The narrator introduces us to a new member of the family, an "anqiao" , who has just arrived at the family home. We learn that anqiao's mother used to be a famous actress, but her career took a turn for the worse when she was forced to marry into the "chu family" . The narrator tells us that this is because an "insensible girl" like chufei yuan is constantly being forced to choose between her own desires and those of her mother.