In contemporary China, the Cultural Revolution remains a delicate topic, little discussed, but if a Chinese citizen has read one book on the subject, it is likely to be Ji's memoir. When The Cowshed was published in China in 1998, it quickly became a bestseller. The Cultural Revolution had nearly disappeared from the collective memory. Prominent intellectuals rarely spoke openly about the revolution, and books on the subject were almost nonexistent. By the time of Ji's death in 2009, little had changed, and despite its popularity, The Cowshed remains one of the only testimonies of its kind.

Introduction /Zha Jianying -- The Socialist education movement -- June 4th, 1966 -- Choosing a label that fit -- A half-year respite -- Joining the fray -- A house raid -- On the brink of suicide -- At the eleventh hour -- Reform through labor begins -- The great struggle session -- Taiping Village -- Building our own prison -- In the cowshed (1) -- In the cowshed (2) -- In the cowshed (3) -- Relocating the cowshed -- Half liberated -- Fully liberated -- Further reflections -- Author's afterword -- Appendix: My heart is a mirror.