The narrator tells us that he's happy to see his old friend back. He's glad to see him, because he thinks he'll be able to clean up the mess that's been created by his mother-in-law's divorce. The narrator is also happy to meet the new Mrs. Yin, because she's just as annoying as the old Mrs. Gu xi , and the two of them are going to have a little tiff at the family's upcoming birthday party. Mr. Yin tells the narrator that he can't argue with the old woman, because the party is a family affair, and it's best not to get involved. He also reminds the old lady that she should stay out of the business of the party, since she is a servant. The old lady, he says, is the one who's causing all the trouble, and she shouldn't have to lecture her son about how to behave in front of other people. She's the one causing all of this mess, and he should just calm down and stop acting like a jerk. He doesn't deserve to lecture his son about manners, he tells him. He says that his mother never took his family seriously, and that she gave him the invitation to the party because she didn't want to get into trouble. He tells his son to go ahead and do whatever he wants with his life, since this is his mother's birthday party, and if you're not having a good time, you should just go away and enjoy the party.