"What strategy?"

"The strategy is to wait!"

Wen Ran rolled her eyes, "Right now, the more you do, the more mistakes you make.

Let’s wait for Lin Hongxia to make her move, and it’ll all be fine."

She raised her hand, grabbed Xiao Chenye’s ear, and grumbled, "What’s going on with you now? You’re not reliable at all."

"I was wrong, I was wrong," Xiao Chenye admitted regretfully, "I admit, at first I didn’t take her seriously, but from now on, I promise I won’t do that again."

"Just remember that."

Especially when you’re out, it’s not just about women.

If a child suddenly appears needing help, you have to think about whether to help and how to help.

Tricks in scams are endless!

This incident served as a warning bell to Xiao Chenye.

Never underestimate anyone.

Life in the countryside can get tiring if it goes on too long. While Wen Ran was thinking about going up the mountain to hunt for something to spice up the meals.

The brigade started causing trouble again.

"Ranran!"

When the team leader showed up, he seemed troubled, "Something happened in our brigade."

"What happened?"

Wen Ran was curious, "Hasn’t everything been peaceful and harmonious in our brigade lately?"

Even petty thefts have become scarce.

In the past, people used to occasionally steal cabbages, eggs, even carry off someone’s old hens.

Sisters in the brigade used to go around, scolding from the west to the north of the brigade.

Now, you hardly hear such commotion anymore.

"Yeah," the team leader said with a wooden expression, "I also thought the brigade was getting better under my leadership day by day.

But who knew, after months of calm, something big would sneak up on us."

Hongguo wasn’t interested in this matter, so she poured the team leader a glass of water, greeted Wen Ran, and went back inside to diligently study.

Xiao Chenxing was bewildered by Hongguo’s actions.

Come on, sister, not you too!

You’re not even interested in gossip?

Yet you’re munching on that book, even glancing at it makes me feel dizzy and sleepy, I really don’t know how Hongguo sticks with it.

She wanted to follow Hongguo back inside to study but also wanted to stay here and listen to the gossip.

Her face was all scrunched up in a tangle of emotions.

Boo hoo hoo, why can’t there be two Xiao Chenxing in this world?

One to study, one to play carefree.

Wouldn’t that be nice!

Wen Ran didn’t notice Xiao Chenxing’s little dilemma and curiously asked, "Uncle, stop keeping us in suspense. Spill the beans."

"Sigh, it’s a long story, but our brigade’s cattle are gone!"

Cattle are an important asset of the brigade.

Losing them, the team leader felt, was worse than losing his wife.

His wife could find her way back home, but there’s no guarantee the cattle could!

"What?"

Wen Ran was shocked, "The cattle are missing? When did this happen?"

"When... just today."

"Let’s go," Wen Ran got up, "Let’s take a look."

"Alright, alright," for some reason, as soon as Wen Ran said this, the team leader felt reassured.

The thief will surely be found.

Xiao Chenxing standing in the courtyard: "..."

Wait, I agonized over this for so long, and that’s all I get?

If I had known, why bother?

I might as well have gone inside with Hongguo to study.

She hesitated for a moment but decisively decided to have some fruit before getting back to studying.

Boo hoo hoo, studying is really so tough.

Have something nice to reward yourself.

...

Walking along the road, the team leader added some details to Wen Ran, "Over there, are two sets of footprints, untouched, waiting for you to see."

Wen Ran: "Did you report it to the police?"

"No."

The team’s nonchalant attitude left Wen Ran a bit baffled.

"Huh?"

She was at a loss, "The cattle are missing, and you’re not worried?"

"Worried, of course!"

The team leader was more anxious, "Who said I’m not worried? I’m burning with anxiety, I wish I could catch that thief and bring them to justice on the spot!

But I haven’t caught them yet, have I?"

If I did catch them, I’d definitely teach them a lesson!

Those darn cattle thieves!

Boo hoo hoo, my poor little cattle, if they’ve been stolen for work, then so be it.

At most give that thief a beating, but if their purpose was to eat...

That’s it.

Just thinking about it made the team leader feel a wave of darkness wash over him.

"Wait," Wen Ran puzzled, "So you’re really anxious, so why not call the police?"

"Going to the police is such a hassle. It’s much easier to come to you."

Wen Ran: "..."

This answer was really something else.

"Hold on, don’t pin all your hopes on me," Wen Ran made it clear from the start, "Sometimes, the bigger the expectation, the bigger the disappointment."

The team leader: "..."

He looked utterly dejected and weak, "Oh child, quickly swallow those words back. Your uncle here is very fragile right now.

Can’t handle any more suffering."

Wen Ran: "No way, you can’t seriously expect me to find your cattle."

She was at a loss. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Honestly, if it was a fight, she’d know what to do.

Solving a case, that’s really overestimating her brainpower.

She’s got a brain, but it doesn’t get used much.

She hardly ever uses it.

"Well, it’s not just you alone I’m relying on."

"Alright then!"

Having help would be great.

But when they got to the cattle pen and saw the help, Wen Ran was bewildered.

She turned to the team leader with a bright smile, "Uncle, who’s this?"

"It’s your partner!"

Right, you can’t just keep milking the couple.

Xiao Chenye waved his hand, "Ranran, come over, I figured something out, come and listen."

Outside the cattle pen, there were two footprints, large and deeply imprinted.

"This," Xiao Chenye said seriously, "the cattle thief must be a man."

Wen Ran: "..."

She gave a slight smile, pointing at the large footprint on the ground, "It’s very unlikely a woman would have such large feet either."

This shoe size must be at least a size 44.

In future times, no one would mind women having such big feet, but right now, it would become a juicy topic for everyone over tea.

Having big feet would definitely become known far and wide.

And since there’s no gossip about it in the brigade, so...

This must be a man’s footprint.

"That’s true," Xiao Chenye looked hopefully at Wen Ran, "So what should we do?"

What to do?

Just set a trap and catch him.

Wen Ran was pondering strategies while the team leader started to cry, "Boo hoo hoo, damn it, does this mean it’s going to take a while to find the cattle thief?"

Wen Ran: "...No doubt about it, you’re not finding him anytime soon."

With no cameras around, where are you going to find him?

"What if the cattle get slaughtered?"