A group of eighth-grade boys and girls set themselves the goal of greening the vacant lot adjacent to their school and turning it into a blooming garden. At first, they thought it would be extremely easy to achieve this goal. But then there were those who argued that the garden only required physical strength (so wouldn't it be easier to hire workers?) and that schoolchildren should not be distracted from their classes, especially since many of them were falling behind. The enthusiastic gardeners did not give up. They took the weaker students under their wing. Much more was needed—special knowledge, teamwork skills, and perseverance—before the eighth graders were able to ceremoniously present the school with the first bouquets of flowers from their plot.

In 1949, as Shanghai faced liberation, prices soared, and people struggled. Students worried about tuition waivers. At a middle school, corrupt influences led to unfair waivers, angering students like Jiang Dacheng, who was expelled after being reported by Wu Guangen. Guided by Yang Ming, an underground party worker, Jiang Dacheng joined the revolution. He and classmates Lü Xiaoke, Chen Yuzhen, and He Guisheng formed the underground Young Pioneers, transforming the confiscated *New Youth Newspaper* into a wall newspaper to spread revolutionary ideas. They secretly listened to Xinhua News, printed leaflets about the People’s Liberation Army’s victory, and distributed them, causing panic among spies Wu Inspector and Principal Zhu. Teacher Yang Ming protected the children, but his actions drew suspicion. Jiang Dacheng learned of Yang Ming’s arrest plan and helped him escape. They celebrated Shanghai’s liberation, and Jiang Dacheng vowed to follow the Communist Party forever.