One of the things we always talk about when reading Ha Jin is that there is a lesson in each story. I think that the lesson in Flame occurs at the end, specifically with this sentence, “If you have power, you can always get the best stuff free.” The main question remaining in the story is whether or not Hsu Peng was ever going to visit Nimei. Him not showing up after all of the work she did and only sending food could either be a nice gesture, or a way to show her what she has missed out on all these years. Based on what we know about Hsu Peng, he seemed extremely upset when Nimei had to break it off with him – which means I could see him being vengeful. However, it doesn’t make a lot of sense why he would wait so long to reach out to her. With that being said, there is a common saying that “revenge is a dish best served cold.”
Out of all the stories we’ve read, this one leaves with the most questions to be answered. The question of what power can mean for others is important to consider.