Ties That Bind, Ties That Break

Tao Ailin begins the story not able to walk properly—but this is a temporary situation, brought on by her high heels and the narrowness of the Chinese cheongsam dress she is wearing. It is 1925; she is 19 years old and the wife of a Chinatown restaurant owner in San Francisco. Looking around to make sure things are running smoothly, she sees a face from the past come in. It is Liu Hanwei, her former fiancé. She reacts: “A huge bubble of laughter rose in my throat, and I wanted to shout a greeting” (2).

Instead, she asks him if he’d like to be seated. He recognizes her instantly and is surprised. She explains that her husband owns the restaurant and orders a large meal of Chinese delicacies for him in Cantonese. She gives him some information on her current situation and asks about his. He is studying chemistry at the University of Illinois but heading home to China because his mother is sick. He stopped in the restaurant because he misses Chinese food, only to find an old acquaintance. Ailin thinks he has changed for the better, from a spoiled boy to a working man.