ABSTRACT
Moon Lady was consoled by finding that all her old friends had not deserted her. One day, Tai Arl encountered Tong in the town. The reader remembers that this man had formerly been manager of Hsi Men's pawnshop and was now an assistant in Chao's pawnshop. Tong enquired solicitously after his erstwhile mistress. Touched by her sad plight, he sent his wife to Moon Lady with a large basket of food. Moon Lady was much moved by his kindness. Moon Lady had just returned home with her child and Little Jewel after visiting the various family burial grounds. Tai Arl was sitting, as usual, in front of the ruins of the outer gate, by the side of his vegetarian cook-shop, which he had set up there in order to earn a few strings of copper cash. Moon Lady's brave words so infuriated Master Wu that he dropped the mask of friendliness and subjected her to the finger-press.
