Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

When the ground softens, Lily's family prepares Grandmother and Third Sister for burial. Funerals are one of the most expensive life events, and Lily sees how poor her family is. The family burns Grandmother's third-day wedding books, and nothing is said about Third Sister.

The most painful part of foot binding is over, and Lily and Beautiful Moon spend their days sitting and working on their house learning and nu shu. Madame Gao, the local matchmaker, begins visiting to negotiate “Contracting a Kin” (the first step of arranging a marriage) for Elder Brother and Elder Sister. Elder Sister will marry out to a better family in a faraway village, but Lily's family practices buluo fujia, or a wife not leaving permanently for her husband's home until she is pregnant.

In late summer, Elder Sister's sworn sisters meet at Lily's home for Bull Fighting Day. They beg Aunt to lead them in the call-and-respond "Story of the Woman with Three Brothers." Lily and Beautiful Moon follow the nu shu writing of the story on a handkerchief in Aunt's lap. The story details the tragedy of a woman whose three brothers cannot provide a dowry, so she hangs herself. The brothers care for her body, select a coffin, and choose an appropriate burial spot, and the woman finds happiness in the afterworld. The story provides instruction on how to care for a dead loved one.

The following day, Madame Wang visits. Lily feels pressured to make a good impression, as her family needs the money that her good marriage will bring. Madame Wang states that she already has interest for Lily in Tongkou, but today she'd like to discuss contracting Lily's laotong relationship with a girl in Tongkou named Snow Flower. At Mama's questioning, Madame Wang says that the girls' eight characters (birthdate, height, birth order, etc.) align well, but they don't match completely in that Snow Flower's family is of greater economic standing.

Mama indifferently says that Lily is stubborn and disobedient. Lily is hurt to hear this, and doesn't understand that by talking about Lily as though she's unworthy, any fees to her family may be less. Madame Wang calls Lily to her and gives her a fan, waving away Mama's concerns about a fee. Before she leaves, Madame Wang addresses Aunt and says that Lily's laotong relationship may make it possible for Beautiful Moon to also marry into Tongkou. Her final advice is for Mama and Aunt to use "bed time" to convince their husbands to agree to the laotong relationship.

Mama and Aunt walk Madame Wang to her palanquin (a litter carried by four men) while Lily, Beautiful Moon, and Elder Sister chatter excitedly. Elder Sister asks what the fan says, but Lily can't read all the nu shu characters running down the first fold. Aunt returns and reads the note aloud, which is an invitation to be "sames." Lily cannot reply until her family decides what to do. Aunt advocates for the laotong relationship, repeating each time that a laotong relationship is one of emotional companionship, while a marriage exists only to have sons. Mama argues that women in their family have sworn sisters, not laotongs, and Aunt notes that Lily's laotong will be beneficial to both Lily and her family.

Lily's family decides to accept the laotong relationship. Mama helps Lily embroider shoes to send to Snow Flower as a first gift, and Aunt helps Lily compose a nu shu reply. Lily decides to not send her reply on a different fan, as is customary, but rather to send it back on the same fan. The note is composed of conventional phrases of everlasting commitment. Lily notes that she certainly didn't mean all that she wrote, as she was only seven and knew little about everlasting commitment, but she hoped it would come true.

When Lily is finished with the fan and the shoes, she worries that Snow Flower's family won't accept the relationship. When Madame Wang sees the fan, though, she states that it's a perfect match and that the girls are alike in their “horse” spirits. She offers to take Lily and Snow Flower to the Temple of Gupo fair to write their laotong contract, and takes the fan and the shoes to give to Snow Flower.