Chinese Cinerella 8-10

In Chapter 8 and 9 it is the childrens revolt against not being given money to go on the bus. Their grandfather begins secretly giving them money. However when they are caught with the money their Niang is brutal and whips them all and then when their grandfather is unable to stick up for them because he is a "guest" in their house. They decide it is time to take action. They decide to write a letter to the father in chinese because their Niang is unable to read chinese. They write how it is unfair and how "the whole tram-fare issue was obviously somehow tied up with the establishment of a new hierarchy within our family." pg 39. The children believed that this was Niang's way of showing them that since their Nia Nia was no longer here that she was in control and anything she said was what goes. However when they are writing this letter of protest they get overheard by their Niang who Adeline catches evasdropping when she is going to the bathroom. She immediately returns to the room and tells her siblings to get rid of the letter, and all just waited for their punishment. "we're being kept deliberately in a state of uncertainty because thats what Niang most enjoys. The cat-and-mouse game." pg 48.

In chapter 10 it is more about her school days in Shanghai and also more of a perspective few of the disrespect that Adeline is faced with everyday from her brothers and other siblings. Adeline and Wu Chun-mei meet in school and a friendship is soon born. Adeline decides to never tell Wu Chun-mei about her family so that she will seem as normal as them and not be looked down upon by her friends and classmates. At home things were good again due to the fact that her father, Niang, and half-siblings had gone back to Tianjian again after World War 1 was done for the summer to reclaim his property. Adeline and her other siblings are left in the caring hands of her Aunt Baba and YeYe(grandfather). All is well or so it seems until her three brothers decide to begin having a more normal life. " They refused to submit anymore,"pg 60. They began seeing themselves as the rulers of the home and began torturing Adeline in new ways.

The relationship between Adeline and her three brothers seemed relatively understandable and relatable to the sibling relationships nowadays but then they did something that was very disgusting. They peed in her lemonade and forced her to drink this. Now i don't know how brothers would behave but i believe that they took their "joke" way to far. I don't know anyone who in their right mind would force someone to drink their urine. I thought that although it was disgusting it was also rather insightful Adeline explaining it, it forced me as the reader to really understand her pain and torture.