"Still planning to run, are you? Keep on running!" Yang Chuxia approached the man and slapped him on the face.
The man had arrows embedded in both of his legs, and he was in excruciating pain. Yang Chuxia wanted to hand him over to the authorities, but considering his large build, that wouldn’t be easy.
Noticing the crowd that had courageously followed to watch the excitement, she said, "Can someone here do me a favor and fetch Constable Hong? This smelly man here is a thief who tried to steal my moneybag, and I happened to catch him in the act."
Yang Chuxia did not mention he was a kidnapper. She speculated there must be other accomplices in town and didn’t want them to get wind of this and escape.
Everyone in Wangquan Town knew Constable Hong’s name. Immediately, someone volunteered to fetch him. These days, people despised thieves and were eager to help.
Not more than half an hour later, the man who had ran off to help returned, bringing Constable Hong and two other officers with him. Yang Chuxia took notice of the fact that, trailing behind them were Ye Zi’an and Yang Dayong.
It turned out that when Ye Zi’an saw Yang Chuxia chasing a man, he had gotten an ox cart and, along with Yang Dayong, followed her into town. Once in the town, he went to find Constable Hong and inform him about the situation, also asking him to arrange for Ye Ziping and Burly Lu to take over.
The rumble Yang Chuxia created while chasing the thief had alerted many, making it easy for Constable Hong and his men to locate her by simply asking a passer-by.
They were about to head towards her when they met the person who had gone to fetch help. So, they all walked over together.
Upon seeing Constable Hong, Yang Chuxia quickly grabbed the thief by his collar and pressed his face to the ground, "Constable Hong, this thief tried to steal my moneybag, but I caught him."
Constable Hong was momentarily taken aback upon hearing Yang Chuxia’s explanation, but he felt relieved. He recalled the time they had captured a kidnapper who was later shot dead by his accomplices.
He only hoped that this time, Yang Chuxia’s loud chase of a simple thief hadn’t alerted the thief’s companions.
At Constable Hong’s command, the two officers stepped forward to arrest the thief.
"Good, I will take him back to the station now. Damn thief, choosing to be a thief rather than leading a decent life," Constable Hong put a bag over the arrested man’s head as he spoke.
"Yes. Act while the iron is hot. I hope, Constable Hong, that you will take the time to interrogate him properly and find out if he has stolen money from others too. He needs to return the money to its rightful owner. It’s not easy for people to earn their living these days. This bastard is not handicapped in any way and yet chooses to be a thief."
"Yes, I understand, I’ll take him back now," Constable Hong replied with a smile. He understood the underlying message in Yang Chuxia’s words and responded, "Since you’ve captured the man, you should go home early. I’ll let you know as soon as there is any news."
"Thank you, Constable Hong," Yang Chuxia expressed her gratitude and bid him goodbye with a respectful bow.
Remembering Ye Ziping and Burly Lu back in the village, she asked Zi’an, "Did you inform Constable Hong about those two at home?"
"Don’t worry, I’ve told him."
With that reassurance, Yang Chuxia felt relieved. Immediately, she, along with Zi’an and Dayong, jumped onto the ox cart and headed back to the village.
By the time they arrived in the village, the officers who were to make the arrests had already arrived.
At this point, all the villagers were gathered in the Yangshu Village’s ancestral hall. Da’an was beating Burly Lu, while Ms. Liu was slapping Ziping incessantly.