Chapter 87: Reward

That day, Kang He and Fan Jing went to the outer villages to slaughter pigs. There were three households in Tieshi Village that needed pigs slaughtered—two for the annual pig slaughter, and one for selling to them.

After getting everything arranged, they headed over to take care of it.

Kang He sat on the cart, calculating how much copper money he had earned this New Year’s pig slaughter season.

A rough estimate told him he had made at least five guan.

The pork stalls had been set up at several spots by now, and everyone knew that this was a place where pigs could be slaughtered.

If you wanted to slaughter an annual pig, there was no need to find a butcher; you could even hire someone who could call out the sale.

People were happy to send their spouses to slaughter the pigs for them, even though the dates were tight and there was a long waiting list; folks were still willing to wait.

Originally, Kang He and Fan Jing had been going out to various villages and townships to slaughter pigs, often bringing along some goods from the farmers, saving them the trouble of making a separate trip to town.

Outside, after slaughtering the pigs in the villages, they would sell the meat on the same day.

Farmers in the village buying meat would get a discount of one or two copper coins per jin of pork—a special favor for the local farming households.

Their reputation had grown steadily over the past two years, and the villagers remembered their good service.

There was hardly a pig slaughter that didn’t call on them.

Last year, Fan Jing was with child and couldn’t go out to slaughter pigs, but this year he had run all over.

“Da Jing, pull over and take a dump.”

Fan Jing glanced at Kang He and asked, “What now?”

“Before we left, I ate two bowls of hot soup. This official road is full of puddles from the melting snow, and the cart bumps and shakes all over—I just can’t take it.”

Saying that, the donkey cart stopped.

Kang He jumped up from the cart, adjusting his waistband, and hurriedly darted into the woods by the roadside.

Fan Jing exhaled a cold breath and thought, “This guy really is a handful.”

He took a sip of hot water from his waterskin—it had been filled with boiling water before they left, but by now it was just lukewarm.

“Not coming with me?”

Hearing the voice, Fan Jing turned his head to see Kang He poking his head out from the woods.

“What’s the point? The donkey and cart are left here on the road. Who’d watch them if I went?”

Kang He said, “Your mind is only on the cart and donkey. Aren’t you afraid someone will steal them?”

“Come on, come on, hurry!”

Fan Jing thought, this grown man—if I don’t follow, who could steal him? He frowned but still jumped off the cart.

“With all this time, you’ll be back before I even finish.”

Kang He smiled cheerfully, pulling him along, “You keep watch for me, and I’ll feel safe.”

“What’s so safe about two people standing together? Someone who doesn’t want to see will still have to take a glance.”

Kang He looked at the bow in Fan Jing’s hand and said, “You say no, but you’re still holding a bow. With that, who would dare look?”

“I’m hunting birds.”

Kang He shivered, “That’s not allowed.”

Fan Jing shot him a glare, “Are you coming or not?”

“Coming, coming.”

The two of them slipped into the woods, their steps crunching on the snow.

Kang He moved a bit farther ahead for convenience.

Fan Jing glanced at his back but didn’t have the heart to keep watching him.

He listened to the birdsong in the trees, looking for slow or dumb pigeons—if he could catch two to stew, that would warm and nourish the body in this weather.

Fan Jing pricked up his ears, and suddenly the woods felt like a different place, his guard raised twofold.

His eyes scanned the trees, and then he stopped, hearing no pigeon sounds but instead strange noises.

He furrowed his brow and quietly followed the sounds.

Going closer, he spotted a furtive woman below the trees.

She wore a dull gray cotton jacket and a dark green headscarf, leading a donkey toward the city.

If not for the donkey, she would have been difficult to notice.

Fan Jing hid behind a big tree and thought, it’s odd for someone to be hiding in the woods in this weather.

If she hadn’t stolen the donkey, she must have taken something else.

He drew an arrow and let it fly.

The bamboo arrow whistled past her nose and thudded firmly into a tree.

Startled by the cold arrow, her eyes rolled back, and her legs nearly gave out.

“Mother of mine!”

After a while, she recovered and saw a figure covered with a windproof cloth approaching.

She couldn’t see clearly and thought she had just run into a merciless hunter.

She immediately knelt and bowed twice toward Fan Jing’s direction.

“Sir, this donkey is a gift for you. Please spare me.”

Saying that, she dropped the donkey and tried to run.

Fan Jing hadn’t shot at her for her belongings; seeing her run, he quickly chased after her.

The woman seemed accustomed to the mountains and was quick on her feet, but in the woods, she couldn’t evade the hunter and was soon pinned down.

“I’m not worth silver, but that donkey is valuable. Please spare me.”

She begged, one hand reaching toward her waist.

Fan Jing recognized the move and shook her hard.

A small knife she had hidden at her waist fell to the ground.

She had the knife but would get nothing from him.

Kang He had finished his business and squatted down, his fingers red from the freezing water.

He exhaled and rubbed his hands, then called out.

“Da Jing!?”

Kang He called twice, looking around.

He only heard a voice.

Hearing Fan Jing’s voice coming from the other side of the woods, a little different from his usual calm tone, Kang He felt something was off.

He instinctively gripped the knife at his waist and hurried over.

“Hey! Hey! Kind sir, please let me go!”

Kang He saw Fan Jing holding the woman’s arm behind her back, firmly restraining her.

A donkey stood a few dozen feet away, anxiously pacing with two large sacks on its back.

Kang He nearly ran over and asked, “What’s going on?”

Fan Jing didn’t say a word but lifted the woman’s head slightly.

Kang He recognized her face vaguely—as if seen somewhere before—but the features were unfamiliar.

The woman was thin and looked barely over fifty.

The headscarf had slipped a few strands of gray hair due to Fan Jing’s strong hold.

“You’re that old woman!” Kang He suddenly realized.

If not for being this close and looking carefully, he wouldn’t have recognized her at all.

Fan Jing had been so focused on subduing her that he hadn’t paid attention to her appearance.

Hearing Kang He say that, he was also surprised and looked closely.

Indeed, her face was somewhat familiar.

Her eyes, nose, and mouth matched the old woman they had seen at the Shang family’s house that day, only her skin didn’t seem as wrinkled and aged as before.

Both men were shocked.

Fan Jing said, “Go check what the donkey is carrying.”

Kang He quickly went over and untied the sacks from the donkey.

The sacks had several ventilation holes and were quite heavy.

He carefully laid one on the ground and unwrapped it.

Inside was a three-year-old child!

The child was unconscious; Kang He gently patted his face but got no response.

He hurriedly untied the other sack and found another child, no more than two years old.

“You wretched woman, utterly heartless! How could you come out to do such evil deeds in this freezing snow?”

His anger boiled over.

If she hadn’t been a woman, he would have kicked her hard.

The woman thrashed, trying to reach for the two children.

“They’re my children! They’re my children!”

“Caught red-handed and you still dare to deny it! How could you be so cruel as to stuff your own children into sacks, then lead a donkey through the woods?

You must have been afraid someone on the main road would see!”

Kang He scolded, “You tricked the village before, claiming to be a relative of the Aozi Xu family.

Now you’ve changed your face and gone elsewhere to steal children!

I just regret that the Shang family didn’t catch you that day!”

The woman saw the two men’s figures.

Though she couldn’t see their faces clearly, she recognized who they were.

She knew she was caught by two capable men and that escape was unlikely.

Her eyes grew sharp and fierce.

“Too bad I didn’t get your child.

If I had, I would’ve made a nice profit!”

Before she finished, she let out a piercing scream.

Fan Jing twisted her arm hard, causing a muffled crack.

Kang He couldn’t stand it anymore and kicked her.

“You still dare to think about my child?

Our family just got two fierce dogs.

They’re waiting for you to come.

They’ll bite off your hands and feet, tear your flesh to eat.”

The woman was sweating cold sweat from the pain and no longer dared to shout at them.

This woman was cunning and alert.

She had drugged the two children and wrapped them in sacks, then snuck through the woods instead of the open road.

She probably muffled the donkey’s hooves with cloth to avoid making noise.

Winter in the tenth lunar month was cold, and the woods even colder.

Snow had fallen for several days, blanketing the forest in thick snow.

Who would casually venture into the woods?

Fan Jing’s keen ears heard the donkey’s faint grunting and sensed something strange.

He followed the sound and found the woman.

Otherwise, the two children would have been sold off by her.

The two men tied up the woman, led the donkey, and carried the children, heading back to the main road.

With this incident, there was no time to slaughter pigs.

They had to report to the city officials immediately.

Luckily, they met a cartload of farmers returning to the village on the road.

Hearing about the capture of the kidnapper, everyone was enraged.

They rolled up their sleeves, ready to give the woman a beating, but Kang He stopped them.

Such a criminal was best handed over to the authorities.

Since the news of the kidnapper’s activity at Hepingzi spread, Xu Yang had instructed the villagers and messengers in nearby villages to spread the word.

The villages communicated the news, and many knew about the matter.

However, no one had seen the kidnapper in their own village.

Some villages heard rumors but didn’t take it seriously.

Had the village been on alert, the kidnapper wouldn’t have been able to steal two children.

Only after catching the kidnapper did they realize the gravity.

Two men helped Kang He and Fan Jing escort the kidnapper to the city.

A woman and her husband volunteered to deliver a message to the villages where Kang He and Fan Jing were scheduled to slaughter pigs.

The pigs couldn’t be slaughtered that day, so the message would prevent anyone from waiting in vain.

They headed to the city and took the kidnapper straight to the county office.

The officials took the matter seriously and arrested the woman.

The two children gradually regained consciousness, crying out upon seeing strangers.

A doctor was called, and fortunately, the children had only inhaled some sedatives and were otherwise fine.

The county magistrate ordered officers to ride to each village with messages.

The two families who had lost children hurried to the county office to collect them.

It was already late afternoon, and the reunited parents cried for a long time.

Kang He and Fan Jing watched the children return to their parents.

The kidnapper’s case would not be resolved quickly and would await trial at the county.

Chen Sanfang closed her shop and took a fast cart home.

At the city gate, she ran into Kang He and Fan Jing and heard about the day’s events.

Her face turned pale.

“That cunning kidnapper, changing her face to steal children from villages.

She came into our home with evil intent, and she got what she deserved when we caught her!”

“What a pity for those two children.

She treated them so cruelly and scared them and their parents half to death.

The magistrate should have given her eight dozen lashes!”

Kang He said, “Now that we’ve caught this kidnapper, I hope we can trace the whole network and catch all of them.”

He couldn’t believe the woman was acting alone.

If that were true, children wouldn’t be disappearing all over town and countryside.

Not long after, news came that the kidnapper confessed.

Unable to bear the torture, she gave up her accomplices and the gang’s hideout.

The authorities immediately arrested six kidnappers and confiscated various tools and drugs used to sedate and lure children.

They also rescued three children.

One was the son of a wealthy city family.

The kidnapper had stolen the handsome boy to sell to the brothel’s madam but was caught red-handed.

The brothel was shut down.

The news spread through the villages, pleasing everyone.

One day, a couple surnamed Xie came to the Fan household with their three-year-old child.

Upon seeing Kang He and Fan Jing, the child kowtowed to them.

“Thankfully, we met these two kind gentlemen who outwitted the kidnapper and saved our child.

Otherwise, who knows where the child would have been sold.”

“The boy is so young and has no memories.

Once sold to another place, we wouldn’t have found him.

We couldn’t eat or sleep thinking about it.”

“We should have rested at the county office when we met, but losing our child left us in despair.

After asking around, we learned you lived nearby.”

Kang He hurriedly picked up the child.

“We’re fathers too; how could we stand by while kidnappers stole innocent children?

Besides, that kidnapper was scouting around our house before.”

“Now the child is safe, and the kidnapper is caught.

Everyone is happy.

We owe you our deepest thanks.”

The couple was moved and talked for a while longer.

By midday, they left with their child.

Kang He offered them a meal, but the family politely declined, saying they would come with gifts to pay New Year’s respects after the festival.

After they left, Kang He and Fan Jing saw the family had brought two bags of candy, ten bolts of fine cloth, and two cages of live quails as gifts.

They didn’t inquire about the other families who lost children, but judging by the Xie family’s gifts, they lived well.

It was rare for farmers to afford such presents.

After the Xie family’s visit, Kang He guessed the other family would come as well.

But no news came for a long time.

One day, a well-dressed middle-aged man came to their pork shop in town.

He was accompanied by two servants carrying gift boxes and was very polite.

Kang He and Fan Jing had never seen such a grand visitor at their shop.

They greeted him and asked which family he was from and what he wanted.

The man said they were city residents surnamed Wu.

Recently, their young son had been playing on the street when the kidnapper snatched him.

They reported it to the authorities but found no clues.

Kang He immediately understood.

He heard the officials raided the kidnapper’s den and rescued three children, one being the son of a wealthy city family.

This must be the Wu family.

He said, “The county magistrate solved the case.

We merely helped and should not be thanked.”

The man said, “If not for your and your friend’s righteousness in capturing the kidnapper, the others wouldn’t have been caught, and we wouldn’t have found our son.

We are truly grateful.

If you don’t accept our thanks, we will feel uneasy.

Please don’t refuse.”

Kang He refused three times, but the man insisted.

Seeing his sincerity, Kang He had no choice but to accept the gift.

After the man left, Kang He told Fan Jing, “The Wu family is overly polite.

Even though we saved their child, they brought gifts to thank us.”

Fan Jing said, “Such is the heart of parents everywhere.”

Kang He thought so too.

Losing a child without news would drive anyone mad.

They had reported it to the officials and then followed clues.

Of course, they’d be grateful.

Looking inside the gift boxes, Kang He was surprised.

One box held six silver ingots, each weighing two taels.

The other box had more ordinary festival gifts, though still not something a common family could afford.

Kang He asked, “Who exactly are the Wu family that can be this generous?”

Fan Jing looked at the gifts, equally surprised, but didn’t know the family.

Later, in the first month of the new year, Bao Sange came to their shop to buy marinated goose as a gift.

Kang He invited him for hot soup and asked about the Wu family.

Bao Sange explained, “There are several Wu families in town.

If you mean the one who lost their child before the New Year, it’s the Wu family from the West City.

They’re well-known among wealthy families there.

They’ve been in business for generations.

The current head is Master Wu Ju, whose brother holds a high official position in a neighboring city.”

Kang He was impressed by the family’s prestige.

“How could such a reputable family have their child kidnapped?”

Bao Sange said, “Who knows?

Maybe the kidnapper didn’t know the Wu family’s status and recklessly made a move.

Or maybe it was someone else’s grudge.

No one can say for sure.”

Kang He sighed and didn’t ask further.

He understood why the Wu family was so generous—it was a scholarly household.

He gifted Bao Sange a marinated pig’s ear and a jar of wine as New Year presents.

When he had time, Kang He shared with Fan Jing, “The Wu family sent gifts and gratitude.

They said if anything happens, we could look for them.

I guess they’re not ordinary folks, but the head spoke humbly, barely revealing anything.

It seems they really mean it if we need help.”

Fan Jing was not the type to seek favors.

With such a heavy gift, he felt the thanks were enough.

If they really had trouble, he wouldn’t dare ask for help.

Kang He smiled, “I think so too.

The Wu family’s thanks reflect their scholarly values and great love for their children.”

He spoke with a hidden meaning—the two children they rescued from the kidnapper.

One was from the Xie family, who had not only come to thank them at their home but also visited again after New Year.

They were truly kind-hearted.

As for the other family, Kang He heard from others that they lived nearby.

That family was unreliable.

The husband loved drinking and playing, and the wife was careless, often letting their children starve and cry without care.

It was easy for the kidnapper to steal their child in the dead of winter.

When news spread that a kidnapper was caught on the road and two children rescued, the careless couple didn’t realize their child was missing until the village chief informed them.

People talked about what kind of parents they were.

When the child was saved, the villagers said the couple should go thank Kang He and Fan Jing.

But the lazy couple refused to go, saying the rescuers did it willingly.

Kang He didn’t know the truth, but seeing that no one from that family had come to thank them, he guessed it was true.

He shook his head.

It wasn’t about wanting thanks but about feeling sorry for the child.

The child’s face was red and chapped from the cold, and Kang He felt sorry to see it.

Thrown into such a family, who knew what would happen to the child later?

By the second lunar month, Xu Yang came to the Fan household and gave them twenty-two taels of silver, a reward from the county magistrate.

“The kidnappers were sentenced and exiled to the frontier.

This case is closed, and the county credits you with a merit.”

Kang He and Fan Jing accepted the reward without hesitation.

The county praised those who did good deeds as an example to others.

Besides, the Wu family’s child had been lost, and the county had trouble finding clues.

The magistrate couldn’t have handled the case without their help.

“If they gave us a few acres of land as a reward, that’d be even better.”

Xu Yang saw they were happy to be rewarded.

He said, “One acre is worth several guan.

If you want more acres, that’d be like asking for the moon.”

Kang He laughed, “Farmers are short-sighted.

What else can I think of besides land?”

Before the New Year, when he and Fan Jing went to slaughter pigs in many villages, they heard about land for sale.

Mostly small patches of land, one acre here, seven fen there.

In their own village, it was fine, but buying land in other villages was inconvenient for farming and management.

Xu Yang said, “Buying good land is like that.

It’s rare to find a patch of seven or eight acres sold all at once.”

He lowered his voice and said, “Didn’t you notice?

Whoever can buy that much land at once is a big shot.

Having that much silver is one thing, but they have means to get it.”

Kang He understood what he meant.

Wealthy families either pressured poor households to sell land or forced sales through other means.

Kang He knew all that but couldn’t bring himself to do such things.

Xu Yang laughed, “I know you wouldn’t do those things.

That’s why you can’t always get the land you want.

But don’t be upset.

If you want to buy land, better save some silver.”

“How’s that?”

“Just now, when I came out of the county office, I overheard a craftsman mention that more wasteland might be divided and sold soon.

The world has been peaceful for a few years.

Many people died in the wars, and lots of land was abandoned.

These unclaimed lands were taken back by the government.

Now, with peace, the court wants to encourage people to cultivate the land again and increase tax revenue.

So the abandoned land will be parceled out and sold.”

“The court’s decree will be implemented locally.

Though the wealthy will exploit some, real land will reach the common folk.

It’s a show, but we small households can grab some scraps.”

Kang He smiled, “You really dare say that.”

But he was glad to hear the news.

If land really was sold again, he’d be ready to buy some.

That day, Kang Xin and Fan Jing went to the outer villages to slaughter pigs. There were three households in Tieshi Village that needed pigs slaughtered—two for the annual pig slaughter, and one for selling to them.

After getting everything arranged, they headed over to take care of it.

Kang Xin sat on the cart, calculating how much copper money he had earned this New Year’s pig slaughter season.

A rough estimate told him he had made at least five guan.

The pork stalls had been set up at several spots by now, and everyone knew that this was a place where pigs could be slaughtered.

If you wanted to slaughter an annual pig, there was no need to find a butcher; you could even hire someone who could call out the sale.

People were happy to send their spouses to slaughter the pigs for them, even though the dates were tight and there was a long waiting list; folks were still willing to wait.

Originally, Kang Xin and Fan Jing had been going out to various villages and townships to slaughter pigs, often bringing along some goods from the farmers, saving them the trouble of making a separate trip to town.

Outside, after slaughtering the pigs in the villages, they would sell the meat on the same day.

Farmers in the village buying meat would get a discount of one or two copper coins per jin of pork—a special favor for the local farming households.

Their reputation had grown steadily over the past two years, and the villagers remembered their good service.

There was hardly a pig slaughter that didn’t call on them.

Last year, Fan Jing was with child and couldn’t go out to slaughter pigs, but this year he had run all over.

“Da Jing, pull over and take a dump.”

Fan Jing glanced at Kang Xin and asked, “What now?”

“Before we left, I ate two bowls of hot soup. This official road is full of puddles from the melting snow, and the cart bumps and shakes all over—I just can’t take it.”

Saying that, the donkey cart stopped.

Kang Xin jumped up from the cart, adjusting his waistband, and hurriedly darted into the woods by the roadside.

Fan Jing exhaled a cold breath and thought, “This guy really is a handful.”

He took a sip of hot water from his waterskin—it had been filled with boiling water before they left, but by now it was just lukewarm.

“Not coming with me?”

Hearing the voice, Fan Jing turned his head to see Kang Xin poking his head out from the woods.

“What’s the point? The donkey and cart are left here on the road. Who’d watch them if I went?”

Kang Xin said, “Your mind is only on the cart and donkey. Aren’t you afraid someone will steal them?”

“Come on, come on, hurry!”

Fan Jing thought, this grown man—if I don’t follow, who could steal him? He frowned but still jumped off the cart.

“With all this time, you’ll be back before I even finish.”

Kang Xin smiled cheerfully, pulling him along, “You keep watch for me, and I’ll feel safe.”

“What’s so safe about two people standing together? Someone who doesn’t want to see will still have to take a glance.”

Kang Xin looked at the bow in Fan Jing’s hand and said, “You say no, but you’re still holding a bow. With that, who would dare look?”

“I’m hunting birds.”

Kang Xin shivered, “That’s not allowed.”

Fan Jing shot him a glare, “Are you coming or not?”

“Coming, coming.”

The two of them slipped into the woods, their steps crunching on the snow.

Kang Xin moved a bit farther ahead for convenience.

Fan Jing glanced at his back but didn’t have the heart to keep watching him.

He listened to the birdsong in the trees, looking for slow or dumb pigeons—if he could catch two to stew, that would warm and nourish the body in this weather.

Fan Jing pricked up his ears, and suddenly the woods felt like a different place, his guard raised twofold.

His eyes scanned the trees, and then he stopped, hearing no pigeon sounds but instead strange noises.

He furrowed his brow and quietly followed the sounds.

Going closer, he spotted a furtive woman below the trees.

She wore a dull gray cotton jacket and a dark green headscarf, leading a donkey toward the city.

If not for the donkey, she would have been difficult to notice.

Fan Jing hid behind a big tree and thought, it’s odd for someone to be hiding in the woods in this weather.

If she hadn’t stolen the donkey, she must have taken something else.

He drew an arrow and let it fly.

The bamboo arrow whistled past her nose and thudded firmly into a tree.

Startled by the cold arrow, her eyes rolled back, and her legs nearly gave out.

“Mother of mine!”

After a while, she recovered and saw a figure covered with a windproof cloth approaching.

She couldn’t see clearly and thought she had just run into a merciless hunter.

She immediately knelt and bowed twice toward Fan Jing’s direction.

“Sir, this donkey is a gift for you. Please spare me.”

Saying that, she dropped the donkey and tried to run.

Fan Jing hadn’t shot at her for her belongings; seeing her run, he quickly chased after her.

The woman seemed accustomed to the mountains and was quick on her feet, but in the woods, she couldn’t evade the hunter and was soon pinned down.

“I’m not worth silver, but that donkey is valuable. Please spare me.”

She begged, one hand reaching toward her waist.

Fan Jing recognized the move and shook her hard.

A small knife she had hidden at her waist fell to the ground.

She had the knife but would get nothing from him.

Kang Xin had finished his business and squatted down, his fingers red from the freezing water.

He exhaled and rubbed his hands, then called out.

“Da Jing!?”

Kang Xin called twice, looking around.

He only heard a voice.

Hearing Fan Jing’s voice coming from the other side of the woods, a little different from his usual calm tone, Kang Xin felt something was off.

He instinctively gripped the knife at his waist and hurried over.

“Hey! Hey! Kind sir, please let me go!”

Kang Xin saw Fan Jing holding the woman’s arm behind her back, firmly restraining her.

A donkey stood a few dozen feet away, anxiously pacing with two large sacks on its back.

Kang Xin nearly ran over and asked, “What’s going on?”

Fan Jing didn’t say a word but lifted the woman’s head slightly.

Kang Xin recognized her face vaguely—as if seen somewhere before—but the features were unfamiliar.

The woman was thin and looked barely over fifty.

The headscarf had slipped a few strands of gray hair due to Fan Jing’s strong hold.

“You’re that old woman!” Kang Xin suddenly realized.

If not for being this close and looking carefully, he wouldn’t have recognized her at all.

Fan Jing had been so focused on subduing her that he hadn’t paid attention to her appearance.

Hearing Kang Xin say that, he was also surprised and looked closely.

Indeed, her face was somewhat familiar.

Her eyes, nose, and mouth matched the old woman they had seen at the Shang family’s house that day, only her skin didn’t seem as wrinkled and aged as before.

Both men were shocked.

Fan Jing said, “Go check what the donkey is carrying.”

Kang Xin quickly went over and untied the sacks from the donkey.

The sacks had several ventilation holes and were quite heavy.

He carefully laid one on the ground and unwrapped it.

Inside was a three-year-old child!

The child was unconscious; Kang Xin gently patted his face but got no response.

He hurriedly untied the other sack and found another child, no more than two years old.

“You wretched woman, utterly heartless! How could you come out to do such evil deeds in this freezing snow?”

His anger boiled over.

If she hadn’t been a woman, he would have kicked her hard.

The woman thrashed, trying to reach for the two children.

“They’re my children! They’re my children!”

“Caught red-handed and you still dare to deny it! How could you be so cruel as to stuff your own children into sacks, then lead a donkey through the woods?

You must have been afraid someone on the main road would see!”

Kang Xin scolded, “You tricked the village before, claiming to be a relative of the Aozi Xu family.

Now you’ve changed your face and gone elsewhere to steal children!

I just regret that the Shang family didn’t catch you that day!”

The woman saw the two men’s figures.

Though she couldn’t see their faces clearly, she recognized who they were.

She knew she was caught by two capable men and that escape was unlikely.

Her eyes grew sharp and fierce.

“Too bad I didn’t get your child.

If I had, I would’ve made a nice profit!”

Before she finished, she let out a piercing scream.

Fan Jing twisted her arm hard, causing a muffled crack.

Kang Xin couldn’t stand it anymore and kicked her.

“You still dare to think about my child?

Our family just got two fierce dogs.

They’re waiting for you to come.

They’ll bite off your hands and feet, tear your flesh to eat.”

The woman was sweating cold sweat from the pain and no longer dared to shout at them.

This woman was cunning and alert.

She had drugged the two children and wrapped them in sacks, then snuck through the woods instead of the open road.

She probably muffled the donkey’s hooves with cloth to avoid making noise.

Winter in the tenth lunar month was cold, and the woods even colder.

Snow had fallen for several days, blanketing the forest in thick snow.

Who would casually venture into the woods?

Fan Jing’s keen ears heard the donkey’s faint grunting and sensed something strange.

He followed the sound and found the woman.

Otherwise, the two children would have been sold off by her.

The two men tied up the woman, led the donkey, and carried the children, heading back to the main road.

With this incident, there was no time to slaughter pigs.

They had to report to the city officials immediately.

Luckily, they met a cartload of farmers returning to the village on the road.

Hearing about the capture of the kidnapper, everyone was enraged.

They rolled up their sleeves, ready to give the woman a beating, but Kang Xin stopped them.

Such a criminal was best handed over to the authorities.

Since the news of the kidnapper’s activity at Hepingzi spread, Xu Yang had instructed the villagers and messengers in nearby villages to spread the word.

The villages communicated the news, and many knew about the matter.

However, no one had seen the kidnapper in their own village.

Some villages heard rumors but didn’t take it seriously.

Had the village been on alert, the kidnapper wouldn’t have been able to steal two children.

Only after catching the kidnapper did they realize the gravity.

Two men helped Kang Xin and Fan Jing escort the kidnapper to the city.

A woman and her husband volunteered to deliver a message to the villages where Kang Xin and Fan Jing were scheduled to slaughter pigs.

The pigs couldn’t be slaughtered that day, so the message would prevent anyone from waiting in vain.

They headed to the city and took the kidnapper straight to the county office.

The officials took the matter seriously and arrested the woman.

The two children gradually regained consciousness, crying out upon seeing strangers.

A doctor was called, and fortunately, the children had only inhaled some sedatives and were otherwise fine.

The county magistrate ordered officers to ride to each village with messages.

The two families who had lost children hurried to the county office to collect them.

It was already late afternoon, and the reunited parents cried for a long time.

Kang Xin and Fan Jing watched the children return to their parents.

The kidnapper’s case would not be resolved quickly and would await trial at the county.

Chen Sanfang closed her shop and took a fast cart home.

At the city gate, she ran into Kang Xin and Fan Jing and heard about the day’s events.

Her face turned pale.

“That cunning kidnapper, changing her face to steal children from villages.

She came into our home with evil intent, and she got what she deserved when we caught her!”

“What a pity for those two children.

She treated them so cruelly and scared them and their parents half to death.

The magistrate should have given her eight dozen lashes!”

Kang Xin said, “Now that we’ve caught this kidnapper, I hope we can trace the whole network and catch all of them.”

He couldn’t believe the woman was acting alone.

If that were true, children wouldn’t be disappearing all over town and countryside.

Not long after, news came that the kidnapper confessed.

Unable to bear the torture, she gave up her accomplices and the gang’s hideout.

The authorities immediately arrested six kidnappers and confiscated various tools and drugs used to sedate and lure children.

They also rescued three children.

One was the son of a wealthy city family.

The kidnapper had stolen the handsome boy to sell to the brothel’s madam but was caught red-handed.

The brothel was shut down.

The news spread through the villages, pleasing everyone.

One day, a couple surnamed Xie came to the Fan household with their three-year-old child.

Upon seeing Kang Xin and Fan Jing, the child kowtowed to them.

“Thankfully, we met these two kind gentlemen who outwitted the kidnapper and saved our child.

Otherwise, who knows where the child would have been sold.”

“The boy is so young and has no memories.

Once sold to another place, we wouldn’t have found him.

We couldn’t eat or sleep thinking about it.”

“We should have rested at the county office when we met, but losing our child left us in despair.

After asking around, we learned you lived nearby.”

Kang Xin hurriedly picked up the child.

“We’re fathers too; how could we stand by while kidnappers stole innocent children?

Besides, that kidnapper was scouting around our house before.”

“Now the child is safe, and the kidnapper is caught.

Everyone is happy.

We owe you our deepest thanks.”

The couple was moved and talked for a while longer.

By midday, they left with their child.

Kang Xin offered them a meal, but the family politely declined, saying they would come with gifts to pay New Year’s respects after the festival.

After they left, Kang Xin and Fan Jing saw the family had brought two bags of candy, ten bolts of fine cloth, and two cages of live quails as gifts.

They didn’t inquire about the other families who lost children, but judging by the Xie family’s gifts, they lived well.

It was rare for farmers to afford such presents.

After the Xie family’s visit, Kang Xin guessed the other family would come as well.

But no news came for a long time.

One day, a well-dressed middle-aged man came to their pork shop in town.

He was accompanied by two servants carrying gift boxes and was very polite.

Kang Xin and Fan Jing had never seen such a grand visitor at their shop.

They greeted him and asked which family he was from and what he wanted.

The man said they were city residents surnamed Wu.

Recently, their young son had been playing on the street when the kidnapper snatched him.

They reported it to the authorities but found no clues.

Kang Xin immediately understood.

He heard the officials raided the kidnapper’s den and rescued three children, one being the son of a wealthy city family.

This must be the Wu family.

He said, “The county magistrate solved the case.

We merely helped and should not be thanked.”

The man said, “If not for your and your friend’s righteousness in capturing the kidnapper, the others wouldn’t have been caught, and we wouldn’t have found our son.

We are truly grateful.

If you don’t accept our thanks, we will feel uneasy.

Please don’t refuse.”

Kang Xin refused three times, but the man insisted.

Seeing his sincerity, Kang Xin had no choice but to accept the gift.

After the man left, Kang Xin told Fan Jing, “The Wu family is overly polite.

Even though we saved their child, they brought gifts to thank us.”

Fan Jing said, “Such is the heart of parents everywhere.”

Kang Xin thought so too.

Losing a child without news would drive anyone mad.

They had reported it to the officials and then followed clues.

Of course, they’d be grateful.

Looking inside the gift boxes, Kang Xin was surprised.

One box held six silver ingots, each weighing two taels.

The other box had more ordinary festival gifts, though still not something a common family could afford.

Kang Xin asked, “Who exactly are the Wu family that can be this generous?”

Fan Jing looked at the gifts, equally surprised, but didn’t know the family.

Later, in the first month of the new year, Bao Sange came to their shop to buy marinated goose as a gift.

Kang Xin invited him for hot soup and asked about the Wu family.

Bao Sange explained, “There are several Wu families in town.

If you mean the one who lost their child before the New Year, it’s the Wu family from the West City.

They’re well-known among wealthy families there.

They’ve been in business for generations.

The current head is Master Wu Ju, whose brother holds a high official position in a neighboring city.”

Kang Xin was impressed by the family’s prestige.

“How could such a reputable family have their child kidnapped?”

Bao Sange said, “Who knows?

Maybe the kidnapper didn’t know the Wu family’s status and recklessly made a move.

Or maybe it was someone else’s grudge.

No one can say for sure.”

Kang Xin sighed and didn’t ask further.

He understood why the Wu family was so generous—it was a scholarly household.

He gifted Bao Sange a marinated pig’s ear and a jar of wine as New Year presents.

When he had time, Kang Xin shared with Fan Jing, “The Wu family sent gifts and gratitude.

They said if anything happens, we could look for them.

I guess they’re not ordinary folks, but the head spoke humbly, barely revealing anything.

It seems they really mean it if we need help.”

Fan Jing was not the type to seek favors.

With such a heavy gift, he felt the thanks were enough.

If they really had trouble, he wouldn’t dare ask for help.

Kang Xin smiled, “I think so too.

The Wu family’s thanks reflect their scholarly values and great love for their children.”

He spoke with a hidden meaning—the two children they rescued from the kidnapper.

One was from the Xie family, who had not only come to thank them at their home but also visited again after New Year.

They were truly kind-hearted.

As for the other family, Kang Xin heard from others that they lived nearby.

That family was unreliable.

The husband loved drinking and playing, and the wife was careless, often letting their children starve and cry without care.

It was easy for the kidnapper to steal their child in the dead of winter.

When news spread that a kidnapper was caught on the road and two children rescued, the careless couple didn’t realize their child was missing until the village chief informed them.

People talked about what kind of parents they were.

When the child was saved, the villagers said the couple should go thank Kang Xin and Fan Jing.

But the lazy couple refused to go, saying the rescuers did it willingly.

Kang Xin didn’t know the truth, but seeing that no one from that family had come to thank them, he guessed it was true.

He shook his head.

It wasn’t about wanting thanks but about feeling sorry for the child.

The child’s face was red and chapped from the cold, and Kang Xin felt sorry to see it.

Thrown into such a family, who knew what would happen to the child later?

By the second lunar month, Xu Yang came to the Fan household and gave them twenty-two taels of silver, a reward from the county magistrate.

“The kidnappers were sentenced and exiled to the frontier.

This case is closed, and the county credits you with a merit.”

Kang Xin and Fan Jing accepted the reward without hesitation.

The county praised those who did good deeds as an example to others.

Besides, the Wu family’s child had been lost, and the county had trouble finding clues.

The magistrate couldn’t have handled the case without their help.

“If they gave us a few acres of land as a reward, that’d be even better.”

Xu Yang saw they were happy to be rewarded.

He said, “One acre is worth several guan.

If you want more acres, that’d be like asking for the moon.”

Kang Xin laughed, “Farmers are short-sighted.

What else can I think of besides land?”

Before the New Year, when he and Fan Jing went to slaughter pigs in many villages, they heard about land for sale.

Mostly small patches of land, one acre here, seven fen there.

In their own village, it was fine, but buying land in other villages was inconvenient for farming and management.

Xu Yang said, “Buying good land is like that.

It’s rare to find a patch of seven or eight acres sold all at once.”

He lowered his voice and said, “Didn’t you notice?

Whoever can buy that much land at once is a big shot.

Having that much silver is one thing, but they have means to get it.”

Kang Xin understood what he meant.

Wealthy families either pressured poor households to sell land or forced sales through other means.

Kang Xin knew all that but couldn’t bring himself to do such things.

Xu Yang laughed, “I know you wouldn’t do those things.

That’s why you can’t always get the land you want.

But don’t be upset.

If you want to buy land, better save some silver.”

“How’s that?”

“Just now, when I came out of the county office, I overheard a craftsman mention that more wasteland might be divided and sold soon.

The world has been peaceful for a few years.

Many people died in the wars, and lots of land was abandoned.

These unclaimed lands were taken back by the government.

Now, with peace, the court wants to encourage people to cultivate the land again and increase tax revenue.

So the abandoned land will be parceled out and sold.”

“The court’s decree will be implemented locally.

Though the wealthy will exploit some, real land will reach the common folk.

It’s a show, but we small households can grab some scraps.”

Kang Xin smiled, “You really dare say that.”

But he was glad to hear the news.

If land really was sold again, he’d be ready to buy some.