The chapter opens with a description of a restaurant in the town of Dingxiang. The owner of the restaurant, Mr. Chen, is a hardworking man who treats his employees well. He is also kind to his daughter , who has just had a terrible dream. The waiter, shengzi, tries to help the girl, but the girl is afraid of the dream again. She decides to put the dead snails in her ears, which is believed to be a sign of the dead spirit. She tries to get the snails out of the water, but they are too small for her ears. She takes a shot at the snails, and the room is filled with silence. .