Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Night Cat Mountain

But it is said that the "corpse-bearers" in Duliang are all double-jobs. While embalming the dead, they are all engaged in tomb robbery behind their backs without exception. Tomb robbery is divided into two categories: "dry goods" and "wet goods". The so-called "dry goods" refer to the excavation of ancient tombs.Stealing "dry goods" is extremely risky, and ancient tombs are difficult to find due to their age. Even if they are found, such tombs are buried extremely deep, and excavation is a huge project, requiring a team.In particular, the ancient tombs in Duliang are covered with tung oil mixed with magnetic ash glutinous rice as the protective layer.This characteristic material is highly viscous and stronger than modern concrete. Most grave robbers are helpless against this barrier and are kept out of the tomb.The most important point is that the tomb robbers have worked so hard that even if the tomb is opened, there is no guarantee that each ancient tomb has not been excavated by the predecessors in the long years... In fact, most of the ancient tombs are numerous. Therefore, there is a saying in the industry that ten rooms in ancient tombs are empty.However, risk and profit have always been a pair of twin brothers. Among the tomb robbers who really made a fortune, it was because of the ancient tomb that they became rich overnight.

Besides, the "wet goods" in the tomb robbery industry are commonly known as "skinning ghosts".As the name suggests, no more details.As the saying goes, there is no rule without rules, and the tomb robbery industry is no exception. "Whoever enters the coffin will be the one to steal." This is the industry rule. In this way, there is no risk of "wet goods".The deceased was buried by himself, and he knew exactly how many burial objects there were. Although he could not make a fortune, it was enough to support his family. But nothing is absolute, the robbery of Xiao Xuanting's tomb is an exception.

Xiao Xuanting was born in Juren, and had a close personal relationship with Zeng Guofan. His eldest son, Xiao Ziru, was a Jinshi in the late Qing Dynasty. The director; the second son, Xiao Ziyu, also became the chief of the police under the protection of his elder brother.God is not fair. The only thing that is fair is that both the rich and the poor cannot escape death.As early as when Xiao Xuanting was still alive, the corpse bearers in Duliang discussed when Xiao Xuanting died and how many were buried with him after dinner.Almost every corpse-bearer hopes to be buried for him.For this reason, they went for a walk on Liushan Road from time to time.In the past, Xiao Xuanting almost died several times, which made the corpse bearers extremely nervous, and each of them felt as if they were facing a big enemy-but in the end they were all busy.Slowly, the corpse-bearers became numb, and when they didn't expect it, Xiao Xuanting passed away suddenly, and the fat job fell into Zhu Zixiang's hands.This matter was spread in the circle, most people only had envy and jealousy, only Wang Xinzu had some kind of desire after envy, he discussed with Lao Shunmin privately, and wanted to rob Xiao Xuanting's tomb before Zhu Zixiang .Lao Shunmin disagreed at first, fearing that the rules would be broken, but later he couldn't help Wang Xinzu's hard and soft actions, and was also moved.

In addition to being tempted by money, the reason why Lao Shunmin is tempted is also curiosity.Because it is widely rumored in the circle that Zhu Zixiang has "unique skills", one of which is that he can know in a short period of time which graves contain "treasures" and which graves contain nothing.Zhu Zixiang is a master of tomb robbers. It is said that he has a meter or something. For property like silver, the instrument will shine, but if it is not there, it will not shine. In order to know the date of Xiao Xuanting's burial, Wang Xinzu and Lao Shunmin stayed on Liushan Road all day.The Xiao family is a prominent family in Duliang, and during the funeral period, there will be a large banquet - that is to say, as long as they are willing to kneel and kowtow to Xiao Xuanting before the funeral, no matter how close they are, they can sit down and eat.

Wang Xinzu found out from Monk Liao Kong, who was in charge of the dojo, that Xiao Xuanting had to stay at home for 21 days before he could be buried. On the day of the funeral, the alleys in Liangcheng were empty for thousands of people, there were huge crowds of people attending the funeral and watching the fun, and it was really lively.Wang Xinzu and Lao Shunmin mixed in the funeral procession until Maoshan.The two found that Xiao Xuanting's tomb was not too deep, less than eight feet, and the size was above medium.At the same time, some people spread rumors that Mr. Xiao left a will before his death, hoping that the younger generation would "raise generously and bury lightly" and not want any funeral objects.Wang Xinzu knew in his heart that these words were released by the Xiao family, including the intentional shallow burial, the purpose was to show that there was no property in the coffin.

The Xiao family's move may work for laymen, but for Wang Xinzu and his like, it is tantamount to "there is no silver here". In order to prevent Zhu Zixiang from coming to the cemetery in advance, Wang Xinzu and Lao Shunmin lurked near Xiao Xuanting's tomb as soon as it was dark, and specially tied a scarecrow to stand on the tomb.In the middle of the night, Wang Xinzu and Lao Shunmin found that two people, one tall and one short, were walking towards Maoer Mountain, and lying on the ground not far from Xiao Xuanting's grave... They were obviously frightened by the scarecrow on the grave.

Wang Xinzu knew that the tall one and the short one were Zhu Zixiang and Tan Xiaoku. They waited for a while and the "people" on the grave had no intention of leaving, so they had no choice but to give up... As soon as Zhu Zixiang's master and apprentice left, Wang Xinzu and Lao Shunmin took out tools and started digging from the back of the tomb. This was done after some discussion. The normal way to steal "wet goods" is to start from under the tombstone. They did the opposite, starting from the end of the tomb to tease Zhu Zixiang—don't you have a "unique skill"?If you have a "unique skill", you should know in advance that this is an empty tomb.

Tomb robbery has lasted for hundreds of years in Duliang, and has accumulated rich experience.The burglary holes are not big, only three feet square, which not only saves the amount of engineering, but also easily restores the original appearance after the theft.In fact, almost all the tomb owners with a little wealth in Duliang have been stolen without exception, but their descendants are unaware of it, and they often go to the grave in the next Qingming Festival, where the grass has already grown and there are no flaws. The excavation started. Wang Xinzu and Lao Shunmin agreed that they would take turns to dig. When they reached a depth of four feet, the deeper the digging became, the more difficult it became. Wang Xinzu played tricks and said that his foot was sprained. , so that he stays on the ground and is responsible for hanging the soil.

Lao Shunmin worked hard for three hours, and the robbers dug the hole. At this time, Wang Xinzu's feet didn't hurt anymore. He slid down into the pit quickly, holding a candle in his hand and sawing the coffin baffle by the light of Lao Shunmin. The back of the ax was not struck lightly or heavily—the baffle was separated from the coffin, revealing a deep coffin hole, and a scent of trees wafted out... At this time, the two became more nervous, wanting to get the corpse inside the coffin as soon as possible. Pulling it out, I was afraid that there would not be many funeral objects inside...

Wang Xinzu handed the candle to Lao Shunmin, he hesitated for a while, and then put one hand into the coffin - soon he touched Xiao Xuanting's two feet... Seeing that Wang Xinzu hadn't pulled the corpse for a long time, Lao Shunmin couldn't help asking, "Can you help me?" Wang Xinzu shook his head and said, "No need, this old man doesn't have any flesh on his body, so he doesn't sink." Wang Xinzu gritted his teeth as he spoke—the body was pulled out... Lao Shunmin held a candle in his hand to look after him, and found that the old man was sleeping peacefully, with a shining gold emblem pinned to his "Bliss Hat", and he was wearing thick clothes...Wang Xinzu swept away his gentle look just now, and untied Xiao Xuanting like crazy She wore layers of coats until she found the expensive mink fur underwear on her body, and then she breathed a sigh of relief, unable to hide her inner excitement, and said, "Fortunately, I didn't do it in vain tonight."

The harvest this time was even more optimistic than Wang Xinzu had expected. In addition to the sable underwear, there were also a pair of Lantian jade bracelets, a Bi Ruyi, two gold rings, a gold cap badge and a large number of silverware... Wang Xinzu Very greedy, he stripped Xiao Xuanting naked, and swept away everything in the coffin except the corpse... Wang Xinzu lives at No. 17 Banbian Street. When he got home, the rooster had already sung three times—it was almost dawn.He and Lao Shunmin fell asleep on the mat, and when they woke up, it was already high in the sun. Wang Xinzu and Lao Shunmin got up from the bed and went to the Duliang Restaurant in Zhennan Pavilion to ask for a private room. While eating, they discussed how to deal with the stolen goods.Wang Xinzu suggested that except for the mink fur underwear, the rest can be sold. His reason is that the mink fur underwear can only be sold at a reasonable price in winter, and now it is summer, so it is a pity that they are sold at a low price.Lao Shunmin was afraid that things would not be safe in Wang Xinzuo's hands, so he insisted on selling them all, leaving nothing behind.The two fought back and forth, and finally Wang Xinzu agreed to ask the price, and agreed to sell if the price was right. There is a consignment shop at the north gate of Duliang, which belongs to Jiang Xinghe, and it is managed by his wife and brother Yin Chuyun. Yin Chuyun specializes in dealing with bandits and thieves. On the surface, they don't even ask. Because there were too many stolen goods, it was too easy to expose the target of taking them to the consignment shop. The two went to the north gate and took Yin Chuyun to Banbian Street to see the goods and negotiate the price. After the negotiation was completed, they waited until dark before sending the stolen goods to the consignment shop. After seeing the goods, Yin Chuyun estimated the depreciation value of the goods other than mink fur underwear at 1,000 oceans based on the price of the consignment shop, and then according to the "40-60" rule, Wang Xinzu and Lao Shunmin could each get 300 oceans.For this price, Wang Xinzu and Lao Shunmin had no objection, and the transaction was made quickly.Afterwards, Yin Chuyun also estimated the value of mink fur underwear at one thousand oceans, but he pointed out that it is hot now, and it will not be sold until winter, and it will take a long time to recover the money advanced by the consignment company. Therefore, "April 6" should be reversed—— —The consignment shop got six, Wang Xinzu and Lao Shunmin got four.Lao Shunmin agreed, but Wang Xinzu disagreed. Finally, Yin Chuyun said, "I think it's best for you to keep it for a few months. If there is no damage, I will buy it according to the market price in winter." When Yin Chuyun opened his mouth, Lao Shunmin had nothing to say.Yin Chuyun immediately paid a deposit of one hundred oceans. After dark, Wang Xinzu and Lao Shunmin hid the stolen goods in two baskets and sent them to the North Gate Box. After handing over, Yin Chuyun paid the full balance. On the way back, the two couldn't help laughing secretly when they saw Zhu Zixiang leading Tan Xiaoku to Maoer Mountain in the northern suburbs. Besides, Zhu Zixiang worked so hard to rob an empty tomb all night. Needless to say, he felt angry in his heart. He knew that someone had already robbed this tomb last night, and he guessed who the offender was. The soil in front of the tombstone has not been moved, so the robbery hole must be at the end of the tomb!Zhu Zixiang poked the long-handled shovel deep in - there was no baffle at the end of the coffin! Tan Xiaoku was very clever and said, "Master, this tomb must have been stolen last night, and they even tied a scarecrow on the top of the tomb to scare us." Zhu Zixiang nodded and said, "You're right, that's exactly what it is." Tan Xiaoku said: "It's better to act first, we just think we're unlucky." Zhu Zixiang shook his head: "No, we think that bad luck is a minor issue, and breaking the rules is a major issue. No matter who did it, we must ask for an explanation." Tan Xiaoku said: "But Duliang is so big, do you know who did it?" Zhu Zixiang said confidently: "It's not difficult, I will find a way to find him, Xiao Ku, it's getting late, let's fill in the hole first." The master and apprentice worked together to restore the robbery cave to its original state, and the remaining part of the soil had no place to consume, so it was thrown on other graves. After finishing all this, before dawn, both master and apprentice were exhausted, so they rested against the tombstone.After Zhu Zixiang finished smoking a bag of cigarettes, he turned his head and looked at the extremely tall tombstone and asked, "Little Ku, are you literate?" Tan Xiaoku said, "Yes, how about you, Master?" Zhu Zixiang smiled slyly and said, "I don't know much, what is written on this monument?" Tan Xiaoku recognized it for a while by the starlight, and read: "Old father Xian? The tomb of Xiao Gongxuan Pavilion, filial sons Xiao Ziru and Xiao Ziyu, filial sons Xiao Peng and Xiao Hong, established on the sixth day of June in the 17th year of the Republic of China." Zhu Zixiang smiled and said, "That's right, his son and grandson are all called by that name. Is there any other words?" Tan Xiaoku read it carefully, and said: "Yes, there are four characters at the top, which are 'Wan Gu Jia Cheng', and the four characters at the bottom are 'Hai Shan Si Xiang'." Zhu Zixiang sneered and said: "It's a beautiful city from ancient times, it will be turned into ruins in less than half a day! Xiaoku, remember what Master said, if you have a bright future, don't learn from Xiao Xuanting." Tan Xiaoku smiled bitterly and said, "Master is making fun of me again. It would be nice to have something to eat and live on. How dare you expect any bright future." Zhu Zixiang said earnestly: "There is no such thing as wealth, maybe you will be the richest person in Duliang at any time!" Tan Xiaoku said: "Master, your words are getting more and more out of order." Zhu Zixiang said seriously: "Do you think I'm talking nonsense? I mean it. Do you know what the richest family in Duliang did to get rich? They started in our line of business." Tan Xiaoku looked at Zhu Zixiang in surprise: "Jiang Xinghe is also a tomb robber?" Zhu Zixiang nodded: "When I have free time, I will tell you about the history of the Jiang family's prosperity." It was almost dawn, and the master and apprentice hurriedly packed up their tools and went home.After eating, I went to bed again, and it was already noon when I woke up.Zhu Zixiang asked Tan Xiaoku to go to the hut to wait for business, while he went straight to the consignment shop at Beimenzha. Zhu Zixiang is a regular customer of the consignment shop, and he has a good relationship with the manager Yin Chuyun. When Yin Chuyun saw him from afar, he greeted him: "Old Zhu, you haven't been here for a long time. Is there any stock?" Zhu Zixiang shook his head and said, "I've had bad luck recently, so I'm too lazy to move." Zhu Zixiang came to the container, and at a glance he saw a pair of Lantian jade bracelets in the most conspicuous position, one jade ruyi and one gold bracelet. Hat badge... He has seen these things with his own eyes, and they are very familiar.Seeing Yin Chuyun coming over, he said, "One thing is missing." Yin Chuyun thought that Zhu Zixiang was just visiting casually, so he asked casually, "What else is missing?" Zhu Zixiang put his hand on Yin Chuyun's shoulder and said, "It's inconvenient to talk outside, let's go in and have a seat." Yin Chuyun didn't think too much, and led Zhu Zixiang into the living room. The two sat down, and couldn't help asking: "What did you say was missing?" Zhu Zixiang said: "A sable underwear." After speaking, he looked directly at Yin Chuyun. Yin Chuyun understood now, and roughly guessed Zhu Zixiang's purpose, and said with a laugh: "Master Zhu, we haven't had a drink together for a long time, and we will go to Duliang Restaurant to talk about it another day. There must be a new story there—— — I'm the host, I'm the host." Zhu Zixiang continued: "If I'm not mistaken, these things arrived here yesterday. Mr. Yin, please tell me - who is the owner of these goods?" Yin Chuyun smiled exaggeratedly, very unnaturally, but still avoided Zhu Zixiang's topic: "Some people say that going to Guilin and not visiting Yangshuo is the same as not going to Guilin, and coming to Duliang but not going to Zhigeting is not the same as not coming to Duliang, Master Zhu , when are you free?" Zhu Zixiang sighed, and said: "I know you won't tell me, but I can find out the truth myself. If I ask you, it's like saying hello to you. If things get serious, anyway, I have something to say." In front—Of course I hope that the matter will not become a big deal, if Mr. Yin can help me pass a sentence to Wang Xinzu, there is nothing difficult to discuss." Yin Chuyun said: "Master Zhu, you are our regular customer. You should know the rules here. Our business principle is - don't ask the source of the goods, and strictly keep secrets. Besides, I'm sorry I can't explain too much. .” Zhu Zixiang said: "I know, this is your professional ethics, but we also have professional ethics. To tell you the truth, these goods belong to the Xiao family, and I handled them. Wang Xinzu violated the rules by doing so. He should be punished." Yin Chuyun said: "This is your internal matter, there is no need for me to intervene." Zhu Zixiang said: "Your words are indeed reasonable, but they are not entirely true. Your brother-in-law and Xiao Xuanting's second son are in-laws. Once this matter is revealed -- do you know what the consequences will be?" Yin Chuyun was startled, but quickly calmed down, looked at Zhu Zixiang and said, "Whoever doesn't know is innocent, and no matter what the consequences are, I have nothing to do with it. I'm just the manager of the consignment company." "Okay, that's what I want!" Zhu Zixiang stood up, cupping his hands and said, "Mr. Yin, leave!" Yin Chuyun also stood up and saw him off, saying: "Master Zhu, let's go, come and sit down if you have time, I have to invite you to Zhige Pavilion to drink Du Liangxiang." "Thank you." Zhu Zixiang smiled forcedly. Zhu Zixiang left the consignment shop at the north gate gate and came to the foot of the city wall. Instead of going back to his hut, he went to the shed next door. Wang Xinzu and Lao Shunmin happened to be in the shed. Seeing Zhu Zixiang angry, he knew that the visitor was not good. Although Wang Xinzu had been mentally prepared, when Zhu Zixiang appeared in front of him, he was still a little nervous—after all, he had a guilty conscience.The most guilty person was Lao Shunmin, who blushed and hardly dared to look directly at Zhu Zixiang. After a brief silence in the shed, Zhu Zixiang said, "Wang Xinzu, I think you should know why I came here." Wang Xinzu finally calmed down and said with a playful smile: "I know, we are all in the same industry, and we will visit each other to make friends." Zhu Zixiang's expression was very serious, and he said, "Today I opened the window to speak frankly, how do you plan to arrange the income from Xiao Xuanting's tomb?" Wang Xinzu said: "What income from Xiao Xuanting's tomb? I don't understand what you mean." Zhu Zixiang said: "Wang Xinzu, you can pretend to be confused now, that's your right, but I want to tell you, it's not good for you! The smartest thing you can do is to accept my conditions. My conditions are not high. Both do four and Tan Xiaoku takes two - this is my bottom line!" Seeing that Zhu Zixiang had made his point clear, Wang Xinzu became serious and said: "Old Zhu, you suspect that I stole Xiao Xuanting's tomb. This is really a great injustice. Lao Shunmin and I have been inseparable these days and are not at home. It's here, I've never been to other places, you can ask Lao Shunmin if you don't believe me. Besides, even if I robbed Xiao Xuanting's tomb, why should I give you half of what I got so hard?" Zhu Zixiang held his breath, and said with a blushing face, "You have finally admitted that if any accident happens in the future, you will force it out!" Wang Xinzu sneered: "You threaten me like this, do you think I'm really afraid of you?" Zhu Zixiang was trembling with anger, he gritted his teeth and said, "Wang Xinzu, just wait, there will be a day you regret it!" Wang Xinzu said tit-for-tat: "You can use whatever you have, and it's hard to say who will regret it in the end!" Zhu Zixiang was so angry that his face turned red and white, and he left angrily. Lao Shunmin said worriedly: "You offended him, what if he takes revenge?" Wang Xinzu said confidently: "Don't be afraid, what is he capable of? If it weren't for this incident, I would be a little afraid of him. Now you should understand that if he is really as capable as the legend says, it is obviously empty. coffin, why did he spend a whole night digging up Xiao Xuanting's grave again?" Lao Shunmin scratched his head, nodded and said, "You are right."