describe niang

Niang establishes her as the de facto head of the household by the time the family moves to Beijing, setting a clear separation between her natural born children and her adopted ones. This leads to conflict with Father's first four children, with power imbalance and manipulation rendering the conflict toothless. The main dissenter to Niang's power is Adeline, who stands up against the injustices she perceives, unlike her other siblings. However, Adeline is still very much conscious of the power Niang holds over her Father. While she outwardly expresses respect and deference to the natural head of the household, Ye Ye, for the sake of Father's feelings, their relationship is a frigid one. Likewise, she sees Aunt Baba as a threat, after an incident with Little Sister on the first night in Beijing, and does her best to remove her influence from the household. Niang's personality is fairly static throughout the novel, permanently the antagonist to Adeline's story.