Ties That Bind, Ties That Break: Chapters 3–4

by Lensey Namioka
In this historical novel, an upper-class Chinese girl refuses to have her feet bound and must face the social consequences of her decision.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 2, Chapters 3–4, Chapters 5–6, Chapters 7–8, Chapter 9–Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. drone
    talk in a monotonous voice
    As usual the teacher didn’t try to explain the meaning but just ordered us to memorize the text. We droned on and on in unison, reciting the text without understanding it.
  2. sly
    marked by skill in deception
    Big Uncle was so harsh toward his children that they always tried to hide whatever they did. That made them sly, which was the reason I didn’t like them very much.
  3. misdeed
    improper or wicked or immoral behavior
    As they dragged me to my room I wondered which of my misdeeds was catching up with me.
  4. headstrong
    habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition
    Instead of slapping me, she suddenly gathered me in her arms and held me close. “My poor little girl, you’re beautiful, and you’re clever. But you are too headstrong. Someday you will have to pay a price for that.”
  5. preoccupied
    having excessive or compulsive concern with something
    The grown-ups were completely preoccupied with something that was happening outside our home.
  6. scurry
    move about or proceed hurriedly
    My cousins scurried back to their seats and tried to look studious.
  7. studious
    characterized by diligent study and fondness for reading
    My cousins scurried back to their seats and tried to look studious.
  8. reluctantly
    with a certain degree of unwillingness
    The girl reluctantly went to the market, and reported that things were quiet.
  9. refuge
    a shelter from danger or hardship
    “The rumor is that they’ve fled from the capital,” said Father. “I’ve heard reports that they’ll seek refuge in Japan.”
  10. dynasty
    a sequence of powerful leaders in the same family
    “Maybe one of the rebels will establish a new dynasty and make himself emperor,” said Mother.
  11. thrash
    move or stir about violently
    They tried to hold me down, but I just thrashed and screamed more and more loudly.
  12. lament
    regret strongly
    Although Father said nothing, I knew he was worried about my future, too.
    Mother was the one who lamented loudly and frequently. “I suppose Ailin can become a nun,” she said.
  13. respectable
    deserving of esteem
    "That’s one respectable livelihood open to an unmarried woman. Of course, with her agility, she can always become an acrobat and street entertainer!”
  14. livelihood
    the financial means whereby one supports oneself
    "That’s one respectable livelihood open to an unmarried woman. Of course, with her agility, she can always become an acrobat and street entertainer!”
  15. agility
    the gracefulness of a quick and nimble person or animal
    "That’s one respectable livelihood open to an unmarried woman. Of course, with her agility, she can always become an acrobat and street entertainer!”
  16. outskirts
    area relatively far from the center, as of a city or town
    One favorite treat was boating on Lake Xuanwu on the outskirts of Nanjing.
  17. reproach
    express criticism towards
    I waited for Mother to reproach me again about my broken engagement, but she had apparently decided it was a dead subject.
  18. gruel
    a thin porridge
    Grandfather was sick and had his usual bowl of gruel in bed.
  19. dread
    be afraid or scared of
    Grandfather, a dedicated scholar, had personally taught her brush writing because she had shown an early talent for it. But she had died of the dreaded lung disease when she was only fifteen, even before her marriage could be arranged.
  20. ignorance
    the lack of knowledge or education
    “Our country has been isolated too long,” said Father. “It’s because of our ignorance that we were humiliated by the foreign powers in the disastrous Boxer Rebellion.”
  21. humiliate
    cause to feel shame
    “Our country has been isolated too long,” said Father. “It’s because of our ignorance that we were humiliated by the foreign powers in the disastrous Boxer Rebellion.”
  22. reparation
    compensation exacted from a defeated nation by the victors
    “But in reparation our government was forced to pay enormous sums of money to those foreign countries,” said Father.
  23. siege
    an action of an armed force that surrounds a fortified place
    “So among other things, we have to learn how those big guns were developed. When the Boxers laid siege to the foreign legations in Beijing, they thought they could overwhelm the foreigners by sheer numbers. They were mowed down by those guns.”
  24. overwhelm
    overcome by superior force
    “So among other things, we have to learn how those big guns were developed. When the Boxers laid siege to the foreign legations in Beijing, they thought they could overwhelm the foreigners by sheer numbers. They were mowed down by those guns.”
  25. rickshaw
    a small two-wheeled cart for one passenger
    Grandmother glared at Mother, who quickly became silent. Father had the answer. "I can have the chauffeur take her in the family rickshaw.”
  26. coax
    influence or persuade by gentle and persistent urging
    At home things had changed. Father spent less time with us, for his work was very demanding. He was thinner and seemed tired. Grandmother looked anxiously at him and kept coaxing him to eat more.
  27. uniformity
    the quality of lacking diversity or variation
    “I personally like the colored cocoons,” said Second Sister, “but silk weavers hate them because they spoil the white uniformity. Whenever they see a colored one, they immediately take it out and burn it. Remember this.”
  28. frail
    physically weak
    My brother had a different amah from my old one, who had been sent away when I started school. Maybe she was too dainty and frail to look after a robust little boy.
  29. robust
    sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction
    My brother had a different amah from my old one, who had been sent away when I started school. Maybe she was too dainty and frail to look after a robust little boy.
  30. secluded
    hidden from general view or use
    Grandfather had died when I was in my second year at the school, but he had been in ill health for years, and even when robust he spent most of his time secluded in his study.
Created on Mon Mar 30 17:21:21 EDT 2020 (updated Wed Apr 08 16:43:12 EDT 2020)

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