Since junior high teachers are off helping out with the revolution, classes are cancelled.
Most students would celebrate, but Ji-li isn't interested; she wants to be in school and learn.
Besides, it's boring not going to school. There's nothing to do.
One day, she sees Aunt Xi-wen trip and fall. In the scuffle, Ji-li's cousin Shan-shan (a.k.a. Aunt Xi-wen's son) just passes by his mom without helping her.
Ji-li is shocked. That's no way to treat your mom. That's when Ji-li remembers that Shan-shan wrote a da-zi-bao against his mom. Ouch.
Before she can react, she wonders whether she should help her aunt—she doesn't want to be labeled a counterrevolutionary.
Luckily, Old Mrs. Wang gets to her aunt first and helps her up.
Later, An Yi and Ji-li see people chanting in the street. They are standing up to Du Hai's mom and calling her out for some bad stuff she did.
We don't get all the details, but An Yi breathes a huge sigh of relief; she thought it might be people against her mom (since she's a schoolteacher). Phew.
A couple days later, Ji-yun cries about some kids stealing her backpack at school. They called her a bad name because of her family history.
Ji-li feels bad for her little sister and doesn't think this treatment is fair. Hopefully their fate changes soon.
It's Chinese New Year, but no one celebrates. It's also Ji-li's thirteenth birthday, but that doesn't mean much anymore.
A few days later, one of their friend's dad's is arrested and taken away. Ji-li worries for her own family.
When Ji-li gets home, she finds An Yi there, crying over her mom. At the factory, all the teachers were forced to climb the chimney.
The girls cling together, neither really knowing what to say.
Suddenly Ji-li announces that she hates her grandpa. If he hadn't been a landlord, none of this wouldn't have happened. She's not even sure she believes that anymore, though.
