The news of the thieves being caught quickly spread throughout the village. As the villagers were having their dinner, they picked up their bowls and rushed towards the ancestral hall, eager to witness the freshest and most exciting spectacle.

Qin Yao led Liu Yang and the others to the open area in front of the ancestral hall but didn’t open its doors, lest the thieves defile it.

The sky had already darkened. Torches were lit, illuminating the open space brightly.

The two thieves, with their hands and feet bound and strung up like wild boars on a wooden rack, suddenly awoke amidst the commotion, only to be met with a wave of spittle from the villagers.

The two tried to speak but realized their mouths were tightly stuffed with straw, rendering them voiceless.

Standing on the steps of the ancestral hall, Qin Yao promptly pronounced them guilty of theft.

The thieves had been investigated for half a month, and it was only today that the villagers learned it was the village chief who had been robbed.

Watching the two thieves struggle violently like lambs to the slaughter, the villagers let out sympathetic sighs.

"Of all people, why would you steal from the village chief? You chose hell when heaven was open to you!"

"Alright, now that the thieves are caught, everyone can rest easy. Today has been quite an ordeal; you brave souls have worked hard."

Qin Yao nodded gratefully to Liu Yang and the others, instructing them, "Let’s tie these two thieves to the big tree at the village entrance. Tomorrow, I’ll personally deliver them to the government office."

She also told the curious villagers, "You all can disperse now. Make sure to keep your children away from the village well tonight, in case these two harm them."

Upon hearing that the children might be in danger, the villagers immediately took heed, hurrying home with their playful kids.

Liu Yang and the others tied Wang Wu and Zhang San to the tree trunk before leaving.

Qin Yao watched them until they disappeared from sight, then turned around to reinforce the ropes, delivering a punch to each of them under their murderous gaze, ensuring their sleep until dawn.

Blowing on her heated fist, Qin Yao surveyed the surroundings. Once confirmed, she headed home.

Yin Le and Da Lang’s siblings were still waiting for her to return for dinner.

Seeing that Yin Le had surprisingly completed the five kilometers ahead of time, Qin Yao raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Progressing quite quickly."

Yin Le modestly replied, "It’s thanks to the breathing techniques you taught me, Master."

Qin Yao sat in the empty seat and picked up her chopsticks, signaling everyone, "Let’s eat."

But only the already famished Yin Le began eating, taking big bites of food and gulping soup.

"Eat, aren’t you hungry?" Qin Yao looked amusedly at Da Lang and his siblings. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

The four siblings shook their heads in unison. They weren’t hungry; just curious.

"Mother, those two are actually thieves?" Si Niang glanced fearfully towards the village well. She had seen those two but never imagined they’d steal.

Qin Yao took a few bites of rice and then picked a piece of her favorite braised pork ribs for the little girl, "Thieves don’t write ’thief’ on their faces..."

Da Lang’s three brothers looked over, listening to Qin Yao talk about spotting a thief’s true nature from subtle details.

Yin Le slowed down his eating pace and listened intently.

The more they listened, the wider their eyes grew, another day of gaining knowledge!

"In the future, you can use these methods I mentioned to observe those around you; maybe you’ll discover something unexpected," Qin Yao said gently.

The four siblings were immediately intrigued, eager to observe each other rather than eat. Qin Yao quickly stopped them.

Switching from gentle to stern, she said in a firm voice, "When eating, focus on eating. With Ah Wang not home, there’s no one to make you a midnight snack if you’re hungry at night."

Second Lang muttered he could cook, but quickly fell silent under Mother’s cold gaze, obediently picking up his bowl to eat.

After dinner, Da Lang suddenly remembered something and asked excitedly, "Mother, are we riding with those two thieves tomorrow?"

Qin Yao was taken aback, "It seems like it."

As soon as she spoke, she saw the siblings’ faces filled with excitement and anticipation.

Knowing they were going to ride with the thieves, they weren’t afraid; instead, they felt excited and expectant?

Qin Yao frowned, thinking such boldness was no good.

However, the children’s courage seemed to be her own doing, given they knew she’d handle any danger, hence their fearless demeanor.

"Hiss~" Qin Yao pinched the bridge of her nose, realizing this couldn’t continue. If someday she wasn’t around and they were still this bold, she feared they wouldn’t survive.

Qin Yao multitasked, checking the siblings’ recent course progress while pondering that tomorrow, she could let those two scouts give the fearless little ones a small shock.

So they would be aware of life’s dangers and curb their audacity.

....

In the early morning, lights were on in Qin Yao’s house.

Yin Le had filled the water tank and was preparing to head to the stationery factory for work. Mrs. Li was also in the kitchen making breakfast.

The sweet smell of pastries filled the air. Qin Yao took a deep breath and knocked on the door of the children’s room, "Da Lang, Second Lang, Sanlang, Si Niang, wake up!"

Hearing responses from inside, she then strode towards the backyard.

Leading out the horse and setting up the carriage, she first went to the big tree by the village well and threw the two scouts, who were already awake and struggling in the dew, onto the carriage.

By this time, if the two didn’t realize Qin Yao had been pretending not to know and was toying with them, then their years of professional training would have been in vain.

Seeing Qin Yao put her children on the carriage with them, hope immediately sparked in the scouts’ eyes.

Qin Yao deliberately left Jinhua and Jinbao on the shaft, steering the carriage filled with children to the school.

Knowing that there were thieves in the carriage, Jinhua and Jinbao curiously peeked inside through the curtain.

Zhang San and Wang Wu looked up with fierce glares, startling the siblings, who quickly pulled back and huddled closer to their aunt.

Inside the carriage, Da Lang, Second Lang, Sanlang, and Si Niang sat near the door, while Zhang San and Wang Wu sat at the back, leaving a ’vacuum’ in between.

But despite Zhang San and Wang Wu’s fierce looks, except for Sanlang, who felt a bit scared, Da Lang, Second Lang, and Si Niang were not afraid and even boldly reached out to touch the ropes on the men.

Unexpectedly, Zhang San suddenly spat out the straw from his mouth, and in brief moments of the siblings’ surprise, brought his bound hands to his mouth and quickly used his teeth to untie the ropes.

"Ah—"

Before Si Niang could even call out "Mother," Zhang San had already clenched her neck fiercely.

The change happened too fast, and the carriage was cramped. Though Da Lang immediately reacted, it was too late to save his sister.

Instead, Second Lang bit Zhang San’s hand, making him pause for half a second.

However, in the next moment, both Second Lang and Si Niang were choked by Zhang San.

Da Lang watched, terrified, as those rough hands clenched tighter, about to lose two siblings at once. Fear overwhelmed him, urging him to act, but his body didn’t respond, frozen in place.

Then, in a split second, the steady-progressing carriage suddenly jolted violently, causing everyone inside to tumble together uncontrollably.

Qin Yao pushed open the door, finding chaos inside.

Da Lang was knocked over by the flying Wang Wu, barely able to catch his breath.

Sanlang rolled out of the carriage, caught by Qin Yao, who set him down beside the carriage.

Zhang San’s hands were still on Second Lang and Si Niang’s necks, squeezing them in the carriage corner. The siblings’ faces were pale, eyes bulging slightly red, looking pitifully near suffocation.