Man Gets 82,000 Yuan Back After Rain and Sun Turn 100,000 Yuan Cash Into Moldy Brick

A man in Dalian, Liaoning Province, recovered 82,000 yuan (US$12,128) from a ruined stack of cash after rain and summer heat turned 100,000 yuan in banknotes into a moldy brick, Bandao Morning Post reported yesterday.

The man, surnamed Cui, lives in the Dalian Development Area and works in foreign trade. He left the cash on the balcony before going on a business trip about half a month ago.

Cui forgot to close the window. During his absence, several rounds of heavy rain soaked the banknotes. They were then exposed to strong sunlight, leaving the bills stuck tightly together, badly mildewed and almost impossible to separate by hand.

After returning home, Cui took the damaged cash to a bank branch for help on July 23. Staff said the job was more difficult than expected because the wet and sun-dried notes had hardened into clumps. Pulling them apart directly with tweezers could have caused further damage.

The bank assigned staff to handle the money and decided on a slower method: first dampening the notes to soften them, then letting them dry naturally before checking authenticity and calculating the recoverable amount.

Six bank employees worked for two days, each spending more than seven hours a day on the task. In the end, they successfully exchanged 82,000 yuan for Cui.

Bank staff reminded the public not to place soaked cash under direct sunlight. Wet banknotes should be gently separated while still damp and dried in a cool, shaded place. If cash is badly damaged by water, people should take it to a bank as soon as possible for verification and exchange.