[Famine + building from nothing + raising kids + dead husband] When she opens her eyes, five little mice are sprawled all over, munching on a few unknown grass seeds. Song Wei’s vision goes black.
She thinks she must be dreaming, so she closes her eyes and goes back to sleep.
In a daze, she wakes up hungry. When she opens her eyes and turns her head, she sees a big rat lying beside her and, terrified, rolls across the ground twice.
Her backside hits a rock, and it hurts a little.
Song Wei’s eyes widen. It feels as though she has lost all her strength and every means of coping.
Mouse One is lazy and gluttonous.
Mouse Two never listens.
Mouse Three’s eyes are always darting around, and every time he opens his mouth, he sounds like a scheming little flirt.
Mouse Four steals a few tender blades of grass from the neighbors today and a handful of grass seeds tomorrow.
Mouse Five is the only girl and is fairly obedient, except that she often slaps each of her brothers once, starting a brawl.
Song Wei’s vision goes black again and again. To build a better life and keep them from starving to death, she grows crops, raises animals, builds houses, and leads the mouse clan to become stronger.
