The shop happened to be a noodle shop, and Li Wenyi ordered a bowl of noodles for each of them. When the noodles arrived, he couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong with Dad? Why does he look like that? It's like he's suffered some kind of blow."

Ye Shuang was somewhat surprised. She thought, "They really are father and son." Li Wenyi's summary was spot on: "Dad has decided to move to the county town. Our family will be living together again. Aren't you happy, brother?"

"I'm happy, of course I'm happy, but why did you suddenly change your mind? Didn't you seem determined not to move to the county town the other day?" Li Wenyi was just curious about what had happened in between.

Ye Shuang looked at the noodles that had just been served, steaming hot and fragrant: "Brother, let's finish eating first, this matter can't be explained in just a few words."

Li Wenyi could only shut his mouth. After all, it was already good enough that he could tell this little tyrant the whole story. If he asked for more, he was afraid he wouldn't even have the right to speak.

However, after the two finished their meal, it was time for Li Wenyi to go to the yamen to attend to official business. He was not comfortable leaving such a young child like Ye Shuang alone, so he took her with him to the yamen, since it wasn't her first time there anyway.

As soon as he entered the small room, Ma Rencai, who was already working inside, looked up and smiled: "Sister Shuang'er is here."

“Brother Ma,” Ye Shuang replied with a smile.

Li Wenyi placed her on a chair and sat opposite her: "Can we talk now?"

Ye Shuang pursed her lips and could only slowly explain the whole story, emphasizing how gentle and polite the bandits were, and that they hadn't come to rob the grain, but to borrow it.

Even though she spoke so casually, Li Wenyi was still furious. He slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, his face ashen, veins bulging on his cheeks: "Even if the world is in dire straits, the imperial court will eventually provide grain after these few days. How dare you act like bandits and even rob grain?"

After listening, Ma Rencai, though still with a somber expression, remained somewhat rational: "Whether it's a loan or a robbery is hard to tell. If no one voices their grievances, we're afraid we're powerless to help."

That's certainly true. However, he knew the villagers well; the frequent chaos had terrified them, and with the village protected by a deity, they wouldn't dare to run away.

So if things were going well, no one would have come to beat the drum and cry for justice. The bandit leader probably understood this, which is why he didn't steal all the grain.

They even left half of his family's grain, implying that they should be lenient and let it go.

The thought of this made Li Wenyi feel like he had a stone stuck in his throat, something he couldn't swallow or spit out, leaving him feeling both uncomfortable and nauseous.

Ma Rencai expressed his understanding, but there was really no way to resolve this matter. If the village were under Li Wenyi's rule, everything would be fine, but it wasn't.

This means that Li Wenyi can notify the county magistrate in charge of the county to handle the matter, but he absolutely cannot handle it on his own. Especially for a county magistrate like him who has the authority to command troops, he must be careful with every move. If someone finds a small fault in him, at the very least, it could be a crime that leads to the confiscation of his property and the extermination of his entire clan.

To fight bandits, the only option is to use garrison troops, but garrison troops are unlikely to obey orders unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, these bandits, in the end, are impossible to defeat.