Yang Ruoqing came over and said: "You can only commit a thief in a thousand days but not prevent a thief in a thousand days. If this hole is blocked now, another hole will be drilled elsewhere in a few days."
"By then the entire wall will be riddled with holes, and we will be busy fixing leaks and holes every day without doing anything. How tiring it will be!"
Damo said: "Then it needs to be repaired. These idiots, I saw that the door lock of the courtyard door and the door frame also have signs of prying. They really used all kinds of methods."
Yang Ruoqing turned her eyes and said: "Instead of working so hard every day on defense, we might as well kill the chicken and scare the monkey with one move."
"First catch a thief and hang him, then inform the eight villages in the ten miles and give him a shock."
"Let his accomplices and other thieves see clearly that this will be the fate of anyone who dares to take advantage of our Haitang Academy!"
Damo said: "This is a good idea, but how do we catch it? We have to find a way."
Yang Huazhong said: "Dig a hole? Like we did when we arrested Butcher Chen and the others last time?"
Yang Ruoqing said: "It's a bit laborious to dig a hole. It will take several days for us to dig a hole that can be used as a trap."
"Last time, more than a dozen people dug together. There is strength in numbers. This time we are trying to make as little noise as possible, so digging holes is not possible," she said.
"What do you think Qing'er should do?" Yang Huazhong asked.
Yang Ruoqing thought for a moment and said, "I remember that when Tang Yazi went hunting in the mountains, he used a big iron clamp that could catch a roe deer once he stepped in."
"I'll go back and find it right now, and take it to the school when it gets dark. We'll be like catching mice to see who eats the bear's heart and dares to steal the school's rice."
…
He did as he was told, and when night fell, everyone in the village took an early shower and climbed into bed to sleep.
Summer nights are sultry. In the past, everyone would come out with cattail fans to cool off after dinner and chat about the mountains.
You can no longer see that scene now.
Why?
Hungry!
I am so hungry that I have no energy and no mood.
I just want to drink some porridge and lie in bed without moving. If I move too much, I will get hungry easily.
So Yang Ruoqing and Blacksmith Luo took the iron clamps together and quietly went up to Mianniu Mountain behind the village under the cover of night.
Bury the iron clip near the hole in the backyard, and then wait for the thief to come.
He wanted to see who made him lose his reputation in the village.
"Qing'er, you and your uncle should go back to the village. I'll guard you at night," Damo said.
Early the next morning, when Yang Ruoqing came to the school to deliver food, she couldn't wait to ask Damo: "How was it? Did you get anything from last night?"
Damo shook his head, "I didn't come last night."
Yang Ruoqing said: "Then wait, we have plenty of patience."
Damo grinned, "That's right, let's fight to the end."
Seeing Omo holding a big broom in his hand, he was obviously about to start cleaning the school yard.
At this time, the students have not yet come to the school to study.
"Brother Damo, go ahead and get busy. I'll go find Xiaoqin in the backyard." Yang Ruoqing said.
Damo nodded, turned around and started sweeping the floor.
In the backyard, when Yang Ruoqing came over, Xiaoqin had already gotten up. She was coming out of the room where the students took their naps. She put two mattress battens on her shoulders and put them on the two rows of neatly trimmed four-season green trees in the yard.
Then he patted the quilt with a feather duster and spread it out to bask in the sun.
Seeing Yang Ruoqing coming over, Xiao Qinmei's eyes were filled with smiles.
"Why did Qing'er come here so early?" she asked.
Yang Ruoqing said: "Aren't you worried about whether the thief over there has been caught? I'm so excited that I can't sleep."
Xiaoqin smiled.
At this time, Yuzhi also came out of the house and smiled when he heard this.
"It doesn't matter if I didn't catch him, maybe the thief won't come back in the future." Here, Xiaoqin said.
Yang Ruoqing said: "It would be better if that thief realizes that he has lost his way and never comes back. If he comes again, I guarantee he will regret it."
Xiaoqin said: "Not to mention, you can't blame Tou'er for thinking about going to our school. Who gave us food in the school!"
"Now, villages all over the country are saying that if you want your children not to starve to death, you shouldn't have felt sorry for Shu Xiu, who made dozens of pennies, and sent your children to school. Now at least the children who are studying can still have enough to eat. Drink enough."
Yang Ruoqing pursed her lips and smiled.
Yuzhi also said: "Don't mention it yet. Yesterday, several aunts in our village asked me about it and asked me to help ask Qing'er about you."
"Am I stupid to ask?" Yang Ruoqing asked in surprise.
Yuzhi said: "They asked if they can send their children to study now? Shu Xiu can't get the money right now. They will have to wait until next year to make up for it."
Xiaoqin laughed before Yang Ruoqing could say anything.
"These people are really good at settling accounts," said Xiaoqin, "I just want to send my children to school for meals. This is what someone told me almost every day a while ago!"
Yang Ruoqing raised her eyebrows, "Have you been there for a long time? Then why didn't you tell me this?"
Xiaoqin said: "What's there to say? Those people just want to take advantage, but I don't care. I just said that I don't run the school and let them tell you directly, Qing'er."
Yang Ruoqing said: "No one came to say anything."
Xiaoqin said: "I guess you know you don't have the shame to speak up. What's the difference between sending your child directly to someone else's house and letting others raise it for you?"
Yang Ruoqing nodded, "We are running a school, not a shelter."
"Besides, during such a period of great famine, other places don't have enough food to eat, but in our school, I use my own pocket to subsidize the food so that the students can have enough food."
"I have already raised so many, and my ability is limited. You can't just give me everything. I can't afford it!" she said.
"Even if you can afford it, there is no way to raise it like this!" Xiaoqin said again.
Turning to look at Yuzhi: "Yuzhi, don't be soft-hearted. If someone talks to you again, just say that we can't make the decision and let them come to Qing'er directly."
Yuzhi nodded, "That's what I said too."
"That's good!" Xiaoqin said.
After a while, the two aunts, Dayun and Guihua, came to cook breakfast.
It happened that Yang Ruoqing also came to the school today, so she stopped by the kitchen to help them, and also had breakfast in the school before returning to the village.
"Aunt Osmanthus Osmanthus, what are you planning to make for breakfast today?" Yang Ruoqing asked.
Osmanthus said: "As usual, make a pot of multigrain porridge, and then steam sorghum buns and corn buns. One student will have one bowl of porridge and two steamed buns."
Yang Ruoqing nodded, "Yeah, okay."
Dayun was pouring something in the rice vat over there, mumbling something in his mouth.
"Dayun, what are you talking about to that person?" Osmanthus asked Dayun.
Yang Ruoqing was also curious and looked toward Dayun.
Dayun turned around, looking a little weird.
"I have eaten this rice faster than before in the past few days. I used to cook rice at noon every day and weigh the rice per person and put it into the pot. There is enough for everyone."
"There seems to be not enough food during this period. More rice is being harvested day by day. This rice vat is half gone. It shouldn't be..."
Hearing Dayun's words, Yang Ruoqing and Guihua both came to the rice vat and looked at it.
