What can the reader infer from the passage about Hsiang Lin's wife

The passage indicates non-existence of woman's own identity in that era of Chinese history. This is revealed by the fact that the Hsiang Lin's wife is never referred to by her own name.

Explanation:

After becoming a widow, Hsiang Lin's wife's social standing in the society is reflected by two incidents.

1. The owner's disapproval to hire Hsiang Lin's wife as a maid servant.

2. The forced re-marriage of Hsiang Lin's wife by her mother-in-law in lieu of money.

Hsiang Lin's wife is considered unworthy of living a decent life without a husband.

The story of "New Year's Sacrifice", relates to the life of a woman who suffers all through her life and the consequences in her later years. She thinks about how the traumatic events of her life are going to affect her in the afterlife.

The passage of Lin's wife is a condemnation of traditional Chinise ideas. She lost her first husband and as a widow, she was considered by Chinise Society as a marginal or second-class citizen.

The woman is forced to marry again and she tries to escape in desperation.

The reader concludes that simply there are things that are not right in our society.