The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the opulent living room of Madam Tang's villa. Seated in a high-backed armchair, Madam Tang - known to her family as Wang Ming - gazed out at the meticulously manicured gardens beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. The room exuded an air of refined elegance, with its antique furniture and priceless works of art, but Madam Tang's mind was far from these material comforts.
Her reverie was interrupted by the sharp trill of her phone. Glancing at the caller ID, she felt a twinge of concern - it was her brother, Wang Ying, calling from their home village of Yunxi. Such calls were rare and usually portended trouble.
"Ying?" she answered, her voice taut with worry. "What's wrong?"
The urgency in her brother's voice sent a chill down her spine. As Wang Ying quickly relayed the dire situation unfolding in Yunxi, Madam Tang's grip on the phone tightened. Her free hand clenched into a fist, knuckles white with tension.
