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Comments
Srushti Chaudhari
Srushti Chaudhari
10:32 AM Aug 24
Add: “orld”
Claire Chen
Advaita Guruprasad
Advaita Guruprasad
10:00 AM Aug 24
Add space
Claire Chen
Aaron Shih
Aaron Shih
9:46 AM Aug 24
Add: “h”
Claire Chen
Aaron Shih
Aaron Shih
9:46 AM Aug 24
Made a suggestion
Claire Chen
Evan Xu
Evan Xu
8:43 AM Aug 24
Add: “'”
Claire Chen
Advaita Guruprasad
Advaita Guruprasad
10:44 PM Aug 23
Replace: “vicechairman” with “vice chairman”
Claire Chen
Evan Xu
Evan Xu
12:36 PM Aug 20
Add paragraph
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
on the mission to abandon Miaomiao
Ellitza Stoyanova
Ellitza Stoyanova
7:59 PM Aug 17
By now, the vice chairmanis probably infertile-- if nobody wishes to give away their son, why does he keep trying to abandon Miaomiao?
Brandon Zhang
Brandon Zhang
5:00 PM Aug 18
I think this stopped being a conscious decision. He's just doing it because it became part of his life. I think going outside with Miaomiao helped him understand himself.
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
So for an entire month the vicechairman gave up his attempts to get rid of Miaomiao and waited for his fortunes to turn.
Ryan Ma
Ryan Ma
9:05 PM Aug 17
The vice chairman is obviously very gullible towards superstitions, fortune telling, and other rumors. He succumbed very quickly to the thought of getting good fortune from keeping Miaomiao, just from hearing it from some neighbors.
Ellitza Stoyanova
Ellitza Stoyanova
9:35 PM Aug 17 (edited 10:08 AM Aug 20)
I wonder how the vice chairman'slife would have progressed if he had accepted Miaomiao as his daughter.
Jeslyn Mi
Jeslyn Mi
11:07 PM Aug 17
Yes and it also proves how easily his actions can be swayed and what his true intentions were with Miaomiao. At first he wanted to abandon her for his benefit and now that they say she's blessed, he keeps her again for his own benefit.
Kimberly Yang
Kimberly Yang
10:12 PM Aug 18
Yes, it shows that he does not care about Miaomiao that much as a person and his daughter - he only cares about potential benefits to himself.
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
he would jump to his feet, charge over, and scoop Miaomiao up in his arms. In this town, he became the retarded child's only protector.
Sophia Ao
Sophia Ao
10:32 PM Aug 16
I understand he doesn't want the family name to die or something like that, but if he really cared for Miaomiao why would he keep doing it. why doesn't he just stop since he realizes that he has grown attached to Miaomiao
Jeslyn Mi
Jeslyn Mi
7:25 PM Aug 17
I think it's because back then the only way to carry on the family name and earn more money was to give birth to a son, so the dad is conflicted wether to abandon her and give birth to a son or raise Miaomiao, shown by his contradictory actions.
Ellitza Stoyanova
Ellitza Stoyanova
9:44 PM Aug 17 (edited 10:07 AM Aug 20)
I agree with Jeslyn; however I believe that the repetitive nature of trying to abandon Miaomiao and then gaining a better sense of self contributed to the vice chairmancontinuing the cycle of trying to abandon her.
Anna Chiang
Anna Chiang
3:22 PM Aug 18
I agree with both the replies above. I believe that the father has learned to care and love Miaomiao but is scared to admit it to himself.
James Ye
James Ye
3:42 PM Aug 19
He's ashamed to have a child that isn't "normal" and doesn't want to admit that he cares about her.
Claire Chen
Advaita Guruprasad
Advaita Guruprasad
9:56 AM Aug 20
Add space
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
her cries attract a pack of wolves.
Niharika Emani
Niharika Emani
6:04 PM Aug 17
He cares so little about his daughter that he has no problem abandoning her and leaving her parentless, but he is worried that she will be put in danger? Seems a bit hypocritical and strange.
Andrew Gao
Andrew Gao
10:30 PM Aug 17
I think the reason he is worried that she would be put in danger is because one of the fortune tellers he saw told him that he would only abandon Miaomiao successfully if a kindhearted person would look after her.
Niharika Emani
Niharika Emani
3:14 PM Aug 18
I agree! I didn't quite make that connection earlier. That aspect really adds on to the characterization of Miaomiao's father, showcasing how selfish he is.
Aditya Kewalram
Aditya Kewalram
10:10 PM Aug 18
Not a single action that he has performed so far has been out of care for his daughter. He has just been trying to make the fortune teller's prediction come true.
Derek Li
Derek Li
11:50 PM Aug 19
I think part of him still cares about Miaomiao. I don't think he likes the thought of killing her or just leaving her to die outside. He still cares enough to want to know that she will be safe. I think he only wants to abandon her because he also wants to keep up his appearance. However, I think these two feelings are conflicting. He wants to keep a good appearance, but it's taking so long to abandon Miaomiao that his feelings for her grow stronger.
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
the vice-chairman gave her a plastic coat to protect her from the rain. After a birthday meal of fried noodles, he prepared for their next journey.
Anna Chiang
Anna Chiang
3:14 PM Aug 18
I think he is starting to finally care a little bit more about Miaomiao. In the beginning of the story, his only thought was to get rid of her, but now he is putting more effort into caring for her.
Shaumik Kalwit
Shaumik Kalwit
8:18 PM Aug 18
I agree, I think this will be a turning point in the story.
Gabriella Jones
Gabriella Jones
2:20 PM Aug 19
I don't think it would do him any good for himself knowing that he just left a child so "taking care" of Miaomiao probably is just helping his consciousness. Making himself think that he's doing a good thing.
Derek Li
Derek Li
11:48 PM Aug 19
I feel like part of his feelings are conflicting. Although he tries to abandon his child, he seems to grow closer. It's like love and hate. Both are passionate emotions and are much more similar than people think. He still cares that she's safe and now he's even giving her a birthday meal.
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
Her existence caused him only trouble.
Shaumik Kalwit
Shaumik Kalwit
8:07 PM Aug 18
It is very unfortunate that in his mind his daughters existence only caused him trouble. Children are supposed to bring love and happiness into your life. You shouldn't try to abandon your child 3 times regardless of gender.
Suraj Chigati
Suraj Chigati
10:50 PM Aug 18
I agree, despite Miamiao being slighty different compared to other kids, she is still his kid, and she is entitled to the same amount of love and care from her father.
Derek Li
Derek Li
11:44 PM Aug 19
The father clearly cares more about his outer appearance and appealing to the government compared to his daughter. I feel very sad that a person can be disregarded so blatantly
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
But, as this hope had slowly diminished, she had become his only comforter and sympathizer—his closest friend.
Kimberly Yang
Kimberly Yang
10:26 PM Aug 18
He becomes more and more attached to Miaomiao through spending time with her, and gradually begins to realize he does not really want to abandon her.
Cyrus Wong
Cyrus Wong
10:46 PM Aug 19
I think the only thing making him continue his attempts at abandoning her is the fact that the fortune teller told him he would get a son as a result of it.
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
he was grateful to her.
James Ye
James Ye
7:29 PM Aug 17
Zeng can't live without Miaomiao, no matter how much he says otherwise.
Srushti Chaudhari
Srushti Chaudhari
10:42 PM Aug 19
The father definitely can't live without her, but I don't think Zeng really cares about what happens to her as he was described as the "lame fortune teller".
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
spent his life abandoning his elder daughter
Srushti Chaudhari
Srushti Chaudhari
11:45 PM Aug 18
He's spending so much time trying to lose what he has in order to get what he wants, he might end up never getting what he wants. At this point, is all the time he spent trying to abandon her a waste? Or did it take that much suffering from an innocent child for her own father to start caring about her?
Aaron Shih
Aaron Shih
7:24 AM Aug 19
I would not necessarily say that the time they spent together was a waste, because it made the father more attached to his child
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
Some people even tried
Jarvise Luo
Jarvise Luo
3:16 PM Aug 18
really sad, because honestly her clothes might be worth maybe a few dollars at most, yet people are willing to steal it from a little girl. stealing the envelope with cash is in is one thing, but the clothes is something else.
Cyrus Wong
Cyrus Wong
10:36 PM Aug 19
I think it shows just how desperate people were during this time period that they would these kinds of things just for some cash.
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
for the sake of the successful fertilization of his wife's next egg cell
Leah Uriarte
Leah Uriarte
6:39 PM Aug 18
The vice-chairman cares more about the possibility of having a son than his actual daughter.
Suraj Chigati
Suraj Chigati
10:54 PM Aug 18
Yea. I think this is really sad that he has the mindset that a son is better in every way and that he must prove the palm reader wrong to change his fate.
Cyrus Wong
Cyrus Wong
10:32 PM Aug 19
I also noticed that when he first got his fortune told and they said he wouldn't get a daughter, he got another fortune teller to tell him what he wanted to hear which shows just how much he wanted a son even at the expense of his daughter
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
Since the vice-chairman was blood type A and had been born in the Year of the Rabbit, he was both stubborn and introverted.
Evan Xu
Evan Xu
5:33 PM Aug 18
This is interesting. I was told that people born in the year of the Rabbit would be gentle and mannered.
Shaumik Kalwit
Shaumik Kalwit
7:58 PM Aug 18
Does the blood type A have anything to do with how they would be mannered? Do you know what significance it specifically has being mentioned there?
Srushti Chaudhari
Srushti Chaudhari
10:28 PM Aug 19
It doesn't scientifically, but I think it's mentioned there to lead into the fact that the father's actions throughout this story are based on beliefs like these.
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
Since the vice-chairman was blood type A and had been born in the Year of the Rabbit, he was both stubborn and introverted
Advaita Guruprasad
Advaita Guruprasad
12:08 AM Aug 19
There are many things that influence people's actions, but blood type and the year you are born in is not one of them. I have heard of people acting a certain type of way because of the animal year that they were born in, but I have never heard anyone talk about how blood type affects actions or personality.
Srushti Chaudhari
Srushti Chaudhari
10:20 PM Aug 19
I agree, this along with many other examples throughout this story are superstitions but are expressed as inevitable facts.
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
When the vice-chairman rushed over, he found her unharmed.
Suraj Chigati
Suraj Chigati
11:12 PM Aug 18
I am confused if he's torn between the his emotions. Is he thinking "I need to get rid of my useless daughter so I can have another son to continue my family" or "she's my daughter and I must protect her." Because it seems really weird that he wants to abandon her but still make sure she is safe.
Cyrus Wong
Cyrus Wong
10:17 PM Aug 19
I think you got it right, because it does seem like he starts to feel conflicted about his actions.
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
The family-planning officers are clamping down on us now everyone wants a son to help out in the fields. No one wants a daughter, especially not a retarded one. You'd be better off throwing her into the river.
Aaron Shih
Aaron Shih
8:30 PM Aug 17
The chairman is once again advised to directly kill/abandon his daughter, but as the story progresses he is shown to grow so much attachment that he never tries more extreme methods
Sophia Ao
Sophia Ao
9:23 PM Aug 17
if he is in such a high position couldn't he just ignore those family planning officer's advice and use his head to judge what is right?
Erika Wu
Erika Wu
11:10 PM Aug 17
At this point, he probably doesn't even want to use his own judgement because every time he tries to abandon Miaomiao it fails, and so he resorts to taking other people's advice (fortune teller, family planning officer) in hopes that the next time he attempts to leave his daughter, he'll finally succeed.
Leah Uriarte
Leah Uriarte
6:12 PM Aug 19
I think he doesn't directly kill Miaomiao because the fortune teller told him he would only succeed in getting rid of her if he was certain a kindhearted person would take care of her, so he believes any murder attempts will fail.
Shaumik Kalwit
Shaumik Kalwit
7:35 PM Aug 19
Although it is true that he does not want to kill her because the fortune teller told him he would only succeed if a kind person took her, I believe he is slowly starting to become attached to her as true parent should.
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
In a deranged world, only the retarded can find happiness.
Suraj Chigati
Suraj Chigati
11:22 PM Aug 18
I wonder what this means. Does it mean that people overthink their problems and complicate them even further but instead they should be more relaxed like Miaomiao.
Aaron Shih
Aaron Shih
4:57 PM Aug 19
The author describes the world as a "deranged" place, so maybe not understanding how the world works made miao miao more happy then her own father.
Shaumik Kalwit
Shaumik Kalwit
7:32 PM Aug 19
I think maybe understanding this like men being valued more than women in society could be one example of a problem in the world. Someone who doesn't have knowledge of this like this or someone who can't understand it allows someone to live a life free of these types of worries. Her father on the other hand, has been through so much "trouble" and stress trying to get rid of her (obviously not saying she has not suffered anything but I think her father has been more stressed thinking about what this would do for his legacy or whatever). That is what I think the author means by only they can find happiness. Just a guess tho.
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
he locked himself in his room for a week and drank his way through four bottles of rice wine.
Shaumik Kalwit
Shaumik Kalwit
8:33 PM Aug 18
His reaction to having a second daughter is a little sad since women shouldn't be considered less than man and instead as equals.
Sohan Alleshwaram
Sohan Alleshwaram
8:48 PM Aug 18
Sadly, I don't think they were treated equally back then in China which led to many children being abandoned.
Shaumik Kalwit
Shaumik Kalwit
8:55 PM Aug 18
Yeah. It's unfortunate.
Leah Uriarte
Leah Uriarte
6:20 PM Aug 19
Yeah, it's awful because instead of feeling joy for the birth of his child, he only feels disappointment because of the baby's gender.
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
So for an entire month the vicechairman gave up his attempts to get rid of Miaomiao and waited for his fortunes to turn.
Siri Ratnam
Siri Ratnam
6:14 PM Aug 18
This line shows how Zeng views the concept of a child in general as a vehicle for fortune, good or bad, and subsequently doesn't treat his children (including his unborn male heir) as human but rather an object of use or good luck charm in a sense.
Leah Uriarte
Leah Uriarte
6:03 PM Aug 19
Yes, the vice chairman is very selfish and he only cares about the benefits his children can get him.
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
The doctor told her that the child's defects had been caused by excessive sexual activity during her pregnancy.
Derek Li
Derek Li
1:47 AM Aug 19
I just find it extremely interesting with the location of this paragraph. It's almost background to the birth of Miaomiao, but it's suddenly placed in the middle of the story of how the vice-chairman is trying to abandon her.
Siri Ratnam
Siri Ratnam
3:16 PM Aug 19
I think oftentimes authors will try structuring a story in a particular way to guide the reader through a certain set of emotions in a certain order. By placing this paragraph here it adds background which I think is supposed to make you resent the actions of Zeng even more
Aishwarya Poolla
Aishwarya Poolla
5:23 PM Aug 19
I agree with Siri, it is placed at the end of the paragraphs about how he abuses Miaomiao, so it has the most impact and makes you dislike him even more, because you see it as his fault that his daughter has a mental handicap, but he treats it as her fault.
Claire Chen
Selected text
|
After a few more of her father's attempts to get rid of her, she also developed a fear of being removed from the family's dank room and taken out into the fresh air.
Aditya Kewalram
Aditya Kewalram
6:01 PM Aug 17
Miaomiao has developed a fear of being abandoned due to her father's repeated attempts to leave her. This could affect her when she grows up
Andrew Gao
Andrew Gao
11:20 PM Aug 17
I agree, it most likely will affect her when she is older as she is able to tell what is going on every time her father tries to abandon her.
Sia Shastri
Sia Shastri
12:10 PM Aug 18
Marked as resolved
Aditya Kewalram
Aditya Kewalram
9:03 PM Aug 18
Re-opened
Aishwarya Poolla
Aishwarya Poolla
5:20 PM Aug 19
It is unfortunate, because most children prefer open aired, spacious, sunny areas that allow them to play and explore. This interaction with the sensory is very important for their development, but Miaomiao will probably be very uncomfortable in outdoor environments for the rest of her life, because of how much impact this trauma in her development years will affect her.
Claire Chen
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The vice-chairman was, in fact, more concerned about the lack of a son to carry on his family line than he was about the brevity of his own life
Erika Wu
Erika Wu
10:39 PM Aug 17
This really shows how much men from China care about having a son to carry on their last name and legacy, even going as far as to value it more than his own life. This desire to have a son is still popular throughout much of China today, because every family wants their name to be carried down to future generations.
Anna Chiang
Anna Chiang
3:00 PM Aug 18 (edited 3:06 PM Aug 18)
Adding on, I think that having a son instead of a daughter is a huge thing throughout the world (due to misogyny and gender stereotypes enforced in society).
William Jiao
William Jiao
4:44 PM Aug 18
I believe this is because men were more capable of providing goods to their families and communities when people fully relied on manual labor.
Evan Xu
Evan Xu
5:17 PM Aug 18
I agree with William. Men were seen as the dominant gender and believed to be harder workers.
Shaumik Kalwit
Shaumik Kalwit
8:03 PM Aug 18
Although this isn't true. Women can also be hard working and provide goods to their families.
William Jiao
William Jiao
9:49 PM Aug 18
That isn't true nowadays, but in the past, when people primarily relied on manual labor to produce goods, men had an upper hand, due to them being biologically stronger than women. As a result, I can see why men were treated better and why they were more desired than women.
Advaita Guruprasad
Advaita Guruprasad
12:13 AM Aug 19
I agree. Men are slightly physically stronger but there are no jobs that Women can't do just because Men are slightly stronger. The fact that people only want males to carry their legacy is quite problematic.
Gabriella Jones
Gabriella Jones
12:32 PM Aug 19
Adding on, gender stereotypes are what made people think that women can't do what men do because of their strength which, in this story, men are superior and are needed to continue their legacy so it stays "strong" since it's a male figure.
Aishwarya Poolla
Aishwarya Poolla
5:14 PM Aug 19
While I do agree with what is said above, I don't completely agree that it is solely because men are biologically stronger. There were a few cultures that considered women to be "more intelligent," which caused the men to be left out of decision making or dismissed quickly. I think that what cultures tell their children affects how they think more. So like you all said above, the men were considered stronger because they were the farmers and the blacksmiths, but they were also considered stronger because of religious/cultural stories about men being warriors who had to protect the women also played a role in this.
Claire Chen
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When he was twenty a cabbage-faced old woman at the grain shop had read the lines on his palm and told him that he would never have a son.
Brian Wu
Brian Wu
11:31 PM Aug 18
It's pretty interesting and yes it's not real and it really doesn't do anything but people just believe in it because "some time" it's true. And it's because like the line for how long you'll live they just either say short, average, or gonna live long and nobody knows what exactly how long is it.
Advaita Guruprasad
Advaita Guruprasad
12:10 AM Aug 19 (edited 12:13 AM Aug 19)
I agree, I have seen some people believe in something just because it has happened a small amount of times compared to the actual truth. No one can predict the future and I agree with everything you said.
Aishwarya Poolla
Aishwarya Poolla
5:07 PM Aug 19
I think this also function like a self fulfilling prophecy in some ways. He is told something will happen to him, and he doesn't fully believe it at first. Once of of the things happens, he starts to believe her, which causes him to act differently, which in turn, causes the events she predicted to happen.
Claire Chen
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As he grew aware of the futility of his efforts, he gradually lost control of his thoughts. Each time he tried to abandon Miaomiao, he felt as though he were, in fact, abandoning himself,
William Jiao
William Jiao
4:41 PM Aug 18
He realized that Miaomiao is his daughter, an extension of himself, and that he had no other choice but to keep her.
James Ye
James Ye
3:56 PM Aug 19
As hard as he tries, he can't abandon the "humanity" he has
Claire Chen
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red string around his waist dangling to the ground.
Brandon Zhang
Brandon Zhang
4:57 PM Aug 18
he is very superstitious, remembering the fortune teller's words here.
James Ye
James Ye
3:32 PM Aug 19
Who wouldn't want to follow someone's instructions to avoid the "tragedy" waiting for him?
Claire Chen
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He never abandoned her if he thought there was any risk that she might come to harm or starve to death.
Anna Chiang
Anna Chiang
3:09 PM Aug 18
The father is more cold-hearted than I thought because he isn't making sure that Miaomiao is safe because he cares about her, but instead is protecting her because the fortune teller said so.
Shaumik Kalwit
Shaumik Kalwit
8:12 PM Aug 18
I agree with this. No matter what this is no way to treat your child regardless of if its a boy or a girl.
Siri Ratnam
Siri Ratnam
3:17 PM Aug 19
I agree with you but it also goes to show how much influence repeatedly hearing the same thing over and over again in a society holds over a person and can even lead them to do things that they otherwise wouldn't.
Claire Chen
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anning to
Niharika Emani
Niharika Emani
5:57 PM Aug 17
Miaomiao's father doesn't have any empathy for a two-week-old infant - his own child.
Evan Xu
Evan Xu
5:27 PM Aug 18
He thinks that the only person that should deserve his empathy is a son.
Aditya Kewalram
Aditya Kewalram
10:01 PM Aug 18
He doesn't care about what happens to his own child as long as he has a son to continue the family name
Siri Ratnam
Siri Ratnam
3:09 PM Aug 19
I think part of the reason he doesn't have empathy for Miaomaio is that he doesn't view her as a child but more of his failure to procure an heir to his legacy.
Claire Chen
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The wheels; scraped past her head and splattered her face with mud.
Gabriella Jones
Gabriella Jones
2:15 PM Aug 19
Even though she was born by a wealthy family, she is still left treated with disrespected because she was born the way her parents, and society, didn't want.
Claire Chen
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he dropped a sleeping pill into Miaomiao’s mouth.
Shaumik Kalwit
Shaumik Kalwit
8:34 PM Aug 18
The first sentence of this paragraph made me think this would be a turning point... I was wrong.
Gabriella Jones
Gabriella Jones
2:12 PM Aug 19
It did make me think that he would drop the act of abandoning her until the last two sentences in this paragraph really left me disappointed again.
Claire Chen
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If they found the envelope of cash that the vice-chairman had hidden in her pocket, they'd pull it out and sneak away with it. Some people even tried to take her clothes.
Gabriella Jones
Gabriella Jones
1:01 PM Aug 19
The fact that some people would just find someone vulnerable on the ground and think that it's the right thing to take the things they had left on them. They tried taking her clothes and the envelope in her pocket and it's disgusting.
Claire Chen
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“She doesn’t have time to look after you. You'll be happy here. They'll give you noodles every day, and candy, too. They'll even teach you English. You'll be much happier here than you are at home,”
Brandon Zhang
Brandon Zhang
4:50 PM Aug 18
He is saying this as a way to justify him giving Miaomiao away, showing that he started to care about her.
Aditya Kewalram
Aditya Kewalram
10:07 PM Aug 18
Yes, he still wants to get rid of her but now he feels some guilt and is trying to convince himself that this is the right thing to do
Suraj Chigati
Suraj Chigati
11:01 PM Aug 18
I think that deep down he does slightly care about her being happy and safe but he values having a male heir and his "fate" way more.
Aaron Shih
Aaron Shih
7:29 AM Aug 19
His "bond" with his daughter is contradicting with his own actions. He tries to justify getting rid of her, yet he is still willing to take care of his daughter when she is returned back to him.
Claire Chen
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In 1979, just a month before the onechild policy was introduced, the wife of the vice-chairman of the Municipal Treasury Board gave birth to a retarded daughter, Miaomiao.
Ryan Ma
Ryan Ma
8:03 PM Aug 17
The onechild policy is actually still prominent throughout China. Although it was overruled and outdated many people still followed it up until only a couple of years ago. It is also a big reason why China has so many single male, because men want a son and not a daughter to carry on their legacy.
Brian Wu
Brian Wu
11:27 PM Aug 18
I did watch a video about this and if my brain didn't go wrong then I think the limit is now three. But most still choose to have only one child because China's government taught too many good things about having only one child and now it's into the people's heads so it's doing no work increasing the limit because it's now the people who want to have only one child not the government.
Advaita Guruprasad
Advaita Guruprasad
12:11 AM Aug 19
It is sad that people don't want a daughter just because they think that a daughter can't carry on their legacy. I actually didn't even know that the one child policy still is going on for some people.
Brian Wu
Brian Wu
2:51 AM Aug 19 (edited 2:53 AM Aug 19)
Well, it’s not a policy anymore, but they are taught that having one child is good for too long so even if the government says having more child is good have no use.
Claire Chen
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Year of the Tiger or the Year of the Cock
Derek Li
Derek Li
1:51 AM Aug 19
I'm not 100% confident with my answer, but I think it's a stereotype that people born in the Year of the Sheep are deemed as unlucky and those born in the Year of the Tiger are deemed as luckier. Chinese people generally respect animals like tigers or roosters compared to other ones like the sheep.
Claire Chen
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If he had known at the time how the future would unfold, he would have told his wife to have an abortion the moment she found out that she was pregnant.
Derek Li
Derek Li
1:41 AM Aug 19
Without reading further, this line already makes me feel like something bad will happen because their daughter was born "not very smart". Not only is their daughter "not very smart", but she is also their only child. Also, there is a reason Chinese people like sons more than daughters: sons can carry their last name on for future generations, but daughters can't. I'm not sure if this is prominent here but even now my parents tell me stories of families who spend years just to have a son to carry down the last name. For example, one family had 5 daughters before birthing a son.
Claire Chen
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When his second daughter was just two weeks old, he took Miaomiao in his arms and set off for a public park, planning to abandon her there.
Advaita Guruprasad
Advaita Guruprasad
12:21 AM Aug 19
Instead of caring and loving for his daughter, he cares about his legacy and even thinks about abandoning his daughter
Claire Chen
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his only hope lay in getting rid of Miaomiao.
Sophia Ao
Sophia Ao
10:17 PM Aug 16
Miaomiao's father seems to care more about his image than his family
Ryan Ma
Ryan Ma
9:08 PM Aug 17
It is common with people of high positions, especially people in politics or people that deal with politics. The vice chairman cares much more about how he looks than his family to keep his reputation well and make himself look better.
Shaumik Kalwit
Shaumik Kalwit
8:06 PM Aug 18
He also cares more about his own legacy more than his life. The only reason he wanted to extend his life was just so he could have a son to carry out his legacy.
Brian Wu
Brian Wu
11:46 PM Aug 18 (edited 11:47 PM Aug 18)
Well, even though most people don't have that thinking (that only son can carry the family's bloodline down) anymore, most people will still want a son more than a daughter. (I'm not saying worldwide but mostly in Asia and mostly happens in China and Taiwan because it's normal to them in the past)
Claire Chen
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went looking for a lame man called Zeng, to have his fortune read again.
Brian Wu
Brian Wu
11:42 PM Aug 18
I think things like this are believed because only the ones that happened are told to others and this causes it to be believed since the ones that didn't match wasn't known.
Claire Chen
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seven years later, the vice-chairman could often be spotted carrying Miaomiao down the street with a furtive look in his eye. His downturned mouth and sunken cheeks spoke of despair.
William Jiao
William Jiao
3:54 PM Aug 18
In Chinese and most other East Asian cultures, men are considered more valuable than women, resulting in parents choosing to abandon their daughters in the past. But because the vice chairman had a daughter who also happened to be disabled, he felt both the shame of having a daughter and having a disabled child.
Brian Wu
Brian Wu
11:39 PM Aug 18
Well, it's all caused by people in the surroundings keep telling them this so it just keeps passing on, and rarely do people think differently because they are constantly taught about it so it's very normal to them. Like to me, I feel people with that thinking are just out of their mind and that's because my parent and people around me keep telling me that it's not right to think that boys are better than girls and so I think it is right because I was constantly taught with that idea. (sorry it might be hard to understand what I want to say I'm not good at writing things like this so good luck understanding what I want to say)
Claire Chen
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Since the vice-chairman was blood type A and had been born in the Year of the Rabbit, he was both stubborn and introverted.
Srushti Chaudhari
Srushti Chaudhari
11:02 PM Aug 18
This statement makes the birth year and blood type having to do something with personality sound like a fact. But as they aren't scientifically proven, it's interesting to see this stated as a fact and like this person's personality won't change (like many other superstitions in the story).
Claire Chen
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Instead, he would lay her down near the grain shop, her head pointing toward the southwest.
Kimberly Yang
Kimberly Yang
10:24 PM Aug 18
His actions are still affected by what the fortune teller told him - the fortune teller said that a gentleman would come from the southwest and bring good luck and he lays his daughter down with her head pointing southwest.
Claire Chen
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I have given a pattern to your life, a rhythm. I have taught you things about yourself you would have preferred not to know. You must understand that your mission will destroy you in the end.
Aaron Shih
Aaron Shih
8:26 PM Aug 17
This is ironic because by spending time with his retarded daughter, he manages to learn more about himself.
William Jiao
William Jiao
4:59 PM Aug 18
He learned that Miaomiao was an extension of himself, someone that will always be his daughter. As a result, he used his extension to discover the world for the gain of both of them.
Kimberly Yang
Kimberly Yang
10:20 PM Aug 18
His mind is imagining Miaomiao saying this, showing that his daughter has taught him something.
Claire Chen
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hours
Andrew Gao
Andrew Gao
11:14 PM Aug 17
It seems like the chairman "abandoning" his daughter has become a routine for him, and that he doesn't even want to abandon his daughter anymore.
Kimberly Yang
Kimberly Yang
10:15 PM Aug 18
I agree, his "abandoning" routine may just be because he still does not acknowledge and accept the fact that he has grown to care for his daughter.
Claire Chen
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future son,
Jarvise Luo
Jarvise Luo
3:19 PM Aug 18
shows how ignorant people can be at times, especially when he has to abandon his daughter for this.
William Jiao
William Jiao
4:51 PM Aug 18
He decided to keep trying to abandon Miaomiao for the sake of his son, likely to improve his reputation, as he holds a position of power.
Aditya Kewalram
Aditya Kewalram
10:06 PM Aug 18
The reason that he's trying to abandon Miaomiao is because they also have another daughter and can't have any more children. Because she's mentally handicapped in addition to being a daughter instead of a son, he doesn't see her as an actual human being and more as a property to give to someone else to make space for another one.
Claire Chen
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If he didn't escape with his life, his family name would die with him.
Siri Ratnam
Siri Ratnam
9:32 PM Aug 18
Zeng sees Miaomiao more as a reminder of his failure to bring up a son and I think that at this stage he wants to abandon her more out of trying to erase the memory of his failure than trying to erase someone he perceives as a burden.
Claire Chen
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The vice-chairman wondered how the police had managed to track him down.
Evan Xu
Evan Xu
5:19 PM Aug 18
The vice-chairman was probably not very good at covering his tracks.
Sohan Alleshwaram
Sohan Alleshwaram
8:40 PM Aug 18 (edited 8:41 PM Aug 18)
It makes sense considering many people saw him try to abandon Miaomiao, such as when he stopped people who tried to take her clothes.
Claire Chen
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; at forty-nine, a disaster would befall him
James Ye
James Ye
1:38 PM Aug 17
Lesson learned, fortune tellers are scammers
Sohan Alleshwaram
Sohan Alleshwaram
8:37 PM Aug 18
The story really makes it seem otherwise due to some of the predictions actually being true.
Claire Chen
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Still, Miaomiao refused to disappear
Ellitza Stoyanova
Ellitza Stoyanova
7:59 PM Aug 17
The vice-chairman wanted a son partially due to the belief that he'd certainly be stronger than a daughter, yet ironically his daughter is incredibly resilient.
Sophia Ao
Sophia Ao
9:31 PM Aug 17
Right? She almost died countless times and she keeps coming back, I think its really obviously the reason why she kept coming back is because she doesn't have anywhere else to go. If she did I highly doubt she would.
Niharika Emani
Niharika Emani
3:17 PM Aug 18
Exactly! Miaomiao is incredibly strong and resilient. She has nearly died countless times, and has watched her father attempt to abandon her over and over again. This is incredibly traumatizing, but she still persists.
Shaumik Kalwit
Shaumik Kalwit
8:28 PM Aug 18
Wow, I didn't even realize that. That's actually really cool.
Claire Chen
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a whole
Niharika Emani
Niharika Emani
5:59 PM Aug 17
Miaomiao is undergoing several traumatic events that will probably impact her later in life & cause her abandonment issues.
Ellitza Stoyanova
Ellitza Stoyanova
8:04 PM Aug 17
It makes it even worse that this is happening to her in her most vulnerable age range.
Shaumik Kalwit
Shaumik Kalwit
8:09 PM Aug 18
And it's even worse that it is her own father's doing.
Claire Chen
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He decided that his only choice now was to retire from his new post
Leah Uriarte
Leah Uriarte
7:07 PM Aug 18
The vice-chairman quits his job to spend more time trying to abandon Miaomiao, but in the previous paragraph, he hadn't wanted to exceed the birth quota because he would lose the government job and salary he worked so hard for, showing how illogical his quest to get rid of Miaomiao is.
Claire Chen
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run after the thief
Jeslyn Mi
Jeslyn Mi
7:12 PM Aug 17
The only reason he even watches after Miaomiao when abandoning her is because the fortune-teller told him that was the only way he would get rid of her. So, he doesn't actually care about her safety at all.
Erika Wu
Erika Wu
11:05 PM Aug 17
I agree with you based on this current paragraph, but if you read below you can see that this chairman cared enough to drop his daughter off at an orphanage. He doesn't know whether or not the people there will be 'kindhearted', but it's starting to seem like he's caring a bit more for his child, maybe tying in to the fact that he's starting to spend so much time with Miaomiao when trying to find a way to get rid of her.
Sia Shastri
Sia Shastri
12:21 PM Aug 18
Exactly. Just before entering the orphanage to drop off Miaomiao, he said that she would be "much happier her than you are at home," showing that he genuinely cares about her, because he wants her to be happy, and knows that he can't do that.
Jarvise Luo
Jarvise Luo
5:52 PM Aug 18
I know that the vice chairman is a very important person, but I disagree with his choice in the end. His daughter should be valued over his pride and work.
Claire Chen
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A few months after his forty-eighth birthday, he was promoted to the post of chairman of the Municipal Treasury Board, just as Zeng had foretold.
Cyrus Wong
Cyrus Wong
10:50 PM Aug 17
He only has one event coincidentally match up with what the fortune teller foretold, and now it seems like he is sure that everything else will fall into place.
Brandon Zhang
Brandon Zhang
5:00 PM Aug 18
He's very superstitious
Jarvise Luo
Jarvise Luo
5:50 PM Aug 18
I agree, but the fact that some random fortune teller told him to treat his daughter better was able to convince him to treat her better is something else.
Claire Chen
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kindhearted person
Andrew Gao
Andrew Gao
10:13 PM Aug 17
It seems like the fortune teller cares more about the chairman's daughter's safety than the chairman himself.
Sia Shastri
Sia Shastri
12:18 PM Aug 18
I agree that it seems that way, but I think the fortune teller is just being logical. If the person wasn't kindhearted, they wouldn't want to keep Miaomiao. I don't think that this shows that the fortune teller cares.
Evan Xu
Evan Xu
5:31 PM Aug 18
I think the fortune teller is almost like the teller of karma. What goes around comes back around.
Claire Chen
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she now supported him wholeheartedly
Aishwarya Poolla
Aishwarya Poolla
4:40 PM Aug 17
It is ironic that while the vice-chairman starts hating his daughter, but comes to love her, his wife starts loving the child, but is convinced to leave her.
Anna Chiang
Anna Chiang
3:18 PM Aug 18
I think that that shows that his wife never really loved Miaomiao but instead only cared a little because Miaomiao was her child.
Niharika Emani
Niharika Emani
3:20 PM Aug 18
I think the wife could also be a victim in this case. Her husband clearly views her as inferior because she is a woman, and he speaks of her as if she is some baby factory, not a human being. Obviously, she is an adult and responsible for her actions, however I think the context around her marriage says a lot about their situation.
Claire Chen
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weekend alone
Jeslyn Mi
Jeslyn Mi
7:05 PM Aug 17
Because Miaomiao is now old enough to understand what's going on, she begins to fear the outside world because of her father, and has psychological problems that she must live with for the rest of her life. Her father is willing to go this far just to keep up the family name, which shows that he cares more about reputation than his own child.
Ryan Ma
Ryan Ma
10:46 PM Aug 17
Miaomiao may also suffer severe trauma and PTSD. Even though she was born retarded people like her can still know what going on, they just have a hard time expressing what they are sensing and feeling. I don't think that she will ever be able to recover from the trauma that her father has put her through.
Sia Shastri
Sia Shastri
12:15 PM Aug 18
If you look at the beginning of the story, you will see that Miaomiao is said to be calm but bewildered, showing that she isn't traumatized. However, this happened after she realized that her father didn't want to and wasn't going to abandon her.
Claire Chen
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You've done your best for everyone. You have let neither me nor yourself down. There's nothing more you can do.
Sia Shastri
Sia Shastri
12:02 PM Aug 18
Miaomiao saying this represents the one thing that her father believed he could never get: forgiveness. Throughout the story, her father is shown to be socially conscious, because he is under the misconception that any mistake he makes can never be forgiven.
Claire Chen
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“The eyes of the crowd see everything,”
Sia Shastri
Sia Shastri
12:00 PM Aug 18
This shows how socially conscious Miaomiao's father is, and how he will go to any extent to make society think of him in a positive manner. This line also implies that society doesn't see him. in bad light, and this whole idea of it is all in his head.
Claire Chen
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The fortune-teller had told him that he would succeed in getting rid of his daughter only if he was certain that some kindhearted person would take her home and look after her.
Aishwarya Poolla
Aishwarya Poolla
4:31 PM Aug 17
The fortune teller's words prevent him from getting rid of his daughter instead of helping, but this does help the daughter.
Sophia Ao
Sophia Ao
9:28 PM Aug 17
I agree the fortune-teller's words really contradict themselves. if the goal was to get rid of the daughter how they get rid of her shouldn't really matter the outcome should be the same since getting rid of one's child is already terrible on its own.
Erika Wu
Erika Wu
10:55 PM Aug 17
Yeah I think that he should just stop worrying about the fortune teller's words and continue with his own life, for all the chairman knows the fortune teller could be spitting out lies. It's kind of sad to see him living his life based on what he heard from the fortune teller.
Claire Chen
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He knew that if his wife exceeded her birth quota of two children
Sohan Alleshwaram
Sohan Alleshwaram
10:08 PM Aug 17
The reason his wife got a birth quota of two children was because the first was retarded. I feel that even if he manages to abandon Miaomiao, he won't be able to have another child because his current child isn't retarded.
Ryan Ma
Ryan Ma
10:43 PM Aug 17
I agree, I think that even if he tries to get another child he will face backlash from the public because they do not know that he has abandoned Miaomiao and he may be shamed for having a third child as well.
Claire Chen
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When his second daughter was just two weeks old, he took Miaomiao in his arms and set off for a public park, planning to abandon her there.
Erika Wu
Erika Wu
10:42 PM Aug 17
This father seems to care way too much about his status instead of his own daughter, thinking that passing down a family name and holding that power is greater than taking care of what he's already been given.
Claire Chen
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He began to pour out his heart to her, telling her about his problems with his wife, his concerns about world affairs, and the heartache he felt for all the pain he'd caused her.
Aditya Kewalram
Aditya Kewalram
8:35 PM Aug 17
the main character now regards Miaomiao as his closest friend despite all his attempts to get rid of her.
Claire Chen
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turn
Niharika Emani
Niharika Emani
6:07 PM Aug 17
He clearly only cares about money and statues. He initially tries to get rid of Miaomiao because he considers her a burden to him, but then hears that she could be "blessed" so he keeps her around like some good luck charm.
Jeslyn Mi
Jeslyn Mi
7:19 PM Aug 17
I agree, he also only cared about her safety because the fortune-teller said if she was abandoned without getting hurt, that was the only way he would be rid of her.
Claire Chen
Brandon Zhang
Brandon Zhang
8:35 AM Aug 17
Add: “k”
Claire Chen
Niharika Emani
Niharika Emani
10:22 AM Aug 24
Delete: “You'll be happy here. They'll give you noodles every day, and candy, too. They'll even teach you Eng…”
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Niharika Emani
Niharika Emani
10:22 AM Aug 24
Suggestion rejected
Claire Chen
Ryan Ma
Ryan Ma
10:22 AM Aug 24
Delete: “he, was overcome with such joy that he ran to the food stall at the end of the platform and treated …”
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Ryan Ma
Ryan Ma
10:22 AM Aug 24
Suggestion rejected
Claire Chen
Siri Ratnam
Siri Ratnam
10:20 AM Aug 24
Add: “f”
Siri Ratnam
Siri Ratnam
10:20 AM Aug 24
Suggestion rejected
Claire Chen
Siri Ratnam
Siri Ratnam
10:20 AM Aug 24
Delete: “just wanted to perform a good deed,””
Siri Ratnam
Siri Ratnam
10:20 AM Aug 24
Suggestion rejected
Claire Chen
Sohan Alleshwaram
Sohan Alleshwaram
10:03 AM Aug 24
Ignore grammar suggestion
Sohan Alleshwaram
Sohan Alleshwaram
10:03 AM Aug 24
Suggestion rejected
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Aaron Shih
Aaron Shih
9:50 AM Aug 24
Delete: “et, you say?””
Aaron Shih
Aaron Shih
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Suggestion rejected
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Ryan Ma
9:47 AM Aug 24
Format: indent first line, indent left
Ryan Ma
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9:47 AM Aug 24
Suggestion rejected
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Evan Xu
Evan Xu
8:43 AM Aug 24
Add: “‘’’ ‘’’’ axI We We I I fdghjkfgk’ ;/ ?:’ ‘ ?:fdasadsfI ‘’’’’’’’ ‘’’’ ‘ ‘?’’ ‘’’’’ ‘’’ ‘’’’’’’ ‘’’ ‘’…”
Evan Xu
Evan Xu
9:34 AM Aug 24
Suggestion rejected
Claire Chen
Sophia Ao
Sophia Ao
11:35 PM Aug 23
Replace: “publicsecurity” with “public security”
Sophia Ao
Sophia Ao
11:35 PM Aug 23
Suggestion rejected