Chapters 7 and 8 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 7: Family Reunion

Aunt Baba, Ye Ye, Third Brother and Little Sister, who had all stayed behind in Tianjin, arrived to rejoin the rest of the family in Shanghai on October 1st. Everyone was vying for Little Sister's attention, since she was precocious and adorable and looked like a big doll. Little Sister had grown close to Aunt Baba and had been away from her real mother, Niang, so long that she didn't know her.

When Niang tried to pick Little Sister up, she told Niang that she didn't like her and to go away. But Niang persisted and picked up Little Sister, who howled and tried to get away, begging Aunt Baba to take her. The baby pulled on Niang's necklace and broke it, making the precious pearls roll all over the floor. Niang lost her patience and...