October 3, 1867.
Mbeya, Yinay Village.
Ayiguli Yafu is preparing breakfast for her husband and herself.
Ayiguli Yafu is an Armenian, bought by Arab slave traders from Ottoman nobles and sold to the East African colonies.
She was awarded as a "prize" to Zhao Yizhan, recognized as a model soldier by the colonial government.
Zhao Yizhan is a Chinese immigrant, among the first to arrive in Mbeya, part of the initial group of Chinese immigrant soldiers organized by the colony.
Initially, there were a hundred in Zhao Yizhan's group, but only ninety-seven survived the harsh journey to Mbeya; three of his comrades fell along the way.
Later, Mbeya became the capital of the upper Lake Malawi region, and the East African colonial government established villages within the colonial borders to develop the land.
Yinay Village was established near Mbeya, and Zhao Yizhan, as an old team member, was assigned there and became part of the village's security team.
