Chapter 27: The Family of Jiang Lihua

A woman stood there, dressed in a grey coarse-cloth jacket covered in large patches. It was impossible to tell how long it had been since it was last washed, as it was stained with grime, and her hair was a tangled, messy nest. She had slanted, upturned eyes and prominent cheekbones, giving her a mean-spirited appearance, whether from being chronically underfed or simply by nature.

In her arms, she clutched a four- or five-year-old boy. He was dressed in filthy rags with two trails of snot running down his nose, though his large eyes were strikingly clear and bright. Beside her stood a young man, burly and dark-skinned, who looked fierce