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Red Scarf Girl connects to the Cultural Revolution because Ji Li Jiang wrote about her experiences during the Cultural Revolution. From 1966-1976, many families' houses were searched for things that were considered "Four Olds," things that represented old ideas, old habits, old customs, and old culture. Ji Li, her brother, Ji Yong, her sister, Ji Yun, and her best friend, An Yi watched a crowd of people trying to break the sign at the Great Prosperity Market on p. 21, An Yi tells Ji Li and her siblings " 'Come on, you guys!'... 'They're breaking the sign at the Great Prosperity Market!'" When the four of them got to the Great Prosperity Market, they saw, "A big crowd had gathered in front of the Great Prosperity Market, one of the most successful food stores in the city. ... All eyes were riveted on a dense ring of people in the street. Some young men were cheering excitedly for the people inside the circle, but half the crowd were merely craning their necks and watching." After making their way through the crowd, Ji Li, her siblings, and An Yi saw, "Lying on the dirty ground inside the circle was a huge wooden sign, at least twelve feet long. It was still impressive, although the large golden characters GREAT PROSPERITY MARKET had lost their usual shine ad looked dull and lifeless on the red background. Two muscular young men in undershirts, probably salesmen from the store, were gasping next to it." The young men try throwing the sign at the ground from shoulder height, "The board bounced twice but did not break. "The two men threw the board again. Nothing happened." When throwing the board didn't work, someone said, "'Put one end on the curb. Stamp on it. That's bound to work. ... Amid a clamor of support, the two men moved the board half onto the sidewalk. Then they jumped onto it. 'One ... two ... three ... ' We heard their boots strike the hard wood. But the board did not yield. '... This fourolds is really hard. Hey! Come on! Let's do it together!' the tall fellow shouted at the crowd. ... Ji Yong had moved faster snd was one of a dozen people on it. They stamped, bounced, and jumped with excitement. ... The board refused to break. Even under a thousand pounds, it did not give way." One of the people eventually used an ax to break the sign.
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