This book takes Chongqing, a region in Sichuan province during the Qing dynasty, as the stage. Based on archival materials from the yamen, including official documents such as petitions, theft lists, investigation reports, trial records, the authors reconstruct stories of everyday crimes in the Qing dynasty, showing how thieves chose their targets, how they stealthily stole their belongings, how the victims reported the cases, and how the authorities handled them. These stories provide a vivid picture of the traditional legal system of the time in social and cultural contexts, and thus offer a glimpse into the life history of ordinary people.