Although life was difficult in the rural areas of Tsuen Wan, they eventually managed to settle down.
One day, when the eldest and second eldest sons were returning home from work, it suddenly started to thunder and rain. Poor kids, with no rain gear and nowhere to hide, they had to run home oaked. That night, the second eldest son developed a high fever, causing their mother, Ashan's mom, to be extremely worried. The next day, she asked Uncle Lin to find a doctor for the second eldest son.
The doctor was a military physician Uncle Lin had met during his time in the army. After examining the second eldest son, he diagnosed it as a cold from being caught in the rain and advised rest and medication. However, due to prolonged malnutrition, the second eldest son did not recover and remained in a semi-conscious state. Ashan's mom, increasingly anxious, called the doctor again. Hearing that the fever had persisted for several days, the doctor admitted he didn't know what else to do and suggested taking the child to the hospital immediately.
Ashan's mom rushed to the town, pawned some jewelry, and took the second eldest son to the hospital as fast as she could. The hospital's senior doctor scolded her for delaying bringing the child in. After a thorough examination, he gravely informed her that the second eldest son had acute encephalitis and it was too late now.
Hearing this devastating news, Ashan's mom nearly fainted. Overcome with grief, she held her child and cried out, "Oh God! After enduring so much suffering, why won't you spare him? He's just a child! How will I ever face his father again?"
That night, the second eldest son passed away in Ashan's mom's frail but strong arms.
When Ashan saw her mother return alone, crying with his sisters, he innocently asked, "Why are you crying? Where is my brother? Why isn't he back yet?" His young heart couldn't comprehend the permanence of death. It wasn't until Ashan's mom cremated the second eldest son and placed his ashes in a public columbarium that he finally understood his brother was never coming back, leading him to cry his heart out.
雖然在荃灣鄉下的日子過得很清苦，但是總算安定了下來。
直到有一天，當老大、老二下工回家時，突然下了雷雨。可憐兩個孩子，既沒雨具又沒地方躲雨，只好淋著大雨跑回家來。當天晚上老二就發了高燒，阿三媽心急如焚。第二天就拜託林叔，找了個醫生，來為老二看病。
這位醫生是林叔在軍隊裏認識的軍醫。他看了老二的病後，認為是受涼感冒，好好休息幾天，吃點藥就會沒問題。
但是老二由於長期的營養不良，一直沒有好起來，而且昏睡不止。阿三媽急著又再把醫生請來。醫生一聽說好幾天都沒有退燒，也不知如何是好。只有告訴阿三媽，他已盡力了，還是趕緊把孩子送到醫院去吧！
阿三媽趕到小鎮裏，把一些首飾當了，馬不停蹄地把老二送到醫院去。醫院的老醫生看了之後，一直責怪阿三媽，為何耽誤了這麼久才把孩子送來。
經過詳細診斷後，醫生沉重的告訴阿三媽，老二得的是急性腦炎，現在送來已經太晚了。
阿三媽聽了這個晴天霹靂的消息，只差沒有昏了過去。她此時已經欲哭無淚，只有乾嚎地抱著老二，「天啊！為什麼歷經了這麼多苦難，您還是不放過他呢？他只是個孩子啊！您叫我以後如何去見孩子的爸啊！」
當晚老二就在阿三媽瘦弱、但又堅強的臂彎裏斷了氣。
當阿三看見媽一個人回來，抱著姐姐痛哭時，還天真地問：「妳們為什麼哭呢？二哥在那裏？他為什麼還沒有回來？」小小的心靈，不知什麼叫生離死別。直到阿三媽把老二火化後，把骨灰送進公家的納骨公寓，才恍然相信，二哥再也不會回來，而好好地痛哭了一場。
1950s Tsuen Wan (1950 年代的荃灣)