Bitter Mother

In 1932, Sufen, a country girl, defied her parents to pursue freedom and love. She refused a dowry, skipped the wedding banquet, and eloped with her sweetheart, Chen Chunsheng, to the docks.

They made a home in a shack. Chen Chunsheng carried sacks of grain to earn a hard-won living, while Sufen mended clothes and did laundry to help make ends meet. Even in their poverty, they had hope for the future.

But once Chen Chunsheng had saved a little money, he grew restless. A flirtatious city girl caught his eye, and his nights away from home became the norm.

When Sufen became pregnant, she begged him through tears to change his ways, but all she got in return was his beating.

During an argument, he shoved her to the ground. She lost the baby, and the years of love she'd given him proved to have been misplaced.

With nowhere else to turn, Sufen went back to her hometown, her reputation already in tatters...

From then on, Sufen was alone. By day, she scavenged for trash and collected recyclables. At night, she carried a basket through the streets and alleys, selling lighters.

Braving the elements and enduring contempt, this wretched woman fought to survive in the dirt through sheer grit, just to hold on to the last shred of her dignity.