Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Week 4, Post A

“Yongang, the servant girl, led me through Tongkou’s alleyways. She carried my clothes, embroidery thread, cloth, and the third-day wedding book I had prepared for Snow Flower in a basket” (117). Yongang is Lily’s servant that she received through her marriage. First, any type of servant is really rare in American society, sure there are the occasional busts of people with “slaves” but for the most part it’s not a part of our culture. Secondly, American marriages don’t require the bride or the groom to exchange gifts or give things to each others’ families, which makes Yongang even more of a peculiarity.