Chapter summary
The chapter begins with Luling saying this: These are the things i must not forget. Then she goes on to telling the reader how Precious Auntie taught her chinese and the simple logics of life. Precious Auntie always told Luling 'a person should consider how things begin.a particular beginning results in a particular end.
Then Luling begins describing the place she stayed in, Immortal Heart. She talked about how the people used to make trips to Immortal Heart hoping the tree, that an emperor planted, would rub it's vital energy on them.
Then she started talking about her family, the Liu Clan and their family. How they were inkstick makers and they made the best inksticks. She talked about the different jobs that were allocated in the facory. Later on, she also began talking about how she and her cousins used to roll spoiled melons over the cliff for fun.
Then she mentioned that baby uncle was the youngest son and he wouldve married precious Auntie if he hadn't died on their wedding day.
The she moved on to talk about Precious Auntie. she was born in a small village and her father was a bonesetter. Precious Auntie told Luling about the oracle bones and how the writings on them were questions to the gods. Then Precious Auntie used to bring Luling to collect dragon bones too [oracle bones had writings on them].precious Auntie's father had remedies for any kind of problems and Precious Auntie used to help her father out at the clinic and because she had touched so many bodies, treating them from their illnesses, few considered her as a bride.
During dinner, Luling asked about bound feet and it was an instant mistake becausebound feet were a women's most private areas but Precious Auntie used her handtalk to explain it to Luling. Precious Auntie taught Luling to be naughty, to be curious, all of which, to be just like her. Precious Suntie did try to change Luling's faults but she wouldn't listen and she handed Luling a mauscript of her story and when Luling read it, she found out the truth.
One day when Precious Auntie was working at the clinic, a man, Chang brought his baby in because he was injured and Precious Auntie healed the baby. Then a man, Baby uncle, went there injured from a nervous horse. Precious Auntie treated him and they fell in love.
They Baby uncle wooed her and though when he went to check their compatibility, they werent compatible, he didn't care.But Chang also wanted to marry her and on precious Auntie's wedding day, he killed Baby uncle but Precious Auntie was pregnant already. One day Precious Auntie was caught in a fire and half her face was disfigured.
Then Granny dreamt that Baby uncle said she had to take care of Precious Auntie, Luling's Auntie claimed Luling as her child and Precious Auntie was her nursemaid. The adults knew about their births, all except Luling. When she finished reading the manuscript, she found out that Precious Auntie was her mother.
character analysis
Luling:
obedient:She listened to the words that Precious Auntie said and she listened when Precious Auntie was teaching her about chinese words and how she should always question how things began.
inquisitive:she asked alot of questions. eg: about the ladies and their bound feet.
adventurous:she went on adventures with Precious Auntie, looking for dragon bones.
Precious Auntie:
well-educated:she knew how to prescribe medicine to the patients at her father's clinic and she knew how to dress wounds and she could treat patients of their illnesses.
brave:she didn't care about people not considering her as a bride jsut because she had touched so many bodies, trying to treat them and heal them from their illnesses.
themes
mother daughter love-precious Auntie and Luling, the adventures they go on and precious auntie teaching Luling, although she it was in the capacity of being her nursemaid.
love-Precious Auntie and Baby Uncle.
one sided love that led to tragedy- Chang and Precious Auntie.
family- the Liu Clan, the ink stick making, the way they worked together in the inck factory as a a big family.
most memorable moments
The most memorable moment in this chapter was when Luling was describing how the family worked together in the factory, making inksticks. it gives me a sense of cosiness and it is a brilliant thought how a family could work together.
favourite quotes
1)she speaks in the language of shooting stars.
2)for the first time, she was afraid, she realized, firghtened by unknown joy
3)she tried to look far into the future but she could see nothing.
4)the ravine was shaped like the curved chamber...so had the divine springs.
Questions
