Afraid of someone inside, the two of them moved very quietly, using flashlights as they slowly groped their way inside. This was a very old tunnel, wide enough to fit two wheelbarrows. The earthen walls of the cave felt dry to the touch, and there was no rotten earth smell in the air, indicating good ventilation.

After walking in for about ten minutes, Suihe felt a breeze, which suggested there was an air vent ahead. After walking another ten minutes, they saw a bright light. They turned off their flashlights and quietly walked towards the light.

This was the exit, and beyond it, it was deep in the mountains. Suihe had never been here before. He had been hunting with an old hunter since he was a child, and had climbed the nearby mountains countless times, but he had never realized there was an unexplored area in the mountains right next to his home.

Coming out of the exit, there was a tangled forest. Judging by the distribution, it must have been planted intentionally; wild forests are not so regular. There were a few mud houses in the woods, but no other buildings nearby.

The two did not go in, but opened the window paper to look outside. There was a layer of dirt on the ground and the kang. It looked like no one had lived there for a long time. The earthen stove and kang were quite complete, and there was even a big iron pot.

A few years ago, during the nationwide steel production campaign, every household handed in their iron pots. Even now, most families in the village still cook with clay pots.

This row of mud houses consisted of four rooms. Two of them had kangs (sleeping brick beds), one was probably a warehouse, and the last room was empty, though it contained some torture instruments, likely used for interrogations. The two rooms with kangs each had a kang cabinet. Next to the earthen stove were several plates and bowls, each filled with thick earth. The warehouse room also contained several large wooden boxes.

Suihe and the militia captain Guan Changhai did not open the door rashly. They went out and returned to the tunnel to call the captain and the village chief to come.

They were so vigilant thanks to Professor Dong's small classroom. Since taking over as the village women's director, Professor Dong has been working with both women and men. Husbands beating their wives, mothers-in-law bullying their daughters-in-law, and parents favoring sons over daughters—Professor Dong has dealt with them all. The status of women in the village is now quite high. Anyone who reports being bullied is dealt with harshly, regardless of whether they are husbands, mothers-in-law, or even mothers—they all become obedient. Once they're obedient, she turns to the militia, educating them on self-defense and criminal investigation techniques. And today, it's paying off.

Let’s talk about Guan Huashu and the others. They were waiting outside the cave and were extremely anxious. It had been almost an hour since the two of them went in and there was still no movement. They were worried that something had happened to them.

Just when they were getting anxious, two people came out of the cave and explained the situation inside. A dozen people immediately entered the cave without hesitation.

They followed the cave into the mud house in the woods and split up into a 3.3 formation to check the surroundings. After making sure there was no danger, they left one person guarding the door while several others prepared to go into the house.

They didn't go into the house directly. To prevent any fraud, Fifth Grandpa asked them to wait a few steps outside the door. The old man first lay down and carefully observed the crack in the door. Through the gap, he saw a thin wire being pulled inside the door. If you didn't look carefully, you really couldn't find it. As soon as you pushed the door, it would be bad.

Suihe handed the old man a knife, cut the wire with the knife, went in, and slowly pried out the mine behind the door.

According to Fifth Grandpa's observation, the house hadn't been occupied for some years, but the footprints on the ground were fresh and clear. It was possible that someone had been there recently, perhaps Projectionist Li or Educated Youth Zhang.