Ling was a 25-years old woman. Her life was dispirited by smoking opium.

She lived in Qing dynasty, the last dynasty before the People of Republic of China founded.

Qing dynasty was on the opium war, the Britain's invasion of China.

Britain exported a huge amount of opium which is addicted and make people weak to China in order to take the advantage of the war.

Qing spent all the money from her father on opium, so her life became dispirited.