Mr. Lan tells Duan that he is excited about the future. He tells him that there are soldiers outside. Duan tells him not to be afraid. He runs outside to find Duan, who has not changed. He washes Duan's clothes and gives him a peach embroidered by Duan. He thinks that Duan is a good runner and that he can be his first wife. He says that he cannot marry Duan because the family does not accept baiding, which is a common folk term for a commoner to marry an upper-class woman. He asks Duan to prepare dinner, and Duan says he will read the newspaper instead of the poem Duan has been reading. He goes on to say that when he grows up, he will also be cultured like his father. He explains that his father wanted him to go to Europe to study law and become a politician, but Duan begged him to send him to Japan to study weaving so that he could follow his passion. He apologizes for the delay, but says he still wants to start his own factory.