Of course, the couple didn't believe a word of it, but they still followed the directions to the mass grave.
The sky was dark and heavy that night, with occasional rumbles of muffled thunder. The oppressive atmosphere was suffocating.
When they reached the mass grave, the first thing they saw was a pair of wild dogs gnawing on a corpse.
The corpse was chewed beyond recognition, its skeleton and viscera already exposed.
The couple frantically grabbed sticks and drove the dogs away. Just as they did, a bolt of lightning split the sky, and in its flash, they recognized the body. The dead girl with the half-eaten face was none other than their daughter, Zhang Xue'e.
His wife had been overcome with grief ever since their daughter was sold, and had only been barely holding on for his sake.
