▁life ▁working ▁in ▁a ▁factory . ▁It ▁is ▁told ▁through ▁the ▁eyes ▁of ▁Lu ▁Si - Y an , ▁an ▁eleven - year - old ▁girl . ▁ ▁Her ▁early ▁child hood ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁rural ▁id yll . ▁She ▁has ▁a ▁dot ing ▁father ▁who ▁makes ▁a ▁living ▁growing ▁veget ables ▁on ▁a ▁very ▁small ▁strip ▁of ▁land . ▁A ▁baby ▁brother ▁is ▁born , ▁whom ▁Si - yan ▁lov es . ▁But ▁then ▁her ▁father ▁is ▁killed ▁in ▁a ▁road ▁accident ▁and ▁Si - yan ' s ▁mother , ▁over wh el med ▁by ▁gr ief , ▁cannot ▁keep ▁the ▁family ▁going ▁when ▁faced ▁with ▁one ▁dis aster ▁after ▁another . ▁Dis appro ving ▁Uncle ▁Ba ▁takes ▁Lu ▁Si - yan ▁to ▁market ▁to ▁sell ▁her , ▁calling ▁her ▁" Sp illed ▁Water " ▁: ▁a ▁waste ▁because ▁she ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁boy . ▁ ▁She ▁joins ▁the ▁Chen ▁household ▁as ▁an ▁un pa id ▁domestic ▁servant . ▁She ▁is ▁well ▁fed ▁and ▁well ▁cloth ed ▁but ▁worked ▁very ▁hard ▁and ▁is ▁constantly ▁critic ised ▁by ▁Mrs ▁Chen . ▁The ▁only ▁positive ▁things ▁are , ▁X ion g ▁Fe i , ▁a ▁student ▁employed ▁as ▁a ▁cook , ▁who ▁is ▁a ▁fun ▁lov ing ▁young ▁man ; ▁and ▁Mr ▁Chen ' s ▁wheel ch air ▁bound ▁mother ▁Mrs ▁Hong . ▁Lu ▁Si - Y an ▁is ▁fright ened ▁by ▁the ▁Chen ' s ▁son ▁Y i - m ou , ▁whom ▁she ▁is ▁told ▁she ▁must ▁marry . ▁He ▁acts