Chapter 39: Looting

After night fell, Pang Yu dared not undress. He placed clubs and blades beside the bed. The club was a piece of light wood he had bought today — not as heavy as an ordinary carrying pole, and easier to handle.

Pang Yu and Pang Ding took turns keeping night watch. By the second watch, sure enough, gongs sounded everywhere outside once more, and clamor rose on all sides.

"Your mother — here they come again!"

Pang Yu cursed, then climbed the ladder to the rooftop. It was still the south gate and east gate. This time the blaze far surpassed last night's. Even at Yimin Gate, Pang Yu could see flames leaping high, as if an entire stretch were burning. From the distance came the shouts of crowds — impossible to tell whether they were fighting the fire or fighting each other.

Pang Yu could only hope that people near the fire's source had prepared early and could contain it in time to stop it spreading. He also felt grateful that his own home was on the west side.

Some neighbors nearby were also setting ladders and climbing onto their roofs. Everywhere came shouts rousing family members from bed, startlingly clear in the night.

Most had probably realized the fire was no small one. Though the flames were still far off, no one dared take it lightly. Tongcheng had mostly tile-roofed houses, but there were also many thatched huts. These structures contained large amounts of timber, and the furniture and firewood inside were nearly all flammable. Once the fire raged out of control, it would engulf the entire city.

Nearby, gongs also rang out in Yujiawan, Chai Alley, and Qingfeng Market, summoning hands. These longtang were the old market wards — natural communities. Both ends of an alley had ward gates, and the neighbors were fairly united. If the Village Elder was capable, he could even arrange for some young men to stand night watch. Guarding the ward gates at both ends well was enough to keep the whole alley safe. Their level of organization was quite high.

But the street-front shops along a main thoroughfare like Pang Yu's were very loose. An open environment did not easily foster a sense of community. Over the years, properties had changed hands constantly. Sitting merchants from all over had come, with no bonds linking them to one another, and they carried a merchant's petty cleverness — they lacked cohesion most of all.

"Young master, is the fire really big tonight?" Pang Ding stood below, looking up at Pang Yu.

"Judging by the direction, it's the Ye and Wu families burning again. Remember this: whatever you do, stay far from bad people. Stand too close and the lightning strikes you; live too close and the fire burns you. Only by sticking with a good man like your young master will you get good returns."

"Then what about Zhou Guniang? Her family is also on East Street. Could they be burned?"

Just yesterday morning he had seen Zhou Yueru and told her to look after her family's shop. Thinking of it now, Zhou Yueru's home was on Dongzuo Gate Street, truly not far from the Ye Family Grand Residence. With today's fire, there might be some danger.

Pang Yu climbed higher for another look. The blaze to the east had spread a little, but it did not yet seem completely out of control.

Just as he was hesitating over whether to go check on East Street, he heard several booming crashes from the street outside.

"Someone's breaking down a door." Pang Ding's voice trembled. "Let's run, young master."

Pang Yu hurried down and barked in a low voice, "Don't panic. It's not our door they're smashing."

"Why does it sound so close, though?"

That booming sound continued, terribly loud in the deep-night street. Pang Yu's heart pounded wildly. He took deep breaths to calm himself for a moment, then listened carefully — it should still be several shop-fronts away.

Steeling himself, he grabbed his club and went into the shop front. Pang Ding followed with light, careful steps. The two pressed their eyes to the gaps between the door planks and peered out.

In the narrow view through the door crack, firelight flickered in the street, now bright, now dim, casting the shadows of several figures wavering unsteadily across the flagstones.

Two more great crashes. "Someone's breaking down a door," Pang Yu said quietly.

Before his words faded, a splintering crack rang out — it seemed a door plank had been smashed open, though he could not tell whose house it was.

"Yu boy! Yu boy, save us! Neighbors, come help! Thieves are robbing the shop! Help!" Aunt Liu's shrill cries tore through the night sky.

"Young master, what do we do? Aren't you a good man — shouldn't we go help Aunt Liu?"

Pang Yu raised a hand to silence Pang Ding and cocked his ear, listening to the sounds outside.

A strange man's voice barked, "This house has people. What the hell were you looking at? Quick, switch to another house…"

"We've already smashed it, might as well be this one. Grab the silver and we go. Ai, you're still fierce — charge in."

Pang Yu rushed forward. Ahead, four figures were shifting about in front of Aunt Liu's shop. They carried torches, had large bundles on their backs, and held clubs and cleavers in one hand as they fought with Uncle Liu and Aunt Liu inside the doorway. By the look of it, they were all flailing without any method.

Seizing the moment while they were unaware, Pang Yu charged in with great strides. He did not raise his wooden club high. Instead, gripping the light-wood club in both hands, he used his momentum to ram straight into the nearest man.

That man had just heard the noise and turned his head when the club's tip struck him under the ribs with a thud. The man let out a miserable cry. His torch flew from his hand, spinning through the air before clattering onto the flagstones and scattering sparks everywhere.

He stumbled back several steps, then crashed heavily to the ground, rolling once before coming to a stop. He curled up like a shelled shrimp, in so much pain he could not even make a sound.

The force of the impact numbed Pang Yu's hand at the thumb and forefinger; the club nearly flew from his grip. Pang Yu's feet staggered and he almost fell as well. The old Pang Yu had lacked exercise — this body's strength was very weak. In the month or so since Pang Yu had arrived, he had done some training, but there was still no major improvement.

The remaining men were badly startled. They all retreated from the doorway. By the firelight, Pang Yu now observed that the three were not of strong build either. Pang Yu knew he had to press the advantage while victorious, but he dared not thrust with the club again. He closed two steps, raised the club high, and brought it down on the man opposite who was holding a cleaver.

Pang Ding caught up at that moment, and the two clubs rained down wildly at their heads.

Pang Yu shouted at the top of his lungs, "Neighbors, come fight the thieves over here! The twenty men on the west side, get over here fast — stop heading west!"

Pang Ding yelled "ya-ya" as he struck. After swinging his club twice, he lost his grip and it went flying.

Fortunately, the three men's fighting ability was even worse than Pang Yu had imagined. They barely resisted. Cursing wildly, they dropped their torches and fled in panic, abandoning even their comrade on the ground. As they ran, things kept falling from them, but they did not stop to pick anything up.

Aunt Liu emerged shakily from the shop, a firewood chopper gripped in both hands. Uncle Liu held a club. The Liu family's fairy daughter had actually come out too, a cleaver in her hand. The night was too dark to see her expression; only her heavy panting was audible.

"Yu boy! In the end, it's still family you can count on. Neighbors, sisters — none of them can be relied on." Aunt Liu collapsed onto the ground and suddenly burst into loud sobs.

In just that brief moment, Pang Yu was actually somewhat out of breath. He did not pursue the fleeing men, stopping instead in front of the Liu family's door.

The thief on the ground coughed twice and finally began to wail in pain. Pang Yu knew perfectly well how much a strike under the ribs hurt. It was only this body's lack of strength — otherwise, the man's ribs would not have survived intact.

Pang Yu paid no mind to whether the man was in pain. He pulled the man's bundle off, then seized his arm, dragged him over face-down, and pinned him, kneeling with his left knee on the man's spine. The man cried out and was instantly immobilized.

"I'm asking you questions. Answer without pausing. What's your name? Where do you live?"

"Zhuang Chao. I live…"

Pang Yu heard the pause and immediately shifted his weight, bearing down harder with his left knee. The man screamed in agony.

Once Pang Yu eased up, the man hurriedly confessed, "I live at Pan Family Bend, south of the city."

"How many are in your gang?"

"Spare me, sir! Just those few — four."

"How many of you are at Hu Family Village?"

"We… we're not from Hu Family Village. We're all from Pan Family Bend. Ma Si said today that many people had left the city to flee disaster. He scouted during the day and noted which households had left. In the evening, he went to those empty homes to take some things. We'd already smashed into several houses. Somehow, we ended up smashing into one that had people."

Aunt Liu said through tears, "How could our house have no one? We were open most of the day."

The man also wept. "It's all Ma Si's fault. But when we were smashing the door, why didn't anyone in your family make a sound? If you'd just called out, we would have left. Now I've taken this club for no reason."

Pang Yu slapped the back of his head. "You motherfuckers are robbing people, and you still blame them for not making a sound?"

Aunt Liu wiped her tears and said, "Who would dare make a sound? You people are trying to scare us to death! Why didn't you go rob the Zhou family? They run a grain shop — they have silver!"

Pang Yu coughed at these words, reminding Aunt Liu to say no more — after all, voices carried far at night. He turned to look behind. The Zhou family grain shop was silent and still. Truly, they had not opened their door.

Pang Yu judged that these men did not look like the type to kill and string up corpses. What they said was most likely true — they had simply come to loot while the fire raged, and had not even dared target occupied homes.

He had no desire to listen to the two trade recriminations. He released the man's hand and cursed, "Get lost!"

Once the man got up, Pang Yu decided to frighten him to prevent any future thoughts of revenge. With a cold expression, he said, "I've memorized your face. Here at Yimin Gate, our able-bodied young men are beyond counting. Today you were lucky — the fiercest ones among us neighbors all went to the west side. Next time you dare come back, we'll break your dog legs."

The man answered repeatedly, clutching his ribs as he bent over and took two steps. Seeing his bundle still on the ground, he reached out a hand to take it.

Pang Yu caught up in two strides and kicked him in the thigh, cursing, "You still dare take it."

The man scrambled away stumbling and staggering.

After the man had gone far, Pang Yu gathered up the things the few of them had dropped. There was nothing of much value — just some bronze vessels, cloth, and such. He handed it all to Pang Ding, then said to Aunt Liu, "Aunt Liu, your door planks are broken. Go wait at our family's Medicine Shop for now. I'll be back shortly."

The Liu family fairy maiden suddenly spoke up. "Brother Yu, where else are you going?"

Pang Yu felt less afraid now than he had earlier. He resolved, "I have to go take a look at the east gate."

"Then I'll go with you!" The Liu family fairy maiden raised her kitchen cleaver.

Pang Yu shuddered and quickly said, "I appreciate the sentiment, Sister Liu, but this place is still not peaceful. Please, Sister, stay and protect your parents, and the shops of both our families. We absolutely must not be careless. Only with Sister Liu here can I set my mind at ease."

The Liu family fairy maiden hesitated a moment, then answered, "Then I shall stay."

"Pang Ding, guard the shop." Pang Yu picked up a torch and ran east.

……

Pang Yu sprinted down the empty County Front Street. He encountered a few people along the way, with no idea what they were doing. Everyone ignored each other. Before the county yamen there was not a single soul — not even anyone watching the fire.

He ran all the way to the Zhou Family paper shop and, without trouble, found Zhou Yueru.

Inside the Ye residence, flames blazed fiercely, though the fire on the street-facing side had already lessened. The head of this Ye Family was called Ye Can, a Presented Scholar of the forty-first year of Wanli, who had once served as Minister of Rites in Nanjing. Like Wu Yingqi, he was advanced in years. The family had many businesses and was lax in managing its household slaves, causing the Ye manor to bear deep grudges among the common people. Naturally, it became the rioters' primary target.

The nearby residents were all up. Fortunately, the Ye Family's compound walls were very high, blocking the fire from spreading outward. Still, the nearby residents dared not be careless. They surrounded the Ye Family walls, rushing to beat down any flame that came their way. Women and children were still carrying basins and buckets to transport water. With the great fire right beside their homes, they dared not be as indifferent as the Zhou Family.

Zhou Yueru was carrying a water bucket, her forehead covered in sweat, the short hair in front plastered to her brow. Seeing Pang Yu running over, she paused a moment, then smiled at him. In the glow of the firelight, it was unexpectedly radiant.

Pang Yu stopped to catch his breath, then smiled back at Zhou Yueru. "I came to see if the person who still owes the mortgage is around."

Zhou Yueru's smile vanished. She shot Pang Yu a glare and turned to carry water again.

Pang Yu quickly blocked her way. "There's hardly any fire outside anymore. Why don't you all go put out the fire inside the Ye place?"

"What right do small folk like us have to put out fires for the lords and masters?"

"Fair point." Pang Yu chuckled and looked up toward where the Ye Family's gatehouse used to be. Shadows moved about there — quite a number of people, by the look of it.

"Who are those people up ahead?"

Zhou Yueru said coldly, "The very ones who set the fire. They only care about setting it, not saving anything. And some from nearby who've slipped inside to take things. As soon as the fire died down a little, countless people went in."

Pang Yu craned his neck to observe. Tonight, after beating back that gang of thieves, he suddenly felt his courage had grown considerably. Based on what he had learned over these two days, this group was only after revenge. Pang Yu judged the risk was not great. Wanting to see what those people looked like, he left Zhou Yueru behind and ran into the Ye Family estate.

The Ye Family's gatehouse had already been burned to the ground on the twenty-third. There was no fire at all there now. The compound was noisy and chaotic. People kept coming and going at the gatehouse, all carrying bundles large and small. Many of them did not seem to know each other.

Pang Yu breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the rioters were few; most were here to loot under cover of the fire. He could just pass himself off as one of them and go observe that group of rioters.

The Ye estate covered a vast area. Inside the gatehouse ruins were two flanking covered corridors, left and right. Before Pang Yu had decided which direction to take, another person hurried out from the left corridor and came face to face with him.

Both cried out in surprise at the same moment.

"Gu Xiaowu!"

"Brother Yu!"

Gu Xiaowu was panting heavily. He cast a flustered glance around. Seeing no one nearby, he pulled Pang Yu into hiding within the gatehouse ruins.

"Brother Yu, this is for you." Gu Xiaowu pulled a jade Buddha statue from his bundle. "I had been thinking of giving you something anyway, and it happens I can't take this with me. Meeting Brother Yu tonight is fate. Who knows when we'll meet again. Keep it as a memento."

Pang Yu hesitated, not reaching to take it. "Brother Gu, what are you doing here? Are you just picking up a few items, or have you joined the rioters too?"

"Who says they're rioters!" Gu Xiaowu growled in a low, angry voice. "We never wanted to riot, only to take revenge. I told you about that opportunity — it was clearly set for after the grain harvest in the ninth month. If anyone's to blame, blame that Zhu Zong. He actually… ah, there's no way now. Tonight is for revenge, but also to get some things for travel money. Who knows when we'll meet again."

Pang Yu was quite surprised to hear this. The rioters had been terrifyingly formidable these past two days — why was Gu Xiaowu acting like he was about to flee at any moment?

A voice called from the distance: "Gu Xiaowu!"

"You see? I told them not to call names, told them ten times, and still they do it. How can companions like this accomplish anything? A pity — Brother Wang's carefully laid plans, all useless now. And Wang Dazhuang's death will go unavenged."

"Brother Gu, if you're worried, why not withdraw from these rioters?"

Gu Xiaowu let out a long sigh. "I have to go. Brother Yu, if fate allows, we'll meet again."

With that, he thrust the jade Buddha into Pang Yu's arms, picked up his bundle, and vanished into the darkness.

Pang Yu stared at Gu Xiaowu's retreating figure, stunned. "Are these rioters strong or not? Doesn't Hu Family Village have over a thousand people?"