Chapter 18 Summary

Ji Shen brought hope to the girls' house. The atmosphere in China was dismal. The stories of atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers were increasing and the Japanese were approaching fast. Much of China was crippled by the war effort and the people were downtrodden. Amid this backdrop, Ji Shen came into their lives. She had found a way to survive and served as inspiration to the others. Pei was closest to Ji Shen and made it her own responsibility to keep Ji Shen safe. Pei had been a younger sister and very briefly an older sister, but she had never known her baby sister beyond infancy. Pei enjoyed being able to take Ji Shen under her wing. Their relationship began to resemble the one between Lin and Pei, where Lin was the guide.

Ji Shen continued to heal over the next few weeks...