Jiang Yuwei couldn't help but burst out laughing at Ning Wan's appearance.
"Hahaha, Wan'er, you're too naive. Remember, never believe a businessman's talk of selling at a loss. Hahaha, don't worry, Wan'er, I'm a businesswoman too. Businessmen don't do business at a loss, and our house won't be lost by me!"
Ning Zhao nodded thoughtfully after hearing Jiang Yuwei's words:
"So, Mother meant to say that on purpose to make people feel like they're getting a good deal, so they'd be more likely to buy more paper?"
Jiang Yuwei and Ning Huaizhi exchanged a glance and smiled slightly:
"Zhao'er is smart. From now on, you can sell paper to your classmates at today's price of 25 yuan per ream, which will be their member price. But you must remember one thing: you go to the academy to study, and you can't let selling paper interfere with your studies."
Ning Zhao smiled and nodded:
"Don't worry, Mother, I know what I'm doing!"
Jiang Yuwei naturally trusted Ning Zhao. He was always polite, measured, and calm in his actions, and he liked to think things through. He also knew how to make friends when he was out and about. That's why Jiang Yuwei agreed to his suggestion to let him sell Yuwei paper at the academy.
The family of four chatted and busied themselves with their cooking. In the backyard, Ningwu and Tiezhu were busy making paper. Jiang Yuwei quickly prepared four dishes and a soup: a pork rib soup, a wild bamboo shoot stir-fry with pork, a sweet and sour pork rib dish, a plate of sweet and sour pork, and a stir-fried vegetable dish.
Jiang Yuwei first scooped out some of each dish and placed it on a tray, then had Ning Zhao and Ning Wan take it to the backyard. She then busied herself bringing the food to the table. After the family of four finished their meal, they all went back to their rooms to sleep.
When Jiang Yuwei woke up in the middle of the night, she heard a soft rustling sound in the backyard. She thought that Ning Wu and Tie Zhu had stayed in Zhifang and slept there, so she didn't pay attention and turned over to continue sleeping.
A moment later, Jiang Yuwei was awakened by the piglets' cries. She immediately felt something was wrong. Why would the piglets cry out in the middle of the night for no reason? Ning Wan had fed them a lot of food before going to bed that night, worried that they might be hungry!
Jiang Yuwei dared not think any further. She hurriedly got up and dressed, and was just about to go to Ning Huaizhi's room to call him when she saw Ning Zhao helping Ning Huaizhi into a wheelchair. The two exchanged a glance, and Jiang Yuwei gripped the dagger in her hand tightly. Ning Zhao went to open the door, and Jiang Yuwei pushed Ning Huaizhi's wheelchair towards the backyard. Seeing this, Ning Zhao quickly picked up the stick by the door, closed the door, and followed them to the backyard.
The moonlight was bright tonight, illuminating the backyard so clearly that there was no need to light any lamps. As soon as the three of them arrived in the backyard, they saw that the shed for watching the piglets was open, and only two of the three piglets in the pigpen remained. Looking further out, they saw that the paper mill door was wide open. Just as the three of them were wondering what was going on, they saw a figure run from the paper mill toward the pond.
Jiang Yuwei was furious. Her house was too easy to be thieved. Wasn't the lesson of Zhang Laizi being driven out of Ningjia Village last time profound enough? How come these people only know how to covet other people's things every day? Can't they earn money with their own hands?
Ning Huaizhi watched the departing figure and said in a deep voice:
“That figure seems familiar. It must have been done by someone close to us, but I can’t remember who it is right now. Yuwei, why don’t you go and ask the village head for help? It’s almost dawn, and it’s the time for spring planting. The village head and the others get up early. I’ll stay here and keep watch to prevent him from making a surprise attack.”
Jiang Yuwei nodded and instructed Ning Zhao:
"Zhao'er, you stay with your father in the courtyard. If Wan'er wakes up, just have her reheat the leftovers from last night. I'll go find the village head first."
Jiang Yuwei gripped the dagger in her hand and headed towards the village head's house. It was already dawn, and many villagers were up and going to work in the fields. On the way, Jiang Yuwei met Uncle Ning Wu, who, seeing her hurried appearance, quickly greeted her:
"Yuwei, where are you going in such a hurry?"
Jiang Yuwei said to Uncle Ning Wu:
"Fifth Uncle, my house was burgled last night, and I need to go find the village headman urgently."
Uncle Ning looked anxious upon hearing this and hurriedly drove the oxcart, saying:
"I'm just about to drive my oxcart to town. Get on, I'll take you to the village head first; your family's affairs are important."
Seeing this, Jiang Yuwei did not refuse and got on the oxcart. Soon the two arrived at the village head's house. Upon hearing this, the village head also hurriedly got on Uncle Ning's oxcart and followed to Jiang Yuwei's house to investigate the situation.
When the three arrived at the courtyard, they quickly went inside to check. They found that the back gate was still open, and Ning Huaizhi and Ning Zhao were waiting for people to come. Ning Wu and Tie Zhu also came to the paper mill from the gate by the pond to prepare for work.
Seeing this, Jiang Yuwei quickly stopped the two and asked:
"What time did you leave last night? Did you remember locking the door?"
Tie Zhu scratched his head after hearing this and said:
“We left after dinner last night. It wasn’t completely dark when we left. I locked the door. I remember locking the door.”
Jiang Yuwei first took the village head to check the door lock. She found that the lock had not been pried open, so the person must have lock-picking skills, which made this lock very easy for him.
Jiang Yuwei looked at the footprints on the ground again, and hurriedly went to the paper shop to get a few sheets of paper. She carefully traced the footprints from different angles, directions and depths.
Just as everyone was discussing how to resolve the matter, they heard someone shouting from the front yard:
Is Yuwei home?
Jiang Yuwei hurried to the front yard to check and saw that it was Liu Shi carrying a bundle. She quickly waved and said:
"I'm at home, come in quickly."
Liu nodded and said:
“I came to see Uncle Ning Wu. I waited for his oxcart at the village entrance before dawn to deliver the embroidery to town, but he never came. I went to Uncle Ning Wu’s house and found out that he had come here.”
Jiang Yuwei nodded and said shyly:
"I'm sorry to have kept you from going to town. Uncle Ning is a kind-hearted man. When he heard that one of my piglets had gone missing, he forgot about going to town and started running around helping me."
When Uncle Ning saw that Madam Liu had come to find him, he slapped his thigh and said:
"Look how senile I am, I've completely forgotten about this. Come on, Liu, I'll take you to town first."
Liu didn't move her foot. After thinking for a moment, she whispered:
"Yuwei, you said your family lost a piglet? Is it about three months old?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuwei was immediately startled and quickly grabbed Liu's hand, leading her to the backyard.
"Mrs. Liu, look, it's a three-month-old piglet, from the same litter as these two. I just bought it yesterday, and one of them was stolen last night. Have you seen this piglet anywhere?"
Seeing that everyone in the backyard was staring at her nervously, Liu lowered her head somewhat embarrassed.
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