In the afternoon, the Xia Family, Jiang Family, and Tao Family had already set up the mourning hall, with white banners hung inside and outside the manor.
A joyous occasion meant to bring glory to the ancestors vanished into ashes in the blink of an eye...
People say that fortune and disaster are unpredictable, but until misfortune befalls you, how can you truly understand its depths?
Only those trapped in immense grief know the meaning of 'the greatest sorrow comes from a dead heart'.
By this time, it was already the hour of the pig, and the streets were empty.
All around was silent, save for the occasional sound of funeral music in the distance.
At such an hour, the County Government Office was still brightly lit.
The clerks and constables had all lit candles, waiting in their respective rooms. The County Magistrate had said he would summon them today, yet he hadn't done so. Who would dare leave?
