The past gets in the way of present and future possibilities, yet without it, what hope is there for self-knowing and wisdom? These questions are explored in Yeo Wei Wei's transcreation and adaptation of Soon Ai Ling's stories. Characters are caught up in private fantasies as they strive for freedom to love, freedom from fate. A multi-generational family mourns the mysterious disappearance of a flamboyant uncle with vampiric complexion. A teacher looks forward to her reunion with an apprentice whom she has adored for decades and secretly worships as a reincarnated goddess of Chinese embroidery. A teenager tries to save her baby by hugging a vending machine and refusing to give birth. CONTENTS: PART 1: ADAPTATIONS Clan; The Phoenix of Big House; Table Manners; Dreaming of Madam Bai and Her Noble Peacocks PART 2: TRANCREATIONS Batik Rondo; The Talented Chef Tham; Opera; The Jade Around My Neck; Possession Soon Ai Ling is a native of Huiyang, Guangdong. She holds a bachelor's degree in Chinese Language and Literature from Nanyang University, Singapore (1971), and a PhD from the University of Hong Kong (1995). Soon is an award-winning author of several novels and anthologies. Her works have been translated into Japanese, English and Malay. She was a lecturer at the Hong Kong Institute of Education (1997-2005) and the National Institute of Education at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (2006-2013). At present, she is a guest lecturer at the Education University of Hong Kong and NTU Singapore. Yeo Wei Wei is a writer and translator based in Singapore. Her short stories have been longlisted in the Commonwealth Short Story Prize (2021) and Glimmer Train (2013). She holds a MA in Creative Writing (Prose Fiction) from the University of East Anglia.