Questions for: SHENG AND XIAO CHEN (Meri Lin's parents)
[Sheng to SHO!:] "Guilty" is not the right word. "Sadness" fits better.
[Xiao Chen to SHO!:] I agree. I regret that our circumstances separated us from our daughter and our new granddaughter. I wish we could have held her in our arms. But no, "guilty" is not a word I would use. What blame should we be accepting for this?
[Sheng to SHO!:] Fred doesn't have anything to do with why we're not there. We are not rich people, and tickets to New York from China do not grow on trees. As for Fred, I have always imagined he represents a rebellious phase for Lin. Perhaps she will mature someday.
[Xiao Chen to SHO!:] I agree. If I could help my daughter, I would not hesitate whatsoever, and if you think Fred has anything to do with why we're not there, you've misunderstood. Fred seems like a good man, but I do not think Lin is in love with him. She's still a child. I ache for my daughter's loss and am deeply saddened by the idea that I might never meet her now, but I am helpless to give her any comfort.
[Sheng to SHO!:] Candied yams.
[Xiao Chen to SHO!:] Birthday cake.