The couple, Yang Kuigang watched Yang Meng, while Yang Kuigang's wife kept an eye on Yang Lai, never allowing the two boys to go out together.
When Yang Kuigang took Yang Meng out to steal, his wife stayed home to watch over Yang Lai.
When Yang Kuigang's wife took Yang Lai out to beg, Yang Kuigang stayed at home to watch over Yang Meng.
Yang Kuigang told the two brothers that if they dared disobey, one call home would mean death for the one left behind.
So, Yang Meng had no choice but to obey Yang Kuigang's orders.
These past few days, Yang Lai fell ill, gravely ill.
Yang Lai was already frail and needed proper care.
But Yang Kuigang and his wife were stingy with money, only allowing the brothers to eat scraps and leftovers every day.
Even those scraps were meager; the brothers suffered from hunger daily.
Yang Meng, being a bit older, could endure, but his younger brother, who wasn't even five years old, couldn't—after days of starvation, he fell sick.
