Two men who stole 400,000 yuan (US$48,000) in gift money given to families by guests invited to weddings or funerals in Hunan Province were arrested on Wednesday, reports Oriental News.

Since last September, Su Qinghua and Xie Hongbing had visited some 40 funerals or weddings in villages around Wangcheng County. Each time they turned off the power and climbed through the windows of homes to steal the offerings.

Many villagers who heard or noticed that something was wrong while the inhabitants were away at the funeral assumed it was the dead person's ghost returning to the house and failed to take any action before the money went missing. Funeral or wedding hosts usually receive cash gifts from guests in accordance with Chinese tradition, which they leave at home during the services.

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