Shen Heng carried the radio into the house and saw that Bai Jiaojiao still had her back to him. He fawned over her and asked, "Jiaojiao?"

Bai Jiaojiao ignored him.

"Jiaojiao, look what I brought for you."

Shen Heng turned Bai Jiaojiao's shoulders around and waved the radio in front of her: "Look, what do you think?"

"radio?!"

Bai Jiaojiao's eyes lit up immediately. How did Shen Heng know she wanted this?

Seeing that Bai Jiaojiao had been appeased, Shen Heng put down the radio and sat down next to her: "How was it? Not bad, right?"

"Not bad." Bai Jiaojiao reached out and pressed the button on the radio, but it couldn't be used yet because it didn't have batteries.

Shen Heng said, "Ninety-eight."

Bai Jiaojiao realized that Shen Heng was asking her for money when he placed an upward-facing palm in front of her.

"Aren't you supposed to be very capable? Figure it out yourself."

"Jiaojiao, Wang Fushun is waiting outside," Shen Heng said with a smile. "Don't be angry with me."

Bai Jiaojiao glared at him playfully and counted out ninety-eight yuan: "Do you want a ticket?"

"No ticket required."

"Did he find out who stole the piglets to sell?"

Shen Heng smiled and said, "I'll tell you when I get back."

He kept it a secret.

Bai Jiaojiao wasn't in a hurry, so she continued fiddling with the radio that had no batteries.

When Shen Heng returned after settling the bill with Wang Fushun, he took a plate of pork floss cakes from the kitchen and brought them in to eat, along with a tub of hot water.

"Speak up, who is it?"

Shen Heng said, "You don't believe it even when I tell you."

"Just say it!"

Bai Jiaojiao leaned against the wall and kicked Chen Heng to urge him on.

Shen Heng grabbed Bai Jiaojiao's leg with his left hand and kneaded it: "It's Li Lide."

"Li Lide?!"

Bai Jiaojiao was surprised for a moment, but immediately realized that Li Lide's daughter, Li Xiulian, could be his inside maneuver.

"No beard, just two long sideburns, who else could it be but Li Lide? It must be Li Lide who contacted someone to ask his daughter to steal it. This matter isn't complicated; basically, we just need to check the people in the pigsty," Shen Heng analyzed.

“That’s right. The captain and I only asked Lao Xu if he heard any noise that night. Li Xiulian just echoed Lao Xu’s words and we didn’t ask her separately.”

Seeing that Li Xiulian couldn't provide any clues and only tended to question Lao Xu, Zheng Xu and Bai Jiaojiao noticed that Li Xiulian would deliberately avoid the question. Bai Jiaojiao, lacking experience in this area, couldn't really see through it.

“Then I’ll go tell the captain during the day and ask him to interrogate Li Xiulian. He’ll definitely find something out.”

"Alright, alright, is there anything our captain can't do?"

Shen Heng's sarcastic remark made Bai Jiaojiao laugh: "Without Brother Heng's help in the investigation, who would have any clues? The captain wouldn't even know where to start."

Although Shen Heng knew Bai Jiaojiao was teasing him, he still enjoyed it very much: "Then shouldn't you reward me?"

Bai Jiaojiao said, "Why are you like this? You can bring up this in everything."

Shen Heng lowered his head and kissed Bai Jiaojiao: "I really want to do it with you again. It's a pity I have to go."

"You'd better get out of here."

Bai Jiaojiao flopped onto the kang (heated brick bed) and covered herself with the quilt.

Shen Heng glanced at the radio's battery compartment and remembered to go to the supply and marketing cooperative that evening to buy two batteries.

Knowing that the pig theft was related to Li Lide, Bai Jiaojiao couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned, and the clock on the table pointed to four o'clock. Unable to fall asleep, Bai Jiaojiao tidied up, ate something to tide her over, and then went to Zheng Xu's house to knock on the door.

Zheng Xu, wearing a coat, came out to open the door. When he saw Bai Jiaojiao, he immediately asked expectantly, "Did you find out something? Come in and tell me."

"Captain, based on the description you gave us, we asked around and they said the messenger had thick sideburns and no beard. Isn't this...?"

"Li Lide?!"

Zheng Xu was furious: "I thought he would behave himself after what happened last time!"

“Now that he’s no longer the village chief, he’s lost a lot of filial piety, and he’s worried about his future quality of life, so he’s stealing pigs. That’s one of his motives.”

Bai Jiaojiao's analysis makes a lot of sense. After all, once people have experienced a good life, they can't stand a hard life. Those who are bolder will naturally reach out to places they shouldn't.

Zheng Xu, hands on his hips, said, "His daughter was definitely involved in this. I've always thought of her as a good wife and never suspected her!"

These two piglets weigh over 30 pounds each, and on the black market, each would fetch no less than 100 yuan.

It's true what they say: people die for money, and birds die for food!

"Captain, we know who it is, but we have no evidence. You need to find a way to interrogate them."

"Yes, I know what I'm doing." As the brigade leader, ideological work is one of Zheng Xu's main tasks. Now that he knows who did it, getting them to confess is like taking an open-book exam.

Bai Jiaojiao went home to sleep without worry.

She woke up at 10:30 as usual, remembering that Bai Shibao had said yesterday that he would bring that girl from Wangjiazu to their home. She was also a little curious because her third sister-in-law in her previous life did not have the surname Wang.

Bai Jiaojiao quickly washed up and went over, walking a bit too fast. She wasn't sure if she could make it in time.

When she arrived at the Bai family home, she only saw Bai Zhiman sitting at the door watching Bai Manzhi play with Bai Manlin; no one else was home.

"Father, did Third Brother bring people back today?"

Bai Jiaojiao asked.

"Hmph, go ask him yourself." Bai Zhiman said this with a sour tone, and Bai Jiaojiao knew that things were not going well.

She didn't ask any more questions, played with Bai Manzhi for a while, and then went to the pigsty.

Zheng Xu happened to be inside as well, talking to Li Xiulian.

"Jiaojiao, come here," Old Xu called Bai Jiaojiao over and asked, "Why is the brigade leader talking to Li Xiulian all the time today? Does he suspect that I stole the pig?"

It's no wonder Lao Xu overthinks things. From his perspective, it does seem like Zheng Xu doesn't trust him and is asking others for evidence.

Bai Jiaojiao said, "Definitely not, Uncle Xu, do you need to vouch for your character?"

Old Xu felt a little awkward being praised so suddenly.

"Don't say that. It's understandable that you might doubt me, but I, Lao Xu, have always acted uprightly and honestly, and I'm not afraid of being investigated!"

Old Xu was still very concerned about the lost pig. Although he said that on the surface, he was still uncomfortable inside.

Seeing this, Bai Jiaojiao pulled Lao Xu aside and whispered, "I'd better tell you, Li Xiulian stole the pigs and had her father find someone to sell them. I found out this on the black market. How could there be no news about two such good piglets?"

"Is it really her?"

Bai Jiaojiao had previously told Lao Xu that there was a mole, but Lao Xu didn't believe her.

When Lao Xu looked at Zheng Xu again, he found that Zheng Xu's expression was indeed not relaxed, and Li Xiulian looked timid and secretive.

"My God, isn't this like raising a thief? She's a woman, how can she be so shameless?"

Old Xu also thought that women were all shy and wouldn't do such a sneaky thing.