This book is one of the bilingual series to help you enjoy contemporary Chinese literature and other writings in their authentic, unadulterated flavor and to understand the Chinese society, culture, history, and the contemporary life of the Chinese people as you learn the language and hone your reading skills. The story took place in a village nestled at the foot of a mountain in Yunnan Province in south China, where the author had spent two years when she was young and befriended a family of six daughters. The father of the six girls had all along wanted to have a son, but he never got one. His unfulfilled wish led to a series of miserable events. However, the sisters, the eldest girl in particular, bore their misfortune bravely and filled the family with care and love.