Just as the three of them got up and prepared to walk outside.
The two young men sitting in the west corner also immediately stood up.
The two exchanged a knowing glance.
One person strode towards Liu Yingying, while the other approached a portly, luxuriously dressed middle-aged man in the hall...
Just as Liu Yingying was about to reach the door, she was suddenly bumped hard by someone.
"Oh, sister, I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..."
The man quickly apologized, but his hand swiftly reached for Liu Yingying's purse at her waist...
When Liu Yingying came to her senses and looked closely...
He immediately recognized him as one of the two shifty-looking men who had been sitting in the corner earlier.
Strange... Is there one more?
Before Liu Yingying could think about it, she felt her waist loosen and the money bag was in the thief's hands.
Just then, another angry shout rang out from the hall behind them: "Where's my purse?!"
Liu Yingying wasn't the only one robbed; the obese middle-aged man was also among those robbed.
In the brief moment she turned her head, the two thieves darted out of the noodle shop and disappeared into the bustling street, seemingly about to vanish...
Liu Yingying was furious. That bag contained all the money she had worked herself to the bone to earn. Did she know how hard it was for her?
"Damn thieves, if I don't catch you today, I'll take your surname!"
"Liu Niang, where are you going?" Zhao Di shouted loudly as she chased after her.
"I'm going to catch the thief. You all go to the yamen right now and report to the authorities!"
Liu Yingying left a message and quickly caught up with the two petty thieves, disappearing into the street in no time.
Zhao Di and Lin Cuicui, two country bumpkins, were left looking at each other in bewilderment.
"Sister Cui Cui, what should we do now?" Zhao Di frowned, worried that Liu Yingying would suffer a loss.
Lin Cuicui was always more composed. "Didn't Aunt Liu say that we should report this to the authorities?"
Zhao Di: "But...but I don't know the way to the yamen..."
Lin Cuicui: ...
Just then, another obese man whose money had been stolen also chased after them angrily.
Lin Cuicui immediately stopped him and asked timidly, "I just saw that you were also robbed. Are you going to report it to the authorities?"
The obese man was in a bad mood. He glared at the two women and said irritably, "Nonsense! If you don't report me to the authorities, why don't you help me get my money back?"
Lin Cuicui's face immediately lit up with joy; "That's wonderful! Can we go with you to report this to the authorities?"
"Do whatever you want!"
The obese man frowned and glanced at her, inwardly cursing her as a lunatic.
Who can laugh after having their money stolen?
On the other side, Liu Yingying chased after the two petty thieves through the streets and alleys, the road becoming more and more remote.
When the two thieves reached a fork in the alley, they split up and ran in opposite directions.
Liu Yingying gritted her teeth, wishing she could be in two places at once, and ultimately chose to chase after the thief who had stolen her purse...
That petty thief was clearly a repeat offender, extremely familiar with every street and alley in the county town.
In comparison, Liu Yingying suffered because she was unfamiliar with the place and its people.
At first, that little thief led me on a nearly lap around the entire city.
It was during this process that Liu Yingying was surprised to find that her body's abilities seemed to be getting stronger and stronger.
I ran for almost an hour without even breaking a sweat.
On the other hand, the thief initially gained a significant lead over Liu Yingying by virtue of his familiarity with the escape route.
But it's becoming increasingly difficult to keep up...
He never expected this woman to be so difficult to deal with; he should have chosen someone else instead...
Just then, a whooshing sound came from behind, the sound of air being cut.
Then a scream was heard, and the thief fell to the ground, wincing in pain.
Liu Yingying was still holding a bamboo pole in her hand. She caught up with him in a few steps and used the bamboo pole to pin him down.
"You little thief, you dare to steal from me!"
"Big sister, spare me! I was forced to steal your money because of life's hardships. Please have mercy and let me go!" The thief immediately cried and begged for mercy.
Liu Yingying didn't believe her nonsense; they were clearly working as a gang!
"Tell me! How many people's money did you steal?" Liu Yingying approached him step by step. "If you don't tell the truth today, I'll break your limbs first, and then see how you'll continue to steal and cheat!"
"Spare me... please spare me, heroine..."
The thief seemed terrified, repeatedly kowtowing to her on the ground, but out of the corner of his eye, he secretly glanced elsewhere...
Just as Liu Yingying was two steps away from him, the thief suddenly threw something at her.
Liu Yingying was already very vigilant, and upon seeing this, she quickly retreated and covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve.
Suddenly, a plume of white smoke rose from the alleyway in front of them.
However, Liu Yingying still vaguely saw the direction the thief fled in, and immediately chased after him.
This time, she was surprised to find that the route she was following the thief seemed to be getting more and more familiar... A few hundred meters ahead, wasn't that the county government office?
That little thief has some nerve, daring to run straight to the county government office...
To the left of the county government office was a courtyard, with its main gate tightly closed.
Liu Yingying watched helplessly as the little thief climbed over the courtyard wall and jumped inside!
Unable to trespass on private property, she went to the yamen (government office) to report the incident and explained the situation to the constable at the gate.
But after looking her up and down suspiciously, the constable said, "You've come at the wrong time. Lord Shen isn't in the yamen right now."
Liu Yingying: "Then may I ask who is still in charge inside now?"
They can't just stop arresting thieves and handling cases when the magistrate isn't around, can they?
"Wait here, I'll go in and inform Master Jin!" the constable said before entering the yamen.
Soon, a man who looked to be around fifty years old, with gray hair and beard, and a thin build, walked out with a hunched back.
The constable pointed at Liu Yingying; "Master, she's the one who just said she saw a thief break into the Song residence!"
"You must be Master Jin? I did just witness the thief break into the house next door. To prevent any innocent people from suffering, please send men in to catch the thief immediately!"
Liu Yingying spoke in a great hurry, after all, she had witnessed the little thief's skills, and the longer it was delayed, the harder it would be to catch him!
"What's your name?" Master Jin asked, glancing at her unhurriedly.
Liu Yingying frowned slightly, but quickly regained her composure. "Master, my name is Liu Yingying. When will you send someone to catch the thief?"
Her patience was gradually wearing thin, and her tone became much colder.
Although the advisor was the county magistrate's assistant, she was also a township lady bestowed by the imperial court.
In terms of social status, she was much higher than a working-class person like the clerk!
“Liu Yingying…” Master Jin raised an eyebrow, feeling that the name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place where he had heard it before.
"Um... how much money was stolen from you?"
"Five taels of silver and three strings of copper coins."
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