To Zhang Lisheng's surprise, his request was rejected by Lili without hesitation. "Of course not! Baby, you're in a special situation. It's too dangerous to go back to Sichuan. You can't go back, never ever… Moreover, I plan to bring you to see your grandfather and grandmother this winter holiday. Your grandfather will turn 60 on the first Sunday of next year. This is a big day for him and the best day for him to meet you…"
According to the Chinese sexagenary cycle of numbering in the year, a total of sixty years was considered as a cycle called jiazi. To the Chinese people, the 60th birthday could be said as the most important day in one's life. However, even though Zhang Lisheng did not know much about his grandfather, he knew that he was a senior judge in the New York Court of Appeals.
In America, it was highly unlikely for a state legislature judge with a very high social status to be part of the first generation of immigrants from China.
