The Red Successors
- Over the next couple days, Ji-li stays home from school.
- At first, it's because of the mean da-zi-bao, but then she comes down with a fever.
- Luckily, An Yi comes by with news that not many people saw the da-zi-bao. There are so many posted at school now that you can't even read the ones underneath. Phew.
- When Ji-li finally returns to school, there is a thunderstorm, and the students are sent home early.
- By the time they come back the next day, all of the da-zi-boas have been removed. In their place? A big poster of Mao and the Cultural Revolution.
- Teacher Gu announces in class that students have been chosen to be Red Successors. Basically, these are students who will help out the Red Guards to make sure the revolution is underway on campus.
- Ji-li is chosen. Yippee.
- Before she can party, one of her classmates asks each of the candidates to declare their class status. This is a big deal in a revolution that is trying to make everyone the same.
- At first, Ji-li doesn't really know what to say. When she tells everyone her dad is an actor, Du Hai interrupts her and reports that her grandpa was a landlord.
- Oh, snap. That's no good for her because everyone thinks landlords are bad news. And then someone proclaims that her dad is a Rightist.
- Ji-li is down in the dumps again. She wanted to be a Red Successor but now she can't because of some silly old class status.
- When she gets home, she asks her grandma whether her grandpa was a landlord or not. Her grandma gets annoyed at the question. What does it even matter? He died over thirty years ago, plus Ji-li never even met the guy.
- The next morning, Ji-li's dad wakes her up. He takes her for a walk and explains a few things to her.
- Basically, her grandpa was a landlord, but she shouldn't worry about it—just because he exploited people, doesn't mean she's a rotten apple. Besides, their family has done nothing wrong.
- Ji-li feels a little better, but she also realizes that won't stop people from saying mean things about them.
- At school, things are getting worse. People keep telling her she needs to remold herself because of her grandpa.
- Ji-li believes in the revolution but she doesn't understand this beef. She never met her grandpa, so why is it her fault that he was a landlord?
- She gets called out by the Red Successors. They know her family takes a cab sometimes and has a housekeeper, both big no-nos in a communist society.
- Fighting back tears, Ji-li heads home, distraught. She wants to be strong, but she doesn't think it's fair to attack her for her family's problems.