In this chapter, we learn that the protagonist's mother refuses to eat with the family because she opposes the family's decision to withdraw from the cooking competition. The protagonist tries to explain that his mother's refusal is not his fault, but that he cannot join the competition because he does not want to destroy his "cash cow" . He asks his mother to sing Zheming's songs, but she refuses, saying that she cannot do so because she is unable to adapt the songs to her own tastes. He tells her that she is taking her side, and that it is too late for her to change her tune