Locked Up
- Knock, knock. There's someone at the door late at night, which makes everybody tense.
- It's Uncle Fan, and his face is all beat up. Uh-oh… Ji-li knows this isn't good news.
- Her parents usher Uncle Fan into the bathroom to help the guy out. Meanwhile, her grandma tells them that they saw nothing. Got it?
- Everyone agrees not to say anything, but Ji-li feels sad nonetheless. Why is this happening?
- A couple days later, they hear that Uncle Fan has been arrested. He's accused of—get this—listening to a radio. Dun dun dun…
- Ji-li's parents know the Red Guards will be coming for her dad next, and there's some discussion about what to do. He could confess to something—anything to get the Red Guards off his back; he could carry on with normal life since he's done nothing wrong; or he could report that Uncle Fan was here the other night. That last options would be turning on a friend, though, which is no good. They decide he'll just keep on keeping on instead.
- A couple days later, Grandma tells Ji-li that her dad has been arrested. What for?
- No one knows at this point, though everyone agrees he hasn't done anything wrong.
- Ji-li thinks it would be a good idea to call Uncle Tian and see if he knows anything. He doesn't. Besides, he wouldn't tell her over the phone anyway.
- Since her dad's arrest, her mom has been really frail and even fainted a couple times. (Ji-li mentions that her mom has a disease called Meniere's syndrome that makes her have vertigo a lot.)
- Plus, the government has taken away their wages until they confess. Confess to what? Ji-li wonders how this is fair.
- A week goes by without news about her dad. Ji-li decides to take some clothes over to where they are holding him. Her mom wants to go, but they won't let her in.
- When Ji-li gets there, the guard snaps at her, but another guard lets her in. She only gets to see her dad for a second, but at least he's alive.
- The guard explains to her that she's part of the New China and will have to let go of her family if she's to fulfill her destiny in Mao's China.
- Ji-li doesn't really know what to say to that, and luckily, the guy doesn't require an answer. Phew. We're betting we'll see him again, though.