1219 Make a Bet
The guard team members knew what they were doing and definitely would not let Tan Hu and Tan Bao get close to Qiao Qiang and Xia Jun. The night was long and they were bored. It was rare to have two stupid thieves coming round, so they naturally wanted to have some fun.

Tan Hu and Tan Bao finally chose a spot and prepared to climb over the wall to enter the courtyard. Tan Bao squatted on the ground to provide support for Tan Hu. It took a lot of effort before Tan Hu reached the top of the wall and he even almost knocked off the tiles on top.

“Eldest Brother! Be careful! I’ll wait for you here! Come back quickly!” Tan Bao whispered.

“Alright! Wait for my good news!” Tan Hu said happily. After saying that, he slowly climbed down the wall. It would be more accurate to say that he tumbled down instead of climbed down. There was a flower bed right behind the wall and since it was going to be spring soon, the soil was soft so he did not make much noise when he fell. He gritted his teeth and did not dare to make any sound.

He had heard from Tan Jing that Qiao Mei did not raise dogs or other animals. It seemed that she only raised many chickens and ducks at Li Gui’s place, so it did not matter even if his footsteps were heavy. There was no one there to sense his presence.

“This house is really big… It’s really unfair that the little girl, Qiao Mei, lives in such a big house alone. She should live in our small house while we come and live in this luxurious mansion,” Tan Hu said indignantly.

The guard team members watched from the roof as Tan Hu clumsily made his way to the center of Qiao Mei’s courtyard. He behaved like he was the owner of this house and did not seem to remember that he was a thief.

“Brother Xiao An, when are we taking action?” a guard team member asked softly.

Xiao An happened to be on duty today. It was rare to get such an opportunity to make a great contribution.

“Let’s wait a little longer. Keep an eye on the one outside and don’t let him escape. Leave the one in the courtyard to me. Remember, as soon as I blow the whistle, take action immediately. There’s no need to worry too much, just make sure he’s alive,” Xiao An said.

“Noted.” The other guard team members went on their way in accordance with Xiao An’s instructions.

Tan Hu looked in through the windows one by one and finally stopped outside the study. People always said that rare treasures could be found in the study. Qiao Mei’s house was so big. Even if he did not manage to steal the medicinal wine, it was not a bad idea to steal something else that was valuable.

Just as he was about to enter the room, Xiao An descended from above and pressed Tan Hu to the ground. He took out a rope and tied Tan Hu up, not giving Tan Hu any chance to resist. After subduing Tan Hu, Xiao An immediately blew the whistle and the other guard team members successfully captured Tan Bao outside.
Before the Tan brothers’ plan could even begin, it was already nipped in the bud.

“It seems that Xiao An has subdued these two people.” Xia Jun smiled.

“Come, let’s go and watch the fun. I want to know who’s so bold to come to my house in the middle of the night to steal things.” Qiao Qiang snorted coldly and put on his padded cotton jacket before going out to the front yard to take a look.

“Old brother, make a guess whether these people are related to you or me?” Xia Jun asked.

“Why? Don’t tell me you want to make a bet with me?” Qiao Qiang said.

Xia Jun’s interest was immediately piqued and he said excitedly to Qiao Qiang, “Sure! I’ve long taken a fancy to the incense burner Qiao Mei bought for you. I’ve asked so many people for help but none of them can manage to buy me the same one. If these intruders have nothing to do with me, then give me that incense burner.”

There was no way Xia Jun would be able to buy that incense burner! Qiao Mei had made it herself and hammered it out bit by bit for Qiao Qiang. He did not know how Qiao Mei made it, but whenever he burned incense inside, it would emit a faint fragrance of plants. The smell always made him feel very comfortable.

This feeling was the same as when he was at his house in Foshan Village. It felt as if he was in a forest.

“Then if these people are related to you, give me your jade chess set,” Qiao Qiang said.

Xia Jun suddenly stopped in his tracks. That was his favorite treasured item. If he really had to give it to Qiao Qiang, he would be reluctant to part with it. However, if he did not give it to Qiao Qiang, the old man would definitely nag at him for a long time.

“Why? You want my treasure, but I can’t take yours? My granddaughter made it for me herself. For yours, at most you’ll just need to put in some effort and find someone to buy a similar set for you. It’s such a huge difference! Comparatively, you’re the one who gets the better deal!” Qiao Qiang said stubbornly.