I was never hungry. Though we had no milk, there was all the rice we wanted. We had hot and cold running water$-$ a rarity in Chinatown$-$as well as our own bathtub. Others in the community use the YMCA or YMCA facilities, where for twenty$-$five cents a family could draw six baths. Our sheets were pieced from dishtowels, but we had sheets. I was never neglected, for my mother and father were always at home. During school vacations periods, I was taught to operate many types of machines$-$packing $($for pockets$),$ overlocking $($for the raw edges of seams$),$ buttonhole, double seaming; and I learned all the stages of producing a pair of jeans to its final inspection, folding and tying in bundles of a dozen pairs by size, ready for pickup. Denim jeans are heavy$-$my shoulder ached often. My father set up a modest nickel$-$and$-$dime piecework reward for me$,$ which he records in my own notebook and paid me regularly.

A$.$

Learning the family trade.

B$.$

Life in Chinatown for most people was very hard.

C$.$

Learning how to sew was an important part of my upbringing.

D$.$

Life was often hard, but there was little reason for unhappiness.