Courtyard House: Railway Police at the Start

Chapter 13: Account

Just as the group was having a good time, a young man with an anxious expression entered the carriage. He was wearing a blue shirt and gray pants, and his clothes looked clean and tidy. He also had a pen clipped to his shirt pocket, giving him the appearance of an intellectual.

"Comrade, I just woke up and heard people in the carriage talking about catching a thief. That's when I realized my money had been stolen. This is all my wife's hard-earned savings. She put it all in my pocket on this long trip. If we don't get it back, how are we going to get by this month?"

Lu Zhang and the others were stunned. When they retrieved their lost items, there wasn't a single thing left, and each owner had given a very clear account.

Then, the group looked at Miao Xiugu and the other woman with suspicion, wondering if they hadn't explained things clearly.

Startled, Miao Tiebao quickly shook his head: "Comrade, this isn't our job. Don't be fooled by his respectable appearance; he usually doesn't have much money in his pocket. Our line of work tests your eyesight the most, and we never make mistakes."

The young man was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and then realized that he had been insulted. He angrily stepped forward, grabbed the two handcuffed men, and shouted at them, his face red with anger: "It must have been you two who stole it. There were only two thieves on the train. Give it back to me. This is our whole family's property."

"Let go first. How much money did you lose?"

"It's twenty-one yuan and seventy cents!"

Miao Xiugu, who was standing next to him, burst out laughing and nudged her cousin, teasing the young man, "Tiebao, you really weren't wrong. He really doesn't have much money on him. This is all he has."

"You're insulting my character, aren't you? Comrades, are you just going to stand by and watch them be so arrogant?"

Lu Zhang glared at Miao Xiugu and the other woman.

The two men quickly shut up and straightened their posture, but after lowering their heads, their shoulders twitched, clearly still laughing at the owner of the lost item.

The young man understood perfectly well, and he was so angry that he pointed at the two of them and couldn't say a word.

"Hello sir, what's your name? May I take a look at your letter of introduction?"

"Tong Zhi".

Zou Yishui grew impatient: "Hey, our captain is asking you a question, just answer honestly. What's the use of being anxious about losing money? We reminded everyone in every carriage before we boarded the train."

Seeing the young man on the verge of a breakdown, Lu Zhang reassured him, "Comrade, sit down and talk. Don't worry, we'll definitely find a way to recover your losses. What's your name? Which station did you board the train at?"

"Tong Zhi, boarded the train at Sijiucheng Station."

Even Lu Zhang was a little puzzled. This young man was dressed like an intellectual, so surely he could understand what was being said?

Just as he was about to repeat his question with a frown, Tang Zhenghong interrupted, suppressing a laugh, "Captain, is it possible that this comrade's name is Tong Zhi, Tong with the radical for 'person' and the character for 'winter'?"

Tong Zhi grasped Tang Zhenghong's hand as if he were seeing a long-lost relative, and said gratefully, "This young comrade understood perfectly. He's absolutely right. That's my name. I get flustered and my words don't always flow clearly, please don't mind..."

Seeing him sweating profusely and even blurting out his hometown dialect, Tang Zhenghong found it hard to hold back. He recognized him as a technician from a machinery factory.

Lu Zhang blushed deeply and coughed awkwardly, "Which carriage did you board? Did you move around after boarding? Did anyone sitting next to you get off?"

"I was in carriage number 4. I was catching up on sleep after boarding. An old man next to me got off the train. I think he got off in Tianjin, but I didn't pay much attention."

Lu Zhang's heart sank. After a moment of recollection, he opened his eyes: "Was it a hunchbacked man, short in stature, with a child who looked about seven or eight years old?"

"Yes, it was him. His grandson kept asking all sorts of questions after he got on the bus, and I fell asleep while listening to him."

"It seems to be those two. Comrade, your money is not going to be recovered for now. I'll help you contact the comrade in Tianjin when we reach the next railway section."

Tong Zhigang stood up excitedly, but upon hearing this, he slumped back down in disappointment, muttering, "This is terrible. How am I going to explain this to my wife when I get back?"

"Brother Tong, don't worry. Leave an address so we can contact your workplace to claim your lost item once it's recovered. Please register it."

Tong Zhi had a good impression of the young man in front of him; he had just helped him out of a difficult situation. He took the pen, wrote down the address and his workplace phone number in his notebook, and asked somewhat reluctantly, "Do you think I can get my money back?"

Tang Zhenghong kicked Miao Tiebao: "Hey, your chance to make a name for yourself has come."

Miao Xiugu winked at her cousin to stop him from speaking: "We don't have that kind of ability. You guys seem pretty capable, go investigate."

"Okay, Captain, I think we should write down their uncooperative behavior when we hand over the duties at the station."

"Well, we've always dealt with those who refuse to cooperate and resist reform severely. Since they don't cherish this opportunity, let's just let it go."

Miao Xiugu had intended to negotiate, but she didn't expect the other party to expose her secret so directly. She raised her head in annoyance and said, "We've been cooperating very well. You're just putting us in a difficult position. Meng Tuozi is no pushover. If he finds out that we're the ones who revealed our secret, we'll live in fear for the rest of our lives."

"Don't worry, we'll keep it a secret for you two. Tell me about this hunchback Meng."

"Ugh, look at us, our legs are so numb from squatting for so long, and we haven't had any water or rice all day..."

After giving the two children some water, Miao Xiugu cooperated well.

"This hunchback Meng is an old senior in our Rongxing. I've never heard of him having any relatives. Besides, he hasn't driven a car for many years. As for the little boy with him, I guess it's Yizhuxiang. He's old now and he's worried about not having anyone to break pots for. He's doing this job roughly. He's probably teaching Yizhuxiang how to do it. I never thought that his vow not to take on any more apprentices would become a load of rubbish."

"One incense stick" is slang in the kidnapping business, referring to boys who have been abducted.

Tang Zhenghong poured some more water for him; he found the slang quite amusing.

Miao Xiugu looked at her gratefully and explained in more detail: "At the end of last year, I heard that a 'kind old man' in Tianjin had been burned as a 'coffin nail' and died. Sigh... We have to praise the comrades of our new government for doing a good job. I even celebrated at the time. I looked down on those guys who had no skills whatsoever."

"I heard that one of these guys was a 'rat's man. Back then, things were tense, and he couldn't get rid of a 'high-priced rice' he had on hand. Now I understand, it turns out he was taken in as an apprentice by this hunchback Meng."

Tong Zhi interrupted anxiously, "Could you tell me where this hunchback Meng lives first, so I can find my money back?"

Miao Xiugu looked displeased after being interrupted, snorted, and stopped talking.

Tang Zhenghong stopped Tong Zhi: "Go on."

"It's only because of this young comrade. Humph, if you don't like it, go listen to me from the sidelines."

Tong Zhi had no way to deal with her. Since he needed her help, he had no choice but to obediently walk away and prick up his ears.

"As I was saying, he was taking his apprentice to practice his skills. According to the rules of our industry, you have to pay respects to the mountain master before you can come back to work. This trip was a joint operation, and not many people would dare to come without a discerning eye. It was just the two of us who were momentarily blinded and thought we would do one big job and then quit, which is why we made a mistake."

"So his money should still be in the truck. He was training his apprentices, and he couldn't take the goods off the truck. Ask the people who were sitting with him; they definitely have extra money in their pockets that doesn't belong to him."

Tong Zhi's face lit up with joy upon hearing this.

Lu Zhang gestured for Tang Zhenghong to watch over the two of them, then led Zou Yishui and Huo Chong to carriage number four.

"Miao Xiugu, we will report your meritorious service truthfully."

Just now, Tang Zhenghong's finger twitched, and the spare lock-picking gadget from Miao Xiugu's sleeve ended up in his hand.

Miao Xiugu examined Tang Zhenghong's hands for a while, then resignedly exclaimed in surprise, "I misjudged you, you're a master!"

"You flatter me. I was just curious and practiced for a while. You can't just think of me as young and want to get me punished. I still want to improve."

Miao Xiugu had planned to take advantage of the fact that Tang Zhenghong was alone to unlock her handcuffs and escape, but she was discovered and has now given up hope.

"I never expected to run into such an interesting young comrade after my failure. Not bad, you have a clever streak. If you weren't wearing this outfit, I would definitely try to recruit you as my apprentice. This talent is such a waste."

"Ha...you're the thief, I'm the police."

Miao Xiugu snorted and recalled, "I thought the same thing when I was a kid. I wanted to be a good person too, but fate is beyond our control. Kid, we're kind of on the same page. Give me a cigarette, and I'll tell you about my past. I think you're quite interested."

Tang Zhenghong wasn't curious about Miao Xiugu's past, but he was curious about what kind of thieves were on trains in those days. He figured he might be able to ask Miao Xiugu about any news he might have in the future, so he offered her a cigarette.

"I have a hard life. I was abducted when I was six years old. At that time, we were in occupied areas everywhere. Some traitors would abduct little girls to train in order to please the yellow-skinned dogs."

"I was lucky enough to meet a Mr. Rong on the way and was saved. From then on, I followed him to learn the craft. I treat this old man like family."

"I was too stupid. That old man was a beast. He only saved me because I've been fair-skinned and pretty since I was a child."

At this point, Miao Xiugu said with gratitude, "I have to thank the new government. That old bastard was arrested and shot after liberation, and I'm finally free from this misery."

"When I returned to my hometown based on my memories, my parents had gone out looking for me and were gone. I had to support myself. But I was used to the easy life of making money, and after a short time back in my hometown, I went back to my old ways. I wanted to be a good person and live an honest life, but it was too late. There was no going back..."

After handing over Miao Xiugu and the other person to the police officer, Tong Zhi specifically looked for a vendor selling cigarettes around his neck at the platform and bought a pack of Hongmantian cigarettes.

His money was actually with someone else next to him.

When the man heard people in the carriage say that two thieves had been caught, he realized that he had extra money in his pocket, but he didn't say anything.

After being advised by Lu Zhang, he suddenly realized that he did have some money in his pocket that did not belong to him, and returned it to Tong Zhi.

She specifically sought out Tang Zhenghong, shaking his hand with a grateful expression: "Comrade Tang, thank you so much. If it weren't for you helping me find it, I don't know what I would have done. Don't let my job as a technician in the factory fool you, the pressure is immense. I just got married last year, and I still have to send money back to my hometown. Life is a struggle."

"You're too kind. I was just being nice earlier. Most of these people are uncooperative after they're arrested, so it's hard to do ideological work on them. We have to find a way to get them to talk."

"Hey, I was in a bad mood just now, I understand. Everything has its methods, just like us technicians. Keep this cigarette, consider it a small token of my appreciation. I'll treat you to a meal sometime."

Tang Zhenghong quickly refused: "I really can't accept this. You know our rules, don't make me break them. Which area do you live in?"

"Over there on Jianguomenwai Street, where are you?"

"I live in Nanluoguxiang. Let's talk later. The team leader is calling me."

The train started moving again, and Tang Zhenghong chatted with Tong Zhixian for a while before returning to the rest carriage.

"Take a break. You did a good job talking to Miao Xiugu earlier."

Tang Zhenghong handed his master a cigarette.

"By the way, what did you two talk about afterwards?"

"We didn't talk much. She was thinking of running away since I was all alone. She had lock-picking tools in her sleeve, but I saw through her. Then she told me some stories about her life before she entered the industry."

Lu Zhang's face darkened, and he stopped smoking. "Be more thorough with the body searches next time, or we almost caused trouble! What was the name of the female flight attendant who did the body searches this time?"

"Master, they were just trying to help us. I'll keep a closer eye on them next time."

"Hmph... So many comrades think that once they catch someone and handcuff them, everything will be fine. Then they get careless and something goes wrong. They have to go back and write a self-criticism for me."

Tang Zhenghong could only obediently reply, "Yes, Captain, I will definitely learn from this experience and ensure that it won't happen again."