Question

read this passage from the beginning of the story.
\i thought she would never know!\ mrs. li said. \i just said yes so that i could take the baby and go.\
i made a soft coughing noise and placed the tray on the table.
\mrs. li,\ i said as i bowed low. \teacher is here.\
she snorted with irritation and waved her arms, her voluminous silk sleeve flapping like a flag of surrender. \go,\ she dismissed me.
i hid my smile and tried to walk humbly, as all the browbeaten servants were supposed to do.
why does lingsi hide a smile as she walks away from mrs. li?

she knows that mrs. li does not like the servants to smile or show emotion in front of guests.

she wants to appear obedient and browbeaten like the other servants.

shes trying not to laugh at mrs. lis waving arms.

she doesnt want to reveal that she knows her mother had gotten the better of mrs. li.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The passage doesn't mention guests or Mrs. Li disliking servants' emotions in front of guests. Eliminate.
• Option 2: The text says she tried to walk humbly "as all the browbeaten servants were supposed to do", but hiding a smile isn't about appearing obedient (the smile is internal, not about outward obedience). Eliminate.
• Option 3: Mrs. Li's waving arms are described as a "flag of surrender", but there's no indication Lingsi is laughing at that. Eliminate.
• Option 4: Mrs. Li said she "just said yes so that I could take the baby and go" (implying she was outsmarted by Lingsi's mother, the "Teacher"). Lingsi hides her smile to not reveal she knows her mother got the better of Mrs. Li. This fits.

Answer:

D. She doesn't want to reveal that she knows her mother had gotten the better of Mrs. Li.