Besides, they were all carrying bags and bundles-the few possessions they had managed to salvage from the ruins.
The crowd and their belongings made quite a spectacle as they blocked the doorway.
Every neighbor passing by looked over curiously.
Song Wang had exhausted all his ingenuity just keeping them outside for these few minutes.
The sight of them crowding the entrance had soaked his back with sweat.
Mother Wu still refused to settle down. When she noticed neighbors stopping to look, she even took the initiative to greet them.
"Out for a stroll, ma'am?"
"What are you all doing here? Moving?" the woman asked.
"No! Disaster struck our home! It burned to the ground! We've come looking for somewhere to stay!"
"Then... why aren't you going inside? Why are you all sitting at the door?"
"The owner won't let us in!"
"Why not? It's hardly right to leave you sitting out here!"
"It's all right! We're asking for a favor! We can't make trouble for them!"
By then, Song Wang's courage had run out. He dared not go back inside, shut the door, or explain anything to the neighbors.
As Mother Wu chatted with the woman, she turned to ask him,
"Wang! How long should we wait? When will your sister be back? Can you give us a definite answer? Look, we can't just keep sitting here!"
Song Wang squeezed his eyes shut and stammered,
"Y-you'd better come inside and wait!"
Before he had even finished speaking, Mother Wu sprang to her feet.
The men of the Wu Family, who had long since lost patience, grabbed their bags and prepared to charge inside.
"Stop!"
A sharp shout rang out.
Song Mei and Song Lan stood behind Song Wang, one holding a shovel and the other a stick.
The sight of