Summary
The chapter started with Ruth realizing Mr Tang was in love with Luling. Then she began describing Mr Tang's appearance. Mr Tang then asked Ruth if she would mail him a photo of Luling so he could better translate the manuscript.While Mr Tang translated the mauscript, Ruth stayed with Luling while Art was in Hawaii. Before he left, Art tried to ask Ruth if anything was wrong but Ruth kept insisitng nothing was wrong even though there were problems.
When Luling wondered why Ruth was staying with her, Ruth pretended that she needed Luling's help on a book.During her stay there, Ruth listened to her mother's stories about Gaoling and the neighbours. They also began their talks with ghosts with the old sandtray.
Ruth realizes she feels better without Art and Wendy tells Ruth that she's just worn out.One night art came over for dinner and he wanted to have sex with Ruth but she said no. Dory asked Ruth to go back home because they missed her. But instead they went to stay over with Ruth and had a girls' night.
Mr Tang has finished translating the manuscript and Ruth insivted him over for dinner. Luling acted shy and girlish around Mr Tang. Mr Tang and Luling begin talking about her past. When Ruth read the mauscript, she uncovered many of her mother's secrets.
She called Art up to tell him about the manuscript and Art began talking about their relationship and Art began paying more attention to Ruth.Then they both had a solution to solve Luling's problem. They both decided to send her to a home.But the had to come up with a scheme first.
They managed to trick Luling into living there. It was expensive and nice, exactly something Luling would fancy. So Luling agreed to move in without knowing it was a home and Ruth moved back with Art.
Themes
Luling's past-uncovering it, Ruth finding out that What Luling said about her age and that Gaoling was not her sister was true.
Mother-daughter relationship-Ruth moved in to tay with Luling, she spent more time with Luling.
mother-daughter relationship-ruth, fia and Dory. though they weren't Ruth's children, she loved them and they grew closer and inspite of them spiteing Ruth before, they missed her when she left.
Ruth and art's relationship-Art and ruth finally work TOGETHER on Luling's problem and Art finally bothered to be take care of Luling.
Character Analysis
Ruth:
forgiving-Even when she was mad at Art for being insensitive towards her, she never threw a tantrum and when Art finally realized that the two of them were partners and they shared good and bad together, Ruth was willing to hear him out and they worked together to help Luling.
Loving-She loved Luling very much but just as she decides to get closer to her mother, she's afraid she might lose her to a disease.
Art:
sensitive-He began noticing that Ruth needed to be paid attention and he realized that they were partners. He began treating her better and sharing Ruth's life with her.
Luling:
perceptive- She knew something was wrong when Ruth moved in to stay with her.
girlish- she got shy around Mr Tang, jsut like a little girl did in the presence of a boy
Most memorable moment
When Dory and Fia went to stay over with Ruth. At the beginning of the story, they seemed to be fighting with Ruth but now that she's away, they miss her.
Favourite Quotes
1)For the first time in a long while, she felt safe
2)What Luling had said...whatever was being served
3)'I didn't know what i was going to lose until you moved out'
Questions
Was Ruth using Luling's house as a refuge from all her problems?
If she was then wouldn't it be the opposite of what she thought her house was? She used to hate Luling being around and now she wanted to go back?
