After the death of Adeline’s father, the family gathers in Hong Kong for the funeral, then congregates once again for the reading of his will. This moment is a return to the opening scene of the prologue wherein Niang proclaims that there is nothing for her children to inherit. The siblings learn that Niang has transferred all of their father’s money into her own account and seized all of his international assets.

That night, Lydia and Adeline engage in a heated argument at the hotel. In the argument, Lydia accuses Adeline of helping her son more than her daughter “because he’s young and handsome” (238). Enraged, Adeline vows to “sever this kinship with one whack of the knife” (238).

Tai-way and Tai-ling stay in touch with Adeline despite her parting ways with their mother. In 1989, Tai-ling invites Adeline to her wedding in St. Paul, Minnesota. The wedding is filled with strange back-and-forth communication with Lydia—who still claims Tai-ling feels slighted for not receiving as much financial support as Tai-way—and Tai-way—who tells Adeline that Niang disapproved of Adeline coming to the wedding. Adeline is confused by Tai-way’s words and perceives them as a red flag.

At the pre-wedding luncheon, Adeline asks

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