The scene opens with a conversation between the father and son. The father explains that the marriage of his daughter and the son of the family has taken place. He says that he was not present on the day of the wedding, and that the family did not know about the marriage. He tells his son that he refused to let his daughter marry into the family because she was ungrateful to him. Now, he says, she will not be able to marry as a "concubine" because she has married into the "shang family." The father asks his son what his plan is for the dinner that night. The son says he wants to be the hostess of the dinner.