Li-yan

Li-yan is the main character of the novel. Simply called Girl by her family, she is still trying to learn the ways of her tribe, the Akha. She is the type of person who questions everything she sees, sometimes getting her into trouble. For example, when Deh-ja and her husband have twins, Li-yan asks why the babies must die. She is hit by A-ma for questioning Akha tradition. Li-yan is very curious about the world as a child, leading to her begging Teacher Zhang to help her continue her education into second-tier schooling, the furthest of anyone in her family.

However, Li-yan's tumultuous relationship with San-pa, who leaves her to build a life in Thailand where they can live together, causes a lot of heartache for Li-yan. She becomes pregnant because of him, and since he has not returned, the daughter is considered a human reject. Due to...