Chapter 18: Theft Incident

Chen Hong quickly sensed Yang Qing's emotions—that repressed mix of pain and anger—making Chen Hong feel a sudden chill.

"Why won't you give it to me? What are you waiting for?"

Sun Hongwei grew impatient.

Yang Qing, however, remained still, clenching his fists, his murderous gaze hidden beneath his disheveled hair.

"Hey, I can't order you around anymore, is that it?"

Saying this, Sun Hongwei reached out and grabbed Yang Qing's hair.

Chen Hong reached out at that moment, took Yang Qing's hand, and spoke softly.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Her voice was gentle and warm, pulling him out of the cold world.

Then Chen Hong's long legs lashed out with a sudden kick.

Ah—

Just moments ago, Sun Hongwei had been arrogant; in an instant he curled up and rolled to the ground.

Immediately afterward, Chen Hong shouted loudly.

"Come quickly, someone's being a hooligan!"

Then she pretended to be frightened and hid behind Yang Qing.

Nowadays, people are indifferent. The Chaoyang elders are the ultimate nemesis of evil.

"A hooligan? Where? Where is he?"

The elders surged forward.

Chen Hong pointed to Sun Hongwei, who had fallen to the ground, and to the other man, Long Tao Jia, who was already dumbfounded.

"It's them—they didn't just try to steal our fish; they wanted to humiliate me."

"If it weren't for my husband standing in front of me just now, he would have succeeded."

As more elders gathered, feeling sorry for the frail Yang Qing and Chen Hong, they turned their gaze toward Sun Hongwei.

"It turns out this is the Sun family's good-for-nothing—no doubt about it. This bad sort does nothing but cause trouble all day, bullying one person or another, and even his companion is no good, always hanging around this troublemaker—how could he be anything decent?"

"Exactly, exactly—I even saw him whistling at a girl last time."

"He doesn't even spare women in their thirties or forties."

"Come on, let's drag him to the police station—this menace should have been stopped long ago."

The crowd, already weary of Sun Hongwei, promptly condemned them, as if beating a drowning dog.

Moreover, they unleashed a barrage of blows on the struggling Sun Hongwei lying on the ground.

Seeing the situation turn bad, Long Tao Jia, who tried to flee, was also seized by the crowd; he shouted in panic, defending himself.

"I didn't, I'm not, I came with Sun Hongwei; we were only supposed to get some fish to improve our lives."

"I really wasn't acting like a hooligan."

Long Tao Jia's words, from the side, confirmed the fact of their robbery.

And the bag belonging to Yang Qing and his wife also rolled to the ground, where a curious onlooker opened it and took a peek.

"What a haul, so many fish!"

At that moment, two police officers, having received a tip from the elders, came running.

Once they understood what had happened, they swiftly arrested Long Tao Jia and Sun Hongwei.

Sun Hongwei felt a bit better at this point, and he shouted while trembling.

"I didn't, I'm not, don't arrest me."

"It's all their false accusation; that woman even kicked and injured me."

Ge Liang had long heard the rumors about the Sun brothers, and he yanked the handcuffs hard.

"Be honest with me—do you think we don't know who you are? Stealing chickens and dogs, cheating and seizing, you've long been on our list."

"Today we've caught you red‑handed, and you still want to make excuses."

"Kicking you is what you deserve—flirting with another man's wife right in front of his husband."

"Why didn't I kick you to death?"

Nowadays the police are just like that—loving to hate evil and speaking blunt truths.

At that moment, another officer inspected the bag and exclaimed in surprise.

"Twenty‑seven fish in all—sold at the market they'd be worth over forty; this is a major robbery."

"Enough to warrant criminal charges."

Sun Hongwei, hearing this, nearly pissed himself from fright.

"I didn't—I just wanted to scare him a bit, ask for two fish to improve our lives; I truly had no intention of robbing."

Ge Liang gave a heh heh laugh.

"Two fish? I've never seen anyone describe a robbery so elegantly."

"Take them all."

Afterward, Yang Qing and his wife, carrying the fish, went to the police station, and the two of them, in unison, recounted what had happened.

As for the Spring and Autumn brush technique, it is not to be disclosed to outsiders.

Moreover, adding the accounts of the onlookers and Long Tao Jia's testimony, although there are slight discrepancies, they are largely consistent.

Hooliganism, plus robbery.

Although the two of them repeatedly denied it, several people saw Sun Hongwei reach out toward Chen Hong.

Before the facts, all excuses are pale and powerless.

Once the evidence was compiled, the two were locked up.

As for the fish, the two of them didn't go to sell it anymore, because the police station directly took it.

It's been a long time since we've seen meat; the fish now counts as a big meal.

Yang Qing only took thirty yuan, which is considered having smoothed things over with the police.

After Yang Qing left, someone reminded Captain Ge.

"Captain Ge, Yang Qing's background isn't so good."

Captain Ge didn't care at all and spoke bluntly.

"That was in the past; now they are a martyr's family."

"Don't let your thinking stay stuck in the past."

"Look at problems with a developmental perspective."

"Ma Zhe, study well, or you'll easily run into trouble."

Captain Ge knew Old Lady Wang's care for Yang Qing; Old Lady Wang—what position is that? She's been staying here to look after Yang Qing; it would be strange if there weren't something fishy.

It's just a petty bourgeois background, not some heinous crime.

Yang Qing and his wife, carrying a sack, happily returned to the Siheyuan.

As soon as he returned to his own small courtyard, Yang Qing noticed something abnormal.

The door was open, with footprints in front of it.

Their house has been targeted by thieves.

Yang Qing stopped Chen Hong, who wanted to go inside.

"Wife, look, our house has been targeted by thieves."

Chen Hong still didn't care.

"Nothing's happened; does our house even have anything worth stealing?"

Yang Qing shook his head.

"No, don't forget—we have 196 yuan at home."

"Ah…"

Chen Hong looked at Yang Qing doubtfully; the money was clearly with her.

Yang Qing gave a meaningful smile.

Chen Hong suddenly understood something, she smiled happily and quickly said.

"You wait here; I'll go report it."

Seeing Chen Hong understand, Yang Qing smiled and said.

"Go ahead; I'll stay here to guard and prevent anyone from tampering with the scene."

Soon Captain Ge came again with some people.

The appearance of the police immediately startled everyone in the courtyard.

"What happened?"

"I don't know; they went to the back yard—let's go take a look."

When everyone arrived at the back yard, they only then learned that Yang Qing's home had been robbed.

Jia Zhangshi, who was sleeping in, was pushed awake by Qin Huairu; she spoke in panic.

"Mom, what did you do? Just now I saw Chen Hong taking the police to the back yard."

Jia Zhangshi muttered.

"Just go; what does it have to do with us…"

Suddenly she thought of something.

"What, the police went to the back yard?"

Qin Huairu spoke in panic.

"Yeah, Mom, what exactly did you do? I saw an extra bowl of sweet potato noodles on the stove—where did it come from?"

Jia Zhangshi spoke in a flustered panic.

"It's over, it's over…"

She was so anxious she didn't have time to put on proper clothes, pacing back and forth in the room.

Qin Huairu quickly comforted Jia Zhangshi: "Mom, first throw away or hide the sweet potato noodles and the bowl."

"As for the rest, think about how to explain it away."

Jia Zhangshi, reminded by Qin Huairu, gradually calmed down.

"Exactly; as long as we throw away the bowl and the sweet potato noodles, who could know it was her?"