Song Yaoyao said to the constables under her command:
"Go knock on the door."
"Yes, ma'am."
A constable stepped forward and knocked on the door.
A moment later, a man's voice came from inside:
"Who is it?"
At the sound of that voice, Chen Yanniang's mouth fell open in disbelief. For a long while, she could not utter a word.
Song Yaoyao leaned close to Chen Yanniang and said:
"No matter what you hear, don't make a sound."
Chen Yanniang still could not take it in. She nodded mechanically.
Song Yaoyao signaled for the constable to remain silent and keep knocking.
The constable nodded and continued knocking.
An impatient voice came from behind the door:
"Knock, knock, knock! What are you knocking for?
I'm asking you a question! Why aren't you answering?"
The constable said nothing and kept knocking.
Cursing came from the courtyard.
A moment later, the door opened.
The instant the door opened, the cursing stopped dead.
The man at the door was none other than Yao Qi. He saw the officers outside, along with his wife, Sun Liucai, and many people he did not recognize.
Yao Qi's face instantly turned pale.
Before anyone could speak, a woman's voice came from inside:
"Husband, who is it?"
When she heard that voice, Chen Yanniang's eyes widened. She knew it all too well-it belonged to her younger sister, Chen Yanqiu.
The woman inside had already come out.
When everyone saw her face, they were so shocked that they could not speak for a long while.
They looked at the woman's face, then at Chen Yanniang's. The two faces were almost identical.
Only Chen Yanniang's face was more weathered, while the woman in the courtyard looked younger.
Seeing the scene at the courtyard entrance, Chen Yanqiu wanted to retreat into the