To her mother (An-mei), Rose reveals that her marriage is falling apart. Paralyzed with grief and indecision, Rose can do nothing but weep. An-mei understands that by refusing to do something decisive about this problem, Rose is, in effect, choosing to do nothing. She knows that her daughter must make a choice: Rose must try to assert herself or she will lose her chance forever. An-mei understands this character flaw because she herself was taught to demand nothing for herself.
An-mei remembers sixty years ago, when she first saw her mother. An-mei's mother had returned home when her own mother, Popo, lay dying. After Popo died, An-mei's mother prepared to leave. On the eve of her departure, she told An-mei a story from her childhood, when she was a little girl about An-mei's age. Her mother, Popo, told her that she could no longer be a child. From this experience, An-mei's mother learned that it is useless to cry, for tears only feed someone else's joy.
On the morning of her departure, An-mei's mother suddenly takes An-mei with her. On the long journey, she entertains the little girl with stories about the wonders that the child will encounter. On the morning of their arrival, An-mei's mother shocks her daughter by discarding her white mourning dress for Western-style clothes. She has a fine dress for An-mei, too, and explains that they will live in the home of Wu Tsing, a rich merchant.
Despite her description of the wealth that awaits them, An-mei is stunned by the lavish Western-style house and by the scores of servants that she sees. She learns about First Wife, Second Wife, Third Wife, and about her mother — Fourth Wife. At first, little An-mei is delighted by her new home, but about two weeks later, she begins to understand her mother's lack of status in this new household.
