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Her wounded hand held her back; its healing a slow, frustrating process.

One week passed, and she could barely curl her fingers.

But lying in bed all day was not an option.

Anyu bandaged her hand carefully and put on a pair of old-fashioned white gloves Aunt Katya gave her and returned to the counter.

Trusting her now, Esther permitted her to take out the trays to show the customers, but Anyu couldn’t focus, distracted by the pain in her finger.

She was clumsy and slow, and she even occasionally dropped things.

When she held a fork, her pencil, or the broom to sweep the floor, she had trouble gripping it.

When she slept, it was a shallow and uncomfortable doze interrupted by pain and discomfort—she was unable to roll over onto her right side.

Her mood darkened. She had lost a finger, but it was as though she had lost the flexibility of her body.

Determined to regain her dexterity, Anyu began a series of exercises to strengthen her fingers.

She flexed her right hand, tapping and running her fingers along the counter to ease their stiffness; she clenched her hand into a ball, then released it; she pinched repeatedly her thumb and forefinger to keep the blood flowing.

Isaac nodded at her when he saw her and occasionally asked how her hand was healing. His anger toward her had dissipated, and he looked calm and courteous, though a bit distant.

As long as he still cared about her, she could convince him to train her.

Days slipped by; the weather grew colder. The swift wind slashed through wilting magnolia and drooping gardenia bushes; the stands of myrtles shivered.

On the street, pedestrians hurried on, their backs hunched, their faces gloomy like the leaden autumn sky; even the loquacious street vendors selling barbecued squid and chicken hearts looked dispirited, their tongues tied.

The newspapers said Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, the head of the Nationalists, was engaged to the youngest daughter of the Soong family.

Another headline said that according to unconfirmed sources, several key members of the Japanese Kwantung Army, who were rumored to seek control of Manchuria from the warlord Zhang, had been invited to a banquet attended by the deposed Puyi (the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, who was said to have every intention of reinstating his reign in Manchuria).

The print of the news was large, sprawling like spiders.

Pulling tight her cotton-padded jacket, Anyu went to visit Confucius at the teahouse.

She had not seen him since he brought her home after she was shot, but she had been thinking about him since, grateful for his help.

Without him, she could have passed out on the street or died of blood loss.

And she would have denied it if anyone asked, but she liked him, the first and only young Chinese man she had befriended.

Anyu didn’t find Confucius at the teahouse—he had quit, the proprietor said. Confucius had not told her his home address, and she didn’t know how to find him.

At dinner, Esther, Isaac, and Uncle David were discussing finances again. Esther recited all the numbers, taxes, rent, protection fees, utility bills, food costs, gold and silver plate costs, and gemstone payments to Mr. Walters. The list went on, and the uncle let out a long sigh.

“Father, will you consider joining the competition?” Esther asked. “If your design wins, it’ll increase our shop’s visibility in the city and move the sales along.”

“What competition?” Anyu asked.

“The Annual Shanghai Jewelers Competition.”

“Esther is right about this,” Uncle David said. “What’s holding you back?”

“It’s too late to apply,” Isaac said.

“How about next year?”

“We’ll see.”

“I understand your reluctance, Isaac, but you’re in Shanghai. You’re safe here. No one knows about your background. You can start a new career as a renowned jeweler again.”

Isaac grimaced; his gaze fell to the ring on his hand.

“Isaac, I’m counting on you. The future of the House of Mandelburg is in your hands. You were the lead designer and your family’s chief jeweler. You can rebuild your family’s legacy in Shanghai.”

Isaac didn’t speak.

Anyu watched intently. There was something about Isaac she didn’t know.