Quan and Bien discuss what Bien will do. Quan wants him to return to their village; Bien refuses on the grounds that he would be shamed. As a favor, Quan offers to send him to another unit for an undisclosed special mission. They eat, and Quan sees Bien “as he used to be” (109). Afterwards, Quan returns to the village alone.

On his journey home, Quan remembers meeting his father for the first time, and the subsequent turmoil in his home as his parents fought. He recalls his own relationship with his father, which is not particularly loving or strong. Upon returning home, Quan sees that his father lives in squalor, as Quan’s deceased mother did all of the work on the house. Quan also visits Luong’s family and learns from them that his younger brother, Quang, has been killed.

The following day, Bien’s mother visits Quan. Quan continues learning updates about people he used to know in the village, particularly young women he and his friends knew and had feelings for in the past. While Quan has dinner with Bien’s family, a secretary of the Party drops by and asks Quan to speak at a Party meeting.