On December 9, 2007, deep in the mountains of Yushan, Xin'an County, Western Henan, a woman named Liu Sanwa was carrying firewood home. She spotted a girl along the path, so she set down her bundle of wood and quietly followed her.
The girl appeared to be six or seven years old, dressed in rags like a beggar. Her left leg was lame, and she wore no shoes. She struggled uphill with great difficulty, taking a few steps before having to rest. Liu Sanwa was surprised; although the households in Jinggou Village were scattered, she knew everyone in the village, and this girl was clearly not from there.
Liu Sanwa ran up to her and asked, “Child! What’s the matter with you?” Seeing someone approaching, the girl curled up on the ground, lowered her head, and remained silent and motionless.
Liu Sanwa sat down beside her and examined the girl’s foot. Oh my! The foot was unrecognizable, at least twice the size of a normal foot, completely deformed and blackened. The sole was covered with intersecting cracks, the deepest of which was wide enough to fit a finger sideways. It was not a new wound and no longer bled, presenting a terrifying, dead appearance.
“Child... does it hurt? ...”
Liu Sanwa guessed most of the story but felt too sympathetic to ask further questions. Her heart ached seeing that foot. She gently lifted the foot and placed it on her own leg, tears streaming down her face. The girl’s tense expression softened, and she raised a small hand to wipe the tears from Liu Sanwa’s face, saying, “Mother, it doesn’t hurt!”
Liu Sanwa was startled: “You call me Mother?”
“I... have had several mothers before...” the girl said, lowering her head shyly.
Liu Sanwa understood what was happening. She cupped the girl’s face and asked, “If you call me Mother, tell me the truth. Do you want to die?” The girl nodded, her face calm and dry, with not a single tear in her eyes. To her, death seemed like an ordinary occurrence. Liu Sanwa let out a roar at the sky, then wiped the tears from her face. She turned her back to the girl and said, “Come up! Quickly!”
The girl hesitantly climbed onto Liu Sanwa’s back, and Liu Sanwa carried her home.
