Just as China is beginning to emerge from the clutches of the Cultural Revolution in 1976, a little girl is born. But Ling Choy Chung does not bring joy to her peasant family. The family needs boys who will grow up to be strong men to work on the farm. Grandpa shows his disappointment by torturing the little girl. Ling Choy's mother can no longer accept this abuse and leaves her at the Ping Chow Welfare Center, hoping the child can survive and maybe even thrive. Growing up in an orphanage presents a dark, miserable life for Ling, but she eventually learns that beauty and love can be found hidden in the nearby beautiful Tein Shen Mountains. Family Found in China follows Ling Choy from a toddler to a young adult as she finds a new home through the good graces of missionaries and gains a surrogate family, a future, and God. She didn't think she would get into much trouble for not answering when being called. But one older nurse lay in wait for her to emerge from hiding. She had been waiting just inside the bathroom, thinking that eventually Ling Choy would need to relieve herself. Upon entering the bathroom the woman made one quick grab and had Ling Choy by the arm and was dragging her back out the door toward a dirty pail of brown stuff. Naughty children always had to take their punishment from the dirty water pail