Granny Lin
Comrade Lin Mei, also known as Granny Lin, is a retiree in the story "Extra" who retires from the Beijing Red Star Garment Factory, which is an industrialized factory. She decides to marry someone for support, or eventually for inheritance, but when she meets Old Tang, she finds she truly loves him. He is delusional and Granny Lin thinks maybe he thinks she is Sujane, his deceased wife.
Mr. and Mrs. Su
These first cousins decided to get married and start a family, but their inbreeding leads to the birth of a child with serious defects and impairments, including mental handicaps and cerebral palsy. They are severely unhappy and dysfunctional, and when they reach different conclusions about trying for a second child, they reach their wits end. Their story is "After a Life."
Miss Casablanca
Sansan is called Miss Casablanca by her students, because they resent her for making them watch the old movie over and over again instead of teaching the class. Sansan's past is deeply troubled, and she was heartbroken by a lover who breaks up with his wife to be with her, but then leaves Sansan too. Miss Casablanca struggles to work through these emotional burdens, but her students don't understand how much she's up against.
Han
In the story "Son," Han is a "diamond bachelor," his mom would say, but he doesn't plan to settle down. He is focused on a different kind of success. As a US citizen and a business person, he has other options besides regular Chinese life. When his mother invites him to church, he reveals he has long-lasting drama between himself and religion, and the story ends with him admitting to his mother that he is gay.
