In this era where cash is rarely used, someone actually hid several million yuan in cash at home, all due to a family dispute over “demolition compensation.” Recently, “woman sleeps on a bed of 1 million yuan in cash every night” became a hot topic on Weibo, and behind this is a farce tearing apart the familial bonds of six siblings. The story traces back to 2019: Aunt Zheng (pseudonym), the eldest daughter of a family living in Shanghai, had her household registration at her mother’s old house. That year, after the house was requisitioned, they received a compensation payment of over 2.8 million yuan. However, Aunt Zheng independently collected the huge sum, prompting her mother to eventually take her to court.
After reviewing the case, Hongkou District Court ruled that the compensation from the requisition belonged to the elderly mother. The reason was that, although Aunt Zheng’s household registration was at the old house, she had never actually lived there and had already benefited from government-assigned housing elsewhere. In the end, the court ordered Aunt Zheng to return the money to her mother.
However, Aunt Zheng’s mother passed away, and the money instantly became an inheritance, with all six siblings having inheritance rights. But Aunt Zheng refused to carry out the court’s judgment, coming up with various excuses such as “the money has already been spent,” or “the funds were used for financial investments” to avoid payment.
Hiding cash in milk cartons
The judge analyzed that the money was likely hidden in Aunt Zheng’s home. Therefore, the enforcement bureau of Hongkou District Court took action. Officers searched her house and found a large pile of cash under her bed, estimated at 1 million yuan. With a careful search, cash was continuously found in boxes under the bed and in milk cartons, totaling more than 2.4 million yuan.
After continuous explanation of the law by the officers, Aunt Zheng finally admitted that the hidden money was indeed the compensation payment. After withdrawing it years ago, she had kept it hidden ever since, even with the original packaging still intact.
During enforcement, the court not only sealed Aunt Zheng’s only residence, but also enacted two rounds of judicial detention because she refused enforcement. However, considering Aunt Zheng’s actual living situation and her contribution in caring for her parents, the court organized mediation. The siblings each made concessions and both parties reached a settlement agreement.