Chapters 16 & 17

Summary

When Yiku dies Weili is already seven months pregnant and therefore unable to prevent another innocent child from coming into the world of Wen Fu. On the birth of WeiliÂ’s son, Hulan comments that he looks just like his father, Wen Fu. But Weili insists that his personality and appearance has no trace of his father.

On WeiliÂ’s coming back home after her delivery she is shocked to find a young woman on her bed. Instead of complaining to Wen Fu, Weili allows Wen FuÂ’s concubine Min to stay in the house. Weili feels that Min could provide her the much-needed distance from her husband. Now, each night Wen Fu goes to Min for satisfying his sexual urges and this enables Weili to get a fitful sleep. Weili even befriends Min, who turns out to be a kind-hearted girl with a great appetite. She even helps Weili to take care of Danru. Weili teaches her all the refined manners of a lady, while Min teaches her different dance forms, fox trot, lindy hop, and tango. One also learns that Wen Fu, who has lost the job of a pilot after the accident, has been assigned a job in radio communications.

HulanÂ’s eyesight is very weak and Weili compels her to wear glasses. So she and Danru accompany Hulan to buy her a pair of glasses. The glasses improve her vision and Hulan now feels great about herself. Wen Fu and Jiaguo are sent to Chungking for military purposes. Jiaguo writes a letter to Hulan from Chungking. But Hulan, being uneducated, cannot read the letter and asks Weili to read it aloud for her. Weili begins to read the letter, but Hulan snatches the letter when she starts reading about something that Hulan had kept a secret from her. But Weili manages to read it before Hulan snatches the paper, but Hulan does not realize this. Weili now realizes that the marriage between Jiaguo and Hulan has not yet been consummated i.e. it is a sexless marriage.

On the political front, the Chinese army is weaker than the rival, the Japanese. They plunder more and more Chinese cities and even the city of Kunming where Weili and Hulan stay, is not very safe. In one of the powerful Japanese air attacks, Weili gets separated from the rest. The attack results in the death of many people. Weili panics for the safety of her son Danru and is greatly relieved to find him safe with Auntie Du and Hulan. In her fear of losing Danru, Weili makes umpteen promises to God - one of them being that she will always be a loyal friend to Hulan - Hulan hears her making the promises.

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