One moon cycle into their silk-reeling apprenticeship, Little Flower and Linjing work in the Chan Village factory under harsh conditions. Steam, boiling silkworms, and constant water exposure have left Little Flower’s hands raw and inflamed.

When Linjing leaves her station unattended again, Little Flower notices cocoons have stopped moving in the water bath, which will cause quality failures. She switches off Linjing’s machine and replaces the spent cocoons from her own supplies. When Linjing returns unconcerned, Little Flower points out defective cocoons in her basket and discards them. Having reached her limit, she resolves to end her servitude.

Noble Siu Je, the factory’s proprietor, approaches and orders Little Flower outside. He informs her that her apprenticeship must end because he cannot employ workers with physical disabilities. She defends herself, explaining her injury is old and she has since retrained her other fingers. Noble offers her a lower-paying job in the worm-rearing room, but she argues she is already managing three reels—progress her superior, Madam Sapphire, considers excellent. Appealing to the factory’s reputation for fairness, she asks to prove herself through results. Noble reluctantly agrees but warns he will not be lenient again. Little Flower returns to work with her resolve to stop serving Linjing strengthened, though she feels conflicted about breaking promises to Lady Fong and her own mother.