Part 3, Chapter 3 Summary

Lin arrives in Goose Village to find Hua, who is now eighteen, and cooking up donkey meat for her Uncle Bensheng. His only donkey died and he is trying to make some money back selling the carcass, wheeling and dealing with the villagers in Lin's house. Lin tells them he has come for his daughter, and Bensheng and Hua insist that they are still one family and ask him to come eat with them. Hua has been staying with her uncle's family. Although Lin is irritated with Bensheng, who has caused him so much trouble with his interference over the years, he realizes he might need his help to sell the property in Goose Village and bring Hua back to the city.

At dinner, Bensheng tells Lin there is a prospective buyer, but he wants to pay much less than what...