Chapter 084

Chapter 084

Tong Sui strung the remaining golden wood beads into three bracelets, trying each one on to ensure they fit perfectly.

This was rare and fine wood. Thinking that her family members would each have a bracelet to wear during festivals in the future made it all the more meaningful.

Xiao Zhen: "Let's go back to Taohuagou before the autumn harvest begins."

Tong Sui nodded.

The next morning, after breakfast, Tong Sui changed into clothes suitable for visiting relatives, carefully tucked away the three bracelets, and followed Xiao Zhen to the backyard.

Xiao Zhen was untying the donkey when a series of foul and furious curses suddenly erupted from beyond the backyard wall.

Ignoring the curses directed at parents, it turned out the owner of the nearby cornfield had arrived and discovered that someone had stolen ears of corn from half of his field.

The shouting drew everyone from the Xiao family to the backyard, with Xiao Mu leading the way out.

The villager who lost the corn was surnamed Luo, a thin man in his fifties. In the past, Xiao Zhen and his brothers had called him Uncle Luo.

Seeing Xiao Mu, Uncle Luo continued cursing towards the northern side of the courtyard before red-eyed, he approached to complain, "Commander Xiao, look at my corn. There wasn't much left, but someone still came and stole the tender ears. We're all from the same village; why must they force us to such desperation?!"

Xiao Mu looked at the stripped corn stalks and frowned, saying, "When I closed the gate last evening, everything was fine. It must have happened in the middle of the night."

The men of the Xiao family had good hearing, but their awareness only extended to detecting intruders jumping over the walls. If someone quietly walked around the Xiao residence to steal corn, they wouldn't notice in the dead of night.

The paths near the fields were dirt roads, frequently used by villagers, making footprints inconclusive.

Uncle Luo believed the Xiao family wouldn't steal his corn, but he suspected the other families along this row, cursing each one individually. Some families endured the insults, while others, unwilling to bear the humiliation, cursed back from over the walls. Uncle Luo, already enraged, picked up a stone to throw, but Xiao Mu stopped him in time.

Uncle Luo: "I'm going to find the Village Headman. Since there's been theft in our village, he can't just let it be. If he leads a search of the houses, we'll surely find those corn cobs. Let them chew on the cobs if they dare!"

He stormed off towards the Sun family.

After watching the commotion, Lady He cursed at the cornfield, wishing that the thieves' children would be born without anuses.

Xiao Yuchan anxiously asked, "Grandfather, if the Luo family's field near the village has been stolen from, what about ours?"

Xiao Mu instructed Xiao Yan and Xiao She, "Ride the donkeys and check quickly."

The tender corn could only satisfy a few meals, but the real thieves usually wait until the corn is fully ripe. The fear was encountering reckless thieves who would strip entire fields of tender corn.

Xiao Yan and Xiao She mounted their donkeys and rushed out.

Tong Sui subtly tugged at Xiao Zhen's sleeve, giving him a meaningful look. The bracelets could be given anytime; it was better not to travel far now.

Xiao Zhen understood the gravity of the situation.

The donkeys returned swiftly, with Xiao Yan and Xiao She looking grim. They reported that the outer part of the Xiao family's cornfield had also been stripped.

Xiao Yan: "At least a hundred stalks, with two ears per stalk, that thief stole two hundred ears. A family of five could eat ten ears per meal, enough for six or seven days. They sure know how to save food. I'll—"

Noticing Lin Ningfang standing beside the sisters-in-law, Xiao Yan swallowed his curse.

Xiao She finished the curse for his Third Brother: "Damn bastard, if I catch him, I'll string him up on a corn stalk!"

Xiao Mu: "Enough with the cursing. No hunting for now. Everyone should guard the fields during the day. I'm going to the Sun family."

Xiao Yuchan insisted on joining them, linking arms with Tong Sui and pulling her along.

They arrived at the Sun family, finding many villagers gathered both inside and outside the courtyard. Those whose corn had been stolen were present, and some suspected the new refugee families. The accused refugees didn't take kindly to the accusations, leading to a heated exchange of insults and threats of violence.

Due to the significant loss of corn, Sun Xinghai called upon Sun Wei and several other Sun family members to conduct a thorough search house-to-house.

However, whether the thief was from another village or exceptionally skilled at hiding the corn, Sun Xinghai and his team searched from the southern end of the village to the north without finding anything. Some households had a few ears of corn, claiming they were from their own fields, which seemed plausible.

Finding nothing, Sun Xinghai gathered the entire village by the pond and announced that patrols would continue starting today.

But the villagers showed little enthusiasm for the task.

A man sat on the ground, numbly saying, "What's the point of patrolling? Even if we protect the crops, we'll eventually have to hand them over to the government. After working hard all year, we only get to keep a small portion. It's not worth the effort."

Their fields were planted entirely with corn, burdened by heavy winds and taxes, leaving them with no hope.

Many families in the village grew corn, supplemented by sweet potatoes and peanuts for oil. Peanuts weren't as essential.

Sun Xinghai exchanged a glance with Xiao Mu and raised his voice, "Patrolling will at least protect our crops so we can pay our taxes. Without patrols, the thieves will save their food and cope better with the government. You won't have anything to offer and will end up losing everything, even sending your men to forced labor. Is that what you want?"

No one wanted that.

It was better to see their own crops ruined than stolen by thieves.

Sun Xinghai: "Everyone, stay alert. If we catch a thief, we'll assume they stole all the previous corn. We'll divide their valuables and drive them out. With me backing you, we won't fear any government intervention."

The Village Headman assists the government in village affairs, and as long as he commands respect, the government rarely interferes.

With these words, the villagers rallied, especially those who had lost corn. The men lined up at the grinding stone, ready to register for patrol duty.

Given the height of the corn stalks, it was difficult to spot thieves hiding in the fields. Lingshui Village mobilized more able-bodied men, assigning eight to guard the four entrances to the village, wary of outsiders sneaking in. Eight donkeys were provided for the guards, each armed with a wooden spear.

Sun Wei also threatened nearby villages, warning that anyone caught stealing from Lingshui Village would face severe consequences.

If villages were likened to people, Lingshui Village was the second-strongest after Changping Town. Other villages dared not challenge Sun Wei's threats.

Beyond fear, other villages adopted Lingshui Village's methods, organizing patrols, but their effectiveness varied due to different circumstances and the varying authority of their Village Headmen.

While the villagers worried about their crops, Xiao Zhen drove a donkey cart to town and brought back a swing.

Placed flat on the cart, Lady He couldn't recognize it at first and curiously asked, "Second son, what is this thing? For cracking peanuts?"

Xiao Zhen moved the things to the ground and said, "These are for Mianmian and Yao Ge Er to play with."

Madam He recognized the swing frame and suddenly remembered that the three young brides in the family had specially gone to the riverside to swing. She immediately tsked, "If you want to pamper your wives, just do it. Why bring up the children? How much did it cost to make this frame? Ah, don't blame Second Aunt for nagging, but given our current situation, if you want to be good to Aman, buying her food and clothes is money well spent. This thing... You men, you just don't know how to manage household affairs."

Xiao Zhen let her speak and suddenly called out to Xiao Yan at the front of the West Court.

Xiao Yan had just finished his night watch last night and was catching up on sleep in his room. Hearing his second brother call him, he put on an outer robe while still sleepy and walked over: "What's up?"

Xiao Zhen: "Help me move this to the east side and set it up."

Xiao Yan stared at the swing frame for a moment, then realized. Once it's set up, it can be used by the wives!

He smiled, not caring about his mother's expression, and admired his elder brother: "Second Brother is indeed thoughtful. No wonder Second Sister-in-Law treats you so well."

Xiao Zhen glanced at him: "I made it for the children."

Xiao Yan didn't believe him.

Tong Sui, Liu Chu, and Xiao Yuchan also came to the backyard upon hearing the commotion. Seeing the brothers setting up the swing frame, Tong Sui felt her ears heat up, while Xiao Yuchan stood right beside her brothers. As soon as the swing was set up, she sat on it and started swinging, looking both happy and slightly jealous at her brothers: "I've been your sister for over twenty years, and you never thought of making a swing for me to play with. The sisters-in-law get one as soon as they enter the door. You tell me, isn't that unfair?"

Xiao Yan pointed to the wall: "When you were little, we had trees in the backyard and often tied ropes to swing. After the trees were cut down, you grew up. Who knew you'd still like playing on swings?"

Xiao Yuchan hummed and ordered him: "Push me a couple of times."

Xiao Yan: "Sure, it's a good chance to test if the frame is sturdy."

Xiao Yuchan: "..."

Madam He saw her daughter liked it too, so she didn't say anything more.

Tong Sui returned to the east wing first. After a while, Xiao Zhen came in with a basin of water.

Tong Sui watched him bend down to wash his hands and whispered, "Why waste money on that? It would be better to buy meat and eggs for the family, so everyone can have something nice to eat."

Xiao Zhen: "The meat will be gone once eaten, but Master Wang's swing is sturdy and can last for several years for all the girls to enjoy."

Tong Sui: "There are always people coming and going in the house; I wouldn't feel comfortable using it."

Xiao Zhen: "Then consider it a special gift for Yuchan. If she's happy, it's worth it."

Tong Sui: "..."

In the late afternoon, when it cooled down a bit, the men either went out or stayed indoors. Tong Sui and her two sisters-in-law came to the backyard again to practice archery and run laps.

The swing frame on the east side was empty, and all three women glanced at it a few times.

Tong Sui was shy, but among the sisters-in-law, she was the leader. If she didn't use the swing, neither would Liu Chu nor Lin Ningfang.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one else was in the backyard, Tong Sui pulled each of them by the hand: "Come, let's try it out."

She had never sat on such a swing before.

The frame was wide, with two swing boards hanging from it. Liu Chu, being the eldest, stopped after a short while, leaving Tong Sui and Lin Ningfang sitting on the swings.

As the ropes swung back and forth, Tong Sui thought of Xiao Zhen's words.

If this swing could really last for several years, allowing the girls in the family to enjoy it for years, that would be quite nice.

---

July was still hot, but by August, the mornings and evenings became noticeably cooler. The corn leaves in the fields turned drier and yellower day by day, and the tender corn that was once suitable for boiling became increasingly hard.

Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, followed by the autumn harvest.

County Magistrate Liu summoned the village headmen again. According to official decrees, this year's autumn tax remained at forty percent.

The village headmen wanted to plead for leniency, but County Magistrate Liu sighed, "I am also working for the government and cannot reduce the taxes. Please go back and persuade the villagers that this year will be tough, but next year, with favorable weather, everything will improve."

"That won't work. If we pay too much, the remaining ten percent won't even last through winter. How can we save seeds for spring planting..."

"Each village has wealthy families. Have them borrow from these families. They are all neighbors; those wealthy families shouldn't turn a blind eye. As village headmen, you should also encourage them."

After saying this, County Magistrate Liu claimed he had other official duties and had the constables escort Sun Xinghai and the other village headmen out.