The little boy led Xie Qiqi to a corner behind the dilapidated temple. A crude hut made of grass had been erected there, and the boy tugged Xie Qiqi inside. In the dim light, Xie Qiqi saw two people lying on a bed of hay.
The boy pointed to the pair and made a pleading gesture toward Xie Qiqi. She understood his meaning: he wanted her to treat them. She knelt to examine them. One was a fifty-year-old woman, her face covered in pus-filled sores. Xie Qiqi felt for a pulse, but found none. The body was still slightly warm, clearly having passed away only a short time ago.
Xie Qiqi looked at the boy with pity. Was this woman his mother? She couldn't bear to tell him the truth, but seeing the expectation in his eyes, she said softly and helplessly, "Little brother, who is she to you? She... she has already passed away."
Chapter 146