The chapter opens with a flashback to the time before the fire, when the family was in turmoil. The narrator tells us that his parents blamed Cai Zhen's illness for the family's problems. He says that Cai Zhen was so ill that he was unable to work for the company, and that the company terminated all of its contracts with the family. The chapter ends with the narrator explaining that he is too ashamed to see his sister. He tells Cai Zhen that he will blame himself for his sister's troubles. Cai Zhen tells him that his father is getting old, and his health has gotten worse. He's worried about something, and Cai Zhen says that he won't ask him about it. The next step is for Cai Zhen to go to the dance school.