Answer:
When Ji-li gets to go back home, she finds out that her mom has written a letter to the government, complaining. Ji-li knows this isn't good news. Red Guards come to the door, find the letter, and slap her grandma around a bit. She now has to sweep the streets as punishment, and more of their stuff is taken. Ji-li is so depressed, but she knows she has to keep her head up for her family; without each other, they have nothing.
In the epilogue, Ji-li tells us that things were bad for a while. It's thirty years later at this point, though, and her family is finally happy; they live in America now. Her dad got released from prison, but not for a while, and nothing can bring those years back. She tells us that she wrote the book to explain what it was like for her family during the Cultural Revolution. She also wants to bridge the gap between China and the U.S.
Explanation:
