Loey Tsing, the first love of Chan Wang, is sold into slavery by her father. Although Chan marries another, he still loves Loey; only the birth of a son relieves his unhappiness. He adores little Chan Toy even though he finds nothing to like about his wife.

"All of the lure of the land of the poppy. Fascinating in its dramatical intensity and telling a story of love, devotion and revenge, from the slave market of the Hoang-Ho to San Francisco's Chinatown, the story weaves its picturesque way"