Summary
Born into bondage, Fuyuan learns early that even the tree above her childhood swing belongs to someone else. Only Sushui, a fellow maid, offers her warmth in a household ruled by cruelty. When a gentle official takes Fuyuan away, she promises to return for the woman she calls her sister. But safety brings grief, and her search for justice forces her to question everything she has learned about power, devotion, and the price of help. Amid pear blossoms and winter snow, Fuyuan must discover whether a life can be shaped by something other than the hand that holds her deed.