Linjiang, Zouhu City;
Gao Ming cradled a black porcelain bowl in his arms, scanning his surroundings before cautiously entering a low and narrow alley.
A heavy rain had fallen just last night, leaving the uneven ground covered in mud. The alley was tight, and from a foul-smelling ditch on the left emanated a nauseating stench of decay.
Gao Ming looked down to see a boy, about seven or eight years old, lying in the sewage.
His gaze was vacant, staring up at the sky, as several stray dogs clawed at the flesh on his body. Half of his ribcage was exposed from his torn abdomen, under a sky still overcast with clouds that loitered scavenger birds.
"Woof woof woof!"
The sound made stepping into a puddle startled the feeding stray dogs.
The dogs were thin as rails, their ribs clearly defined under filthy fur, but their blood-red eyes were vicious, stained with blood on their yellowed teeth.
Gao Ming was startled and instinctively stepped back.