This was clearly a standoff. The monkeys held Ali and Xing'er hostage, while we, in turn, held the large monkey captive inside the main room. I stood behind Xiaoshu and Lao He, utterly bewildered. A string of questions flooded my mind: What was the origin of this troop of monkeys, and why on earth would they come here to snatch children? If we tried to negotiate an exchange, would they even understand us? My thoughts drifted, lost in the suddenness of it all.

"Hey! Hey!" Xiaoshu nudged me with her elbow. "What are you spacing out for? Figure out a way to take down that big monkey in the main room."

"Right," I nodded, formulating a plan. I retreated to the back room, grabbed the pile of dirty clothes I had just taken off, crumpled them into a ball, and hid the bundle behind a stool. Carrying the stool, I stepped out, aimed at the large monkey, and with a swoosh, hurled the stool towards it. It leaped mid-air with surprising agility, expertly dodging the incoming projectile, then landed squarely on the tabletop. It chirped twice at me, as if mocking my terrible aim.

Let them laugh, I thought; they won't be laughing for long. As swift as thought—before its mocking grin could fully settle or its cry cease—I unfurled the clothes and lunged, quickly slipping the opening of the garment over its head. In a swift move, like a fisherman hauling in his net, I trapped it entirely within the fabric. I clamped down tight on the top and bottom openings and slammed it onto the floor, leaving it dazed and subdued.

Initially, it thrashed a couple of times inside the cloth cocoon. I pinned both ends of the fabric to the ground with my feet, effectively securing it. Realizing struggle was futile, it curled up into a tight ball and squatted obediently.

The troop of monkeys outside the courtyard had witnessed the capture of their comrade with crystal clarity. A few of them looked eager to rush in and help, but Xiaoshu and Lao He guarded the door with their steel shovels, batting back any challenger with formidable force. They could only stare, watching the movements inside, unwilling to risk a direct assault.

Finally, seeing that there was no room for maneuvering, the monkeys turned one by one, leaping onto the perimeter wall, intending to abandon the fight and flee.

Seeing the troop preparing to leave, Xiaoshu and Huagu grew anxious. Xing'er and Ali were still strapped to the large monkey's back; if they left, the hostages would be gone too!

Xiaoshu seized her shovel and ran after them, shouting, "Don't go! Put the children down..."

The monkeys paid no heed to her cries. Each of them seemed to have springs attached to their legs, bounding from the ground to the top of the wall, then from the wall to the trees, their movements causing the branches to rustle loudly as they disappeared into the distance. The two large monkeys carrying Xing'er and Ali moved with even greater agility, covering the distance with just a few bounds to clear the courtyard wall, their movements showing not the slightest clumsiness.

Lao He and Xiaoshu chased after them with their tools. About half an hour later, the pair returned, heads bowed in dejection.

"You didn't catch them?" I asked them. "At least we caught one. Help me get this one out of the clothes." Saying this, I crouched down, releasing one leg, and used both hands to grip the neck of the cloth bag tightly. I had maintained this position of restraint since the capture, and my limbs were starting to feel numb.

"Those brutes run unbelievably fast," Lao He grumbled, walking over to assist. They found a length of rope and fashioned a crude pig-hoof knot. One hand gently probed through the fabric to locate the monkey's head, while the other carefully pulled open the collar of the cloth, allowing half of its head to emerge. They slipped the rope loop around its neck and yanked it tight, addressing the captive: "You are certainly no ordinary monkey, or you wouldn't be trying to steal children. I’ve secured you with a pig-hoof knot now. If you know what’s good for you, don't move, or if I pull this rope tight and choke you to death, no one will save you."

The large monkey seemed to understand Lao He's words, remaining perfectly still, squatting like a mummified figure inside the confines of the clothing.