“An Entrepreneur’s Story” in Ha Jin’s The Bridegroom is told from the perspective of a man known as Liu living in China. He describes how different people changed how they felt about him and how they treated him as he became more successful. I think that Ha Jin is trying to point out how superficial society is and that money really can be everything (at least to some people). Liu has a crush on a woman named Manshan and pleads with the matchmaker to set them up. Manshan’s mother, however, despises Liu. She does not see him as worthy of her daughter. Liu has a criminal history due to a corrupt business partnership. He is also fairly poor and couldn’t pass the college entrance exams. This led to him being employed at a construction company. After following Manshan to night college and her rejecting him, he decided to leave his job and make it oh his own. The same law that caused him to be incarcerated was now lifted and he began upselling clothes; this turned out to be a successful business venture. It was around this time that he noticed people acting strange. “The people around you change their attitudes toward you.” (p. 120) Suddenly, young people were respecting him and women were flirting with him. Even Manshan’s mother begged the matchmaker to have Liu marry her daughter. He said yes because he still loved her. I found it strange that the story ended on him not being able to impregnate Manshan, but now I think I realize what Ha Jin was trying to say. Manshan and Liu became business partners. He wants to have a family but is too focused on making money, because that is what caused everyone to treat him well in the first place. It could be stress making it difficult for him to procreate.