The Female Officer Became a Farmer After Getting Reborn

Chapter 320: Stolen Corn

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Old Zou and more than ten people scattered in the field to investigate. Looking down, they found traces of corn seedlings being dug up in other cornfields. Looking down, everyone estimated that at least a hundred stalks of corn had been stolen.

Old Zou and Uncle Zhou were angry and afraid. They were angry that so many corn seedlings had been stolen. They were afraid that Madam would blame them for not doing their best and chase them away. The stable days they had painstakingly had were gone.

Old Zou rubbed his face hard and sighed. “Sigh! It’s useless to be angry. If Madam doesn’t chase us away this time, we have to guard the corn seedlings in the field and not let anyone steal them again. How about this? You guys go cut some bamboo and wood first and build a shack. Dashui and I will go back and tell the young steward to bring us to apologize to Madam.”

Ah Cai nodded. “That’s good. Let’s build a few shacks first. We’ll take turns coming out to keep watch tonight.”

Dashui was so angry that he kicked the soil under his feet and said angrily, “Dog, if I catch him, I’ll break his legs.”

Old Zou pulled back the anxious Big Water. “Let’s go! It’s useless to be anxious and angry here. Let’s go back to the farm and report the theft of the corn to Madam first.”

After Old Zou and Dashui left, Ah Cai frowned and thought for a while. He said to a short and thin old man, “Brother Wang, think about it. He stole so much corn from us. He can’t be planting the corn in the courtyard, right?”

“That’s right! There are hundreds of corn seedlings! Let’s go to the neighboring village after work and look. We should be able to find the culprit.”

“Yes, let’s do it quickly.”

Old Zou and Dashui returned to the farmstead and found Ah Wei. They told him about the theft of the corn seedlings. Ah Wei was furious when he heard that. “How did he know that it was corn? He even stole so much. He’s too bold! Wait here for a while. I’ll report to Madam.”

Ah Wei reported to Li Yu about the theft of the corn seedlings. “Madam, the villagers feel that it’s rare. At most, they will steal two stalks and bring them home, but this thief stole so much. I think he must know corn.”

Those who could recognize corn should not be from ordinary families. Ordinary families would not know whose farmstead this was. These families would not come to steal corn seedlings. They might be relatives of these families or rely on those families to steal them.

Li Yu thought for a moment and instructed Ah Wei, “Ah Wei, bring people to the next village to investigate quietly, especially the families with some power in the village. Remember not to disturb the people.”

Ah Wei patted his chest and promised, ‘Madam, don’t worry. I often accompany Old Master to the nearby village to treat the villagers. I’m familiar with many families in the village. I’ll secretly ask them.”

Li Yu smiled and nodded. “Alright, go and ask first. There’s no need for Old Zou and the others to apologize. A thief isn’t something they can control. Let them remember to be more careful in the future.”

“You didn’t know that they were worried that you would chase them away and were still preparing to build a shack to keep watch.”

When Li Yu heard this, she understood their feelings. It was not easy for them to have a stable life when they were old. They were already a little worried that what they had could be taken away from them. Now that the corn seedlings in the farm had been stolen, they would be inevitably anxious that she would chase them away.

“Tell them that the farmstead is their home. As long as they don’t do those things that involve colluding with outsiders and harm the interests of the farmstead, I’ll never chase them away. It’s good that they want to build a shack to keep watch. That way, the thieves will have second thoughts. In a few days, the crops will be ripe. I’m afraid the wild animals in the mountains will come down the mountain to steal the crops. Let them find time to fence the foot of the mountain.”

“Yes, Madam.” Ah Wei left.

Old Zou and Dashui waited uneasily for Ah Wei to come out of the inner courtyard. When they saw him, they went up to him and looked at him worriedly. “Young steward, what did Madam say?”

“Madam said that the manor is your home. As long as it’s not… I’ll say it! As long as everyone does their job, Madam won’t scold us. Ever since I was bought by Madam, I haven’t been beaten or scolded, but I’m also obedient.” Yang Wei smiled proudly after saying that.

Old Zou and Dashui burst into tears when they heard that. They knelt down in the main courtyard with gratitude. “Thank you, Madam. Thank you, Master. We have a home.”

Ah Wei hurriedly pulled the two of them up and said, “Uncle Zou, Uncle Dashui, get up quickly. Madam doesn’t like us kneeling for no reason.”

Old Zou and Dashui wiped the tears from the corners of their eyes. “We’re not kneeling anymore. Ah Cai and the others are still worried! Let’s go tell them first and make them happy!’

Ah Wei was also very happy to see them happy. “Alright, I’ll check the nearby village. Uncle Zou, don’t go.”

Old Zou rubbed his hands excitedly. “Aye! We’re not going. Let’s go back and quickly build the shack and fence it.”

Ah Wei watched the two of them leave happily and also walked towards the Yang family village.

After entering the village, he walked through a few families in the village, but he did not find out anything. Thinking that the village had an extraordinary relationship with the Tian family which was arrogant and domineering in the Yang family village, Ah Wei walked towards the Yang family.

When he arrived at the Yang family’s house, he stood outside the fence and saw Granny Yang drying vegetables in the courtyard. Ah Wei smiled and shouted, “Granny Yang, are your feet better?”

Grandma Yang looked up and saw Ah Wei. She smiled and went over to open the fence door. “Ah Wei is here! Come in and sit for a while. My feet are much better. I can even sleep soundly in the rain two days ago. Go back and thank Doctor Wen for me.”

Ah Wei walked into the courtyard and helped Grandma Yang spread the vegetables out to dry in the dustpan. “Grandma Yang, last night, someone seemed to have run past our manor in the middle of the night. Did any one in the village hear any abnormal sounds?”

Grandma Yang smiled and said, “I didn’t hear anything last night. However, Changgui’s mother next door complained to me this morning that she had just fallen asleep last night when she was woken up by the dog barking from Tian Zhong’s house next door. It caused her to be half-asleep all night. She only fell asleep when it was dawn and was woken up by Tian Zhong’s dog again. She sat here for a while and went back to catch up on her sleep. What’s wrong? Was something stolen from the farm?”

Ah Wei thought for a moment and said, “I didn’t lose anything. It’s just that some of the crops in the field were ruined.”

When Grandma Yang heard this, she pulled Ah Wei to the eaves and said in a low voice, “Ah Wei, Changgui’s mother said that Tian Zhong’s family members each carried a backpack last night. I wonder where they went in the middle of the night. They only came back at dawn today.”

It seemed that those corn seedlings had most likely been stolen by Tian Zhong’s family. But where could they find the stolen corn and catch them red-handed?

“Granny Yang, how many dogs does Tian Zhong’s family have?”

“They raised one. I heard it was brought over from Master Tian’s manor. It’s extremely fierce..”