. BUT WHEN HE MEETS A FRIEND'S SPOILT, SPIRITED, DESIRABLE WIFE, HE CANNOT RESIST HER CHARMS, OR KEEP THEIR RELATIONSHIP UNDER HIS CONTROL. AS HE SUCCUMBS TO PASSIONS AND RESENTMENTS, "RED ROSE, WHITE ROSE" IS BOTH SENSUAL AND RESTR