The whole incident had happened in the middle of the night. The chaos of chasing the thieves lasted nearly until dawn.
Almost everyone in the village, except for the heaviest sleepers, had been awakened. News that there were multiple thieves caused widespread fear.
People were worried about thieves entering their own homes and about men running outside during the storm.
Most of the villagers hadn’t slept through the latter half of the night.
By morning, the rain had stopped and the news came through: seven thieves had come to the village last night. It wasn’t just the Qin family; four other households had also been targeted.
The thieves had worked in teams: one guarded the meeting point outside while the others raided selected homes.
They had been lurking near the village for some time. Using the excuse of gathering grass for livestock from the county, and with harvest still far off, the villagers had let their guard down, allowing the thieves to move freely.
The thieves used this opportunity to familiarize themselves with the village layout and chose the homes they intended to rob. Taking advantage of the storm, they thought they could act without drawing attention.
Du Heng’s family had recently had a bountiful harvest—rapeseed, beans, and millet—which the village had been buzzing about. Naturally, the thieves heard and saw Xiaoman and Du Heng’s home as an easy target.
Fortunately, Du Heng was a light sleeper. Otherwise, all of this year’s harvest might have been lost overnight.
Of the seven thieves, four were captured, one was struck by lightning, and two escaped. During the day, the villagers inquired about the situation, reassured themselves, and by noon, the county soldiers had been alerted. The captured thieves were taken to the county jail.
It was expected that with interrogation underway, the remaining two would soon be apprehended.
The villagers gathered to watch, feeling more secure seeing the thieves brought to justice.
Xiaoman, waking in the morning, felt the pain in his foot he hadn’t noticed the night before. The injury at the sole made walking difficult, so Du Heng carried him.
“Are you alright, Xiaoman? Where did you hurt yourself?”
“Was this when we were catching the thieves last night?”
“Is it serious? Oh, this damn weather!”
The villagers who came to witness the county soldiers capturing the thieves saw Xiaoman on Du Heng’s back and came forward to greet him, scolding the thieves once more.
Xiaoman clung to Du Heng’s shoulders, riding high as he chatted briefly with the villagers.
“These thieves have been lingering in the county for a long time. Catching them tonight in Tianwan village has relieved many people’s worries. With the harvest approaching, everyone must not only manage timely collection of crops and taxes, but also protect their own property carefully.
“The harvest season is not only a time of gathering, but also a season of trouble. Everyone must avoid unnecessary conflicts with the county authorities and imperial regulations.”
Du Heng carried Xiaoman to the village assembly point, where the head county officer was lecturing the villagers.
Listening for a while, Du Heng noticed that the soldiers focused more on taxes than on comforting the villagers. Originally intending to witness the thieves’ capture and feel some reassurance, he was slightly disappointed.
The villagers, wary of the soldiers’ authority, did not speak out. Only the village head, the Li Zheng, was courteous:
“Thanks to the county officers for taking the trouble to bring these thieves to justice. We villagers have heard the admonishments clearly and will ensure that all taxes and crop yields are submitted on time this October.”
The county soldier glared at him, his face stern. “Li Zheng, your village is always clever when it comes to paying taxes. Year after year, you delay or fall behind. Don’t think that just because Qin Zhiyan works in the county office, you can ignore the regulations. This Luoxia County isn’t run by him!”
Li Zheng hurriedly replied, bowing his head respectfully. “Where would the officer speak falsely? We never intend to delay. It’s just that the harvest hasn’t been good. Otherwise, even if we had a hundred guts, we wouldn’t dare to fall behind in paying taxes.”
The soldier snorted coldly. “Everyone knows how to talk politely. Let’s see how this year’s harvest turns out.”
With that, the head soldier raised his hand, and several of his men pushed the tightly bound thieves out of the village.
“Farewell, officers.”
Though the village head had to maintain a smiling face while sending the thieves off in front of everyone, the villagers hung their heads, thinking again about the taxes they owed.
“Even though you caught this group of thieves safely, don’t let your guard down. During harvest, keep a close watch on your homes.”
The village head waved dismissively. “That’s all. You may disperse.”
Finally, the villagers scattered like a swarm of bees, buzzing among themselves about crops, thieves, and taxes.
“Are you two alright? Did anything get stolen from your home?”
Qin Xiong returned with them. He hadn’t expected such chaos to erupt while he was away for just one night. It had been a shock. Had he known, he certainly would not have stayed out.
“Nothing. Everything was recovered. Second Uncle’s meat was also retrieved—if even a piece had been lost, it would have been quite a sum.”
“The thieves didn’t succeed; nothing went missing from our house.”
“Even before harvest, thieves are already appearing—times are bad. Since there are only a few people at your home, this must have scared you. Tomorrow, I’ll bring over a proper watchdog for you two, at least to guard the house a little.”
Du Heng replied, “Thank you, Second Uncle.”
“Don’t thank me,” Qin Xiong said, glancing at Xiaoman clinging to Du Heng’s back. “This boy is leaning on Du Heng again. You’re old enough—make sure to put your shoes on before going out. With harvest approaching, how can you risk injury and ruin the crops? This year you’ve planted so much grain.”
“If your foot is badly hurt, go to Doctor Cui for more medicine. Stay home and rest instead of running out for excitement.”
Xiaoman, irritated by his uncle’s endless chatter, replied, “I’m fine!”
“Fine, yet still clinging to Du Heng’s back! You’re practically a grown man!”
“I want to!”
Du Heng quickly interjected before the two could argue further. “Second Uncle went out on important business yesterday and hasn’t returned. Why is that?”
Sighing, Qin Xiong explained, “It’s because of that troublemaker Xiaozhu again. He wouldn’t go along with the Li family marriage arrangements. I had no choice but to check on that family in the county. The people I sent a few days ago only gave praise. I’m not blind—things are suspicious when everyone speaks so highly. The less bad there seems, the more suspicious it is.”
He was referring to Li Wanju, a woman inexperienced in the wider world, easily swayed by a few flattering words from the matchmaker. Villagers’ women, having little exposure, could easily be deceived. It wasn’t entirely her fault for trusting the messenger; someone with intent could easily trick her.
What the Wu family didn’t know was that Qin Xiong had a past. They only saw him now as a butcher in the county market, a man of some repute and a righteous character, but he had connections from earlier days that helped him manage affairs.
“Second Uncle, what do you plan to do?”
“This kind of family is unacceptable. If that troublemaker and his mother dare meddle again, I won’t hesitate to break his legs.”
Xiaoman asked, “And what about the matter with Aunt and Xiaozhu?”
Qin Xiong sighed. “That little runt is fragile, a couple of bones would snap if the wind blows wrong. Last night he got wet and frightened; he woke up with a fever and is still in bed. I can see he’s suffering. With the village busy handling the thieves, I haven’t said anything yet.”
Du Heng said, “Li Wuju is a good man. Second Uncle could let him and Xiaozhu interact.”
“Then why does he still go to see Li Kai? Earlier he almost made people angry, and now he wants to go wandering again.”
Du Heng recounted the previous events to Qin Xiong.
“Really?”
Both Du Heng and Xiaoman nodded in agreement.
“If that’s true, that’s good. We’ll see. This unruly one always chooses the worst options. If only I’d had more choices back then… life would have been less chaotic.”
Qin Xiaoman let out a teasing laugh. “It’s one thing for Second Uncle to say these things in front of us, but if Second Aunt hears, it’ll turn into another quarrel.”
“I’d still be wary of that woman!” Qin Xiong grumbled.
“Who knows?” Xiaoman shot back.
Qin Xiong waved his hand. “Enough. I’ll head home first—things must still be a mess there.”
The young couple also needed to return home to spread out the grain soaked by the rain and wash the clothes they hadn’t gotten to yesterday.
Watching them leave, Qin Xiong called after them, “Tomorrow, I’ll bring a dog for you!”
“Good!” Xiaoman replied.
Once the two pairs had gone some distance, Du Heng asked, “What did Second Uncle mean when he said he had no choice back then?”
Qin Xiaoman chuckled. “I’ve told you before—when Second Uncle was young, he wasn’t educated, and compared to my father, no one in ten miles wanted their sons or daughters marrying him. He grew older, and my grandfather was anxious. In the end, only Second Aunt agreed, and they hurriedly got married.”
Du Heng furrowed his brow, understanding why now.
The next afternoon, the sun was nearly setting. Du Heng was in the yard gathering the grain laid out to dry when he heard a soft, plaintive bark.
Tilting his head, he saw Qin Xiong outside the stone wall, carrying a small yellow puppy of two or three pounds, its neck tied with a rope about as thick as a finger.
The little short-legged dog ran quickly but awkwardly, seeming on the verge of tripping over itself at any moment.
“Is this the watchdog?”
Qin Xiaoman picked up the puppy with one hand and tilted his head at Qin Xiong.
“When it grows up, it’ll be in charge. Its father is excellent at guarding the house.”
Qin Xiong looked slightly embarrassed. Previously, he’d seen other village dogs that were prolific breeders, and with harvest season approaching and the recent theft, every farmer wanted a dog to protect their home. At that point, this little pup was all that was left, and since he’d promised Xiaoman, he brought it along.
Xiaoman pouted. “If its father is Second Uncle, I’d believe it can guard things.”
“You brat, always cheeky—asking for trouble?” Qin Xiong laughed.
Xiaoman, hindered by his injured leg, dashed behind Du Heng, who stood in front of Qin Xiong as a shield. Smiling, Du Heng said, “Second Uncle’s intentions are good. It looks sturdy enough—let’s keep it.”
Qin Xiong nodded. “Exactly. Dogs grow quickly; in a month or two, it’ll be strong.”
As he left, Qin Xiong remembered, “That little troublemaker Xiaozhu probably caused more mischief. I haven’t told him about the Wu family yet, and he already says he doesn’t want to marry into the county.”
Xiaoman mused, “Soon he’ll probably tell you he wants to marry Li Kai.”
“Thank heaven if that’s true,” Qin Xiong thought. With only one son, managing him was already exhausting; more children would have driven him mad years ago. “Take care!”
“Farewell, Second Uncle.”
When Du Heng returned to the yard, he saw Xiaoman removing the overly thick rope from the puppy’s neck. “Second Uncle, really—this rope is thicker than needed even for a cow.”
Xiaoman cradled the puppy, happily rubbing and playing with it. The pup’s fur wasn’t long, but the soft, downy coat was pleasant to touch.
“Let’s give it a name.”
Du Heng raised an eyebrow. “What shall we call it?”
“You’re a scholar. Naming a dog should be easy for you.”
“I’ve never kept a dog. I don’t know what to name it.” Du Heng squatted down and stroked the little pup’s soft ears.
Xiaoman glared at him with exasperation. “Forget it—let’s just call it Hǔzi, Tiger. If it’s as fierce as a tiger, it’ll guard the house properly.”
Du Heng chuckled.
With a new member added to the household, the two treated it seriously.
During the hot midday, they sat on the threshold of the main room to cool off, using sorghum stalks to make a small mat-like nest. Hǔzi seemed to understand it was for him, running around their legs excitedly. Sometimes, in his enthusiasm, he tripped over himself, but once the nest was ready, he obediently curled up and slept peacefully through the night.
Xiaoman thought he was a bit of a runt, but obedient and not prone to wandering—just like Du Heng when he first arrived. Perhaps he’d grow up strong someday.
Life passed quickly in the summer heat, and soon it was the bustling season of August, when villagers were busy harvesting corn. Fields across the village were alive with the sound of husking corn before dawn.
Some farmers peeled the husks on the stalk before bringing the cobs home; others brought them in with the husks and removed them later when the sun was high. In any case, the entire village was immersed in work.
Processing corn was labor-intensive. First, it was all collected, husked, and laid out to dry for the first round. Once partially dried, the kernels were removed and dried a second time to ensure proper dehydration before storage. Every step demanded effort, and farmers had to watch the weather closely—any summer rain could ruin the drying process, causing mold or sprouting.
Just as the corn was finally stored, the rice fields began to bow under golden grains, signaling it was ready for harvest.
Harvesting rice was no easier than corn. Villagers had to cut stalks by hand, then thresh them. Threshing was the most troublesome part: grains were tightly packed on the stalks. Farmers either beat the stalks forcefully to release the rice or spread them on the drying yard, rolling over them with stones pulled by oxen.
After threshing, the rice was laid out to dry just like the corn. Unlike corn, however, the rice also had to be sorted to remove empty grains.
Not all harvested rice grains were fully developed—some were undernourished or poorly developed due to weak soil or uneven rainfall. These nearly empty grains were called hollow grains. Because they were light, they could be easily blown away with a fan during storage.
By August, the corn harvest had already exhausted everyone. People were working nonstop, with barely a moment to compare yields. As soon as the sun was high enough to dry the corn, everyone immediately shifted to harvesting the rice.