Taipings Attack

Lily arrives to Snow Flower's new home in shock and dismay. She knew that Snow Flower was married to a butcher but she never dreamed the smell would linger everywhere in the household and the odor dominated the house. Each meal had some sort of pig body part in it. Another shock for Lily was that Snow Flower and her husband truly enjoyed bed business (Lily never understood that). All of Snow Flower's children were deeply loved except for First Son who was scrawny and "no good." But one peaceful day in Jinitan war broke out. Screams were heard everywhere, fires ablaze, and citizens running for their lives. Lily wanted to wait for her family to pick her up but the butcher would not let her wait and they ran to the safety of the mountains. All of the women in China had never been in such pain as they had those next weeks. Their bound feet shot pains up their legs, rebroken bones, and obscene bleeding. Sacrifice is definitely relevant here because Lily, Snow Flower, and the butcher had to carry the butcher's mother up the mountain. They had never been in such agony but they had to continue. They lived on little food and warmth for weeks in the mountains, while Lily struggled with the fact that she may never see her family again.