Chapter 786: Fighting the Fire

“Let go of me! That’s all money in there! If it burns, I might as well be dead… You useless oaf, I told you to get the sewing machine! Why didn’t you get it out?! I’ll kill you, you waste of space! That was over two hundred yuan…”

Mandy York watched in despair as the blaze grew fiercer. The crimson glow lit up half the night sky, dyeing it a fiery orange. The flames were unstoppable; the villagers’ buckets of water were no match for the howling northwesterly wind. It was quickly getting out of control.

The entire village was roused from their beds, sleep completely forgotten. Everyone rushed to fetch water to douse the flames. Preston Thorne and Jethro Golding had also arrived and began organizing the effort on their own. With leaders in place, the villagers’ firefighting became much more effective. While the blaze didn’t shrink, it at least stopped spreading.

“The sewing machine… the cigarettes… They had to be saved… Let me go…”

Mandy York continued to wail, crying to the heavens and beating the ground. Though Sherman Golding and his father held her back with all their might, their hearts were just as heavy. The money their family had painstakingly saved for years was all going up in flames. What were they going to do about the wedding, which was just days away?

“Life is what matters most. You can always earn back money and possessions, but once your life is gone, it’s gone for good. You have to try and see past this!”

One of Sherman Golding’s cousins came over to console him.

Sherman Golding nodded, his face a mask of anguish. He understood the reasoning, but his heart still ached. The sewing machine, bought with borrowed money, was gone. The cigarettes and wedding candies were gone. How could they possibly hold the wedding feast now?

He was afraid he’d lose his daughter-in-law, too.

“If my things are gone, my life is gone! Which son of a bitch set this fire?! I hope you get sliced into a thousand pieces! I never killed your parents or cut off your family line, so why would you do this to my family?! You’ll die a dog’s death!”

Mandy York collapsed onto the ground, her face a mess of snot and tears. Her wretched state earned her the villagers’ sympathy. Even though Mandy wasn’t well-liked, she was clearly the victim tonight. How could a fire just start for no reason?

The blaze wasn’t yet under control, so no one was in the mood to speculate about the cause. Everyone was focused on putting it out. Felix Thorne and his group had also rushed over to help. Nearly the entire village was out fighting the fire; anyone able-bodied joined in without needing to be asked.

The village was a chaotic scene. No one noticed Vernon Spann lurking in the darkness, nor did they see the three hoodlums sneaking toward the Hawthorne family’s home.

Rosalind Green and Old Master Tate were awake now, as was Mrs. Green. Seeing the glow of the fire down the mountain, they all jumped in alarm.

“I’ll go see what’s happening.”

Old Master Tate got dressed, ready to head down the mountain. Rosalind wanted to go too, but he stopped her. “You should stay here. It’s a mess down there, you’re better off at home. They’re not short one person.”

The old master was worried that Rosalind might come to harm in the middle of the night with all that chaos. Besides, with the whole village mobilized, they really didn’t need one more pair of hands.

Mrs. Green also urged her not to go, saying that the best way to help was to stay home and not add to the confusion.

Rosalind nodded obediently and stayed put. Carrying a flashlight, Old Master Tate hurried off. From a distance, the three hoodlums saw the beam of light and quickly ducked into the bushes. Old Master Tate didn’t notice them.

Once Old Master Tate was a good distance away, the three hoodlums emerged from the bushes, grinning lewdly.

“The old geezer’s gone, leaving the beauty all alone. Even the heavens are on our side.”

“Boss, you get first dibs. Me and Four can have what’s left.”

The three hoodlums’ laughter grew even more obscene as they hurried toward the Hawthorne family’s home, unable to wait.

After Old Master Tate left, Rosalind locked the door securely. She was in no mood to sleep, so she sat waiting in the main hall, making idle small talk with her mother. But a deep unease settled over her; she felt as if something terrible was about to happen and couldn’t sit still.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Rosalind got dressed, wrapped her scarf snugly around her neck, and prepared to head down the mountain. She had to find Phoebe Huxley. As long as she was with Phoebe, she felt safe from everything.