“When the spring breaks the ice in the Mississippi River, I get up at 5:00 a.m. to row. The river is veiled with mist, and the water foams and whirls with driftwoods after a heavy rain. Woosh, the boat dashes like a long-legged insect, cutting the water in a straight line. Her grandmother used to sing to her: “Life is a river running to the sea, taking in every stream and every drop of rain along its way. But a neighborhood friend had an illicit copy of “The Little Mermaid.” Ping was smitten.

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Persons: ”, “, Wang Ping, ” Ping Organizations: driftwoods, . Locations: Mississippi, Shanghai, East