It's been ten years since the novel opens. The narrator tells us that the narrator has been living in the city for that long. He's a master of the family, and he's sneaking into the family's house at night. He tells the narrator that his mother is dead, and that she faked her death so that the family wouldn't be pursued. He also tells the story of how the family thought they were going to have a happy life together, but then they gave up their wealth and moved to the countryside. The family didn't want to be pursued, so they pretended to be dead. The only way to get away from the family was to fake their own deaths. So, the narrator explains, he faked his own death to keep the family from being pursued. Now, the family doesn't have as many connections in the capital as they used to, so he needs time to get rid of all the people who are related to the family. He explains that he thought the family would not return for a long time, but now that they're back together, no one can harm him. He adds that the sheng people are still here, but that they shouldn't worry, because the family is still there with him by her side. He asks the narrator how he can tell her that her daughter isn't there. He says that she'