The Bank Burglary Case (6)

Chapter 6

When Yun Song heard the couple mention that they went to the mountains every night and that they might have clues related to the bank burglary case, she roughly guessed that the couple might have encountered another group of criminals while committing their own crimes, either on their way to or from their activities.

These would be the bank robbers.

In the inner room, three children and the elderly were sleeping. Meanwhile, in the living room, the three police officers, while being bitten by mosquitoes, listened to the couple recount how they had gone from stealing small amounts of money to imprisoning people and working like oxen every day, toiling up the mountains and through the fields.

The officers occasionally reminded them to keep their voices down so as not to wake the others.

The couple was completely immersed in their tragic tale, even showing their palms: “There are no more blisters now, but in the first month, they were covered in them.”

They grew more animated as they spoke: “They had two large fields of autumn grain. Every night, my husband and I would take our sickles and start cutting until our backs were about to break.”

“I feel like we’re just like the hired laborers of a landlord¹…”

Yun Song knew that if she didn’t steer the conversation back on track, she might end up listening to their grievances all night. She asked, “When you went to the mountains at night, did you encounter the bank robbers on your way back?”

“Of course! At first, we didn’t know they were going to rob the bank. When we went to the mountains, we saw two people heading toward the bank.”

“When we came back, there was only one person—” The woman was about to say more, but the man nudged her, and she quickly changed her tone.

“Then, he headed toward Sanli Village.”

When they returned from the mountains, only one person remained. The couple, afraid of encountering anyone, hid as soon as they noticed someone. The fog was heavy that day, making it hard to see clearly, but the couple vaguely saw this person near the manure pit outside the Li Family’s house in the town. It seemed like he threw something into the pit before heading toward Sanli Village.

Only after he left did the couple emerge.

At first, they didn’t think much of it, but the next day, they heard about the bank robbery.

The couple thought that money might have been thrown into the manure pit, so they went to dig through it. However, the stench was unbearable, and they couldn’t endure it for long. Afraid of being seen, they had to give up.

They also wanted to provide clues and claim the 500 yuan reward, but they were guilty themselves. What if someone asked why they weren’t asleep at that hour?

How could they answer that?

Besides, what if the bank robbers were caught and the bank staff saw them going to the mountains? What then?

So, they could only continue their hard labor while lamenting the money they couldn’t claim.

Now, they still couldn’t reveal anything about the manure pit. They had caused such a disaster and would surely be arrested and sent to prison in the city. What would happen to their children and the elderly then?

The couple only intended to mention that they had seen the bank robbers.

If there was money in the manure pit, they could retrieve it, and their children would have something to rely on.

When they spoke about this part, their eyes darted around, clearly holding something back. Yun Song asked, “Is there anything else you need to disclose?”

“No,” the couple whispered.

It was now three in the morning, and the couple was exhausted.

Yun Song knew they were tired, but there was no other way. Two elderly people had been trapped in a poorly ventilated, pitch-dark cellar for over forty days. She wanted to rescue them as quickly as possible, so she said, “Let’s go to the mountains now and bring the elderly couple out.”

The woman whispered, “Can we go tomorrow morning? I want to sleep. We’ve been working all day and can’t move anymore.”

Just then, there was a soft knock at the door.

“Xiao Liao², you’re still awake, right? I heard noises in your house.”

It was the voice of the neighbor, a man who usually played cards at someone else’s house at this hour. Had he returned today?

The Liao couple remained silent, and Yun Song and the others naturally didn’t speak either.

“Xiao Liao, don’t pretend to be asleep. I heard noises in your house,” the man outside spoke through the door crack.

“My mother told me you’ve got some money now. We’re neighbors after all, and you can’t just watch us stay poor.”

The Liao couple looked at Yun Song, who nodded, and they opened the door.

The neighbor was about to accuse the Liao family of having stolen from the bank to afford meat when he saw the three police officers behind them.

The man immediately turned around, slapped his forehead, and said, “My mother’s getting old and talks nonsense all the time. Your family hasn’t lost anything, I know.”

As he spoke, he walked back to his own house.

The woman’s name was Liao Hui. She had been neighbors with the old lady for many years and knew exactly what the neighbor was trying to do.

But right now, she didn’t have the energy to deal with it.

She turned around, and the three police officers were still determined to go to the mountains to rescue the poor elderly couple who had been imprisoned.

Liao Hui still couldn’t understand how things had come to this. All they had wanted was to steal a little money to get through tough times.

Now, the couple could only hope that the two workers who had robbed the bank had indeed thrown the money into the manure pit.

“Let’s go,” Yun Song reminded them again. They had to go to the mountains to rescue the elderly.

The man still didn’t want to go, but the woman nudged him. They might still need Yun Song’s help later, to give them time to handle their family affairs before they could search for the bank’s money.

No matter how tired they were, they couldn’t defy the police now.

The two immediately stopped objecting and agreed to return to the mountains to rescue the elderly.

So, the group of five headed up the mountain.

The mountain nights were chilly, and the five of them climbed slowly with flashlights in hand.

At first, they just felt tired and sleepy, but later, perhaps because they had pushed past their exhaustion, they even felt a bit exhilarated.

By dawn, they finally reached the elderly couple’s home.

Yun Song led the way. The elderly couple’s house had earthen walls, with several strings of chili peppers hung up for seed preservation.

This place was indeed unsuitable for living, with no houses in front or back—just a solitary dwelling.

Several people arrived at the door, panting and out of breath, but none of the three policemen were ready to rest.

Inside, there was an elderly man who had been confined in a pitch-black cellar for forty-six days.

Who wouldn’t be anxious?

Knowing that the elderly couple had been locked in the cellar, the group naturally didn’t knock.

Instead, the door was opened directly.

In the main room, the elderly couple, who had been eating breakfast, looked up upon hearing the sound of the door opening. They gazed at the five people entering from outside.

Translator’s Notes