Yen Jun Ling Sparknotes

Yen Jun-ling grew up in an extreme environment. She was an unwanted child, as she was blamed for her mother’s death during childbirth. Her father resented her, her stepmother resented her, and even her own siblings resented her. Her struggle to find freedom from her oppressive house hold is evident throughout her memoir. Yen Jun-ling was at the top of her class since her first day of school. The only pride she ever brought her parents was through her grades, other than that they abused her. At home her Ye Ye (her grandfather) and her Aunt Baba gave her the only love she experienced as a child. Jun-ling was treated horrifically at home and school became her safe place. At school she had friends and she was treated as if she was worth something.
She endured consistent emotional abuse from her stepmother Niang. Niang neglected Jun-ling and her brother and sister, showing favoritism towards her own two kids. She provided them with the best money could buy. She also made her brothers shave their heads and let her boy and girl wear fashionable western clothing and haircuts. Niang also tried to turn Jun-ling’s older sister over to her side, bribing her with gifts and food and even a room on the same floor as Niang and her children. Older Sister (as Jun-ling calls her sister) eventually gives in to temptations and ‘switches sides’ turning against Jun-ling and her siblings. Niang ordered their chef to not let Jun-ling and her siblings have the best food, they could only eat whatever Niang told the chefs they could
Niang and her two kids followed. The next three months are glorious ones for Jun-ling and her siblings as they are under the care of her grandparents. Unfortunately, they come back and the abuse continues. Jun-ling decides she is going to run as class president. In her grade this is an honor, as it is the only grade that elects their leader as every other grade leader is appointed. Her friendship with Wu Chun-mei grows and they work together to campaign for the class presidency. Jun-ling wins the presidency with votes from all of her classmates and a few of them decide to come to her house after school to surprise her. As these girls show up to her house unexpectedly, Niang screams for Jun-ling to come to her office. Niang and her father are standing in the room with the door open and they start screaming for Jun-ling to kick her friends out immediately. She then hits Jun-ling in the face and gives her a bloody nose. Jun-ling goes to all of her friends to tell them they have to leave. Wu Chun-mei’s birthday rolls around, and she is set on having Jun-ling be there. Fortunately for them they have an early release day from school that Niang does not know about. Everything works out and Jun-ling is having fun at the birthday party but then realizes that she has to go home for lunch as she normally would. She doesn’t want to be late, so she makes an excuse to leave and goes home early.