Graduation
- The next day in class, Teacher Gu announces that there is no more entrance exam for junior high. Huh?
- Pass around the cake because it's time to party. Everyone is super excited that they don't have to spend all summer studying for this big text.
- Wait a minute… Ji-li realizes that this means anyone can go to any school. It used to be that the entrance exam determined which school you'd get into, and some were better than others.
- Since she was little, Ji-li has dreamed of going to Shi-yi, the best school around.
- Suddenly, Ji-li is bummed again.
- Teacher Gu notices and fills her in on a secret after class: Ji-li is going to Shi-yi. Hooray.
- With no entrance exam, the teachers get to choose who goes where, and everyone agrees that Ji-li is at the top of her class. Phew.
- It's graduation time, but no one is allowed to have a party or celebrate—they wouldn't want to be accused of trying to be better than someone else.
- One day, Ji-li hears some other students gossiping about junior high placements, so she asks Teacher Gu about it.
- It turns out the teachers' choices have changed; now people are just randomly assigned. Ji-li got… Xin-zha Junior High. Darn.
- Ji-li finds herself wondering what she's been working hard for all these years. She studied in the library and put so much effort into her classes. And for what? It doesn't matter in the long run.
- She and An Yi leave their school feeling bummed out about what's next.