Summary

The Wu household receives word that Tsemo is coming for a visit. Madame and Mr. Wu meet for the first time in months and make plans to welcome him, Madame Wu noticing how well Mr. Wu seems since Jasmine came into the family. Together they send for their fourth son, Yenmo, to return from the family farm/business where he had been living for the past few years: when he arrives, Madame Wu is surprised and pleased to see how strong and well he seems.

When Tsemo arrives, he greets his mother formally, and is surprised to see how calm, quiet, and beautiful Rulan seems. The couple spends ten days together, feasting and celebrations going on around them. Throughout it all, and in spite of Tsemo’s insistence on talking about the impending war, Madame Wu remains quiet and thoughtful, thinking of how, through...