Chapter 339: Chapter 339: Giving a Rabbit
Preston Thorne’s expression soured. Raina was right—if someone reported them once, they’d surely do it again. They had to track down this insidious bastard.
"I’ll go into town tomorrow and ask around. We can’t just let this go."
"We have to find them. Luckily, Xiaonan was quick-witted today. She had Amanda hide the rabbits right before you all arrived. It was a close call." Raina’s face beamed with pride. ’No one is as smart as my granddaughter.’
Preston Thorne’s interest was piqued. "How did Xiaonan know someone had reported them?"
"On her way, she ran into your wife digging potatoes. Your wife said she had to host the inspection team, so Xiaonan sprang into action the moment she got home. That clever little girl has a sharp mind," Raina said with a smile.
Byron Thorne and Shane Thorne arrived as well. The village chief’s wife had called them over for dinner and explained the whole situation on the way. Now, hearing from Raina that it was all Tang Xiaonan’s idea, Byron Thorne couldn’t hide his pride, his back straightening with satisfaction. Shane Thorne felt pleased, but also a little envious.
’How could such a clever girl not be his own granddaughter!’
Sigh.
"Where’s Xiaonan? Have her come over and eat," Shane Thorne said with a cheerful laugh.
’He hadn’t seen the little girl in days and, strangely enough, he missed her. She had a way with words that made her endearing—far more so than his own granddaughter.’
"She’s at home. I’ll go get her." Raina got ready to head home and call for her granddaughter.
But just as she reached the courtyard gate, she saw Tang Xiaonan approaching with a basket on her back. Inside was a plump, gray rabbit, though it was clearly not yet fully grown. The rabbit lay in the basket, munching on some grass.
"Fourth Grandpa, this rabbit is for you to eat."
’Tang Xiaonan glanced at the rabbit, her heart aching. Her original plan had been to fatten them up. One for a red-braised stew, one for a spicy dish, one for Adrian Hawthorne, and then leave a male and female to breed. That way, she’d have a never-ending supply of meat.’
’But now they had to be eaten early. That damn informant! I’m going to draw circles and curse that bastard to have bad luck for the rest of his life!’
’Raina’s eyes flickered. Her heart ached a little. No, it ached a lot. She had just been praising the girl for being so smart and sensible, and now here she was, giving away their property.’
Although her heart was aching, Raina couldn’t show it in front of everyone. She could only say, "Let’s wait until it’s fatter before we eat it. There isn’t much meat on it right now."
Tang Xiaonan pouted and said aggrievedly, "We can’t raise them anymore. They’ll definitely come back to catch us next time. Grandpa and Grandma will get criticized, and we’ll even be fined."
Preston Thorne nodded repeatedly. "Right, right, you can’t raise them anymore. That woman from today’s team is notoriously difficult. Since she didn’t catch you this time, she’ll definitely be back in a few days. It’s better to just eat it."
Raina shot him an annoyed glance. ’Of course he’d say that, since he gets to eat it for free.’ But she was also worried about getting caught and fined. That would sting even more.
"Better safe than sorry. It’s best to just eat it," Byron Thorne said, approving of his granddaughter’s decision. They still hadn’t found the informant, so they certainly had to be on their guard.
’Besides, giving it to Preston Thorne was a very sound decision. It was a good way to build goodwill. After all, they relied on the village chief to look out for them!’
"Looks like I have Xiaonan to thank for this treat. I actually get to eat rabbit meat, haha!" the village chief joked.
"Grandma and my cousin raised them, not me," Tang Xiaonan said, a little embarrassed.
To be precise, the credit belonged almost entirely to Amanda Chapman. Cutting the grass, cleaning the hutch—Amanda did it all. Tang Xiaonan hadn’t done much of the work.
"Where’s your cousin?" Byron Thorne asked with concern.
’When Amanda Chapman first arrived, he hadn’t been very welcoming. Another person meant another mouth to feed on their limited rations, and she wasn’t even one of the Thorne family. If Tang Xiaonan hadn’t insisted on letting Amanda stay, he definitely wouldn’t have agreed.’
