Ji-li Jiang Timeline and Summary

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• Ji-li is asked to try out for a swanky dance troupe and rushes home to tell her parents the good news.
• When her folks say she can't try out, Ji-li is shattered—all her dreams are down the toilet, and she's not sure what to do anymore.
• Pretty soon, the Cultural Revolution starts, and Ji-li is really excited. She's always wanted to be part of a revolution and is happy to finally contribute to Mao's cause.
• Ji-li helps take down a sign in the marketplace and learns a lot about getting rid of four olds.
• At school, Ji-li notices that classes aren't the same any more since teachers are devalued now. Everybody writes a da-zi-bao about the teachers, but Ji-li can't think of anything bad to say about hers.
• Someone at school accuses Ji-li's family of having a poor class status, which she knows can't be true. When she asks her dad about it, Ji-li finds out that her grandpa was a landlord, and a rich one, too.
• Everyone at school mocks Ji-li because of her poor past—landlords are exploiters, so that means she's bad news, too.
• Red Guards come to search Ji-li's house and take a bunch of her stuff away.
• Soon after, Ji-li's dad is arrested for no reason. She goes to visit him and sees how tormented he is.
• Junior high starts, and Ji-li is excited to be able to focus on school again.
• She's chosen for a special exhibition but then is excluded when she won't testify against her dad.
• Ji-li is sent to the rice fields to work and reshape herself. It's so hot out there that she faints and has to go home again.
• Back at home, Ji-li discovers that her mom has written a letter to the government complaining about the local Red Guards abusing power.
• The Red Guards have learnt of this, too, and they come to Ji-li's house, take the letter, and punish everyone.
• Ji-li promises her mom that she'll take care of her siblings if anything bad happens.
• Thirty years go by, and Ji-li explains to us what's happened since.
• Her dad is out of prison (phew) and reunited with the family; everyone moved to the United States.
• Now, Ji-li wants to bridge the gap between America and China.