Chapter 13 Shen Xiaomei: Who would steal a bicycle bell?
Shen Xiaomei was a person who used to give the police officers at the women's prison a real headache.
She was only 21 years old when she was imprisoned, but her mental state was very poor. She was easily angered and manic. She would kick the iron door of her cell when she heard the sound of metal clanging. She would bite her lip when the word "bell" was mentioned in conversation. She would wake up frequently every night and her emotions were extremely unstable.
When the prison guards talked to her, they had to be careful not to touch her sensitive spots, otherwise she would jump up and bite the guards without thinking.
Her labor reform was ineffective. Usually, less than three months after her release, she would return to prison for theft. Facing judges and police, she showed no fear whatsoever, nonchalantly replying, "If I don't steal, how can I live?"
Jiang Ling, as the prison record clerk, reviewed the psychological evaluation report prepared for her by the prison guards. The conclusion was:
1. Mental disorders: Post-traumatic stress disorder, paranoid personality disorder;
2. Risk assessment: Recidivism risk index 92%, violent tendencies are highly correlated with situational triggers;
3. Challenges in reform: The obsessive worship of "Xiaoyue" constitutes a closed cognitive system.
However, Shen Xiaomei didn't clearly explain Xiaoyue's name or where she lived. But when she mentioned "Xiaoyue," her eyes shone with admiration and joy. She said Xiaoyue was dressed in white, looking ethereal, and her clothes were as clean as snow. She also said that Xiaoyue was like Guanyin Bodhisattva, never minding her being dirty, giving her a name, cooking for her, teaching her to read, and telling her bedtime stories.
Among Shen Xiaomei's personal belongings confiscated before her imprisonment was a brass bicycle bell. The top had a raised phoenix relief, which served as the license plate, the side was engraved with the pinyin "FENGHUANG," and the bottom had the single character "脏" (dirty). When questioned by the prison guards, Shen Xiaomei said the bell was a treasure left by Xiaoyue and couldn't be lost.
Could the theft of bicycle bells at the Jinwu Road Police Station be related to Shen Xiaomei?
With this in mind, Jiang Ling followed her colleagues from the case team and slowly walked into the police station.
Upon seeing her, Li Zhenliang asked with concern, "What are you doing here? Didn't Director Yao just say that you only need to focus on making promotional brochures from now on?"
Jiang Ling: "I want to see."
Li Zhenliang didn't mind: "Sure, you're welcome to participate if you want."
Inside the police station, a middle-aged woman who had filed a report was wiping sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief. Her bicycle leaned against the doorway, the handlebars bare except for the screw holes.
"Officer, this is my original bell, made of brass! It'll cost me 15 yuan to get a replacement!" Her voice trembled with tears. "Who the hell stole this bell?"
Li Zhenliang squatted down to inspect the handlebars, where fresh scratches remained on the metal surface.
“This guy’s a pro. I remember when I reported it last year, there were more than a dozen scratches on the handlebars, some deep and some shallow. This time, there are not only fewer scratches, but they’re also much shallower.” Li Zhenliang muttered as he pulled a notebook from his pocket. A trendy sticker was pasted on the notebook, which appeared to be a picture of a famous Hong Kong or Taiwanese celebrity.
Noticing Jiang Ling's gaze, Li Zhenliang waved his notebook at her, pointed to the stickers, and said with a smile, "Weng Meiling, my daughter's idol, do you like her?"
Jiang Ling waved her hand: "No."
Li Zhenliang is a chatterbox, and when he talks about his daughter, he goes on and on: "My daughter is only seven years old, but she already knows how to idolize celebrities. She bought a bunch of Barbara Yung stickers and sticks them everywhere she goes, hehe."
He then pulled out his wallet, pointed to the photo in the inner pocket, and said proudly, "How about it? Cute, isn't it? Doesn't it look like me?"
Jiang Ling's gaze fell on the small color photograph. The little girl was wearing a white bubble dress and a small beaded crown on her head. Her chubby, rosy face and bright, sparkling eyes made her look like a delicate and beautiful little princess.
Meiling, what a wonderful name.
Jiang Ling remembered that Shen Xiaomei once caught a prisoner in the cafeteria and beat him to death. Her reason was quite bizarre—
"Why is your name Meiling? Why did you use the character 'ling'? I get a headache whenever I hear a bell ringing. I'll beat you to death, you bitch!" Jiang Ling still remembers the crazy light flashing in her pupils, like two clusters of phosphorescent flames burning in the night.
The middle-aged woman who reported the theft sat in the chair, still muttering, "This is a Phoenix brand bicycle, the bell is brass, plated with chrome, it's very expensive. That bastard! Officers, you must arrest this little thief who stole my bicycle bell and make him pay me back!"
Liu Haoran, who received the report, diligently took notes, while Zhou Wei took out his camera and photographed the part of the bell that had been stolen for record-keeping.
Li Zhenliang gently comforted the person who reported the case: "Comrade Wang Cuimin, we have accepted your report and will definitely investigate it thoroughly. However, as you know, bicycle bells are vehicle accessories, small in size and low in value, making it difficult to obtain evidence. Don't worry, our director said that no matter how small the matter is, it is important to the people. We will definitely conduct a thorough investigation and strive to solve the case as soon as possible."
Seeing the police's friendly attitude, Wang Cuimin, who had reported the incident, felt much better: "Alright, I have to go home and cook, so I'll be going now. Please let me know if you have any news."
As Liu Haoran was organizing the police report, Zhou Wei smiled and said, "Goodbye, don't worry, we'll let you know if there's any news."
After Wang Cuimin left the police station, Liu Haoran sighed and pointed to the police report with his pen, saying, "This is the 12th similar report since last year."
Zhou Wei sighed as well: "Yeah, who would steal a bicycle bell?"
Li Zhenliang suggested, "Why don't we check the car repair vendors? Maybe they're the ones who stole it."
Liu Haoran shook his head: "We visited the repair shops near the theft site and found nothing unusual. Although replacing an iron bell only costs two yuan and fifty cents, it's still money."
Zhou Wei was quite meticulous: "It's not made of iron. I remember that in all 12 theft cases, they were all original Phoenix brand copper bells, which are much more expensive than ordinary iron bells."
Liu Haoran also remembered: "Oh right, they're all copper, each one costs 15 yuan. This guy has a good eye, he only goes for the expensive ones."
Li Zhenliang spoke up again: "Is it possible that the child was just being mischievous, thought the bell was cute, and was just messing around with it?"
Zhou Wei raised his hand: "Possibly. Think about it, if it's a professional thief, instead of putting on a bell, they might as well just steal the car. Not only is it quieter, but they can also sell it for a hundred or so yuan, which is more cost-effective."
Liu Haoran chimed in, "Yeah, we also think it's just kids causing trouble, playing secretly."
Li Zhenliang asked, "Have you investigated those who sell junk? Maybe some kids steal bells and sell them as scrap metal to buy candy."
Zhou Wei shook his head: "I checked several large scrap metal shops nearby, but I didn't find anything. If it's a private transaction, firstly, there are many scrap metal collectors who go from street to street, and secondly, if they dare to buy new bells, they definitely wouldn't dare to say so, so asking is useless."
This won't work, that won't work, solving this case feels so difficult.
Li Zhenliang couldn't help but sigh, "Even children need to be properly educated. As the saying goes, 'He who steals a needle when young will steal gold when old.' Early education can prevent them from going astray."
Jiang Ling pondered to herself.
Shen Xiaomei was 21 years old when she was imprisoned in 2003. Now, in 1993, she would be 11 years old, just a child. Could she be the one who stole the bell?
Jiang Ling closed her eyes, trying hard to recall the personal information recorded in her criminal file.
Date of birth: 1987 (presumed, household registration records are missing)
Education level: Illiterate (can recognize simple Chinese characters)
Place of origin: Unknown, Xiangxi accent
Family background: Abandoned as a child, she was taken in by a homeless woman named "Xiaoyue" (or Xiaoyue, Xiaoyue) in 1998.
Physical characteristics: missing right ear, burn scar on left shoulder, right hand is disabled with only three fingers remaining, height 152cm, weight 42kg.
Jiang Ling recalls that she added a note to the file back then: "The perpetrator's obsession with bells far exceeds that of ordinary theft. It is recommended to check the files of missing children in Hunan Province from 1980 to 1993, with a focus on the girl with a missing right ear."
The records do not show that Shen Xiaomei ever lived in Yanshi. She claimed that she wandered around until she met Xiaoyue, at which point she finally had a fixed place to live in the provincial capital.
I wonder if she, now 11 years old, lives in Yan City.
If it were her, why would she be wandering around?
If we can find her, we might be able to save a girl who has been repeatedly imprisoned for theft.
While Jiang Ling was pondering, Liu Haoran and Zhou Wei had already stood up: "Since someone has reported the case, let's go to the scene of the crime and take a look."
Jiang Ling handed the unfinished promotional brochure to Wei Changfeng: "Old Wei, keep this for me. I'll go take a look too."
Wei Changfeng took the picture book and glanced at Li Zhenliang.
Li Zhenliang understood instantly. He touched the side of his left foot with his right heel and immediately stood at attention and saluted: "Yes, sir! Xiao Jiang and I are a team, and we guarantee to complete the mission."
Wei Changfeng smacked Li Zhenliang on the forehead with a promotional brochure and said with a laugh, "You better behave yourself and stop fooling around."
Liu Haoran covered his mouth and chuckled as he walked out with Zhou Wei. The two of them always went on field missions together, inseparable, like brothers.
Li Zhenliang gestured for Jiang Ling to follow.
The two had been working together on field missions for three months and had gradually developed a tacit understanding. Jiang Ling hummed in agreement and walked side by side with Li Zhenliang.
The four of them rode the bicycles provided by their work unit to the South Street vegetable market, the scene of the crime.
The warm winter sun shone through the gaps in the building and fell on the four people.
The case was minor, and everyone assumed it was just children causing trouble, so there was no sense of heaviness in their hearts. They chatted and laughed all the way.
"They were all stealing original Phoenix brand bicycle bells, which is strange."
"I guess it's because it's expensive? Copper is much more expensive than iron, so it's worth more even when sold as scrap."
"If it's a child, maybe it's because the sound is nice? Phoenix's original bell has a double-cavity copper structure, which makes the sound clearer and longer than ordinary bells."
"I really don't know which naughty kid insisted on stealing the bell. If I catch him, I'll definitely teach him a lesson."
When the word "education" came up, Zhou Wei asked Li Zhenliang, "Hey, Da Liang, you're a father too. If... I mean, if your daughter Yan Yan made a mistake like this, how would you educate her?"
Li Zhenliang glared at him: "My Yan Yan is very well-behaved, she would never steal. Humph! If Yan Yan dares to make such a mistake, I will definitely spank her."
Thinking of the chubby little cutie in the photo, Jiang Ling felt a pang of tenderness and couldn't help but advise, "Your daughter is only seven years old. You should reason with her and not hit her."
She never married or had children in her previous life, which she always felt was a regret.
God knows how much she longed for a daughter—a soft, adorable child she could hold in her arms, smiling at her, trusting her unconditionally, and relying on her unconditionally. If she had a daughter, she would never bear to hurt her in the slightest.
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