Zhu Jinhua is a ten-year-old girl and Xiaomei's neighbor and playmate, living on the east side of the southern village. Despite being older than Xiaomei, she is shorter and less assertive. Jinhua quit school after a few days last year because she could not understand the lessons, and her parents gave up trying to educate her. Because she is small, the team leader only allows her to earn work points during harvest seasons, and her main job is to watch her grandma while cooking, though her mother's real reason is to prevent her grandmother from stealing food. Jinhua is sociable and curious, often asking questions about other people's lives. She is more interested in playing at home than studying. She accompanies Xiaomei on their chicken droppings collection trips and shares in the excitement of receiving rose cuttings from Great-Grandpa Gu.
