Summary

Chapter 1 introduces the narrator, a young woman named Xishi, living in a rural village in Ancient China. Xishi recalled legends that were told about her beauty when she was born, such as the birds falling from the sky and the fish forgetting how to swim. She walked to the riverbank to wash silk. Her mother insisted she covered her face with a veil while she was out of the house in order to hide her beauty. At the riverbank, she heard a young girl screaming for help. She saw she was being pursued by a man who accused her of stealing a pear. The little girl reminded Xishi or her younger sister Susu who had been killed by soldiers. The man drew his sword and began to swing it towards the girl. Xishi through a rock and hit the man, stopping him. The man...