Who is Pao from Women of the Silk and what is their importance?

Pao was the father of the main character, Pei. His family was descended from the Hakka tribe. Due to this genetic variation, Pao was considerably larger than the average Chinese man and had larger features as well. Pao was a complex character. He was rough at times and at other times his character could be viewed as sentimental. It was difficult for other characters to understand Pao because he avoided communication. He chose to say very little and did not share his feelings.