Missing Cat Food

"My cat food is gone again!" Old Wang, leaning on his crutch, his voice piercing the evening quiet. He stared at the surveillance screen in front of him, specially installed to protect his "treasure" - an orange cat named "Mimi."

The screen showed an empty corridor, only the dim yellow light shining quietly. This was the third time this month, a whole large bag of cat food, vanishing without a trace. Old Wang suspected someone was stealing it. He had more than once waited in ambush in the corridor, but each time he came up empty.

People in the community knew that after Old Wang's wife passed away, Mimi became his only companion. He was always meticulous in choosing Mimi's cat food. Now, the frequent disappearance of the cat food undoubtedly touched his most sensitive nerve.

His first suspect was Xiao Li, who lived on the third floor. Xiao Li was a food delivery driver, often coming and going in a hurry. Old Wang had more than once seen him carrying plastic bags. Could it be that his cat food was inside? He secretly noted Xiao Li's clothes and when he came and went.

In order to catch the "thief," Old Wang deliberately put a little chili powder in the cat food bag, wanting to give the cat food thief a taste of his own medicine. The next day, the cat food was indeed missing again. He checked the surveillance, but still didn't see any suspicious figures. He decided to take matters into his own hands.

That night, he tiptoed and hid by the stairwell, staring intently at the surveillance footage. At two in the morning, a blurry figure appeared. The figure wasn't carrying any plastic bags, but was squatting in the corner, carefully tearing open the cat food bag that Old Wang had placed at his door. Then, he slowly poured the cat food into an old cardboard box.

Old Wang was filled with anger, and was about to rush out, but he froze in place the moment he recognized the figure.

It was Granny Liu, who lived on the second floor. She was hunched over, her hair was white, and her face was covered in wrinkles. She held an old, worn-out cardboard box, inside which lay several skinny kittens. Old Wang knew that Granny Liu had taken in stray cats, but he always thought she just fed them leftovers. He never expected she would be stealing his cat food.

Old Wang didn't rush out, but silently retreated back into his home. He closed the door, watching Granny Liu on the surveillance screen, carefully feeding the stray cats, her movements as gentle as if she were stroking her own children. Mimi was meowing at his feet, but he felt like the cat food was not so important anymore.

Early the next morning, Old Wang carried a large bag of cat food and gently placed it at Granny Liu's door. On the cat food bag, there was a sticky note, with the words scrawled on it: "For Mimi, and for the children." Granny Liu's door creaked open a crack, and an old voice, as thin as a mosquito's buzz, said: "Thank you..."