I went a little further, now I see as non completed objectives - Buy Boards and Build Kennel, Go to a Feast, Find a way to smooth things over, Find more information about frost weed.What objectives do you see in the questlog?
Went back to check a save right before I encountered the thugs. Its at night and I have the objectives, find more information about frost weed, find a way to smooth things over, play with Marienne at night. What I did from there was to go encounter the thugs, then meet up with Marienne. Perhaps I should leave the thugs for another day. Just now I went forward from that save to go encounter the thugs again. Encountering them gives me no additional objectives.