Preparation For The Next Life

Zou Lei tries to cover a coworker’s shift, but the coworker decides to come to work anyway. Zou Lei has concerns about which one of them will be paid for the shift, and her coworker accuses her of trying to trick her in some way. However, the pair eventually decides to work together and have a successful shift. Meanwhile, Skinner goes to a bar and begins talking about his fear that Zou Lei will be deported and his disillusionment with the United States government. The bartender suggests that he marry Zou Lei to help her gain her citizenship. Later, as Skinner and Zou Lei eat pizza along a river, Skinner tells Zou Lei about his new plan to marry her, and Zou Lei is extremely happy.

Zou Lei’s desire to help Skinner with his mental health becomes more urgent as the idea of marriage is introduced to their relationship. Zou Lei takes Skinner to a Chinese herbal medicine store; Skinner seems uninterested and very quiet, but he agrees that he needs some kind of help. Zou Lei explains to the pharmacist that Skinner is experiencing symptoms of shock from his experiences fighting the war in Iraq. The pharmacist, Mr. Jia, agrees that something is wrong with Skinner, but he insists on treating the “origin” of the problem instead of the symptoms. He tells Zou Lei that Skinner needs to purchase a $60 tea to drink every day; he also says that he will give Skinner a discount for his military service. Zou Lei is skeptical about the price, but Skinner reassures her that he isn’t worried about the cost. At the checkout, after Zou Lei asks about Skinner’s discount, the cashier tells her that it is only valid if she pays in cash.

Jimmy plays games at Freeney’s, a local bar, with some old friends from before he was incarcerated. Suddenly, a man that Jimmy does not recognize comes and speaks with him like he knows him. Uncomfortable with this, Jimmy goes to smoke in the back where it is quieter, as the patrons in the bar yell loudly over the music. One of Jimmy’s friends, Ray, comments that Jimmy has changed a lot in the 10 years that he was incarcerated. Jimmy speaks with a man named Stan, who claims that immigrants are to blame for the changes made to the local community. Back home, Skinner and Jimmy bump into each other in the kitchen, but they do not acknowledge each other.

Although Zou Lei attempts to learn Cantonese and the restaurant’s menu, Sassoon continues to treat Zou Lei poorly. When Sassoon sends her home early from work one day, Zou Lei decides to visit Skinner, who has spent the day staring at a wall. Zou Lei realizes that he is very depressed and that his mental health is quickly worsening. Zou Lei tries to convince Skinner to get a job so he is not stuck in the basement all day. Skinner quickly becomes angry with her and yells at her to “shut up,” which devastates Zou Lei; she leaves immediately. Zou Lei remains sad until Skinner convinces her to meet him four days later. Ultimately, they make up, but fights between them become more common as Skinner’s anger becomes more and more prevalent.

Meanwhile, Jimmy meets a convict whom he’d known while he was incarcerated, and the pair take some kind of controlled substance together. He talks with Ray and a woman named Vickie about his relationship with Vicky (the woman who lives in Mrs. Murphy’s rooming house, with whom Jimmy has a child—not the same person as Vickie). Jimmy explains that he is upset about something that Vicky did while he was incarcerated, and he explains that he wants to take his child away from Vicky.

One early morning, Patrick and Jimmy enter Skinner’s basement, stating that they need to check on the boiler. Skinner pays them little attention and goes back to lie in his bed. Later in the day, Mrs. Murphy confronts Skinner about the fact that she was told that the room that Skinner is renting smells like marijuana and is very dirty; it is implied that Jimmy is the one who told Mrs. Murphy about Skinner’s room, and Skinner feels resentful. Mrs. Murphy also gives Skinner a letter addressed to him from the Department of Defense.

Meanwhile, Zou Lei learns that she has not been paid for the extra days that she worked. When she confronts her boss about her pay, he implies that since she does not know the menu or work up front, she should not get paid as though she does. Zou Lei tries to protest, stating that Sassoon knows that she wants to work on the line and has been practicing, but she is dismissed. Back home, Skinner opens the letter from the Department of Defense, and he learns that the government has decided that his mental illness was not caused by the war, so they will not be financially compensating him. Upstairs, Patrick confronts Jimmy, claiming that he is selling controlled substances. Jimmy decides to stand his ground and refuses to be intimidated by Patrick. That night, Skinner dreams of an old house.

At work, Zou Lei learns that a 17-year-old named Monroe has taken several of her shifts. When Zou Lei asks about it, she is told that no one is trying to steal her job or trick her, but she still feels extremely frustrated and is sent home early. Meanwhile, Jimmy learns that Vicky has taken their son and moved to a different city without telling him. He decides to meet up with two men named Frankie and Charlie. Charlie, an Iraq War veteran, is high on cocaine. Charlie rambles about the United States being taken over by immigrants and expresses his desire to confront them violently. Charlie becomes increasingly frantic and begins to threaten Frankie and Jimmy. Charlie eventually walks away, and Frankie blames the drugs for Charlie’s behavior. Frankie also threatens to fight Jimmy, but Jimmy is not easily threatened and is completely unafraid of Frankie.

One day, Zou Lei visits an immigration lawyer to learn more about earning her citizenship by marrying Skinner. At first, the lawyer wants $100 to speak with her for an unspecified amount of time. Zou Lei convinces him to lower his price to $30, and she is sent to wait in another area. While waiting, she speaks with a secretary who tells her that she should marry Skinner first and then come back because immigration policies can be unpredictable, especially after 9/11. She also tells Zou Lei that after her marriage, she will need to go back to China until the paperwork can be processed; this can take a very long time and could be denied, trapping her in China. The lawyer overhears their conversation and tells Zou Lei to make sure that the marriage is “real,” and Zou Lei reassures him that the love between her and Skinner is genuine.

When Zou Lei returns to Skinner's house, he tells her that someone—it is heavily implied that the perpetrator is Jimmy—is stealing from him and has taken a six-pack of beer from his fridge. Jimmy and Skinner have begun to butt heads outside of the home, and Skinner considers killing Jimmy after he leaves trash on Skinner’s stairs. However, he decides against it for Zou Lei’s sake. The narrative perspective shifts to a distant third person, watching impersonally as an unidentified white man (implied to be Jimmy) stalks a Chinese woman (implied to be Zou Lei).

Zou Lei and Skinner go to the marriage office to get married; they are dressed in plain clothes and feel that they stand out in the upscale office. Zou Lei asks the person at the front desk what kinds of documents she needs to get married, and they tell her that she needs an ID. She contemplates using her fake ID, but she wonders if that would mean that the marriage would not be valid and thus would not protect her from being deported. She wonders if it is possible to get a valid ID, and she thinks about how much time it would take and how dangerous it would be. Zou Lei becomes very frustrated, and she and Skinner leave the marriage office without getting married.

Zou Lei continues to lose more hours at work, and Skinner’s depression and suicidal thoughts worsen. Zou Lei goes for a run and contemplates what to do next. The thought of being with Skinner no longer brings her joy; instead, it brings anxiety and confusion.