Ly(b.1973)had a similar home situation in Kien Thuy,Hai Phong: I'm the oldest.After me there are three more sisters and one brother.I should have had two brothers,but one of them died from illness at the age of six.My parents did agricultural work;later on there was not enough land to feed five children,so we also ran market errands and engaged in petty trade on the side.With a weak constitution since an early age,my father could not perform hard work or work for too long.It was mainly my mother who steered the houschold ship,and I was the one who helped her the most.From a young age I did all sorts of things:planting seasonal crops,single-handedly raising a few pigs,finding greens and bran and cooking them,and feeding and washing the pigs....When there was any free time I would help my mother with market errands,sometimes running rice for bran(buying paddy rice and then selling unhusked rice). using the profit to feed the pigs,sometimes buying vegetables and greens from the hamlet to sell at the market. Thanh (b.1974),who hailed from Tien Yen,Quang Ninh,had worked as a seamstress in Mong Cai before coming to Wanwei in 2003.Her many siblings,driven by poverty,were scattered throughout the country and even abroad: My father died when I was eight years old.My family includes eight siblings,and I am the youngest.Being poor,my siblings all dispersed to make a living.My oldest brother and one sister live in Mong Cai.Two of my sisters live in Saigon.One sister lives in Hai Phong.Another crossed the border to Hong Kong and now lives in Canada.My mother lives with an older brother in Tien Yen.I went to Mong Cai to live with my siblings when I was seventeen.I learned to sew and did sewing for other people. Given their impoverished backgrounds,none of the women I interviewed had received a full education.Ha(b.195o)does not even remember whether she had ever gone to school: I remember only that I worked all day:never did I find myself going to school.There seemed to be some evening class that my older sisters at- tended.I just peeked in,and I can't recall how I got to know how to read and do basic arithmetic.My family was poor,and my parents also 420 Cross-Border Bridesùöô Cross-Border Brides Lý (b. 1973) had a similar home situation in Kiến Thuỵ, Hải Phòng: I’m the oldest. After me there are three more sisters and one brother. I should have had two brothers, but one of them died from illness at the age of six. My parents did agricultural work; later on there was not enough land to feed five children, so we also ran market errands and engaged in petty trade on the side. With a weak constitution since an early age, my father could not perform hard work or work for too long. It was mainly my mother who steered the household ship, and I was the one who helped her the most. From a young age I did all sorts of things: planting seasonal crops, single-handedly raising a few pigs, finding greens and bran and cooking them, and feeding and washing the pigs. . . . When there was any free time I would help my mother with market errands, sometimes running rice for bran (buying paddy rice and then selling unhusked rice), using the profit to feed the pigs, sometimes buying vegetables and greens from the hamlet to sell at the market. Thanh (b. 1974), who hailed from Tiên Yên, Quảng Ninh, had worked as a seamstress in Móng Cái before coming to Wanwei in 2003. Her many siblings, driven by poverty, were scattered throughout the country and even abroad: My father died when I was eight years old. My family includes eight siblings, and I am the youngest. Being poor, my siblings all dispersed to make a living. My oldest brother and one sister live in Móng Cái. Two of my sisters live in Saigon. One sister lives in Hải Phòng. Another crossed the border to Hong Kong and now lives in Canada. My mother lives with an older brother in Tiên Yên. I went to Móng Cái to live with my siblings when I was seventeen. I learned to sew and did sewing for other people. Given their impoverished backgrounds, none of the women I interviewed had received a full education. Hà (b. 1950) does not even remember whether she had ever gone to school: I remember only that I worked all day; never did I find myself going to school. There seemed to be some evening class that my older sisters at￾tended. I just peeked in, and I can’t recall how I got to know how to read and do basic arithmetic. My family was poor, and my parents also