The book now moves on to tell the story of the author's mother, Bao Qin/De-hong. Eventually, she falls in love with an older man, a doctor who adores her, and they make a home together with her daughter in Jinzhou, Manchuria, where Yu-Fang learns what it is like to be not a concubine but a beloved, true wife. Unexpectedly with his last words, the General proclaims Yu-Fang free at the age of twenty-four. Fearing that the General's wife would now have complete control over both her life and her daughter's,Yu-Fang flees to her parents' home and sends false news to her 'husband's' family, telling them that sadly the child has died. Whilst visiting the household the General's condition deteriorates and realizing that there was no male heir, Yu-Fang knows that their child is now of great importance to the future of the family. During her daughter's infancy, Yu-Fang put off persistent reauests for her to be brought to the General's main household, but once he became seriously ill the requests became orders and she had no choice other than to comply.

The General did not stay for long even once his daughter arrived, but he named her Bao Qin, which means 'precious zither'. Although she was permitted to visit her parents at their home she was never allowed to stay there overnight.Īfter his six year absence, the General made a brief conjugal visit to his young concubine, during which a daughter was conceived. Because of this she never felt secure in her position and feared constantly for her safety. Despite the luxurious surroundings and exquisite accommodations life for Yu-Fang was stressful and tense as she feared that the servants would report rumors or lies about her to the General's senior wife who would then pass them on to him. The General already had many concubines and after their wedding ceremony the young lady was left alone in a luxurious, wealthy household with servants and did not see her husband again for six years. As the family was relatively poor, Yu-Fang's father decided a scheme to have his daughter taken as a concubines to a high-ranking warlord, Generak Xue Zhi-heng, in order to gain status which was incredibly important in dictating quality of life. At the age of two her feet were bound, an extremely painful process that prevented the feet from growing in the normal way, a common practice inflicted of female children in China where tiny feet are considered beautiful. The book starts by telling the story of the author's grandmother, Yu-Fang. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.

Wild swans by jung chang