Ah Zhao didn't like to talk, but he was very good at light footwork, and in just a few moments, he reached the small hill.

A moment later, two people were pulled out of the bushes.

They violently threw the two of them in front of Su Luo.

Both of them were dressed in green short robes, suggesting that this was premeditated.

"What's in this bag? Open it!"

Su Zuo snatched the sacks from the two men, opened them, and found they were full of chili peppers.

"Madam, look! These two thieves are stealing vegetables from our estate."

The estate was very large, and everyone was resting at night. These two were so impatient that they dared to make their move before it was even late at night.

"Speak up, who gave you permission to steal our vegetables?"

The two thieves lowered their heads and remained silent. Since they had already been caught, what else was there to say?

"You're not going to talk, are you? Ah Zhao, tie them up and take them to the county government."

Upon hearing that they were to be taken to the authorities, the two thieves hurriedly looked up, their thin frame behaving like that of thieves.

"No, please don't send us to see the officials."

They only stole some chili peppers; there's no need for the homeowner to send them to the authorities for such a small amount.

If they hadn't heard that Fumanlou's chili peppers were expensive, they would have spent many days squatting before discovering that this was the only village in the entire Yongle County that had chili peppers.

They only wanted to steal some things to sell. The two of them had already decided before they came that they would either get rich or be discovered.

But what can you do even if you find out? You'll just get a beating from the owner; no one's going to drag a thief to the authorities.

That's why they dare to make a living by stealing; otherwise, they would have been arrested and imprisoned long ago.

"If we don't send you to see the authorities, are we going to let you continue to harm others?"

According to the laws of our dynasty, stealing more than ten taels of silver is punishable by the torture of having one's fingers clamped, followed by three years of imprisonment.

"Having been imprisoned and tortured, you can forget about having those thieving hands."

Su Luo walked up to the two petty thieves and threatened and intimidated them fiercely.

What she hated most in her life was thieves. They were physically able-bodied, and even if they emptied chamber pots for others, they would still earn clean money.

“As you all know, these chilies are not cheap now, and you can’t buy them outside. If I offer two or three taels of silver, there will be plenty of people scrambling to buy them. Do you think these two bags of chilies are worth ten taels of silver?”

"Madam, we were wrong. We will never do it again. Please forgive us. I have an eighty-year-old mother at home who is waiting for me to take care of her. I cannot go to see the officials."

Both of them had expressions of terror on their faces, but their hands were still tightly gripping their outer robes. How could Su Luo not understand such a small gesture?

“If the elders in the family don’t teach you properly, the younger generation will follow suit. I’m not a soft-hearted woman, so it’s useless to tell me these things.”

After saying that, Su Luo took a step back and told Su Zuo to take off the two men's outer robes. Instantly, a lot of green peppers and eggplants fell out and were tied to the belts of their inner garments.

"Madam, they still have some here."

Su Zuo was furious. These two were strong and healthy. Instead of finding other work, they came here to steal things. He really wanted to send Shi Tou and Hua Hua over to bite them to death.

The servants from the estate also came over. They were responsible for guarding and cultivating the two estates, and it was their mistake that they hadn't noticed the thief.

I wonder if the mistress will punish them as well. Normally, in this situation, being whipped by the master is unavoidable.

"Ah Zhao, take the stolen goods and hand them over directly to Lord Jiang."

"yes!"

Su Luo tied the two men up with ropes, and no matter how much they begged for mercy, she remained unmoved.

People used to punish these thieves too leniently, which is why they were so rampant.

"Su Zuo, bring Shi Tou and Hua Hua to the manor to raise them first thing tomorrow morning. It's time to use them."

"Yes, Madam, I understand."

Li Yongchang and Zhao Chunlan also looked apologetic. They hadn't noticed the two thieves today, and they felt truly ashamed of themselves for failing Su Luo.

"Luo Luo, I'm sorry, we didn't take good care of the estate, and you lost a lot of chili peppers for nothing."

Zhao Chunlan was so anxious she was almost in tears, but Su Luo hadn't meant to blame them.

"Aunt, Aunt, please don't be like this. Those two did this intentionally. It's hard to guard against wicked people. I'm not the kind of person who can't distinguish right from wrong."

Seeing that everyone in the manor was standing there, Su Luo said to them, "Today, three people will patrol the manor. From now on, we will do this every day, taking turns to keep watch at night."

"We must not give thieves another chance to strike, like what happened tonight."

"Yes, Madam!"

Su Luo went over to Li Yongchang and instructed him, "Uncle, you arrange this matter."

"good!"

Su Luo entrusted the two estates to the couple to manage, which shows how much she trusted them. Moreover, as long as the two managed them well, she wouldn't have to do many things herself.

With Su Luo giving them the opportunity to make tofu, the money flowed into their pockets like water. Su Luo was their benefactor in this life.

Li Yongchang vowed that he would never let Su Luo down, and that what happened tonight must never happen again.

Zhuangzi would immediately arrest any suspicious person he encountered, and if he encountered a thief, he would hand him over to the government for processing.

It was quite late when they got home. The children practiced the moves Su Luo had taught them in the front yard that night. Apart from being a little weak, they all had some skill.

Yan Chuan sat at the doorway carrying a cage of rabbits, letting out a long sigh.

What worries could someone so young have?

"Chuan Chuan, did Guan Fuzi send you this rabbit again? Did you give him a hard time again today?"

The two rabbits in the backyard were much fatter than the three in Yan Chuan's hands; Su Luo could tell at a glance that the three rabbits were new.

"Mother, you're finally back."

Yan Chuan's smile had just appeared on his face when it faded again.

"What's wrong with our smart Chuan Chuan today? Is he unhappy?"

Yan Chuan showed the three rabbits to Su Luo.

"Mom, this is Master Guan's rabbit. He said he didn't want to raise it anymore, and then he asked me to take it home and exchange it for chili peppers with you."

Su Luo: "..."

Trading rabbits for chili peppers—thanks to Master Guan for coming up with that idea.

Although the chili peppers are here, and they're only available this year, in Su Luo's heart, the rabbit is much more valuable than the chili peppers.

Did Master Guan say how many chili peppers could be exchanged for three rabbits?

Yan Chuan shook his head: "He didn't say, he just said to give whatever you want, just enough for one meal."

After thinking for a moment, Yan Chuan said, "Master Guan also said that he could never get any dishes made with chili peppers at Fu Man Lou, so he resorted to this tactic. He won't tell other masters to follow suit."

"Mother, if you're having trouble, I'll return this rabbit to Master Guan tomorrow. Anyway, I didn't agree to it; he forced it on me."

Su Luo was both amused and exasperated. Fortunately, only Dean Fan, Master Fan, and Master Guan of Cangxi Academy knew that Fumanlou was owned by her.

"Keep the rabbit. Your grandma also grows a lot of chili peppers in the vegetable garden in the backyard. Go and pick some yourself."

"Here, take this rabbit. We'll eat it tomorrow."

Su Luo took the rabbit with affection and nodded to Yan Chuan.

"Okay, I'll eat it tomorrow."