71 pages 2 hours read

Grace Lin

When the Sea Turned to Silver

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2016

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Chapters 42- 59

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 42 Summary

Haiyi’s employers, an opulently dressed man and woman, return home to find Haiyi admitted “beggars” into the house. Enraged, the man begins to beat Haiyi. Pinmei steps in front of Haiyi, revealing the jade bracelet. The man’s and woman’s eyes fixate greedily on the bracelet. To protect Haiyi, Pinmei offers them Amah’s bracelet in exchange for their promise to leave Pinmei, Yishan, and Lady Meng alone and never harm Haiyi again. After the employers accept the bracelet, Haiyi wipes her face with Pinmei’s handkerchief, causing her scars to vanish. With shock, Pinmei realizes that the handkerchief is actually the Paper of Answers.

Chapter 43 Summary

When Haiyi’s employers discover that her scars have disappeared, they seize the Paper of Answers and attempt to rub it over their faces, hoping for a similar transformation. Instead of healing their scars, the Paper turns them into monkeys. Haiyi shoos them out of the house.

Chapter 44 Summary

Haiyi informs the group that the emperor has departed, allowing them to leave the city. Lady Meng decides to head to the Vast Wall to search for her husband. Yishan and Pinmei are uncertain about their next steps. Pinmei recalls the emperor mentioning to the king that the Luminous Stone is located at Sea Bottom.