The Incriminating Letter
- Back at home, Ji-li breathes a sigh of relief; she's glad to be back and help her mom and grandma out.
- Uncle Tian rushes inside the house one night with an incriminating letter.
- It asks the Central Committee to investigate the people in power in their neck of woods.
- People have been beaten to death, and others (like Aunt Wu) have had their heads shaved. It's not right.
- Ji-li knows this letter is a big deal, but she also realizes that it needs to be written because of all the bad stuff going down around them.
- Suddenly, Grandma tells everyone to scram and to hide the letter—stat.
- Ji-li's mom tells her to hide the letter somewhere the guards won't find it, so she rushes up to the roof and puts it in the cat's litter box.
- As soon as she makes it back downstairs, the guards are there.
- They've heard there's a letter in the house and they need it—now.
- The guards turn the place upside-down and go through everything.
- When they don't find the letter, they slap Grandma and force her to kneel on the ground. She has to stay there until they get the letter.
- Ji-li can tell that her grandma is old and frail; she won't last long kneeling like that on the ground.
- She considers blurting out where the letter is to help her grandma.
- Just then, a guard comes in with it. Ta-da.
- They announce that everyone has to register as being landlord's wives (a big no-no) or enemies now. Even Ji-li's school will be informed.
- Ji-li's mom says they have to warn Uncle Tian about the guards. They know about the letter now, so they'll probably toss his place next.
- Song Po-po tries to go to Uncle Tian's, but guards are standing firm at the end of the alley, not allowing anyone to leave.
- Ji-yong climbs the fence and rushes off to tell him, but when he gets there, Uncle Tian isn't home.
- Ji-li doesn't know if she even wants to keep on living, life has gotten so bad.