Chapters 1-4 Summary

Chapter 1 - Swedish Pastor Malory tends to his church excitedly, and the people of Dalan Town near Black Water River. Sima Ting climbs the watchtower, and looking out into the distance, tells his fellow villagers that the Japanese are coming. Many of the villagers flee. Meanwhile, Shangguan Lu's daughter-in-law, Shangguan Lu (Mother), is giving birth while explosions sound in the distance. Mother has some Christian beliefs, and some traditional Chinese beliefs, and she implores both God and her ancestors to allow her to deliver a baby boy. Mother's mother-in-law forces some peanuts into her hand, and compels her to say a chant about yin and yang. Shangguan Lu's son, Shangguan Shouxi, is a blacksmith and does not want to fight the Japanese. His mother accuses him of cowardice when he insists on fleeing with everyone else. Shangguan Lu's husband is just...