“You little brat, stealing food! I’ll beat you to death!”
The shrill, vicious curses came with the sharp crack of a slap, pounding against Lin Chen’s eardrums.
A bone-chilling cold swept through him in an instant, making every limb ache. It was the unbearable agony of being driven into the mountains in the depths of winter in his previous life, freezing and starving, and the despair of watching his little sister die without being able to do anything.
Lin Chen’s eyes flew open. The hatred in his chest threatened to burst out, and a blood-red fury churned in his eyes. The scene before him made the blood in his veins turn to ice, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably.
In the dilapidated earthen courtyard, the blazing sun scorched the ground. His grandmother, Wang Guixiang, was raising a bony, calloused hand and slapping a tiny girl across the face.
The little girl wore ragged clothes covered in patches, far too short for her. They had been washed pale and did nothing to keep out the summer insects. She was gaunt and sallow, with dry, tangled hair like a clump of dead grass. A bright red handprint appeared on her small face. Blood slowly seeped from the corner of her mouth, but she bit her cracked lips and dared not cry aloud. Tears fell silently as she curled into a tiny ball, her eyes full of fear and grievance.
That was his little sister, Lin Xiao!
Lin Xiao, only seven years old!
It felt as if an invisible hand had seized Lin Chen’s heart, squeezing so hard he could hardly breathe. Memories of his previous life surged like a flood, bursting through the dam and overwhelming his mind.
It had also been the summer of 1975. He had just returned from the educated youth settlement in the countryside to Hongqi Village to help his family with farmwork. His little sister, Lin Xiao
