A Song to Drown Rivers

Xishi wears a veil to hide her beauty as she goes to the river to wash the silk she and her mother will sell. Her beauty is widely talked about in the village, and she receives unwanted attention unless she hides her face. As she walks, she notices the destruction and sorrow still left behind by the Wu armies that conquered her Yue kingdom years ago. 

At the river’s edge, she sees an injured little girl being chased by a Wu soldier intent on killing her for stealing a pear. Xishi remembers her own little sister Susu’s murder at the hands of the Wu and throws a rock, breaking the man’s nose. He moves to kill Xishi but is stopped by an elegant, handsome man who easily defeats and chases away the Wu soldier. The stranger asks Xishi to help the girl with her wounds, which Xishi does. He praises her skill, integrity, and courage. She gives him silk in gratitude for saving her life. She goes home and cooks for her parents, the usual pain in her chest acting up. When her father comes home from chopping wood, she notices his kindness despite the pain he feels in his body.