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By Erik Nilsson The stranger who knocked on our door dropped to her knees, sobbed and begged. She pleaded for mercy. We'd already forgiven, before we even knew she existed. The woman convulsed with remorse and shame - none of which was because of her wrongdoing. We offered leniency to her brother. He'd recently stolen about $3,000 from us. The food deliveryman had pilfered my wife's wallet and emptied her spending account. Then, the cops caught him. The night of the incident, I'd gone to the back of the apartment to get my wallet to pay for the meal he'd brought at about 3:30 am (I was finishing work at home). Her purse dangled from the coat rack, staring him in the face. He was alone and tempted. Cold and poor. And young - just 20. The police were exceptionally professional and apprehended him within two weeks. While China is very safe - a point most foreigners appreciatively marvel at - thefts spike before Spring Festival. The cops told us he'll likely get a reduced sentence since he cooperated and returned our money. His sister claims to have left her family's remote village in Sichuan province and hopped a train across the country when she got the news. She says she slept outside in winter for days while tracking us down, without many clues. Now, she was playing detective. | 
