Summary

On their way to Alabama, the Wang family stopped at the home of one of Charles Wang's oldest friends in America, a man called Nash, who was a professor of Chinese Studies in California but who had since moved back to his family's home outside of New Orleans to run the family landholdings and try to keep them afloat. Nash invited the Wangs to a family wedding, a casual affair at a bayou shack, where Charles was able to sate himself on crawfish, and his children drank too much bourbon. During the meal, Grace insulted Andrew's masculinity by hinting at his virginity while Charles gave him advice on how to talk to women, driving Andrew away from the family's table.

The narrative then flashes back to the time when Nash met Charles in San Gabriel Valley, California. The two were friends, and Charles...