Chapter 174: Catching the Bad Guys Together

That evening, Tuan Tuan returned to the Prince's Mansion and chattered about the current state of Nüzi Jian to the family.

Xiao Yuanhang said seriously, "Safety is the first issue to resolve at Nüzi Jian; it is of utmost importance."

Xiao Ningxun nodded, "Father is right; they are all women, and if anything happens, Nüzi Jian's reputation cannot be preserved."

He thought, "Tomorrow I will bring the craftsmen from the Ministry of Works over, raise and reinforce the courtyard walls, and build a few rooms at the gate."

"Father, we can pull ten Guards from the Prince's Mansion… that should be enough. Once the buildings are finished, let them stay in the houses outside the courtyard. This way we protect Nüzi Jian's reputation and deter ordinary petty thieves from targeting it."

Tuan Tuan exclaimed, "I want to bring the Big Wolf in and put it in Nüzi Jian! Aunt Guo said we need a big dog for guarding! Then I can see it every day!"

Xiao Yuanhang smiled, "Fine. Tomorrow I'll take you into the Palace; you go to Fengyi Palace to fetch the Big Wolf, and I'll have an audience with the saint and ask His Majesty to personally grant a calligraphy of the three characters 'Nüzi Jian', which we will make into a plaque to hang on the door."

"Let's see who still dares to scheme against my daughter's Nüzi Jian!"

Cheng Ru'an frowned slightly, "Having only those few girls now is fine, but if more people come later—masters and students as well—if Tuan Tuan continues to provide food, lodging, and instruction as she does now, only going out and never coming in, it will be hard to sustain over time."

"The key is, if we tell anyone, they probably won't believe it."

Xiao Ningyuan thought, "No problem; mother need not worry too much."

"We can do this: from the first day of residence, set a fixed amount of daily food and lodging for each person, based on their studies."

"After they finish their training and have income, deduct from it; once everything is paid off, any remaining earnings will belong to them."

"In the early stage, the Ministry of Revenue will cover all these costs; once the women have completed their studies, the Ministry can uniformly arrange their placements, so they need not find their own opportunities—wouldn't that be ideal?"

Xiao Yuanhang nodded, "Good idea! Tomorrow you draft the specific provisions and submit them to the Ministry of Revenue. His Majesty has already issued an edict that all ministries must assist wholeheartedly; the Ministry should soon approve this expenditure."

Cheng Ru'an thought carefully, "There's another matter—although His Majesty supports this, the county magistrate should not manage it directly; the village where Nüzi Jian is located must be properly arranged."

"Otherwise, when the work proceeds, all the little details, without their help, Tuan Tuan might not succeed."

"You all first attend to what you mentioned; once everything is in place, handle this. Then the village girls can be the first batch of female students to move in, saving their expenses, which also serves as a thank‑you gift for their assistance."

Tuan Tuan slipped down from the embroidered bench, walked around, hugged each of them, and grinned happily: "Father, Mother, Big Brother, Third Brother! You are all so wonderful!"

Everyone looked at her with indulgent smiles.

Cheng Ru'an patted her little head, "This is what our Tuan Tuan is supposed to do!"

Early the next morning, the family set out in swift action.

In the afternoon, Tuan Tuan brought the Big Wolf to stand in Nüzi Jian's courtyard, while Xiao Er stood guard beside her.

The Big Wolf was majestic and massive, its gray‑white fur shimmering silver in the sun, looking exactly like a giant wolf.

Aunt Guo and the girls were frightened and hid, "Wolf! Wolf!"

Tuan Tuan patted the Big Wolf's head, "Don't be scared! This is the Big Wolf! It's not a wolf, it's a dog!"

The girls cautiously approached but dared not get too close, "Miss, is this… a dog?"

Tuan Tuan nodded, "Yes! Its temper is good! It won't bite, don't worry! Look!"

After speaking, Tuan Tuan hugged the Big Wolf's neck and gave its back a vigorous rub.

The Big Wolf gurgled, broke free, and lowered its head toward Tuan Tuan, looking just like a parent who sees a mischievous child and feels helpless.

"Big Wolf, everyone living here are good people! From now on, stay in this courtyard and protect their safety."

"If any villain comes, bite hard! No need to hold back! I'll give you extra chicken legs!"

The Big Wolf seemed to understand, stuck out its big tongue and licked Tuan Tuan's little cheek.

Tuan Tuan giggled and hugged its head again.

Seeing her and the Big Wolf like that, the girls relaxed, leaned over, and a few of the braver ones couldn't help but reach out to pat the Big Wolf's fur.

"This dog is so big and looks exactly like a wolf, amazing!" the girls exclaimed happily.

"With the Big Wolf here, Aunt Guo won't have to be scared at night!"

Tuan Tuan then realized Aunt Guo was absent, "Aunt Guo? Where's Aunt Guo?"

Aunt Guo stuck her head out from a distant house, "No, I'm scared! This is too much like a wolf!"

Tuan Tuan and the girls all laughed.

Outside, noisy voices, carriage wheels, and shouts rang, "Right here! Hurry! Unload the carts! Must be finished within five days!"

Tuan Tuan looked out and saw Xiao Ningxun arriving with the Ministry of Works' craftsmen.

She released the Big Wolf and ran over, "Third Brother!"

"Hey! Little Tuan Tuan! Wow! Such a big dog! Is this the Big Wolf you mentioned?"

Xiao Ningxun lifted her, walked to the Big Wolf's side, "Fine, with this dog guarding here, I doubt any desperate thief would dare come in looking for death."

Tuan Tuan looked at the Big Wolf, "Third Brother, you must build a comfortable doghouse for the Big Wolf! It used to have its own doghouse when it was with the Empress."

"No problem! Third Brother will definitely build it the best doghouse!"

Tuan Tuan tucked her arm around his neck and nudged, "Thank you, Third Brother!"

When an outsider man arrived, the girls all hurried into the inner rooms.

Aunt Guo stepped out from the house at a distance, "Third Young Master, hello."

Xiao Ningyuan looked up, glanced at Aunt Guo, then lowered his gaze at the Big Wolf, understood, and smiled, "No need to be afraid; once you get used to it, it'll be fine."

"Aunt Guo, for the next five days they will repair the houses and raise the courtyard walls; please arrange for the people here to stay inside and not go out unless necessary."

"Yes, Third Young Master."

Xiao Ningxun carried Tuan Tuan and walked around the courtyard; Aunt Guo followed behind, "This is the cooking area; now there are few people, manageable, but if more come later, it will be insufficient."

"No problem, then we'll build a kitchen."

Xiao Er had been thinking about her words from yesterday, "Aunt Guo, you said there have been noises at night these past few days; was there any last night?"

Aunt Guo replied quickly, "Yes! I heard rustling, not sure if it was people or some beast."

Xiao Er shook his head, "There can't be any large beasts here; it must be thieves."

Aunt Guo, still shaken, said, "A few days ago the sounds were faint, last night they seemed right outside the gate. I threw the teapot onto the gate; the sound was huge and scared them away."

Xiao Er decided on the spot, "Third Young Master, I will guard the gate tonight and capture them, so they won't keep thinking this place is full of women."

Tuan Tuan, upon hearing: "I also want to stay here! Catch bad guys together with Second Uncle!"

Xiao Ningxun glanced at his sister, knowing that as soon as she heard about catching bad guys, she would absolutely refuse to leave.

He thought for a moment: "In that case, tonight we'll all stay here, wait by the stump for a rabbit, and see if this unlucky rabbit will bump into us!"

Tuan Tuan clapped their little hands: "Great!"