The narrator tells us that the journey to the city of Chang'an is like a journey through time. It's a long way, but it's worth it. He compares the time to the seasons. He says that the city is the capital of the "jiang dynasty" , a period of Chinese history that ran from the time of the Ming Emperor to the present. The narrator compares the city to a pearl, which is a type of jewelry that's used by the wealthy in the northeast. He also says that his house has a bunch of real Eastern pearls, and he's sad that his mom doesn't like wearing them. He tells the narrator to be careful with his daughter's jewelry, since he'll be acting like a beggar.