The main character of Ties That Bind, Ties That Break is not yet five years old when the story begins. As young as she is, Ailin (the third sister in the family), knows she does not want her feet bound, although she does not truly understand the consequences of this decision. Her rebellion stems in large part from her spirited personality—but that rebellion, in terms of its effects, also shapes her personality in equal measure. As is normal for a Chinese girl in upper class Chinese society during the early 20th century, her fate is to be determined by others. She is ostracized for her decision both by her family and others; her future is much less certain after the Liu family breaks her engagement to Hanwei because she doesn’t have bound feet. As she gets older, she sees that her present status and her marriage prospects have both been irrevocably changed by her dislike for bound feet and by her father’s acquiescence to her decision not to go through the binding process.

While her father remains alive, she can go to school and dream of being a teacher. She is a natural mimic, which makes learning English easy for her.