It is 1641.A woman in her early 20s stands at the door of one of the most prominent literary figures of the country, Qian Qianyi. She asks for an appointment with the master. Disguised in men's clothes and introducing herself as a young man, like Portia in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, she reads some of her poetry to Qian, showing through her verse a talent which leaves 60-year-old Qian impressed and seduced by the excellence of such a young poet.
Not before that moment—when she is admired as a writer—does she lift the edge of her clothes, intentionally revealing her
bound feet-and her identity as a woman. Qian soon asks her hand in marriage, making her a legendary figure in the field of
literature.
