The book opens with a farmer and his family who seem to be living in paradise. The earth is fertile, the trees are blossoming. Farmer Wei is slightly worried about a wonky wheel on his cart. The old farmhouse has stood for centuries and the ancestors take a great and partial interest in the success of the family. And yet gentle readers of the West - the terms of survival for families in China becomes a brutal affair. Terrible and pragmatic decisions are made. Stop clutching your pearls sweet pea- this is how it is.