After traveling through time, I was raised by a little brat

If what these bandits said was true, then who was haunting the villages like a ghost under the cover of night, wantonly looting precious food? This mystery hung like a heavy cloud over everyone's heart.

After questioning the bandits, Tang Wenshu realized she could no longer extract any useful information from them. After careful consideration, she decided to hand the bandits over to her eldest brother, while she led a team to the villages that had been plundered to re-investigate.

She first led the group to Qianjia Village and made a special trip to visit the old village chief, who had been injured in the previous incident. Since the unfortunate attack and injuries, the old village chief had been recuperating at home. When Tang Wenshu and his accompanying yamen runners appeared at his door, the old village chief was quietly resting on his bed inside.

Seeing Tang Wenshu and the others coming to visit, the old village chief hurriedly stood up to greet them. The yamen runners hurried forward and respectfully handed the various nutritional supplements they had prepared in advance to the old village chief.

"Mr. County Magistrate, thank you for your concern!" While expressing his gratitude, the old village chief Qian struggled to sit up immediately, and even prepared to put on his shoes and get down to salute Tang Wenshu.

Normally, at this moment, people would rush forward to dissuade the injured, pleading for them to rest and recuperate. However, Tang Wenshu was no ordinary person. Even in the complex and hierarchical society of ancient times, or even in modern times, when facing superiors, she knew how to show proper courtesy and respect.

Moreover, according to her observation, the injuries sustained by Village Chief Qian were not serious, and he should have recovered long ago. Thinking of this, Tang Wenshu couldn't help but feel suspicious: Could there be some unknown secret hidden in this?

The old village chief, Qian, with his gray hair and wrinkled face, slowly bent his knees, his body trembling, and then knelt on both knees. The movement seemed a bit strenuous and difficult. He kowtowed respectfully to Tang Wenshu and said, "Thank you, Mr. County Magistrate, for your concern for our village!"

At that moment, Tang Wenshu sat upright on the slightly worn but still sturdy wooden chair in the village chief's house. She gently lifted the teacup from the table, gracefully brought it to her lips, and took a sip. Instantly, a rich tea aroma filled her nostrils, seemingly permeating the entire room.

Tang Wenshu savored the tea, feeling a slight bitterness at first, but as it swirls through his mouth, a sweetness gradually emerges. Even after swallowing, a faint fragrance lingers in his throat, leaving a lasting aftertaste. This is indeed fine tea, Tang Wenshu thought. However, such high-quality tea is not something an ordinary village chief could afford.

Tang Wenshu then put down the teacup in his hand and softly asked, "This tea...?" Hearing Tang Wenshu's question, the village chief quickly explained, "Your Excellency, this was sent by the village chief of Liangjia Village. He said it was a rare and fine tea. I was afraid that I didn't know how to appreciate tea and would waste such a good thing, so I have been carefully storing it and not daring to drink it easily. Now that I see you have come to my humble home today, I quickly asked my wife to bring out a pot for you so that you can taste it too."

Hearing the village chief mention "Liangjia Village" jarred Tang Wenshu's heart. Liangjia Village had always been a peaceful and harmonious place, never plagued by unrest. Yet, this time, it had become one of the many villages plundered by bandits. Thinking of this, Tang Wenshu feigned nonchalance and continued, "Oh? Liangjia Village?" It seemed like a casual, everyday question, but in reality, her heart was already swirling with emotion.

"That's right. There are about ten or so large villages in Liu County, and they all interact with each other, occasionally sharing farming experiences and insights," Village Chief Qian replied slowly, a simple smile on his face. He then added, "The head of Liangjia Village told me that this tea was a fine piece of tea that the villagers in his village had accidentally picked in the mountains, and he specially sent me half a pound to try it."

Half a pound! You know, if such high-quality tea were placed in the imperial city, its value would be priceless. Even just half a pound would command a hefty price. It's a shame that the village chief of Qianjia Village is completely clueless and doesn't recognize the preciousness of such a treasure.

At that moment, the weather-beaten face of the Qianjia Village chief was filled with innocence, as if he truly knew nothing. However, if one recalled his actions in the previous incident of cutting off the downstream water supply, one could sense that the village chief was actually a man of great cunning and foresight, and was definitely not as harmless as he appeared.

At that moment, Ah Da walked in and whispered something to Tang Wenshu in a low voice. Strangely, despite Ah Da's deliberate effort to lower his voice, his words still reached the ears of the old village chief, Qian. Ah Da said softly, "Sir, we just found a large amount of grain at the dike we dug in Qianjia Village. I've ordered the yamen runners to take all this grain back to the county government. This way, we won't have to apply to the court for relief grain."

Before he finished speaking, Village Chief Qian, who had been lying in bed, suddenly jumped up as if struck by lightning. His movements were so swift and seamless that they could be described as seamless. He anxiously shouted at the man, "Sir, those are all our village's food. You can't just take them away like that!"

"You...your injuries haven't healed yet, right? Why are you rushing here in such a hurry?" The yamen runner who had been following Tang Wenshu closely was full of astonishment and blurted out.

At this time, Tang Wenshu was leisurely holding up the teacup. After taking a sip of tea, she asked slowly and leisurely, "Did Qianjia Village really get robbed?" Her tone sounded as if she didn't care much about the matter, as if everything was under control.

Tang Wenshu gently set down his teacup, his gaze slowly sweeping across the crowd, finally settling on the kneeling Village Chief Qian. The old village chief, with a look of sorrow on his face, trembled as he spoke, "Sir, I'm really at a loss! Lately, those nasty bandits have been pillaging villages everywhere, causing widespread panic. If they knew Qianjia Village was safe and sound, wouldn't that be inviting thieves to rob us? So, when the rice ripened, we hurriedly hid it away."

Tang Wenshu uttered a soft "hmm." Although the sound was not loud, it was like a thunderclap exploding in the ears of Village Chief Qian. Village Chief Qian trembled violently, as if he was frightened.

He gathered himself and said in a trembling voice, "Send another report to the county government office and say that Qianjia Village has been robbed by bandits!" The yamen runner beside him frowned and sternly warned, "Making a false report is a serious crime and the law requires imprisonment!" However, unexpectedly, the old village chief Qian stood up without hesitation, slowly stretched out his calloused hands, and said righteously, "You can arrest me, I plead guilty! As long as I can protect Qianjia Village's food supply and keep my fellow villagers from starving, I am willing to go to jail and have a clear conscience!"

Seeing this, Tang Wenshu waved his hand expressionlessly, signaling the yamen runners to arrest Village Chief Qian. Two runners immediately stepped forward, one on each side twisting the old village chief's arms, and began to march him away. Just then, many villagers from Qianjia Village gathered around, watching the village chief being taken away with utter dismay. Many even shouted, offering to be imprisoned in his place.

Faced with this situation, Tang Wenshu's face darkened, and she said coldly, "A country has its own laws, and a family has its own rules. Don't even think of taking the blame for someone else's crime before me!" Tang Wenshu offered no further explanation. She hadn't actually arrested the Qianjia Village chief to send him to jail; she simply wanted him to accompany her to Liangjia Village to investigate. Unfortunately, not only were the villagers unaware of these events, but even the village chief himself was kept in the dark.

"Well, if that's the case, the rest of you should come along," Tang Wenshu suddenly said. Before he'd finished speaking, several villagers from Qianjia Village quickly approached the yamen runners, held out their hands, and demanded to be tied up. Seeing this, the old village chief of Qianjia Village was shocked and furious. He quickly shouted at the other villagers to hurry home and await further news. Despite their deep reluctance and worry, the villagers, under the pressure of the village chief's authority, eventually dispersed, looking back every few steps...