In this chapter, we are introduced to Madame Bovary's mother, Madame Guizhou, who is distraught over her son's death. She tells us that her son was poisoned by a drug that was "weird" and "controlled substance" and that the source of the drug was not "simple" but "not reliable." She tells her son that he should be calm and not to worry. She also tells him that she suspects that his wife, Madame Qu'an, is the one who poisoned him. Madame Gu'an tells her that she has found a "breakthrough" in the drug, which is highly addictive and needs constant use. The side effects of this drug can range from "sudden fainting" to "emotional loss to death" .