How does the author use foreshadowing in Farewell My Concubine?

When the story begins, Dieyi is merely a small boy known by the nickname of Xiao Douzi. Lee immediately begins providing details to foreshadow Xiao's transformation from a child, and into a man who is more like a woman. When Douzi's mother, takes her son to Master Guan, the author notes that Douzi's "features were surprisingly delicate. He was almost pretty." Unfortunately, in order to be a performer in the Chinese opera, he must not have any features that make him stand out.