The autopsy report is out. We'll write the report today and close the case tomorrow!
This was the ultimatum given by the captain of the criminal investigation team to Wang Zey. Staring at the autopsy report, the word "suicide" was particularly glaring. Old Qu was right, but Wang Zey's heart could not be pacified. What could possibly drive such a vibrant young girl to suicide?
Just then, Old Qu walked over, offered Wang Zey a cigarette, and struck a match. The match head ignited a small flame. Wang Zey held the cigarette in his mouth, watching the flame. As it approached, he suddenly pinched out the cigarette.
"I'm going out."
"Xiao Wang, what can you change by doing this?"
"I have to try!"
The chubby little man with a buzz cut, round face, big nose, and thick lips seemed to be Wang Zey's only hope. Yesterday, Cao Shi had left an address when he came to the police station, and Wang Zey followed it.
It was a siheyuan, with the elegance of old Beijing and the new spirit of reform and opening up.
Upon entering, he saw a large table covered in snow. To the right was a grape trellis with several withered old vines hanging from it. An old man, dressed in an old cotton-padded jacket, sat in a grand tutor's chair under the eaves, holding a walking stick and gazing at the snow in the courtyard. Above him, four characters, "Wende Xiaoyuan," were written on the doorframe.
The old man was not tall, with a lean build. His face was full of age spots. Though advanced in years, his eyes held a unique radiance. As Wang Zey entered the courtyard, the old man saw him and smiled faintly, "Is it one of my disciples who has been careless and angered the authorities?"
"You have a disciple named Cao Shi?"
Hearing Wang Zey mention Cao Shi, the old man's expression changed. He called out, "Old Jiu, we have a guest. Bring out that Jasmine tea my friend gave me."
"Yes, Master."
Overhearing the conversation, Wang Zey finally noticed a person sitting on the hip roof of the house. He was about Wang Zey's age, in his thirties, holding a drawing board and sketching the beautiful scenery of the capital. This person, called Old Jiu, descended the ladder from the side, propped his drawing board under the eaves, and Wang Zey secretly glanced at it, marveling at the sight. It was definitely the work of a master.
What kind of family was this?
The siheyuan was large, with a reception hall facing south. Old Jiu invited Wang Zey in, and there was a small tea table between two horseshoe-backed chairs. After Wang Zey was seated, Old Jiu began to heat water on the stove. Water must be boiling, and tea must be fragrant; this was the rule for Wen De's Jasmine tea.
Teacher Wende and Wang Zey sat together. Old Jiu came to pour tea, standing to the right, with half a cup. Wang Zey knew this was a family of rules and dared not be disrespectful, raising his hand as a signal.
After pouring the tea, Old Jiu stood aside, waiting for Teacher Wende's instructions.
"Sir official, where do you serve?" Teacher Wende asked.
"Elder, I am Wang Zey from the criminal investigation team."
"Ze means to nourish, and Yi means morality. A good name!"
"Elder, you flatter me. I came to find Cao Shi because..."
"No rush, no rush, have some tea first. Old Jiu, where is Xiao Shi?"
"Reporting to Master, in the morning Senior Brother made braised tofu, and Xiao Shi craved fried dough sticks and went out to find some. The snow was heavy yesterday, I'm afraid the oil wok wasn't set up."
Teacher Wende stroked his beard and smiled, "Our Xiao Shi is a wild child. At thirty, he doesn't think about settling down or starting a career, only about finding food. Please forgive me, officer."
"Elder, I came to find him to..."
Teacher Wende waved his hand, interrupting Wang Zey again, "Since Xiao Shi found you, he must be confident."
This statement stunned Wang Zey. He hadn't said a word about it; it was Cao Shi who found him. Wang Zey thought for a moment, "Recently, there was a suicide case outside the Second Ring Road."
"Was it a foreigner who died?"
"How did you know?"
"People in Beijing seek peace of mind in their lives and are easily satisfied. No matter how hard life is, they endure in this small patch of land under the imperial city. Outside the Second Ring Road, as the saying goes, is beyond the capital, far from home. Therefore, those who live there are either truly unable to make ends meet or are outsiders."
Seeing that Teacher Wende was so old yet his mind was so clear, Wang Zey suddenly gained confidence in Cao Shi. He smiled and asked, "When will your disciple Cao Shi be back?"
"That's hard to say. If he's full, he's probably on his way back. If he's not full, he'll have to wait for lunch."
"Doesn't he study art?"
Wang Zey asked with great interest. Old Jiu, who had been like a background figure, rarely pouted.
"Haha, this is my most unruly disciple, ignorant and useless. Officer, if you have time, please help me discipline him."
"I might need Cao Shi's help."
"Him~" Old Jiu suddenly interjected. Teacher Wende was somewhat displeased. Old Jiu, sensing his master's anger, quickly lowered his head. Teacher Wende tapped the coffee table three times with his finger and said seriously, "Old Jiu, go and lend the officer a hand."
Old Jiu's expression was unhappy, but he still bowed his head and agreed, "Yes, Master."
...
Old Jiu and Wang Zey left Wende Xiaoyuan. Wang Zey then asked, "What did you instruct him?"
"Li Jiu, just call me Brother Jiu."
Without his master's restraint, Wang Zey could clearly feel Li Jiu's changed demeanor. He was arrogant and dismissive of others, calling himself Brother Jiu regardless of age. However, due to Mr. Wende's influence, Wang Zey was filled with confidence in Li Jiu. Brother Jiu it is, as long as he can solve the case, anything is fine.
He briefly explained the case of Miss Bai and mentioned the haunted house on the Second Ring Road. Li Jiu showed some interest. He wanted to see the scene, so Wang Zey took Li Jiu there. Li Jiu looked at the place where the hanging occurred and frowned, asking, "How tall was the girl?"
"About 1.6 meters?"
Li Jiu looked up at the roof, brought a stool, stood at Miss Bai's hanging spot, got off the stool, untied his shoelaces, tied them to the beam, then got down and said to Wang Zey, "You try!"
Wang Zey looked at Li Jiu's actions and said with a wry smile, "We considered this problem at the time. The height of the rope, her height, and the stool all matched."
"You try!"
Li Jiu repeated. Wang Zey had no choice but to stand on the stool. Li Jiu was about his height, and the knot of the rope was perfectly placed.
"Put your head in."
"Why?"
"Put it in!"
Wang Zey had never solved a case like this before. His heart filled with trepidation, he slowly put his head into the noose. At this moment, Li Jiu suddenly kicked the stool out from under him. Wang Zey dangled in the air, flailing his limbs. Li Jiu calmly squatted down, looked at the square table in the room thoughtfully, and then picked up the stool and placed it under Wang Zey's feet.
This nearly sent Wang Zey to his death. Wang Zey was furious on the spot, "Li Jiu, what are you doing? Do you want to kill me?"
"If you died, would it be suicide or murder?"
Li Jiu's question rendered Wang Zey speechless. Wang Zey looked at Li Jiu and understood what Li Jiu was trying to tell him. If Miss Bai had stood on the stool and someone had kicked it over, it would be murder, but the condition of the body would still suggest suicide.
"This, this can only be considered a suspicion, right?"
"There aren't many old houses with beams like this. Although the roof isn't high, a 1.6-meter-tall girl couldn't stand on a stool and tie the rope to the beam. For her to commit suicide in this spot, she would have to move the table and stand on it to tie the shoelaces to the beam."
It was like finding a treasure, Wang Zey was filled with surprise. He looked at Li Jiu and asked seriously, "Meaning, there was another man in this room, about our height."
"Stupid, women can also be our height. In the north, our height isn't considered tall."
"But how did the murderer get Miss Bai up there?"
Li Jiu snorted, "Didn't you just go up there yourself? There are many reasons, do you have to guess this too? You think this girl shouldn't have committed suicide. Now that you can prove she didn't commit suicide, don't come looking for me again. You know, cleaning up Cao Shi's mess is not a pleasant feeling at all. Every time Cao Shi tricks me into eating and drinking, Master makes me help him. Why should I be his tool? He's never beaten me in strategy simulations, chess matches, or word puzzles. Why should I serve him? Goodbye, and here's a parting gift for you: A police officer who can't even see through such a small trick, what kind of police officer are you!"
With that, Li Jiu walked out without looking back. Wang Zey was so angry he couldn't speak. He wanted to refute, but he genuinely hadn't noticed the problem. Now, he could use this reason to prevent the captain from closing the case, but how could he explain this sense of humiliation that welled up, making it hard to breathe?
...
Wang Zey wrote nearly a thousand words about his discovery and submitted a report stating that the case could not be closed. The captain read the report and laughed heartily, "Alright, you little brat has finally caught on! Then investigate, and have Old Qu help you."
Thinking of Old Qu's indifferent demeanor, Wang Zey had second thoughts, "Captain, can I have a different partner?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? Old Qu is experienced. Get lost and go solve the case!"
Although Miss Bai had lived in the haunted house for some time, her neighbors didn't know much about her. Wang Zey and Old Qu visited several households but learned nothing. The two rode their bicycles to the textile factory. Old Qu didn't want to go in and squatted by a large tree at the factory entrance to smoke. Wang Zey went in alone to ask. Miss Bai's superiors spoke highly of her, calling her smart, capable, and diligent. They had even planned to promote her to team leader after the New Year. How could she have inexplicably committed suicide? Regarding the day of her suicide, the factory leader had seen several girls chatting and laughing like sparrows. No one could have imagined that Miss Bai would hang herself that night.
"Thank you, leader!" Wang Zey prepared to take his leave when he couldn't get any more information. The leader asked mysteriously in a low voice, "Officer, it's not that I'm superstitious, but do you think it could be the ghost of the hanged woman from the old house who hasn't left and wants a replacement?"
Wang Zey frowned. The factory leader quickly chuckled, "I'm just talking nonsense. Young officer, please don't write this in your report!"
After Wang Zey left, he exchanged a look with Old Qu. Old Qu said helplessly, "Why are you looking for trouble? Wouldn't it be better to prepare for the New Year?"
After several setbacks, Wang Zey didn't want to speak. Just then, he heard someone shouting in the distance, "Tanghulu!"
He saw a fat man on a bicycle, pedaling furiously, chasing after him. "Vendor of tanghulu, please wait..."
"Old Qu, you go back first!"
With that, Wang Zey pushed his bicycle, ran a few steps, jumped onto the seat, and chased after the fat man!