Chapters 8 through 10 Summary and Analysis

In chapter eight, war broke out bringing shortages. China was in the grip of the war and people were suddenly struggling to survive. Huangbo visited the market regularly to buy the things needed for the family's survival, but she also spent a great deal of money in an attempt to find someone who could cure Yuen's crooked feet. Some bound him, similar to the method used to bind girls' feet during that time period. Others prescribed herbal remedies. Despite these "cures," Yuen's feet remained deformed. The money from Canada stopped altogether and Huangbo ended the schooling for Ping and Nan. Both worked in the fields in an effort to help feed the family. Yuen, then four, was often strapped to Ping's back and she carried him wherever she went to work. Ping and Nan were reasonably attractive and considered...