Chapter 1: When there's something you're responsible for, take charge and get it done (7)

  Wang Dama is a woman in her forties, with grey hair and wrinkles all over her face silently telling the world about the hardships of life. Xiaolan rushed out to take the cabbage and potatoes from Wang Dama's hands, telling her that there were guests at home, Wang Dama responded with "oh yeah" and walked into the house.

  "Isn't the unit already distributing winter vegetables? Why are you still buying?"

  Wang's mother seemed to understand Da Lizi's question, "hmm hmm oh" gesturing as she conversed with Da Lizi, but he couldn't grasp her meaning. Xiaolan translated from the side: "My mom says that now each unit is distributing vegetables, so the cabbage and potatoes in the market are cheap. The winter vegetables that were distributed have all been put into the cellar, to be eaten when the prices go up in the market after spring arrives."

  Big Li then introduced Peng Yuanda to Wang Dama: "This is Comrade Peng, the head of the Public Security Bureau, he has come to ask you about the situation." As soon as Peng Yuanda heard Big Li promote himself, he quickly explained: "I'm not the head, I'm just an ordinary police officer." Wang Dama smiled and gestured twice, and the girl giggled and said to Peng Yuanda:

  "As long as the police do a good job, they can become section chiefs." Peng Yuandai finally gathered his courage and asked the girl a question: "Can your mother understand human language?" The girl gave him a white eye: "As long as you know how to speak human language, my mother will be able to understand." Peng Yuandai had heard that most deaf-mutes were unable to hear sounds.

  The lawyer spoke, but unexpectedly the old woman Wang was also mute and could understand what he said. He had a question to ask. After being rebuffed, Peng Yuandai thought that his previous questioning method was not good, so he didn't dare speak randomly again. Da Li told Old Woman Wang their intention, and she gestured and spoke in a long paragraph, but neither Da Li nor Peng Yuandai understood what she said.

  "My mom said that she's also very angry about this. She was cleaning up there when something like that happened, and she feels responsible too. She hopes you can solve the case as soon as possible and catch the bad guy, or else good people will be implicated."

  Now that it's come to the case, Peng Yuanda is no longer tense and restrained. He puts aside his distractions and asks Wang Dama: "You work in the women's bathhouse all day, based on your observations, have you seen anyone suspicious or abnormal?"

  Wang's mother did not answer immediately, and fell into deep thought. Peng Yuan further guided her: "Is there anyone under the age of thirty who is unreasonable in their behavior and makes you feel that they are different from others?"

  Wang's mother thought for a moment, slapped her thigh, and spoke in a mixture of gestures and words. Peng Yuanda and Da Lizi couldn't understand what she was saying, but they could tell that she was definitely talking about something important. Peng Yuanda looked at the girl, hoping she would translate. The girl said: "My mother thinks there's one person who is quite suspicious. That person went to the bathhouse several times on the days when things were lost. Who goes to the bathhouse every day? One time, my mother was sweeping the floor and bumped into her while she was getting dressed. When she saw my mother, she was so scared that she almost fell off the chair."

  In that era, ninety-nine percent of people did not have the conditions to take a bath at home. To take a bath, they had to go to the bathhouse in their work unit. Those who didn't have a bathhouse in their unit could only go to a public bathhouse. Fortunately, public bathhouses were very cheap, with a ticket costing five cents and a small tub costing twenty-five cents. Units with good welfare would even provide free tickets to the public bathhouse, so ordinary people could afford to wash once or twice a week. However, taking a daily bath in a public bathhouse was a luxury that raised suspicions.

  Upon hearing this, Peng Yuanda hastily asked for details about the woman who took daily baths, such as her appearance, clothing, and occupation. The answers to these questions were very complicated, and Xiaolan's translation could hardly keep up with Wang Dama's descriptions in a timely and accurate manner. Peng Yuanda was asking very urgently, and Xiaolan became impatient, handing over paper and pen to Wang Dama: "You'd better write it down yourself, there are some things I don't understand what you mean."

  Mrs. Wang wrote more fluently and accurately than through Xiaolan's translation, but Peng Yuandai secretly felt regretful because when Mrs. Wang started writing, Xiaolan ran to the kitchen next door to cook. Not seeing Dong Xiaolan's figure, Peng Yuandai suddenly felt empty in his heart, and he had no reason to call her back, so he could only focus on carefully reading what Mrs. Wang wrote. Through Mrs. Wang's description, Peng Yuandai got a general impression of that suspicious woman: she was a 27- or 28-year-old woman, about 1.62 meters tall, with a relatively proper appearance, except for her high forehead, and there were no other obvious flaws. Judging from her behavior, she might be a worker in some factory.

  "Think carefully, Aunt Wang. Are there any other characteristics of this woman? For example, are there scars on her face, any special features about her skin, what accent does she speak with? Tell me all the ways you think she's different from others." Peng Yuan continued to press for details.