That year, the late summer was especially hot. Standing on the mound at the entrance of Xiao Ying village, a pontoon filled with yellow sand and coal could be seen slowly driving past in the distant river. On the opposite bank of the river, a High-voltage transmission tower stood erect in the haze. The pressure from the trucks turned the surface of the national highway, b.u.mpy. Coal dust was sprinkled on the tree leaves. The roadside cargo terminals and small hotels exuded gloominess from many years use.
Xiao Ying village was near the border of River Town village, but along with the swift and violent expansion of the town, the ring road transformed into a 3-way ring road, and the natural village also changed into where fish and dragons would mix together. The floating population inhibiting parts of the shantytown, sewage overflowing the street, sky covered with copious densely packed wire like cobwebs and illegal construction could be found everywhere. Every summer, the air conditioners outdoor unit’s of every household produced heatwaves which mixed together with the stink of public toilets on the street, resulted in a smell which made people groggy.
At dusk, a Wuling van on the street crossed through the scribbled entrance of the Xiao Ying sub-district office. On the roof of the car, a huge lama was repeating fire prevention and anti-theft propaganda in a dull and monotonous voice.The roadside covered with ambiguous red-light shampoo rooms has just started the business. Loosely dressed women were readily sitting behind the bead curtains while teasing the hurried pa.s.serby. It was the popular hour of hotels business. Chef was stir-frying dishes on the street side, flames licking the black wok inside the gas stove exuded fumes, hot peppers and twice cooked pork’s turning inside the wok, excited menfolks sitting below the simple and crude shack while playing rock-paper-scissors and drinking games, infant’s cries, car’s whistling, traders hawking all were mixed together. Everything was, as usual, no-one could have predicted that a calamity will soon befall them.
The first one to discover the fire was hotel’s unskilled laborer. He had gone behind the alley to throw out the trash when he saw the collectible waste in Lao w.a.n.g’s house burning, giving rise to a big fire. The day was dry, so the fire spread rapidly in the short single-story house which was piled up with waste paper and plastic bottles. After suddenly realizing the situation, people tried to flee in a disordered manner. Some people tried to splash water to put out the fire but they realized that they were unable to approach the raging fire because of heatwaves.
Suddenly a grey-haired old woman crazily dashed through the fire, the a.s.sisting police from the local police station-in-charge of maintaining order were caught unprepared and not able to stop her as the heatwaves produced from the fire were fierce. The bursting sounds of gla.s.s were rising and falling in succession. In a flash, the old woman’s silhouette was swallowed by the thick smoke.