She may commit suicide, there being no canon, legal or moral, against self-slaughter; and in China, where, contrary to widespread notions on the subject, human life is held in the highest degree sacred, this course is sure to entail trouble and expense, and possibly severe punishment, if the aggrieved parties are not promptly conciliated by a heavy money payment.
A man may divorce his wife for one of the seven following reasons:--Want of children, adultery, neglect of his parents, nagging, thieving (i.e.
supplying her own family with his goods, popularly known as "leakage"), jealous temper and leprosy.

To the above, the humanity of the lawgiver has affixed three qualifying conditions.

He may not put her away on any of the above grounds if she has duly passed through the period of mourning for his parents; if he has grown rich since their marriage; if she has no longer any home to which she can return.
Altogether, the Chinese woman has by no means such a bad time as is generally supposed to be the case.

Even in the eye of the law, she has this advantage over a man, that she cannot be imprisoned except for high treason and adultery, and is to all intents and purposes exempt from the punishment of the bamboo.

Included in this exemption are the aged and the young, the sick, the hungry and naked, and those who have already suffered violence, as in a brawl.