Raimie Barcega’s Reviews > The Lotus Shoes > Status Update

27: LF is super brave and tells LJ she doesn’t belong to her anymore. obviously LJ takes it poorly and is super offended, she tries to fight for LF but LF proves there’s no legal reason she should remain her slave. LJ thought they were close friends (girl how) and she is being super entitled and selfish

26: LJ + LF struggle where they work (they deal with silk from silkworms but it’s physically taxing) and LF is building up the courage to tell LJ that since they aren’t at the family home anymore, and since LJ isn’t even biologically related to the family she was sold to, (gag it) she is going to tell LJ she is not her slave anymore, she is dealing w guilt though

25: right after LJ’s mothers death they go right into cleaning her and preparing her for burial :(( her body was still warmmmmm omg, there are nuns who came to pray over her into the afterlife, and LJ and LF get sent to a nunnery to be celibate and also work for wages (since they are no longer welcome at the family, since LJ isn't really a daughter of the house)

23: sooo the letter was outing the fact that the father of the house is not Linjing's real father, and her mother (the first wife of the house) got pregnant with someone else and passed it off as her husbands, because she wasn’t getting pregnant by him and she was being threatened with divorce. (back in the past) now all the adults of the house know and idk what will happen next to LJ or her mom..

22: LF and SR found a letter from one of the lesser wives hidden in her room, and they brought it to the first wife, having a strange feeling about it. the wife wouldn’t tell them what it said but said that things would be handled and not to tell anyone about the letter…

21: linjing is scared of her marriage coming so soon and asks her father if she could just stay unmarried, obviously he says no, but very lovingly. she is still nervous and the wedding is going to happen in a matter of days

LF and LJ preparing LJ for her wedding soon, sewing and embroidering 8 pairs of lotus shoes for the family they will go to as gifts. themes of power are talked about more, but nothing too exciting happens ! LF understands why LJ sacrificed LF's freedom, to help herself through this marriage she's about to enter, and with LJ about to become a bride, she will become more equal to LF which will be interesting !!

19: apparently LJ and LF are friends now in LJ's mind, but LF will always be able to recognize that they are slave and mistress with power imbalances. LF belongs to LJ still, with no plans to escape. LJ is about to be married and is just being ignorant and selfish in how she sees LF, nothing new. LJ was being especially rotten this chapter but i'm excited to keep reading

18: LF got her hand mangled by a mallet as punishment, but SR remains her companion and helps her heal physically and emotionally. SR inspires the will to live back in LF and LF decides she cannot live in her slavery the way she's been living, and that things must change for her. this poor girl's freedom has been ripped away from her more times than she's even gotten to live as a kid :(( i love little flowerrr

17: this book is breaking me, putting me back together with shitty glue, and then ripping me apart all over again. LF escaped through this christian family housing her for two weeks, and then she goes on this carriage ride to what we think is her final escape, but she is back at the house she was sold to. we still don't know if she was found out or if the family betrayed her, but the scene is equally devastating.