Chapter 21: The Zhu Family's Secret Revealed

In these times, although there were no mobile phones, the speed at which news traveled among the people was astonishing. As soon as the street office notified the Zhu family on Fuxiang Road, the news that their building had been designated as public property swept through the neighborhood. Families who had been cramped for generations in rooms barely ten square meters began to dream of living in the Zhu house.

Late at night, more than a dozen people cloaked in darkness arrived at Duoxiang Alley.

Later, Lu Jianwei drew a map of the area for Duan Chenxing, who, familiar with the local black market, quickly found the marked spots. With a gesture, his men began to dig.

The clang and clatter of shovels echoed boldly—they weren’t afraid of making noise. Noise was precisely what they wanted.

They had barely dug a large hole when a shovel struck something hollow. Excitement rippled among them as one whispered, “Brother, do you think there’s really something underground?”

“Don’t go thinking wild thoughts. Even if there is, would you dare spend it if it were yours?”

“Of course not!”

“Enough. Let’s hurry. As long as the Zhu family pays us, that’s all we need. Earn what you’re supposed to, and don’t touch what you shouldn’t.”

“I see it’s buried deep—wouldn’t it be better to leave it here? Why move it?”

“Haven’t you heard? Their niece donated the house, so it’s not theirs anymore. Of course they had to move it.”

Nearby households overheard the commotion. Someone shouted, “Help! Thieves!”

Flashlights soon swept the area, and voices called out, “There! There! Officers, they’re running that way!”

Duan Chenxing and his group abandoned their shovels, mounted bicycles in pairs, and sped off. By the time the police and residents gave chase, not a soul was left in sight.

Fortunately, the neighbors had heard everything and recounted the events clearly to the police. As the officers arrived, a crowd gathered to watch the spectacle. Flashlights revealed a gaping pit in the ground, though it hadn’t reached the bottom.

One officer grabbed a shovel, struck down, and a cavernous hole appeared. Peering inside, he gasped.

There were many boxes below.

“Isn’t that beneath the Zhu family’s house?”

“It sure is! Goodness, how much gold and jewelry must be in there!”

Rumor had it that the Lu family had been cleaned out by Zhu Xinfang, that woman, and perhaps everything had been moved to her own family.

“Of course! Over the years, her brother has never had a proper job, her mother wears patched clothes—a tragedy. She ruined her husband, emptied her in-laws’ house, neglected her children. Is that even human?”

“It’s worse than neglect—she’s said to have harmed her own eldest daughter. This morning, she stirred up trouble at the factory, trying to pin something about a cat’s eye stone on her.”

“No wonder her daughter Tingting wears a cat’s eye necklace. Who knows how much is hidden here.”

The police dared not be careless. They posted guards, while others rushed back to report.

As soon as the disturbance began, Zhu Xinyi learned of it. With his mother and wife, he hurried to lift the heavy iron pot at home and squeezed inside, not daring to make too much noise since police guarded the other entrance.

Yet, Zhu Xinyi couldn’t help but make a racket: as soon as he opened a box, he found it filled with nothing but stones—every last gold and jewel replaced.

“Who the hell stole my family’s things?”

“What’s going on below? Who’s down there?” The police heard the wailing and shouted inside.

“It’s Zhu Xinyi!” an eager neighbor declared after listening closely.

The police didn’t dare descend from this side—it was too high and dangerous. So they dispatched two officers to the Zhu house, followed by a crowd of curious residents.

They found Zhu’s kitchen with the old lady and her daughter-in-law crouched by the stove, urging, “How is it? Hurry and fetch the things up—if they’re lost, there’ll be nothing left!”

Zhu Tingting, overwhelmed, didn’t bother to wonder how their secret had been exposed. She packed her belongings and rushed to the machinery factory.

Fortunately, at noon, Lu Jianwei, fearing the Lu family might catch on too soon, had only taken the largest sums from hidden spots, leaving smaller amounts untouched. Zhu Tingting’s room had been left alone.

Zhu Xinyi opened box after box, all filled with stones. His vision swam, and he collapsed headfirst.

Fearing a fatality, the police descended through the stove opening, their bodies smeared with soot. Once inside, they avoided the boxes and carried Z