Many inhabitants of a village very close to the "Black River" have fallen ill. Some of them, who used to be in the best of health, lost the use of half of their body from one day to the next. Others have contracted cancer, like Mr. Jia. The sixty-eight-year-old speaks softly and says that he can barely eat and drink any more. The money he earns from growing vegetables is not enough to buy the expensive medicines he needs. His seven adult children do not support him financially. Min Yang, seven, listens to his grandfather with a solemn expression. Henan Province, November 2011