On the stone road in Qingshi Town, the snow crunched under the feet. The biting north wind blew across young Su Mo's cheeks like a knife. He subconsciously wrapped himself tightly in the patched cotton-padded clothes, held the copper plate he had just exchanged from the drug store in his arms, and hurried home. The cold wind picked up the withered grass on the roadside and drew a messy path behind him. Smoke curled up in the distance, but it could not dispel the chill in his heart. His father was seriously ill in bed and his mother died young. The family relied on him working in a drug store to make ends meet. He had to get up before dawn every day, weigh and grind medicinal materials, and take care of his bedridden father. The heavy burden of life made him breathless.
