The second son did not answer immediately. Instead, he walked to the entrance of the cave, looked out cautiously for a while, and only turned back after confirming that it was safe.
"At least two thousand."
He lowered his voice and said.
"My brother said that her son's salary over the years has basically been with her, plus compensation, at least 2,000 yuan. Once we get the money, we'll head south to Guangdong."
The cave dwelling fell silent again, with only the occasional crackling of the fire.
The second brother stubbed out his cigarette, walked to the entrance of the cave, and looked out for a while.
It's getting dark.
He walked back and said.
"Big brother should be back soon. Fourth brother, make the fire burn brighter and cook something to eat."
The fourth brother silently got up, took out an old iron pot from the corner, and put it on the fire.
He poured some millet out of the cloth bag, added some water, and started cooking porridge.
As darkness fell, the light inside the cave dwelling grew dimmer.
The fourth brother lit a kerosene lamp.
Why isn't my older brother back yet?
The third brother couldn't help but ask, his voice filled with unease.
"I hope nothing bad has happened."
The second son shook his head.
“My aunt lives far away, and it takes time to travel back and forth.”
Despite saying that, his furrowed brow betrayed his inner worry.
The fourth brother ladled out three bowls of thin porridge and handed them to his two older brothers.
The three drank in silence, and none of them spoke.
On the other side.
In the dilapidated mud-brick house, Old Mrs. Zhang was tightly bound to an elm chair with thick hemp rope, and her wrists were already bleeding from the rope.
The room was eerily quiet, with only the old woman's heavy breathing and the occasional rustling of the pig-slaughtering knife in the eldest son's hand scraping against the wooden chair.
"Auntie, let's not waste any more time."
The eldest brother slowly and deliberately used the tip of his knife to pick up a strand of the old lady's white hair.
"We did you a favor and got into trouble, and you're unwilling to pay a single penny? Isn't that incredibly unreasonable?"
Old Mrs. Zhang spat, and spittle landed on her eldest son's face.
"You beast! Over the years, every time I came back, I brought you food and drink, and gave you pocket money. Is this how you repay me?"
The eldest brother calmly wiped his face with his sleeve, a cold smile playing on his lips.
He suddenly grabbed the old woman's hair, forcing her to tilt her head back, and the tip of the knife lightly grazed her neck.
"Auntie, do you know?"
His voice was frighteningly soft.
"If you obediently tell me where you hid the money, I'll take it and leave."
He took a step back, the tip of the knife lightly tapping his palm.
"If you don't tell..."
With a flash of light, the old woman's trouser leg suddenly ripped open.
"The next cut won't be so lenient."
The old woman's chest heaved violently, but the stubbornness in her eyes remained undiminished.
"You...you dare! The police are in the village today investigating a case, and you—"
Her words came to an abrupt end.
Without hesitation, the leader plunged the knife into her thigh.
"ah!!!"
The old woman's scream was immediately muffled by the eldest son's stinky rag.
She trembled violently, and cloudy tears rolled down her wrinkled face. Blood gushed from the wound on her leg, quickly staining the chair leg red.
The eldest brother calmly observed her reaction, as if he were watching a performance.
He slowly spoke after the old lady's convulsions subsided slightly.
"Does it hurt? This is only the beginning."
He turned the knife handle, and the old woman immediately began to struggle violently again.
"If you don't speak up, the next cut will be on your fingers. One by one, how about that?"
The old woman shook her head frantically, making indistinct sobs.
The eldest son then pulled out the rag, and the old lady immediately gasped for breath, her face covered in snot and tears.
"There's...under the stove...there's an iron box..."
The old woman's voice trembled violently.
"The key...the key is in my inner pocket..."
The eldest brother grinned.
"That's more like it."
He reached into the old woman's breast pocket, took out a small key, and turned to walk towards the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).
He lifted the blankets, pried open a loose brick, and sure enough, found a rusty iron box.
The key was inserted into the lock with a "click," and a neat stack of ten-yuan bills was revealed inside the box.
"Only five hundred?"
After counting the money, the eldest brother's face darkened.
"Auntie, are you trying to get rid of a beggar?"
He walked back to the old woman, the tip of the knife pressed against her index finger.
"What about your cousin Tiezhu's compensation, his wages over the years, and the savings you've accumulated over the years?"
The old lady shook her head weakly.
"That's all... I gave it all to that bitch from the Su family..."
The eldest brother sighed, looking very disappointed.
"Auntie, you're forcing me."
With a gentle flick of the knife tip, a bloody mark immediately appeared on the old woman's index finger.
"The stove! Behind the stove!"
The old woman screamed.
"One of the bricks is loose!"
The leader squinted, the tip of his knife hovering in mid-air.
If you're lying to me...
"Really! Really!"
The old lady nodded eagerly.
"It's the third brick behind the stove!"
The eldest brother then turned and went to the kitchen.
A little while later, he returned with an oil paper package containing another five hundred yuan.
"It's still a long way off."
He squatted down to be at eye level with the old lady.
"If you don't tell the truth..."
The tip of the knife slowly moved toward the old woman's eyes.
"I'll take one of your eyes first."
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