Chapter 173

Outside Shitou Village, in Tianyang County.

Inside a dilapidated mud hut, an old woman lay on a straw mat, her body emaciated and skeletal. Her wrinkled skin clung to her bones like dried bark, making her look like a withered frame draped in loose, sagging flesh.

A boy limped into the courtyard, covered in dirt and grass clippings, his small body marked with bruises and scrapes.

He was already nine years old, but years of hunger had left him stunted and frail.

"Grandma, I found food! Grandma…"

The boy ran inside, carefully pulling out two small wild fruits, each about the size of a pigeon egg. The old woman stirred as he shook her awake, her eyelids fluttering open with great effort. She looked at her grandson and weakly shook her head, her eyes filled with pain and reluctance.