Qian Yibai is a woman, and she's thirty-five this year. Her parents had been married for ten years before she was born, and they went through a lot of hardship to have her.
Her father, Qian, taught her martial arts, chess, and tea brewing, raising her like a boy. As he put it, “This is about keeping up with the times. Sometimes you have to think of yourself as a man. You must always be strong.”
Qian Yibai could only look up at the sky and shout, “Heavens, give me strength!”
Her mother, Sun, taught her makeup, cooking, and how to dress, raising her like a proper young lady. As Sun put it, “My dear, everyone loves beauty. You have to look lovely every day. That's how people will love you.”
At this, Qian Yibai would prop her chin on her hand and blink. “What a load of nonsense. I'm already naturally distinctive. Why should I put on makeup every day? What a pain.” Then she'd sigh.
Over these thirty-odd years, Qian Yibai has faced all kinds of problems and met all sorts of beautiful women and handsome men, matching wits with them every day.
