Shen Demao, a wealthy merchant in Suzhou, had no sons. His wife, Madam Liu, bought several maids in the hope of producing a boy.
Who could have guessed she would give birth to twenty-one children, all girls?
Surrounded by a courtyard full of darling little girls, Master Shen could only laugh and cry. “Am I running an embroidery shop or an orphanage?”
If they had no son, they would raise their daughters as sons. Madam Liu laid down the rules: every daughter would be registered under her name and treated as a legitimate daughter. They would study literature, learn accounting and commerce, and practice riding and archery, earning their dowries through their own abilities.
And so the Shen daughters each made their mark.
The eldest took charge of a shop and ran a business at fourteen. One was a gifted artist whose paintings made her famous throughout Suzhou. Another traveled overseas to trade abroad. Yet another, skilled with accounts, never married and became a bookkeeper for life.
Twenty-one daughters, twenty-one distinct personalities. While all of Jiangnan still lamented the lack of sons, the Shen daughters had already built a commercial empire.
This is a story about a group of girls growing up.
There is sisterly love and rivalry, hurt and scheming, and above all, a bond of blood that no one can break. There is laughter and tears, and warmth and healing.
Who says women are inferior to men?
The Shen daughters will tell you: raise your daughters well, and they can be just as capable as sons.
What is written here 🤦