Chapter 90: Still Needs Tempering

Next door in Room 501 lived a young couple. Word was, the conflict with Old Lady Huang from 502 started because 501 was a corner unit and had an extra small balcony. Old Lady Huang wanted to use that balcony to grow some green onions and garlic, so she just brought over some foam boxes and set them there.

Fine, grow your vegetables if you want. But she insisted on using homemade fertilizer, mixing stored-up urine with water and pouring it into the foam boxes. The stench was overwhelming, so strong it could punch through walls. Even with the door shut, it was impossible to block out.

The young couple couldn’t take it anymore and went over to reason with her. But Old Lady Huang was the type who’d argue even when she was clearly in the wrong, and she was a master at quarreling. No matter what the couple said, she flat-out refused to move the boxes.

The young man had a hot temper too. He snapped on the spot, saying, “If you can grow anything in those boxes, I’ll take your last name¹.” Old Lady Huang just sneered and slammed the door in his face, clearly not taking his threat seriously.

The next morning, she got up and went to water her little garden as usual, only to find the balcony completely empty. Everything was gone. She rushed downstairs and just happened to catch sight of the garbage truck driving off with her foam boxes full of vegetables.

Furious, Old Lady Huang stormed back upstairs and pounded on their door. The young man opened it and said just one sentence: “Forget about growing anything. You put it out again, I’ll throw it out again.” Then, copying her from the day before, he slammed the door shut. No matter how much she yelled or pounded after that, he never opened it again.

Old Lady Huang was so angry about her lost vegetables that she couldn’t sleep. Two nights later, under cover of darkness, she crept over to 501 with her chamber pot² full of urine and poured it all over their door.

The young man opened the door the next morning and nearly exploded with rage. Clenching his fists, he was ready to go confront her, but thankfully his girlfriend stopped him and called the police instead. The officers couldn’t do much with Old Lady Huang, who immediately burst into tears and made a scene. In the end, they had to call her son, who came to clean up and paid 500 yuan in emotional damages before the matter was finally settled.

From then on, the two households were sworn enemies. Their front doors were like opposing sides of a battlefield, and they never spoke again.

When Lei Liming arrived at Room 501 with Song Changfeng and Aofeng, the moment they knocked, the door opened. Clearly, the couple had been keeping an eye on things.

“Officers, I already told you everything earlier. Yes, we had some misunderstandings with that old lady, but I swear I didn’t kill her!” The man who opened the door had droopy brows and a worried look. A young woman stood behind him, both of them visibly nervous.

Lei Liming said, “Don’t worry. We’re not here to wrongly accuse anyone. There are just a few more things we’d like to ask you. Would it be alright if we came in?”

The young man quickly stepped aside to let them in. Once seated, Lei Liming began asking where they were and what they were doing at the time of the incident next door. As they answered, one of the officers pulled out a laptop and began taking notes. The transcript would later be printed for them to sign.

While the statement was being recorded, Song Changfeng took Aofeng around the apartment for a look. Judging by the layout, the couple had made their home warm and cozy. Every corner had its own thoughtful touch, and the overall atmosphere was harmonious. From a psychological standpoint, people who live like this typically aren’t prone to impulsive violence. Still, nothing is absolute. Every person and situation has two sides, and until the truth is revealed, it’s best not to jump to conclusions.

While Song Changfeng focused on the layout, Aofeng was paying attention to the smells. He carefully sniffed every room. The apartment had a mix of scents, but one thing was certain: there was no trace of blood. He had also sniffed the young man and woman at the door earlier, and neither of them had any such scent on their hands. In other words, the residents of Room 501 could basically be ruled out as suspects.

When Aofeng walked to the door and waited, Song Changfeng understood his meaning. He pressed a fist to his lips and gave a soft cough, signaling to Lei Liming that the search was complete.

Receiving the cue, Lei Liming wrapped up the conversation and stood up with a smile, shaking the young man’s hand. “Thank you both for your cooperation. If you happen to remember anything else related to the case, please don’t hesitate to contact us.”

Once they left the apartment, Lei Liming immediately asked, “Find anything?”

Song Changfeng replied, “Aofeng didn’t detect any suspicious odors in their home.”

Lei Liming wasn’t discouraged. From the conversation alone, he had already mostly ruled out Room 501 as a possibility. The young man might have a temper, but the woman was clearly a calming influence. They had a strong relationship, and with the woman now pregnant, it was highly unlikely the man would do something reckless that he’d regret for the rest of his life.

“Let’s head to 602 now,” said Lei Liming, taking the lead up to the sixth floor. After knocking on the door, the resident of 602 answered. He was a young man with a gloomy look, dark circles under his eyes, and an overall air of fatigue. When he saw it was the police again, a flicker of impatience crossed his face.

“What else do you want to ask? Just say it.” He made no move to let them in.

Lei Liming spoke seriously. “Comrade, there’s no need to be defensive. The crime happened so close by. Until we find the culprit, there’s a chance anyone could be in danger. Please cooperate.”

The young man’s expression darkened, but he couldn’t think of a rebuttal. In the end, he silently stepped aside and let them in.

“If you’re going to ask something, make it quick,” he said, glancing at the time and urging them along.

“Can you tell us again about the conflict between you and Old Lady Huang?” Lei Liming adjusted his approach in response to the young man’s attitude.

The young man looked exasperated, but still recounted the story of his dispute with Old Lady Huang. As it turned out, he was a writer. Like many in his field, inspiration struck him most often in the dead of night. That explained his constant fatigue and the dark circles under his eyes. The conflict with Old Lady Huang stemmed from their mismatched schedules.

Old Lady Huang, eccentric as she was, was also diligent. No matter the day, she would wake promptly at five in the morning and start clanging around in the kitchen making breakfast. The young man, having just fallen asleep, would be jolted awake, his head pounding. It had happened more than once, and this time he couldn’t take it anymore. So he went downstairs to ask if she could keep the noise down.

Old Lady Huang agreed at the door, but once it was shut, she carried on as usual—if anything, she made even more noise with her pots and pans. Soon, the neighbor from 402 came up to complain as well.

Old Lady Huang ignored the 402 neighbor’s complaints. After a few heated words, the two parted on bad terms. Watching the whole scene from nearby, the young man felt fed up. He realized reasoning with Old Lady Huang was pointless. The only way she might understand was if she experienced the same thing herself. Maybe then she’d think twice about disturbing others so early in the morning.

So that night, just after eleven, while Old Lady Huang was sound asleep, a loud bang came from upstairs, nearly scaring her out of bed. She cursed a few times and tried to fall back asleep, but then came another bang. Every time she started to doze off, more noise followed from above, keeping her awake all night.

At dawn, Old Lady Huang stormed upstairs and knocked on his door. When he opened it, she launched into a tirade. The young man, having endured her scolding, snapped. So it was fine for her to wake others before sunrise, but no one was allowed to disturb her? What a double standard. That night, he made noise again—this time targeting the floor above her bedroom, making sure not to bother any other neighbors.

After several sleepless nights, Old Lady Huang was furious. She didn’t care about the five hundred yuan fine. She grabbed her chamber pot and dumped it all over his door.

When the police received the complaint and saw the address, they felt a headache coming on. But duty was duty, and they had to mediate. After getting the full story, the officers criticized Old Lady Huang for her extreme reaction, but they didn’t condone the young man’s tit-for-tat behavior either. All it did was escalate the conflict. They called Old Lady Huang’s son and asked him to come deal with the situation.

Her son kept bowing and apologizing, his embarrassed demeanor moving everyone a little. Honestly, in all these years, they’d seen plenty of parents making trouble for their kids, but rarely one who gave her son this much grief.

“After that, did Old Lady Huang continue making noise in the early mornings?” Lei Liming asked.

The young man nodded. Whatever he remembered made his face sour, and his expression turned resentful.

“And how did you handle it?”

“What else could I do besides stuff my ears?” he snapped.

Lei Liming didn’t press further. He changed the subject. “Between eight and ten this morning, what were you doing?”

“Sleeping, of course!” the young man replied without hesitation. “I was up until four in the morning. Of course I was sleeping during the day. It was finally quiet for once.”

“You didn’t leave the apartment at all during that time?”

“Of course not. I haven’t left the apartment in nearly two weeks.”

“Can anyone vouch for that?”

“I live alone, so I don’t have any proof… Wait, are you suspecting me of killing that old lady?” The young man shot to his feet, his face full of disbelief.

Lei Liming’s expression remained unchanged. “This is just a routine inquiry. We ask the same questions to everyone.”

His calm demeanor made the young man feel a little embarrassed. He sat back down and said, “Sorry, officer. I just didn’t expect to get dragged into a case like this out of nowhere.”

“No problem. Shall we continue?”

The young man nodded, and the questioning resumed. Meanwhile, Song Changfeng and Aofeng made another sweep through his apartment. The layout was similar to Room 501, but the furnishings and arrangement were completely different. That place felt warm and cozy, while this one was more carefree and chaotic, with things scattered everywhere and no sign of tidying up. However, just like the previous apartment, there was no trace of a blood smell here either.

Aofeng went to stand by the door again and indicated that he hadn’t found anything. Seeing Aofeng looking a bit dejected, Song Changfeng walked over and gave his head a comforting rub. This was how investigations went. Cases like the hot spring resort one, where they identified the killer overnight, were rare.

Most cases required meticulous observation and tireless evidence gathering by the police to catch cunning criminals. Through constant battles of wits and will, officers gained and accumulated valuable experience. After handling enough cases, they’d develop a sharp eye, and by then, no trace left by a criminal would escape their notice.

He and Aofeng were just starting out in this line of work. There was still a long road of training and experience ahead!

Translator’s Notes