An Educable Child
- After the news of Ji-li's dad's imprisonment, her grandma gets worse. She's weaker and Ji-li starts to worry about her.
- Instead of going to school, Ji-li stays at home to do more chores. She cooks, cleans, sews, and worries. Then she repeats the cycle once more.
- One day Lin-lin shows up from school. Ji-li has been missing a lot lately, and her friend wanted to check in on her.
- She also has a message from Teacher Zhang: There's a big meeting tomorrow at 4:00PM in the auditorium—be there, or be square.
- Ji-li thanks her for coming by. At first it's awkward having her friend see her sewing and doing chores, but then they share a smile over it.
- It turns out Lin-lin's house was searched, too.
- The next day at the meeting, Ji-li is surprised to learn that she's been selected by her teacher to represent her class at a big exhibition.
- Ji-li knows there must be some big mistake. What about her class background?
- She corners Teacher Zhang about it afterward, and there's been no mistake at all.
- He explains that he thinks Ji-li would make a great representative at the exhibition. He tells her that people can't choose their families but they can choose who they become.
- That settles it: Ji-li agrees to participate. After a speech like that, who wouldn't?
- Her dad is still in prison; he won't confess to anything because hasn't done anything wrong.
- One day after class, Ji-li and Chang Hong paint posters of Mao.
- Chang Hong blurts out that she's green with envy at Ji-li's whip-smart brain and school skills.
- Ji-li never thought about it like that. She's been jealous this whole time of Chang Hong and her good family background.
- Chang Hong tells Ji-li a secret: Her brother has epilepsy and won't live to be an adult. Sometimes she wants to stay at home with him, but she knows she should work for the revolution, too. She can't be selfish.