"What a pity."
"It's all my fault. I should have gone to check on them last night. Maybe nothing would have happened then."
"Who could have guessed? No matter how hard things got, they shouldn't have chosen a dead end!"
"Gambling really kills people!"
"Poor Little Tiger, dying so young. Old Zhu and his wife were such good people too. In times like these..."
The neighbors gathered outside the Zhu family home discussed the matter heatedly, their words filled with regret, sympathy, and helplessness.
Many of them had watched Zhu Xiaohu grow up and had enjoyed a good relationship with Uncle Zhu and his wife. Seeing the tragic sight of their entire family dead, they all felt deeply saddened.
Just then, a man in plain cloth hurried over.
Excitement and agitation filled his face as he shouted, "Little Tiger! Little Tiger!"
The plainly dressed man shouted loudly, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
All eyes turned toward him!
The man could not help stopping, feeling inexplicably guilty. "What's wrong?"
One of the neighbors asked, "Xiao Zhong, are you looking for Little Tiger?"
The plainly dressed man was still young. He had grown up playing with Zhu Xiaohu, and the two had been very close.
Everyone knew him as well.
"Yes."
Xiao Zhong scratched his head and answered hesitantly, "I came to tell him some good news. Changle Gambling House was wiped out last night. A lot of people from the Three Rivers Society died. Even Old Fourth Duan, who came to collect the debt yesterday, is dead!"
"What?"
The neighbors could scarcely believe their ears.
Some of them had noticed some commotion last night, but they had not known what had happened. News in this area was relatively cut off, so they only learned the truth now.
"Of course it's true!"
Xiao