Sixty years ago, An-mei remembers seeing her mother for the first time. Popo (grandmother) had sent her mother away because she had dishonored her family and her widowhood by becoming the third concubine to a rich man.

It was only when An-mei was nine years old and her grandmother was terminally ill (and eventually died) that Mother came back to take care of Popo, and An-mei f

Soon An-mei began to see her mother's pain, how Second wife empowered them all, and why her mother cried in her room so often. It was because all her mother's dignity was taken away from her, she was lower than low and nothing could hide her shame.

The first wife returned from pilgrimage to pay her respects and suffer sight unseen in her husband's household.

Big mother presented An-mei with her pearl necklace. An-mei was overjoyed however her mother was not. Mother placed the pearl necklace under her shoe and crushed one of the glass beads and reminded An-mei how easy it was to lose yourself to something false and to always recognize what is true.

The Second wife (Big Mother) and Third wife, their children and servants returned home to Tientsin. Big mother had a son named Syaudi who now became

During the cold months of winter Yan Chang (the servant of An-mei's mother) told

Life in Tientsin was

Some common words found in the essay are:
An-mei Hsu, An-mei's Third, Wu Tsing, Yan Chang, Popo An-mei, Soon An-mei, Hsu Jordan, Life Tientsin, Chang An-mei's, Mother Third, an-mei's mother, an-mei hsu, third wife, mother listened, fifth wife, wu tsing, yan chang, syaudi an-mei's, pearl necklace, hide shame,
Approximate Word count = 615
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)