Aunt Liu sighed. She wanted to ask about her own family, but seeing the state Taotao was in, she decided to wait until Taotao had a chance to recover.
Xing'er was making a bed in an upstairs room. When she came downstairs, she saw Aunt Liu standing in the kitchen doorway, waving to her. "Xing'er, hurry! Your older sister is here."
Xing'er's eyes went wide. She ran into the kitchen and saw a woman in ragged clothes with disheveled hair. The woman was gaunt and sun-darkened, nothing but skin and bones, and was sitting on a small stool eating a bun.
Xing'er simply couldn't believe this was her older sister, who was once known as the prettiest girl for miles around.
She looked even older and uglier than their own mother.
She called out tentatively, "Older Sister—"
Taotao looked up, tears instantly welling in her eyes. "Younger Sister—"
The two sisters couldn't help but weep in each other's arms.
