The roots of the Qin family in troubled times for a century
Chapter 1 The living go first
Guangxu twenty-sixth year, 1900 AD.
Qin Zhenshan squatted at the door of the kitchen, holding a handful of wild vegetables in his hand. They say they are wild vegetables, but they are actually bitter pockmarks from the fields that even pigs don't like to eat. His mother blanched the bitter pockmarks three times, but they were still bitter and made her tongue numb. But it's better than starving to death.
The sound of a spatula scraping the bottom of a pot came from the kitchen. It was harsh, like fingernails scratching sandpaper. The pot has long been out of oil, and Guilan is frying dried sweet potatoes, dry frying, and the sound makes her teeth ache.
"Zhenshan." Mother's voice came from the back room.
Qin Zhenshan stood up, patted the dirt on his trouser legs, and walked in.
My mother was half-lying on the kang, with the eighteen-patched quilt cushioned behind her. Her face was so thin that her cheekbones stood out and her eye sockets were sunken, like two wells. But she seems to be in better spirits today, and her eyes are brighter than in the past few days.
"Mom, did you call me?"
"Close the door."
Qin Zhenshan turned around and closed the door. The room became dark, with only the window paper letting in a little white light, which shone on my mother's face, which turned pale.
"Sit down."
Qin Zhenshan sat on the edge of the Kang. Mother's hand stretched out from the quilt and held his hand. The hand was cold and the bones felt like grabbing a handful of dry firewood.
"Zhenshan, I'm afraid my mother won't be able to hold on for a few more days."
"Mother——"
"Listen to what I have to say." Mom's voice was low, but every word was pronounced clearly. "After I leave, this family will be handed over to you. Your father has been paralyzed for three years and cannot live without people. Your brother Zhenhai has not yet married and has a soft temper. You have to take him with you.
