Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Update.
"Where did these thieves come from to destroy things like this? They smashed everything, valuable and worthless. The vegetables were so juicy, and six of those plump hens had their necks twisted!"
Aunt Tian told them that the thief had escaped and was no longer inside. She asked some questions, thanked the neighbors, and said that the place was a mess and she would treat them to tea another day after it was cleaned up.
The neighbors dispersed, talking angrily as they left.
"In my opinion, he's not a thief, but rather an enemy seeking revenge!"
Liu Laogu's son-in-law Wu Dou said.
"That makes sense. Why would a thief steal property even from the kitchen and the garden? He would only find valuables in the owner's house and then leave."
Aunt Liu asked:
"Think carefully, have you ever seen a stranger come to our alley? Or wander around Aunt Tian's house?"
Everyone is saying yes.
"A big, burly man, about seven feet tall, with a fierce look on his face. I don't know him."
"There was also a beggar who looked unfamiliar."
"I went out to buy some bread and ran into quite a few of them! None of them looked like decent people."
Their place is next to a shopping mall, which is a busy city. Many people pass by every day, so it is not uncommon to bump into them.
When asked, everyone said that they didn't see anyone lingering at the door of Aunt Tian's house.
"It seems he's a seasoned thief, and he knows who's in this house."
"You guys are saying, is it really Hu, the shopkeeper from Manxianglou, who's behind this?"
"It must have been that thief named Hu! She couldn't stand the fact that my Ping An Restaurant was doing so well, so she sent me away. As soon as I had a break, my house was robbed. There was no one else but her!"
The Tians then asked the neighbors and came to this conclusion, and ordered Jindou to report to the police. Now the thief Cao's young clerk brought people to the house to question them, and Tian complained to them bitterly.
"Look at what has become of my house. The vegetables, the chickens, the fine clothes, and even my wallet have been stolen. That vicious woman has many thugs under her wing. They must be the ones who did it. Lord Shi must arrest them all!"
"We will investigate this matter thoroughly."
The clerk of the thief Cao went to Gao City and entered Manxiang Tower, but there was no further news.
Tian went to the government office to ask for the result, and the official from the thief's office said:
"Shrew, stop trying to get involved with Manxianglou. We are the best building in the world, why should we pick on you?"
Tian started to argue, and the official scolded her:
"Don't be so harsh! The people in the building aren't thugs, they're all legitimate heroes. Come on, kick this troublemaker out!"
The thugs who commit crimes in wealthy families today may have been involved in murder cases in the local area in the past, or they may be fugitives who have left their hometowns. In order to avoid being pursued by the government, they seek shelter from powerful families in Chang'an and help them do some shady things in private.
They have a more decent and nice name: heroes, and some are called knights.
In fact, it is just a thug.
The government had not yet resolved the matter of the robbery at home. Tian Shi had not gotten any good results and came back angry and gnashed her teeth.
"It's my fault for believing that diner's words and leaving home in a hurry. If there had been someone guarding the door, my house wouldn't have ended up like this."
It is said that on the day of the incident, Tian Dou heard the news and returned home with Ji Xu in the evening, only to see the whole family cleaning up the mess.
The pottery piggy bank where Ji Feng had kept her money was smashed to pieces. There were at least two hundred coins in it, and not a single cent was left. She was so angry that she cursed:
"You have ulcers on your hands and a black heart. You won't leave me a penny. I can't even eat the fried dough sticks at the school gate! You old bastard named Hu, if I catch you, I'll hang you up and beat you!"
Ji Zhu was picking up books and brushes scattered on the ground.
Tian had just sent the thief official away, and was cleaning the kitchen with Jindou and Yindou.
Seeing this, Tian Dou felt angry and upset. After hearing Tian's self-blaming words, he lowered his head and said:
"It's my fault. I shouldn't have blocked the drain in Manxianglou, stinked up the front door, and angered Shopkeeper Hu. That's why she sent people to destroy the house. She's clearly blaming me."
A good home was destroyed. Ji Xu was angry and scared, but she knew that it was not anyone's fault. So she said:
"Okay, don't blame yourself. If you want to blame someone, blame those evil-hearted people. If I had known that Manager Hu and his gang were so rampant, I would have been glad that my mother was not here. I'm lucky that no one was hurt.
Even if our belongings are broken, we can buy new ones. If the old ones don’t go away, the new ones won’t come. Fortunately, our savings are still there.”
Then he said to Tian Dou:
"Don't be upset. I asked Jindou and the others to fry yellow croaker in the kitchen. The aroma has wafted all the way here. Aren't you greedy? Go have some."
"I'm not greedy. Let's eat together when it's ready."
Tian Dou loves fried yellow croaker the most. She was so touched that her face turned red as she murmured.
They were all here today because it was Ji Xu's eighteenth birthday. The mother, daughter, and Sidou were all present. They didn't have separate tables for the master and servant, but put two large tables together, set up wine and food on them, and celebrated Ji Xu's birthday together.
With this happy event, the clouds of sorrow on their faces disappeared, and they said many auspicious words. Jindou said:
"The monthly allowances Yindou and I had hidden were not stolen."
Just when I was feeling happy, I heard a bird call imitating human voice outside:
"Fu Le Wei Yang, Fu Le Wei Yang..."
"It's the starling that's back!"
This was the auspicious phrase that they used to teach. Ji Feng led it into the birdcage and saw scabs of blood on both sides of its sharp beak. These were probably left by the thugs who broke in that day and frightened it and jumped up and down in the cage.
Maybe they wanted to catch it, opened the cage, and it flew out instead, and now it's back.
They watched in amazement. Tian believed in supernatural things and said:
"My daughter's birthday is coming, and this little starling came back to congratulate her. It shows that my daughter is blessed."
All the broken belongings at home were replaced in the past two days.
Ji Xu opened his shop and welcomed customers as usual. On this day, he rode his horse into Gao City and was greeted by the shopkeeper Hu, who called him Yijinnv Niang.
Ji Xu didn't want to rein in his horse and pay attention, because she greeted him:
"Is everything alright at home?"
She turned around and stopped in front of her. "Did you send someone to do the work at my house?"
Shopkeeper Hu just smiled without saying anything. He looked at Ji Xu on horseback and her big, tall date horse and said:
"I heard you're already 29 years old. You should be staying at home and waiting to get married. But instead you've opened a restaurant and ride through the city all day long, not even riding in a sedan chair. No wonder the Li family wants you to be their second wife."
"Don't worry about my affairs. Shopkeeper Hu was the legal wife of an official, but she was divorced one day. She used to sell soapberries at Weiqiao and now runs a restaurant. She has made a living on her own. Why are you using such words to criticize me?"
Somehow these words struck a chord with Shopkeeper Hu. The smile on her face faded, and even her voice became shrill:
"If you know what's good for you, close your shop and get out of Gaoshi. Otherwise, I'll destroy your family once, and I'll do it twice and three times!"
Ji Xujia left without hesitation, but she would never close the restaurant that she had opened with great difficulty.
At home, Tian finally waited for Lai Yazi to send Jiannu over, but she was very angry and scolded him:
"You're becoming less and less effective. What I want is a strong slave. You've delayed coming for all these days, and who did you bring to me?"
All these slaves were pale and thin, and as thin as sticks. How could they be capable of guarding the house?
Lai Yazi was no longer the lackey he had been before, fawning over Tian. Now he was indifferent, not even looking at her. He flicked his handkerchief and said:
"The strong slaves are always used by the wealthy families in Wuling. The mansions of officials are so tall and big that they need strong slaves. Your house is only a dozen steps away, so these are more than enough."
"You're such a snob! Take your people and get out of here! How can I buy slaves in Xijing? You're not the only trafficker doing this business."
Jindou originally wanted to have some tea, but Tian refused to give it to her and started to chase her away.
"I tell you, you can't buy it. In the past, your family had the Li family as a backer, and they respected your family as a wealthy family. When they had good talents, they brought them here and picked them for you.
Now all the traffickers in Anling know that your family, the rich man Tian, has offended the Li family. Even the thieves have come to your house to rebel. The grasshoppers in autumn will not be able to jump for more than a few days!
If it weren't for the few bucks you have at home, I wouldn't have come!"
"Old bitch, I'm going to tear your maggot mouth apart."
Now that a victory had been won in Youzhou and the flood in Lingnan had been overcome, fewer people were selling themselves into slavery, and the price of slaves had returned to its previous level, or even been higher than before.
Lai Yazi's business was doing well, and he became more and more crazy.
Tian kicked her out of the house with a fight.
While Jindou was at home watching over the house after selling braised food in the afternoon, he told the neighbors and asked them to keep a close eye on the house, then he harnessed an ox cart and went to the West Market in the city.
This is a big market with many slaves. Walking along the tunnel, you can see many slaves being kept in the same pen with cattle and sheep. There are no strong slaves here. They are all young and skinny.
After finding a clean place filled with tall and strong slaves, all dressed neatly and respectably, Tian asked in a gentle voice:
"What's the price for this? I'm selling it to two of my family as janitors."
The human bailiff said:
"These are all fixed numbers. There are two from the Chao family of the Anling County Magistrate, two from the Li family of Maoling County, and two from the Sili Xiaowei family... Which family are you from? The Tian family of Sangshu Lane? I've never heard of them. Go away!"
Those who sell themselves are usually from poor families who cannot afford to eat, and it is rare to find those who are strong and healthy.
Some of them were raised and trained in the market, and they all worked on the long-term business of officials and officials;
Some of them may have committed crimes and were sold. A trafficker held a piece of grass in his mouth and brought a strong slave to Tian, saying:
"He was sold after getting drunk and maiming someone. Do you want him?"
Tian left without looking back, having wasted half a day's effort without buying anything.
The more he knew that it was difficult to buy a healthy slave, the more grateful he was to the Song family for sending him the Five Blessings and Six Grains, at least to guard the restaurant.
She wasn't so bold as to care about what others said, but she was just keeping an eye on the house to prevent anyone from causing trouble.
At the same time, he invited neighbors to come to his house every day to weave bamboo hats. He paid two more coins for each one he made than before.
The nuns gathered here after breakfast and did not disperse until sunset. Even the idle Wu Dou was dragged here by Aunt Liu.
And Xiao Gu's husband, when he couldn't find any masonry work, came here to weave hats.
A straw hat was enough, so they made reed mats, rush shoes, and cattail-leaf fans.
In the hot summer, if you take the silver beans to Huai City to sell, there will always be buyers. You can make money and attract people.
Wu Dou boasted:
"Don't look at me because I'm skinny. I've never suffered a loss in a fight. If anyone dares to come again, I'll kick them away!"
The whole room was laughing.
"Tian Gu's place is close, and we can earn money here. My family has food. If they want to destroy this place, I will be the first to stop them. We nuns will go together and subdue the thieves!"
Aunt Xiao refused to give way.
Everything went on peacefully like this. In the second half of the day, he asked Jindou to mark the items for the neighbors and keep track of the number. Then he went out to Gao City to look for his daughter.
"You've been so busy these days and haven't been home for several days. You see your face has become sharper and you've lost a lot of weight. Remember to eat the bone soup that mother made when you have time to replenish your body."
Ji Xu was worried about the restaurant being in trouble, so he stayed in the backyard these days. When he saw Tian off, he said:
"This is the restaurant. Your daughter also does this. She's worried about not having bone soup. Her mother even brought it here from far away."
"You sly fellow, I haven't seen you in a few days. I miss you so much, but I can't even find a reason to come see you."
Tian pinched her nose and said,
"You can do it, but you never eat. You're losing weight."
Ji Xu hugged her and said:
"I'm just worried that Mom might get too tired. I'll definitely remember to drink the bone soup."
The affectionate look of mother and daughter was seen by the shopkeeper Hu from a distance. She clenched the handle of her fan tightly, and her nails left marks on her palm. The accountant came upstairs and said:
"The diners have been found. They are all completely unrelated to us. We can go to her place as soon as Ping An Restaurant opens tomorrow."
"Wait."
Shopkeeper Hu looked into the distance and smiled.
"Maybe we don't have to do it."
Ji Xu watched Tian's ox cart drive away. A two-horse carriage stopped beside it, and servants carried down a wealthy young man sitting in a lacquered wooden wheelchair.
It was Li Quanye, the young master of the Li family who seldom went out, his eyes fixed coldly on Ji Xu.
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