In ancient times, besides giving birth to children to continue the family line, 'concubines' also had another function: How sad for future generations!

In feudal China, it was normal for rich and powerful men to have 'three wives and four concubines'.

In the wedding customs of that time, when a man got married, he could take in a 'wedding maid' as a concubine, or second wife.

The 'wedding maid' here is the maidservant of the main wife (the wife who is properly married), who follows her to her husband's house to continue her care duties. However, if he finds her satisfactory and trusts her enough, the man can also marry this maid as a concubine, of course, without the same wedding process as the main wife. From then on, the 'wedding maid' will become a 'room maid' , although she becomes someone else's concubine, she herself cannot escape the fate of a 'maiden', her status is extremely low.

At that time, there was a saying: 'It is better to be a poor man's wife than a rich man's concubine'. Because a concubine is a lowly, small existence.

The concubine had to be wary of the main wife, and of course had no voice or status in the house. (Illustration photo).

In feudal China, the main wife often had no status or voice, let alone the status of a concubine. If she was favored and pampered by her husband, the concubine could live an easier life. But if she was not protected by her husband, this concubine was even forced to do housework like a servant, let alone sit around drinking tea like the main wife.

Concubines mostly come from poor families, or are poor but have some beauty, are noticed by rich families and bought with money; or are maids next to the main wife.

According to many historical documents and folk tales, the life of a concubine, apart from being able to eat a little better than a servant, was quite pitiful. They had to live with caution for the main wife, and of course had no voice or status in the house.

However, there is an opportunity for concubines to have a better life, which is to give birth to a son to continue the family line, competing for priority with the main wife. However, even though they give birth to children for their husband's family, concubines are mostly not allowed to have much contact with their children because they are considered to have a lower status, and their only duty is to give birth to children.

In ancient times, when a rich man or a properly married wife could not give birth, taking a concubine for the man was very necessary.

In addition to giving birth to children to continue the family line, concubines also had another function. That was to become gifts to give, or even 'exchange people for things'. This was considered inhumane and degrading to women in the ideology of that time.

Women at that time were seen as objects to be handed over, married daughters were like spilled water, nothing more, nothing less.

A young lady from a rich family, if lucky, will have her parents diligently search for a good husband or at least her husband's family background is not ordinary, and she will become the main wife of the family. A poor girl can only wait until she is old enough to be forced to marry a rich man to pay off his debt, become a concubine and give birth to his children, or marry a man of equal social status and background, and live a frugal life.

Of course, there are also many cases of rich young masters loving and pampering poor daughters, however, this person becoming the main wife is almost impossible. At best, they can only be a concubine but live a more stable life.