Jing-Mei from when she first introduces she is reflecting on her Chinese heritage. She remembers once telling her mother, Suyuan, that she does not feel Chinese and that her lifestyle in California has little connection to her Chinese heritage. During Canning’s and Jing-Mei’s visit with his relatives, Jing-Mei learns more about her family history and begins to feel a stronger connection to her Chinese roots. Late one night, Jing-Mei talks with her father about her mother’s past. He tells the story of Suyuan, who was once married to a military officer and trekked miles on foot with her two baby daughters and most valuable possessions, while escaping from the Japanese. Exhausted and stricken with dysentery, Jing-Mei’s father reveals that the names of her two half-sisters, Chwun Yu and Chwun Hwa, mean “Spring Rain” and “Spring Flower”, which reflects their close relationship as twins.