The story opens in the evening at the Bai family home in Shanghai, where Fourth Master Bai is playing the huqin, a bowed string instrument. Mrs. Xu, a matchmaker, arrives with a message that Sixth Sister’s ex-husband has died of pneumonia. Third and Fourth Master discuss how the dead man’s family wants Sixth Sister, Bai Liusu, to go mourn for him, but she refuses as they are divorced. Fourth Mistress says that Sixth Sister is bad luck because her ex-husband spent all his money and now that she is back in the Bai family home, the Bais are going bankrupt as well. Liusu, her brothers, and her sister-in-law argue, and Liusu storms out to go to speak with her mother, Old Mrs. Bai. Her mother tells her that she should be understanding of her sister-in-law, Fourth Mistress, because her husband spent money on gambling and sex workers, stole from the family, and cannot work because he is sick. As a result, Third Sister-in-law, her third brother’s wife, now runs the house. Her mother advises Liusu to go back to her ex-husband’s family because the household is short on money. Then, Fourth Mistress arrives to tell Old Mrs.