Catching Cool Breezes and Beautiful Moon Summary

The girls are fifteen and their hair is now pinned up as a symbol they will soon be married. During the Catching Cool Breezes festival, women return to their natal homes, and Lily and Snow Flower are alone in the women's chamber. They sleep together in the hot night with no clothing, fanning themselves, drawing symbols on one another's stomachs and guessing what they are. This is a potentially erotic scene, but never develops into anything sexual beyond writing on their nipples, although there is a sense Snow Flower knows more about such things. They trace symbols with dampened fingers on the sensitive parts of their legs and hips and recite a poem, feeling close and in love.

Bride-price gifts have begun to arrive and the girls have to sew their dowries. Lily's...