As the group approached, they saw villagers packed several rows deep outside the Xu family's door in the darkness, watching the commotion.
Weak orange light spilled through the doors and windows of the neighboring homes, dispelling the darkness outside. Even before they got close, they could see everyone's expressions clearly. The light in their eyes flickered with the flames of gossip; they were clearly watching with growing excitement.
Once they drew near, they broke into a jog. People were crammed all around, and before they could squeeze through, Ye Yaodong could already hear his mother's loud curses ringing in his ears.
"You goddamned, good-for-nothing bastards! You've got no conscience! You'll steal anything! Your hands ought to be chopped off! Oh, my ancestors, why didn't you take this whole family away with you? Why leave them in the village to plague everyone?"
"My ambergris! Hand it over right now, or we'll smash up your home! We'll tear down this lousy house of yours!"
"Oh, heavens, why won't you open your eyes? Send down a bolt of lightning and strike their whole family dead! Save everyone from their trouble!"
"None of you are human! Pay me back right now! My longans, my eggs, my ambergris! Oh, this hurts worse than having my heart dug out! You whole family of little devils..."
"Don't hold back! Eldest Sister, Second Sister, Third Sister, Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother, Sixth Brother, Eighth Brother, all you nephews! Turn everything over! Help me look! Those sons of bitches, those fucking lowlifes, actually stole from my home! Where's the knife? Where is it? I'm going to chop his hands off..."
Mother Ye pointed at the Xu family, wailing to heaven and cursing them indiscriminately.
The old and young members of the Xu family refused to back down either. The women