Chapter 10: When there's something worth taking responsibility for, let go and do it (5)
The doors of the lockers all had shiny locks on them. When people bought their bath tickets, they were given a numbered key, and according to the number, they could undress and lock up their clothes in the locker before taking a bath. Peng Yuan casually twisted the lock, and it surprisingly came off easily. It turned out that due to long-term exposure to damp air, the wooden door of the locker had rotted, and most of the locks were rusty and useless. Relying on this kind of lock to prevent theft was like drinking a mouthful of cold water to fill one's belly - it was just self-deception.
Peng Yuanda said: "No wonder you guys always lose things here, this kind of lock is useless, it can be opened with just a push, it's better to change it to a hidden lock, like the drawer locks in our office, then it won't be easy to pry open." Da Lizi said: "The report for changing the lock has already been submitted, but the Commercial Bureau Revolutionary Committee is busy investigating three types of people and doesn't have time to approve the lock change." The public bathhouse is managed by the Commercial Bureau. A foul smell wafted out from the bathroom, reminding Peng Yuanda that Wang Dama, who was in charge of cleaning, hadn't come to work for a few days, so he asked Da Lizi:
"Didn't you say that all the staff in your bathhouse are here?" Big Li said: "Yes, from the leader of the small group to Old Wei who guards the door, aren't they all here?"
"Has it been discussed?" Peng Yuanda said: "Isn't Wang Dama, who is in charge of cleaning the women's bathroom, on vacation these days?" Da Lizi said indifferently: "Whether that Wang Dama is there or not makes no big difference, she doesn't do anything anyway."
"I don't know." Peng Yuan asked him strangely, "What's going on?" "Wang Dama is mute." Peng Yuan sneered coldly, "Wang Dama is mute, how can she tell you that women solve the problem of not going to the toilet while taking a bath?"
"Ugh, why haven't you forgotten about that yet? Wang's mother can't even speak properly, let alone draw or write. Don't mention it again, if you do I'll get really angry and won't say anything to you."
Peng Yuanda asked: "Why didn't we find Wang Dama this time?" Da Lizi said: "What's the point of looking for her, she's mute?"
Peng Yuanda said: "A mute is not blind, can't he see if he can't speak? Not speaking and knowing nothing are two different things."
Da Li Zi shrugged his shoulders and said: "If you want to find her, I'll help you find her, but Lao Niu didn't look for her back then."
As soon as Peng Yuandai heard that Lao Niu had not looked for Wang Dama, who was in charge of cleaning the women's bathroom, he thought to himself that maybe it was because they hadn't found Wang Dama that they missed the crucial clue. Thinking of this, his desire to find Wang Dama became even more urgent: "Do you know where Wang Dama lives?"
Big Lee said: "We know, our unit doesn't know Wang's family."
Peng Yuanda said let's go. Da Lizi was cooperating with him to crack the case, he said what to do and did it, and didn't say much at the time, following him riding a bicycle towards Wang Dama's house.
As he walked on the road, Peng Yuanda made a simple summary of his investigation: First, this case must have been done by the woman who came to take a bath. The female bathtub has no windows, only ventilation holes, and outsiders can't get in at all. Second, the arrangement of the bathing pool's locker room provided convenience for thieves. If the thief committed a crime, the wall-like lockers would easily block other people's sight, and the hanging locks on top of the lockers were like deaf ears. Even if it was a woman, as long as she brought a hairpin, opening the locker would be very easy. Third, the thief was a young female thief. In this public place, stealing requires courage and quick action. Moreover, according to the owner's description, the lost clothes were all fashionable styles suitable for young people to wear. Peng Yuanda inferred from this that the thief's age would not exceed thirty years old.
"We're here."
Da Lizi got out of the car in front of a row of brick bungalows, interrupting Peng Yuanda's train of thought. This was Gongren Xincun, a 1950s-era development, with over a hundred brick bungalows lined up neatly, each one identical to the next. After more than twenty years of change, the residents' desire to expand their living space had transformed the once-orderly architecture into something unrecognizable. Every household had built its own small courtyard walls, which were piled high with coal, garbage, bricks, and all sorts of miscellaneous items that were either useful or useless. The originally narrow passageways had become even more treacherous to navigate. The air was filled with the smell of low-quality coal smoke and the stench of public toilets.
Da Lizi is very familiar with this place, parking his bicycle in front of a courtyard and entering without knocking. Peng Yuan follows closely behind him, just as he's about to enter the door, when suddenly a big yellow dog rushes towards Da Lizi's back, prompting him to shout: "Be careful, there's a dog!"
Da Lizi reacted extremely sensitively, his feet seemed to be equipped with springs, and he quickly jumped into the house. The distance between the door of the house and the gate was at least eight meters, and Da Lizi could jump that far in one step, which greatly surprised Peng Yuan. Da Lizi rushed into the house, immediately turned around, half-closed the door, and scolded the dog loudly: "You bastard, you're so vengeful! If I wasn't quick on my feet, today a piece of meat from my leg would have been fed to the dog! Tomorrow, I'll castrate you, see if you can still make trouble!" The dog raised its head and barked furiously at him. A man and a dog, separated by the door, were like two shrews quarreling and scolding each other.
