Chapter 1 Summary

Women of Silk opens on a birthing scene. The main character, Pei, waits impatiently for her mother, Yu-Sung, to give birth. Pei recalls similar scenes from the births of other siblings who have passed away. Her mother requires no additional help, only privacy, so Pei focuses on her favorite item in the house. It is a beautiful silk painting depicting a scene with five birds. When the child is born, the midwife announces that it is another girl. Having lost girls in infancy prior to this birth, and preferring field help that would ensure financial stability for the family, Pei's father expressed his displeasure at the child's sex.

Pei's father, Pao, dedicated his days to their family's farm. The farm consisted of mulberry bushes and fish ponds. The mulberry leaves and fish were harvested and then sold at the village market to earn...