Ma (the narrator) and Luo return to Four Eyes after visiting the miller and hearing and recording his mountain songs. All three of them are excited, Four Eyes because these songs could be his way off of the mountain and Luo and Ma because they are going to gain access to Four Eyes collection of books. When Four Eyes reads the songs however this mood changes, Four Eyes becomes angry because these songs are the kind of thing that could get you thrown in jail. Four Eyes then refuses to give Luo and Ma the book he promised them.
The three boys are standing in Four Eyes’ kitchen and Four Eyes is scolding them for bringing him useless drivel. When Luo and Ma are told to leave, they for the books they were promised and as Four Eyes tells them he won’t give them any books, he suddenly realizes something. He realizes that he could reword and alter these smutty songs into something of use and he becomes happy again as he realizes that these stories are again his ticket off of the mountain. As Four Eyes reads his reworded version of one of the miller’s songs Ma lunges at him trying to grab for the paper and in the process punches Four Eyes in the face. This meant that they would not be rewarded with books for their work.
This scene from the book shows how the one book that Four Eyes let them borrow, gave them an unquenchable thirst for these forbidden books. After reading Balzac they could not stop they wanted to read more of these western authors. Their love for books is an important part of the plot as it fuels the main conflict of the book.
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