Book Two Summary and Analysis

"Book Two. In Service," begins with a chapter titled, "With the Military Officials, 1889-1896." In this chapter, Lao obtains a position with Major Liu and his family, including children from his first marriage and his second wife. While there, Mantze contracts smallpox and is near death. Major Liu's family has been vaccinated and Mantze and Lao are given the food necessary to help Mantze recover as well as the time away from her duties for Lao to nurse her child. Her life with Major Liu and his family is happy overall. She says there are many young servants in the household and that, coupled with the fact that their employers are generally easy-going and kind, makes her life easier than that of some other servants, though Lao isn't happy because she is often scolded. The oldest son of the...