Lily is an eighty-year-old widow narrating her life journey from a modest girl in Yongming County to a respected elder. As a young child, she longs for affection from her practical mother and endures the excruciating process of foot-binding to improve her social standing. Her carefully shaped feet and high potential allow her to form a rare, lifelong *lautong* bond with a girl from a wealthier background.

Snow Flower is a girl born into a prestigious family who initiates a lifelong *lautong* friendship with Lily. She possesses a poetic imagination and frequently attempts to expand her experiences beyond cultural constraints. She communicates through a secret women's writing, seemingly offering her friend a connection to a highly cultured and privileged existence.

Madame Wang is a professional matchmaker who secures the friendship arrangement between Lily and Snow Flower. As a widow, she conducts business outside the home, defying the strict gender separation of her culture. She evaluates young girls based on their physical attributes, birth dates, and family resources to orchestrate advantageous social matches.

Lily's mother is the practical female head of the household following her mother-in-law's decline. She embodies the traditional concept of mother love, which combines care with the administration of pain. She personally oversees the excruciating foot-binding process for her daughters, aiming to prepare them for the harsh realities of a woman's life.

Aunt is the sister-in-law to Lily's mother, occupying a lower status in the household because she has no sons. Despite her position, she maintains a cheerful demeanor and openly enjoys her domestic life. Having a more cultured background, she teaches the young girls the secret women's writing that allows them to communicate privately.

Beautiful Moon is Lily's cousin, sharing her exact age and sleeping quarters. She endures the foot-binding process alongside her cousin without complaint. She learns the secret women's writing from her mother and participates in the lengthy preparations for their respective marriages.

Elder Sister is Lily's oldest sibling, who initially receives their mother's strict favor. She prepares for adulthood alongside a circle of sworn sisters and is the first girl in the household to experience the difficult transition into a new family.

Third Sister is Lily's young sibling who shares the upstairs room with the other girls. She fears the pain of the physical traditions expected of women in her village and attempts to hide from her mother when the time comes for her training.

Peony is the wife of Lily's grandson. She tends to the elderly Lily's daily needs and carefully writes down her dictated autobiography. Her task is to ensure the written story is eventually burned so it can reach the afterworld.

Madame Gao is a local matchmaker who possesses less prestige than her primary rival, Madame Wang. She actively monitors the prospects and financial rumors of local families, occasionally bringing uncomfortable gossip into the domestic spaces.

The male head of Lily's immediate family. He works to provide for the household and bears the financial burden of preparing his daughters for marriage negotiations, risking his social standing if he fails to provide adequate dowries.

A woman who presents an image of high society and culture. She helps arrange the lifelong friendship for her daughter, satisfying the strict requirements of matching birth dates and family sizes.

A man from a formerly wealthy background. His habits and the state of his finances become a subject of gossip among the local matchmakers, casting shadows over his family's prestige.

A young man from a prosperous family in a neighboring village. His marriage arrangement with Lily represents a significant upward shift in social standing for her family.

A man engaged in the socially despised profession of butchery. He is arranged to marry Snow Flower, representing a harsh and undesirable reality in her future.

A recognized scholar whose wealth and prestige establish the Lu family's high status in the region, making them an incredibly desirable match for local girls.

The elder woman of Lily's household during her early childhood. Her high status dictates the flow of resources and attention in the home until illness overtakes her.