To Jing-mei's mother, America is the Land of Opportunity. She has high hopes that her daughter will be a great success as a prodigy. She's not precisely sure where her daughter's talents lie, but she is sure that her daughter possesses great ability — it is simply a matter of finding the right avenue for Jing-mei's talents. First, Mrs. Woo tries to mold her daughter into a child actress, but that doesn't work. Then she tries intellectual tests clipped from popular magazines. Jing-mei doesn't show promise in this area, either. Finally, Mrs. Woo hits upon the answer: Jing-mei will be a piano virtuoso.
Mrs. Woo trades housecleaning services for Jing-mei's piano lessons from Mr. Chong, an elderly piano teacher, who is deaf and whose eyes are too weak to tell when Jing-mei is playing the wrong notes. Mr. Chong's efforts are so sincere that Jing-mei picks up the basics, but she is so determined not to cooperate that she plays very badly.
One day, the Woos meet Lindo Jong and her daughter Waverly. Mrs. Jong brags about Waverly's success as a chess prodigy. Not to be outdone, Jing-mei's mother brags about her daughter's "natural pride," and the young girl immediately becomes even more determined than ever to thwart her mother's ambitions.
