That night, just as Xue Yue was falling asleep, she was startled by a loud THUD.
Xue Yue's eyes shot open and she sat bolt upright. She listened carefully for any sound from outside, but it seemed to have gone quiet again.
She didn't light the lamp, simply sitting there in the darkness.
After a moment, she heard a CREAK, like the sound of a door being pushed open.
Xue Yue quickly threw on her clothes and grabbed the fruit knife she kept under her pillow. She got off the kang bed in the dark and crept to the door. There was a little moonlight tonight, and peering through the crack in the door, she saw a sliver of light moving around in the kitchen. From the sounds, it seemed to be just one person.
The kitchen was connected to the storeroom, where they kept their grain.
Xue Yue picked up the wooden bar used to bolt the door. She slowly opened her door, tucked the knife into her waistband, and crept outside, clutching the bar.
