The urgent gong sounded, echoing through the night sky of Hetou Village. Villagers dropped their tasks and hurried back to the village.
This was the signal, the signal of the Hetou Village Guard. The rapid gong meant trouble.
Hetou Village had its own dedicated guard team, led by Chen Ping, the grandson of the village elder, Chen Anbang.
Following his grandfather's instructions, Chen Ping had already laid an ambush around Chen Xiaobei's house.
As soon as he saw figures sneak into Chen Xiaobei's home, he immediately… quietly hid himself outside the wall.
It was Chen Ermao and his group who had gone to Chen Xiaobei's house.
Chen Xiaobei had guessed correctly. After receiving Cui Hongyu's silk in the afternoon, Chen Ermao's greed had been thoroughly ignited. Thinking of the dowry on Cui Hongyu's carriage when she married, his heart itched.
Chen Ermao and the others had no idea Chen Xiaobei had set a trap for them. So, seeing Chen Xiaobei and his wife leave the house, they rushed in impatiently, intending to loot Cui Hongyu's dowry.
The men carried several bundles from Chen Xiaobei's bed. Seeing nothing else worth taking in the house, they leisurely prepared to leave.
Little did they know, Chen Ping had already led the guard members waiting outside the wall.
As the three men leaped over the wall, they were immediately subdued by the guards.
Seeing that the thieves had been caught, a nearby guard member immediately struck the gong to warn others.
Hearing the gong, Chen Xiaobei felt reassured, but Cui Hongyu's heart sank.
"Husband, it sounds like it's coming from our house."
Chen Xiaobei feigned surprise, "Oh no, let's go back quickly."
By the time Chen Xiaobei arrived, the villagers who had come earlier had already surrounded his house, three layers deep.
Village elder Chen Anbang had also arrived. Holding a torch, he scrutinized the thieves one by one, his beard bristling with anger.
"Chen Ermao, how dare you and your gang?"
"According to the rules of our Hetou Village, those who commit wrongdoing will be expelled from the clan to fend for themselves, and will never be allowed to enter Hetou Village again."
Chen Ermao went pale upon hearing this. He dropped to his knees with a thud. Monkey and Er Leng behind him quickly followed suit, kowtowing and begging for mercy.
"Village elder, we don't dare anymore, never again. Please be merciful and spare us."
At this moment, Village elder Chen Anbang scanned the crowd, searching for Chen Xiaobei and Cui Hongyu.
First, he would scare Chen Ermao with words, and then someone would intercede on their behalf.
Therefore, the person to intercede would naturally be the victim.
So, when he saw Cui Hongyu, he beckoned her over.
"Hongyu, come and see if anything is missing."
Chen Xiaobei and Cui Hongyu stepped forward and opened the bundles to inspect them.
Chen Xiaobei had tampered with these bundles. Apart from some silk on top, he had stuffed the rest with his worn-out mattress and sheets.
This was a precaution. If the village elder played a dirty trick, he wouldn't suffer too much loss.
So, when Cui Hongyu saw the rags underneath, she had no idea what was missing. She could only look at Chen Xiaobei with a confused gaze.
Chen Xiaobei slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Oh no, Village Elder Grandpa! The most important item is missing: the bolt of bright red silk that Hongyu was saving for her wedding dress. It's worth several hundred coins! It's gone, it's gone!"
Hearing this, Chen Ermao secretly cursed.
In his haste, he blurted out, "Chen Xiaobei, you're talking nonsense! We snatched that silk this afternoon."
As soon as he finished speaking, he realized he had said too much and quickly shut his mouth. But Er Leng, not yet recovering, immediately added, "That's right, Monkey and I can testify."
Village elder Chen Anbang almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
Damn it, you guys snatched something this afternoon too?
At this point, a ringleader emerged – Xiumei, the neighbor from the west.
Xiuzhi was a talented actress. Hearing this, she immediately rushed forward and started scratching and clawing at Chen Ermao like a shrew.
"You scoundrel! You dare to openly rob Hongyu's things! I'll tear you to pieces today!"
Seeing the shrewish Xiuzhi, Cuihua and Dachun quickly came forward to mediate. Chen Xiaobei, meanwhile, pulled Hongyu aside to watch the show.
Now the ball was in Village elder Chen Anbang's court.
Just then, several people pushed through the crowd: Chen Ermao's mother, Monkey's father, and Er Leng's mother. The three of them came before Chen Anbang and prostrated themselves, kowtowing.
"Village elder, our children are young and ignorant. Please consider it their first offense and spare them."
Chen Anbang did not speak. If he pardoned them after a few pleas, what authority would he have in the future?
He gestured towards Chen Xiaobei and Cui Hongyu.
The three parents understood and immediately turned and approached Cui Hongyu on their knees. "Miss Hongyu, please be magnanimous and let our children go. We will serve you like oxen and horses."
The parents were pitiful, and Chen Xiaobei sympathized with them. But he also knew that if Chen Ermao was not dealt with, he would never have peace in the future.
With this thought, he coughed softly and said, "If these three were only here to steal, I could let them off on account of being fellow clan members. But as you all heard, this afternoon they forcibly snatched a piece of silk from Hongyu on the road. This act of highway robbery is the behavior of bandits."
Aunt Xiuzhi next to him immediately chimed in, "That's right, highway robbery! Send them to the county yamen and let them rot in prison for a few years."
Indeed, his second aunt was very understanding of his intentions. Her follow-up was perfect. Su Dan Novel Network.
The atmosphere at the scene became somewhat awkward.
With matters having reached this point, Village elder Chen Anbang was in a difficult position, and the three parents pleaded in vain.
Chen Ermao and the others were already terrified. In this era, prison was easy to enter and hard to leave.
Once inside, they would be lucky to escape with their skin intact, let alone without injury.
Cui Hongyu, being a soft-hearted woman, hesitated for a moment and tentatively said to Chen Xiaobei, "Husband, since they know they were wrong, perhaps…"
Chen Xiaobei had been waiting for these words.
He wanted them to learn their lesson, and also to owe Hongyu a favor.
He walked up to Village elder Chen Anbang and said, "Village Elder Grandpa, since we are all of the same clan, there's no need to make things so rigid. Regarding the highway robbery, as long as the silk is returned, I can let it go. As for the rest, you can decide, Elder."
Upon hearing Chen Xiaobei's words, Chen Anbang regained his composure.
He understood very well that Chen Xiaobei had told him this afternoon that the silk had been stolen from the yard, but he hadn't expected it to be highway robbery by Chen Ermao and his gang.
This indicated that Chen Xiaobei did not intend to make a big deal out of the robbery.
Of course, Chen Xiaobei's words were also clear: letting him decide was actually an implication that he did not want to let the theft go.
Chen Anbang secretly lamented. Alas, the unpleasant task of offending someone had fallen on him. But if he didn't handle it justly, and Chen Xiaobei reported it to the county yamen, his position as village elder would be in jeopardy.