It was the fifth day after Gao Nian of the Golden Dragon Gang had died.
A tickling sensation teased Shen Xiuhan's nose. He opened his eyes to find Shen Momo leaning over the bedside, pinching a lock of hair and secretly poking it into his nostril.
Seeing him wake, the little girl squealed and bolted outside, remembering to turn back and pull a face at him.
"Big Brother's a lazybones! The sun's shining on your backside, and you're still in bed!"
Normally, the little girl was the last in the family to wake.
Shen Xiuhan had slept in for once, and she had finally caught her chance. She was positively gleeful.
He got up with a chuckle and pulled on his coarse-cloth outer robe. Suddenly, his ears twitched.
Outside the courtyard, Madam Zheng was chatting with several neighbors.
"What? Everyone in the Golden Dragon Gang is dead?"
"It's absolutely true! Those people from the Turbulent Wave Gang were beating gongs and drums through every market ward before dawn!"
"What about Gang Leader Gao? I heard he was so skilled that even a dozen strong men couldn't get near him."
"Heh, he's dead too! Apparently, several leaders of the Turbulent Wave Gang surrounded him and hacked him into mincemeat on the spot. A gruesome end!"
"Good! The protection money the Golden Dragon Gang collected kept getting steeper every year. They practically left us poor folk no way to survive. Serves them right, I say!"
"Ah, crows are black everywhere under heaven. Out goes the Golden Dragon Gang, in comes the Turbulent Wave Gang. They'll probably be just as bad when it comes to collecting dues..."
The excited chatter gradually gave way to sighs.
On the bed, a strange expression crossed Shen Xiuhan's face.
Gao Fu...
Was dead?
*That couldn't be right,