Chapter 301 A new pipe
"Especially my family's property, it must not be violated!"
In fact, the trouble of thieves on the land is not a new thing.
To be precise, ever since the rice in the fields sounded the horn of maturity and ready for harvest, those sinister thieves have been following like shadows and appearing frequently.
This despicable act of stealing rice is not uncommon in the village.
The families in the village who owned extensive farmland often only had a dozen mu (approximately 10 mu) of land, so the average distribution was relatively small. When the crops ripened, all the family needed to do was pay a little extra attention and diligently guard the fields for a few days to ensure a good harvest. Even if there was occasional negligence, the losses would not be too serious.
But the Tu Su family is different.
Thanks to Gu Yuexuan's vigorous pioneering efforts, the Tu Su family now owns more than 200 acres of arable land. Except for a small amount of beans and sorghum, most of the rest is planted with rice.
The autumn breeze brings coolness and the fragrance of rice fills the air.
The golden rice fields were boundless, like gold exposed on the ridges of the fields, and became the target of night thieves. Every corner was filled with those scoundrels who tried to steal things.
If it was just a minor theft, with a loss of a few kilograms, Gu Yuexuan might turn a blind eye and not pursue the matter.
The land was vast and the autumn harvest was coming up very quickly, and she really couldn't spare the extra energy to supervise it.
However, the pair of thief claws that stretched out their hands were too cruel!
Gu Yuexuan's eyes flickered with anger when she thought of the rice that had been quietly stolen. "If they had just cut a little along the ridge, I might have been able to swallow my anger, but they actually dared to lay their hands on the crops in the fields and even cast their greedy eyes on the threshing floor!"
"Five large bags of rice we just threshed last night were stolen! Each bag weighed a hundred kilograms!"
If they had stolen all the food without wasting it, Gu Yuexuan might have been able to calm down a little.
But the annoying thing is that the thieves, perhaps because they were unable to do it, after smuggling the heavy sacks of rice out, found themselves unable to carry the weight halfway through and simply poured the rice out of the sacks, spilling it all over the floor!
Gu Yuexuan learned the news early in the morning and rushed to the scene. Seeing the rice scattered on the mud, she was so heartbroken that she could hardly breathe.
The rice mixed with mud and dust could no longer be recycled, and even feeding it to chickens became a luxury. She could only watch it being trampled to pieces. That scene broke her heart.
That's crystal clear food!
Even if these are just mixed in the soil and cannot be reused, they are treasures that can save lives in times of famine!
Those evil thieves who steal and waste food deserve to be put to death!
Gu Yuexuan was burning with rage, her eyes were almost sparking with fire, and her brows were filled with uncontrollable anger.
Tu Subo wanted to say something but stopped himself, his lips moving slightly, and finally he wisely remained silent.
At this moment, the thief has not been caught yet. As the person who is responsible for catching the thief but is unable to do so, it is better for him to keep silent to avoid getting into trouble.
Gu Yuexuan and Tu Subo rushed to the field in a rage. Uncle Guo, who was hired to look after the threshing ground, put down his pipe, and his sagging face was full of guilt.
Gu Yuexuan was kind-hearted. Knowing that Uncle Guo was alone and had an old woman who needed medicine all year round, she generously paid him a salary and asked him to temporarily serve as a guard in the threshing ground after the harvest.
The salary that Gu Yuexuan paid was no different from that paid to those rough men who worked hard with sickles. She never treated him unfairly because his work was light.
However, he ultimately failed to protect the things he should have been paying attention to, and was eventually invaded by thieves.
Uncle Guo smiled bitterly and lowered his head helplessly: "It was my negligence. I was supposed to be on guard here at night, but I slept too soundly and let the thieves succeed and steal the food. I..."
"Ah, why do you blame yourself so much?"
Gu Yuexuan's face was as cold as ice. She waved her hand and said firmly, "How can you, alone, completely prevent those thieves with ill intentions?"
The amount of grain that the Tu Su family had to harvest was huge, and it was impossible to transport all of it back home, and the family was unable to accommodate it.
In order to solve the problem of venue for harvesting grain, Gu Yuexuan had already begun careful planning and preparation.
She had also reserved the vast threshing ground early on.
Tu Subo and Gu Yuexuan had agreed from the outset that the harvested rice would be brought directly here, where it would be dried on the broad dam in the scorching autumn sun. Once the rice had dried to perfection, they would remove the husks and sift out impurities. The rice would then be bagged and transported out of the village by cart and horse, following the route Chen Jing'an had arranged in advance.
In order to facilitate the harvesting and drying of grain, temporary barns were built around the area and straw was piled up like mountains. During the day, everything within sight was an obstacle, and at night, it was even more difficult to detect abnormalities.
However, Gu Yuexuan had not expected that people's greed could be so extreme. She thought that the villagers were simple and honest, and there would not be any major trouble, so she neglected to guard the threshing ground at night. As a result, the thieves unfortunately took advantage of the opportunity!
When thieves really come, even if Uncle Guo is alone on guard, or even if ten other people are there, they may not be able to discover anything in time.
Gu Yuexuan was furious and hurried to the scene of the theft yesterday to check the losses.
Tu Subo followed her silently without opening his lips. Only when Uncle Guo sighed and reached out to touch the tobacco leaves did his nostrils twitch slightly, as if he was sniffing silently.
"Uncle Guo, I noticed that your pipe seems to be a new one. Did you get a new one?"
Uncle Guo obviously didn't expect him to pay attention to such details. He tapped the pipe lightly, smiling with a hint of sadness: "This pipe was given to me by my nephew."
"When he was out, he found some high-quality tobacco leaves and thought I couldn't live without them, so he sent me a bag."
Uncle Guo has no children and is quite distant from his family members. It is rare for him to be remembered by others this time.
As he mentioned his nephew, his words grew more pronounced. "Tiezhu used to look down on me. He was afraid my seriously ill wife would borrow money from other families, so he never got close to us. We, an old couple, have moved here and found a quiet and comfortable life."
"In the past year or two, my wife's condition has improved, and we've resumed our interactions. Tiezhu often thinks of us old couple and occasionally sends gifts. Even during the busy farming season, he takes time to visit and chat with my wife. This thoughtfulness is truly precious."
Tu Subo smiled slightly, with a hint of indifference in his expression.
Uncle Guo sighed deeply, frowning as he muttered, "It's my fault for sleeping so soundly last night that I didn't get up to patrol in the middle of the night. The thieves stole the food without me noticing. This is my fault, and I should pay compensation."
"Let's calculate based on the rice price at the grain store. How much should I pay..."
"Sir, that's too polite of you to say."
Tu Subo said calmly, "You have done your utmost to look after this vast threshing ground. You are overworked, and occasional negligence is unavoidable. There is no need for you to specifically compensate me."
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