Summary

The following morning, Madame Wu resolves to choose the concubine for her husband as soon as possible. She sends for Liu Ma, an elderly woman who brokers matches (both marital and sexual) between men and women. When she arrives, Madame Wu tells her the sort of girl she is looking for and demands that the new concubine should be found as soon as possible. Liu Ma eagerly tells her that she knows of just the girl, and as the result of her enthusiasm, Madame W demands that Liu Ma to bring the girl to the house that night.

After Liu Ma leaves, Madame Wu reflects on her relationship with her father-in-law (Old Gentleman), an intellectual with conservative views about women (i.e. that their bodies are more important than their minds) but who nevertheless recognized the power and the value of Madame Wu’s...