Autumn: September, 1938 Summary

Autumn shows itself in Matsu's garden, and it's in early September that Matsu discovers a "Kerria" plant, thought to be a sign of good luck when blooming so late in the year. Stephen asks if Matsu believes there will be good luck and Matsu replies, "As long as we don't have any bad luck", Stephen has learned that Keiko's family has gone to visit her mother's family. While Stephen is walking along the beach, he sees Keiko. She tells him she'd hoped to meet up with him and then says she won't be able to see him anymore. When he presses for a reason, she tells him that her brother was killed fighting the Chinese. While Stephen feels for Keiko's family, he wonders if her parents are grieving for the families of Chinese soldiers killed in the war. Stephen admits to...