The chapter opens with a soliloquy by the narrator, in which he says that he would have left the "dirty place already" if it weren't for the "yun" family. He says that if he were to get rid of xixi, he'd become the "noble lady" of the "sunny" yun family, and that he'll help him get the sunny family if he says yes. He adds that the yuns aren't as rich as the "yin" family, but that they're "sort of big names" in the "cultural circle" . The narrator says that this can help his mother "yield and readmit" xi, and he asks her if she knows that her lack of confidence is holding her back. She says that she doesn't, and asks if she should ask "yin sichen" for help, since he's not as useless as she thinks he is. She asks him if he would be willing to "call you guys dad" and "mom" , and then asks him to tell his mother that he has promised her a job position and that she's accepted to be his daughter. He tells her that he will call her dad and mom, and they agree that he is their son-in-law. They decide to take their leave, and the