The farmer's wife comes to the house and demands to know why the farmer is not at home. The farmer tells her that he has to face his son-in-law, who has just returned from a trip to Europe. He says that he feels guilty for not being able to help his son, but that he is glad that his son is back. He tells his wife that she can use the east room of the house, which is next to the bedroom where her husband is sleeping. He explains that he used to be a good cook and that it is nice to have someone else's help. He also says that his aunt has spread the word about how happy he is to be back, and that the farmer has done a good job of pest-control netting the fields. He complains that the farmers are old, frail, and can't do the work they used to do. He wants to help, but he has blisters on his feet. He asks his wife to clean up the house before he goes back to Europe, but she says that she doesn't want to do so before her husband returns.