In truth, Qin Huairu wasn't entirely certain about her suspicion.
Compared to where she hid her own money, Jia Zhangshi's "retirement savings" were far more mysterious. Qin Huairu had secretly searched for years whenever she had the chance.
She had practically turned the Jia house upside down more than once.
Yet she had never found where her mother-in-law kept her money.
At Qin Huairu's reminder, Jia Zhangshi suddenly reacted.
"Yes! My retirement money!"
With surprising speed for her heavy frame, she shoved Qin Huairu aside and rushed toward the central courtyard, cursing as she ran.
"If that damned thief touched my money, I'll have Old Jia drag them away!"
Qin Huairu steadied herself and hurried after her.
She had to see where the old woman hid it.
—
Fifteen minutes later, most of the residents had gathered again in the central courtyard.
Third Uncle and Third Aunt stood together, still pale and shaken. Second Uncle and Second Aunt looked devastated. Qin Jingru was on the verge of tears.
But the loudest voice of all belonged to Jia Zhangshi.
She clutched a pillow to her chest, wailing and invoking her deceased husband and son.
Only then did Qin Huairu realize—
The retirement money had been hidden inside her late father-in-law's pillow.
No wonder Jia Zhangshi had never allowed anyone to touch it, always claiming it was his final keepsake.
Qin Huairu had believed her.
Now she understood.
Perhaps her mother-in-law was far shrewder than she appeared.
—
Just then, screams suddenly erupted from Yi Zhonghai's house.
Everyone rushed inside.
Yi Zhonghai and his wife were lying on the floor. First Aunt clutched her chest, unable to speak.
Someone immediately sensed something was wrong. Within minutes, several men carried the couple to the nearest hospital.
The commotion at No. 95 Courtyard naturally drew attention from nearby compounds.
Before long, news spread: No. 95 had been robbed.
Even without the residents reporting it, someone had already gone to notify the neighborhood committee and the police station.
At the hospital, after examination, doctors confirmed that Yi Zhonghai and his wife were not in life-threatening condition. They simply needed IV treatment overnight.
Only then did everyone breathe a little easier.
Two elderly women volunteered to stay and care for them. The rest, led by Second Uncle and Third Uncle, returned to the courtyard.
By then, people from surrounding courtyards had gathered at the gate, eager to watch the spectacle.
Some young men considered driving them away, but seeing Second and Third Uncle remain silent, they held back.
Soon, staff from the neighborhood committee and police officers arrived.
They dispersed the onlookers and temporarily sealed off the courtyard.
The investigation began.
—
Under stern questioning, households that had not been robbed quickly confirmed their homes were untouched.
Second Uncle and Third Uncle tearfully described their losses—but only mentioned stolen cash.
They did not dare mention the gold that had also disappeared.
Jia Zhangshi, on the other hand, spared no restraint.
She loudly reported the amount of money lost, along with her gold ring and bracelet, cursing the thief and once again invoking Old Jia.
Director Wang from the neighborhood committee immediately reprimanded her harshly for promoting superstition.
Had she not been a victim, she might have been taken away on the spot.
—
When it was Qin Huairu's turn, she forced herself to remain calm.
She stated that over seven hundred yuan had been stolen.
Without even being prompted, she explained that the money had come from private assistance over the years from Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu.
She claimed she had saved it bit by bit.
The officers exchanged subtle glances.
But given the scale of the case, no one wished to probe into her personal affairs at that moment.
Beside her, Jia Zhangshi nearly exploded upon hearing that Qin Huairu had secretly saved over seven hundred yuan.
She longed to curse her daughter-in-law on the spot.
But with Director Wang and police present, she swallowed her anger, seething silently.
As for Qin Huairu claiming the money came from Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu, Jia Zhangshi found that believable enough.
Only a fool like Sha Zhu would give away so much.
—
When it came to Qin Jingru, she could not even state the amount lost.
Xu Damao never allowed her to manage money.
She had only once glimpsed a stash of over five hundred yuan.
Seeing that spot emptied, she realized their home had also been robbed.
The police found it unusual—but not unheard of.
Some men simply refused to let their wives control finances.
The exact loss would have to wait until Xu Damao returned.
—
After gathering reports from the four affected households, the investigators realized two homes remained unconfirmed:
The He family in the central courtyard.
And the Deaf Old Lady's home in the back courtyard.
Residents stated that He Yuzhu (Sha Zhu) had not yet returned.
No one could say exactly why, except that he often worked overtime at the rolling mill.
Director Wang, aware of the factory's situation and Sha Zhu's cooking skills, assumed he was likely on duty and postponed questioning until he returned.
She then went with an officer to visit the Deaf Old Lady.
The elderly woman claimed she had vaguely heard noise outside but was too frail to move and had not been informed of the thefts.
When told that several households—including Yi Zhonghai's—had been robbed, her heart skipped.
She thought immediately of what lay hidden in her own home.
But she could not check.
Those items could never be exposed.
So she forced a toothless smile and trembled slightly.
"I'm just a Five Guarantees household. The government feeds me. I have nothing here but some food. What would a thief take from me?"
Director Wang and the officer considered this reasonable.
They did not suspect her.
And so, for the moment—
The hidden secrets remained buried.