Black Gold 1983

Chapter 67

"Sir, construction at West Second is ready to begin. The workers are waiting, and the equipment has arrived. Could you please give us an update as soon as possible?"

The middle-aged man glanced at him without saying a word, placed the documents on a stack of files on the corner of the table, and took a sip of water from his teacup.

Renye didn't urge him any further. He took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and placed it on the table.

"Thank you for your help, sir."

The middle-aged man glanced at the pack of cigarettes, neither taking it nor pushing it away, but simply nodding.

Renye stepped out of the mining bureau building and stood on the steps, letting out a deep breath. The sky was overcast, the clouds hung low, as if it were about to rain, but it hadn't yet. Pedestrians quickened their pace, and cyclists pedaled faster, as if rushing home before a downpour.

He didn't rush to the station. Instead, he found a small restaurant by the roadside, ordered a bowl of noodles, and slurped it down. The noodles were very salty, and the soup was scalding hot. He broke out in a sweat, wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, put the money under the bowl, and went out.

On his way back, he kept thinking about the middle-aged man's expression. When that man looked at the geological data, his eyes were serious, not perfunctory. His questioning of the data's source wasn't nitpicking; it was his duty. The mining bureau had to approve so many mining applications every year, and the majority were unqualified. They had to ensure the country's compliance.

Renye isn't afraid of someone being serious; he's afraid of someone not being serious. A serious person will accept anything you present, as long as it's genuine. A non-serious person won't even look at what you present.

By the time he got home, it was already dark. Ren Shouyi sat in the main room, with the alleyway map in front of him; several more red circles had appeared on it. He wore his reading glasses and held a ballpoint pen, scribbling and drawing on the map.

"Dad, I'm home."

Ren Shouyi looked up and took off his glasses: "What did the mining bureau say?"

"I've received the materials and will reply in a few days."

Ren Shouyi nodded without asking further questions. He knew the rules of the mining bureau: receiving the materials didn't mean approval, but not receiving them meant approval was impossible.

"Let's wait," he said.

Renye sat down in the chair, took out the letter of intent for the Hongxing Mine that he had brought back from the Mining Bureau from his bag, and looked at it again. The official seal was bright red, and Wang Jianguo's signature was firm, each stroke conveying strength.

"Dad, do you think the mining bureau will approve it?"

Ren Shouyi did not answer immediately. He lit a cigarette, took a puff, and squinted at the calendar on the wall.

"It will be approved," he said. "Your geological data is genuine. Genuine information isn't afraid of being checked."

Renye looked at Ren Shouyi and suddenly felt much more at ease. This old miner, who had worked underground all his life and was lame in one leg, was never wrong.

For the next few days, Renye went to Shigou Village every day. The wellhead of West No. 2 needed to be repaired, the tunnels needed to be reinforced, the equipment needed to be installed, and the workers needed to be trained. He had to oversee everything, no matter how small.

Ma Tiejun organized the village's labor force, more than twenty young men, some who had been down the well before, and some who hadn't. For those who hadn't, Renye had Ma Tiejun take them to familiarize themselves with the equipment above ground until it was safe to go down.

Ma Xiaojun was in charge of logistics, buying materials, managing tools, and boiling water for the workers. Tiger Vanguard followed him everywhere, his fur glossy black, and he was a size bigger than when he first arrived.

Ma Dehou is in charge of underground support. He has worked as a support worker in the mine his whole life. He knows how to set up the wooden stakes and how much spacing to leave even with his eyes closed. He doesn't talk much, but his work is reliable. Every wooden stake is set up straight and properly. When you tap it with a hammer, it makes a deep, resonant sound.

Ma Maocai also came. He arrived and left on time every day, working diligently but not slacking off. He didn't talk much; he would listen to others chatting without interrupting, his face expressionless. Renye had observed him a few times but hadn't noticed anything unusual.

On April 10th, Renye was directing workers to reinforce the well wall at the West Second Wellhead when Ma Tiejun ran over from the direction of Shigou Village, holding a letter in his hand.

"Brother Ren! You're from the mining bureau!"

Renye threw down the wrench he was holding, wiped his hands on his trouser leg, took the letter, and opened it. Inside was a piece of paper with a few lines of writing on it, stamped with the official seal of the mining bureau.

He looked at it once, then again, and then looked up at Ma Tiejun.

"Approved."

Renye pulled the paper out of the envelope and looked at it again. It was white paper with black writing, stamped with the official seal of the Jincheng Mining Bureau, a bright red seal like a flame burning on the paper. It read: "After review, it is approved that the corner coal area of ​​the West Second Mining Area of ​​Hongxing Mine be transferred to the Shigou Village Collective Coal Mine for mining." The date was April 9, 1983.

Ma Tiejun came closer. He couldn't read, but he recognized the official seal. He stared at it for a while, then grinned, revealing a set of yellow teeth. He took the approval document from Renye's hand and examined it over and over again, like a child holding a new toy, reluctant to let go.

"It's approved," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "It's really approved."

Renye took the approval document back from his hand, folded it, and put it in his pocket. He stood beside the West Second Wellhead, looking at the gray sky in the distance, and exhaled deeply. The sky was still the same, gray and low, but Renye felt that the clouds were thinner than usual today, letting through a little light, faint, like a lamp covered with a veil.

"Brother Tiejun, go back and tell Uncle Dewang that the approval has been granted. Let's have a meeting tomorrow and invite all the shareholders in the village. I'll explain the situation to everyone."

Ma Tiejun responded and turned to run towards the village. He ran very fast, and the soles of his shoes slapped the dirt road, making a loud thud, like firecrackers.

Renye squatted beside the well, lit the cigarette he'd been holding for ages, and took a drag. He squatted there alone, the surroundings quiet except for the sound of the wind howling down the mountain ridges, like someone singing in the distance. He remembered his past life; he hadn't unearthed this coalfield in Xi'er until the late 1990s, more than a decade too late. This life, it was too early, everything was too early. Too early for Tian Sui'er to be married, too early for Ren Shouyi's legs to be completely crippled, too early for everything to still be in time.

He finished the cigarette, stubbed it out on the sole of his shoe, stood up, dusted off his trousers, and walked towards the village.

The next morning, the main room of Ma Dewang's house in Shigou Village was packed with people. Several old men, including Ma Dewang, Ma Decheng, Ma Delin, and Ma Dehou, sat around the eight-immortal table, while Ma Tiejun, Ma Maocai, and Ma Xiaojun sat on benches behind them. There were also more than a dozen villagers who had invested in the company, some standing and some squatting, filling the main room to the brim.

Renye stood in front of the octagonal table, took the mining bureau's approval document out of his pocket, and placed it on the table.

"The mining bureau's permit has been issued. We can start mining the coal in the West Second area."

The main room erupted in chaos. Ma Xiaojun was the first to jump up, startling Hu Xianfeng, who squeaked and darted out of his arms, weaving through the crowd. Ma Tiejun grinned, his eyes narrowing into slits. Ma Dehou took his pipe from his mouth, tapped it on his shoe, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out, like a crumpled piece of paper being slowly smoothed. Ma Dewang didn't smile, but his eyes shone brightly, a brightness not befitting a man in his sixties, but the light of youth.

Renye waited until everyone quieted down before explaining the mining plan from beginning to end. He went over each point in detail: wellhead repair, tunnel reinforcement, equipment installation, personnel training, safety regulations, production plan, cost accounting, and profit distribution. He spoke slowly, making sure everyone understood.

"According to the policy, our mine is a collective coal mine owned by the village and brigade, and its nature is collective ownership. Profits are distributed according to shares, with capital shares accounting for 70% and technology shares accounting for 30%. My father and I invested with our technology and management, accounting for 20% of the 30%, and the remaining 10% is left to the village as part of the village collective."

After these words were spoken, the main room fell silent for a moment. Some people whispered among themselves, but no one objected. Ma Dewang was the first to speak up: "I agree with what Renye said."

Ma Decheng and Ma Delin nodded in agreement. Ma Dehou put the pipe back in his mouth and muttered, "I have no objection."

Ma Tiejun stood up from behind: "Brother Ren is in charge, we all listen to him."

Ma Xiaojun also shouted, "Listen to Brother Ye!"

Ma Maocai sat in the corner, neither speaking nor nodding. He kept his head down, a blade of grass twirling between his fingers in his hand. Renye glanced at him but said nothing.

The meeting ended, and the crowd gradually left Ma Dewang's house. Ma Tiejun helped Renye clean up the eight-immortal table, stacked the benches, and then stood in the yard, looking at Renye.

"Brother Ren, when will construction begin?"

"The day after tomorrow," Renye said. "Tomorrow I'll go to the mine to find Han Changhe and bring back the remaining equipment. We'll start work early the day after tomorrow."

Ma Tiejun nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

After leaving Ma Dewang's house, Renye didn't rush off. He wandered around the village. He walked to Ma Maocai's house; the gate was closed, and people were talking inside. It wasn't Ma Maocai's voice, but a woman's voice, broken and intermittent, sounding like they were arguing or crying. Renye stood there for a while, then turned and left without knocking.

The day after tomorrow. Wednesday, April 12th, is an auspicious day for breaking ground.

Before dawn, Renye was already up. Li Yue'e was up even earlier, busy in the kitchen. The clattering of pots and pans carried through the wall. She had prepared a more lavish breakfast than usual: millet porridge, steamed buns, pickled vegetables, and a dish of scrambled eggs. The eggs were golden and glistening with oil, looking incredibly appetizing.

Renye sat down at the table, picked up the bowl of porridge, and took a sip. The millet porridge was very thick, with a thick layer of rice oil that stuck to his lips. He blew on it and took another sip.

Li Yue'e came out of the kitchen with a plate of pickled vegetables, placed it on the table, and sat down opposite him. She didn't say anything, just sat there watching him eat. Ren Ye felt a little embarrassed by her gaze and looked up at her.

"Mom, aren't you going to eat?"

"I'm not hungry," Li Yue'e said, her voice a little hoarse, as if she was enduring something.

Renye didn't ask any further questions and lowered his head to continue eating. He ate very slowly, chewing each bite for a long time, as if he were savoring something precious.

Ren Shouyi came out of the bedroom, wearing a faded Zhongshan suit, the buttons neatly fastened, and his hair combed. He looked much more energetic than usual. He sat down opposite Ren Ye, picked up the bowl of porridge, took a sip, put it down, and looked at Ren Ye.

"Should construction begin today?"

"Construction begins today."

Ren Shouyi nodded, said nothing more, and lowered his head to drink his porridge. He drank very slowly, sip by sip, as if he were savoring something.

The three of them sat there in silence. The old grandfather clock ticked away on the wall, round and round.

Renye put down his bowl, stood up, and looked at Li Yue'e and Ren Shouyi.

"Dad, Mom, I'm leaving."

Li Yue'e stood up, walked up to him, reached out and pulled off a loose thread from his collar, took a step back, looked him up and down, and nodded.

"Go."

Ren Shouyi remained seated in his chair, not standing up, but simply waved his hand.

Renye turned and went out the door.

The sky was just beginning to lighten in the courtyard, the east was turning a pale white, and a thin morning mist hung in the air. In the distance, a few lights still shone in the mining area, like stars that refused to go out. Renye stood at the gate of the courtyard and took a deep breath. The air was filled with the coolness of early spring and the scent of earth.

He put his hands in his pockets, found the pack of cigarettes, took one out, put it in his mouth without lighting it, and strode towards Shigou Village.

By the time they arrived at the West Second Mining Area, it was already daylight. The area around the wellhead was crowded with people: Ma Tiejun, Ma Xiaojun, Ma Dehou, Ma Maocai, and a dozen or so laborers from Shigou Village. Some carried shovels, some pickaxes, and some carried wooden stakes. They were all looking at Renye, their eyes shining with a light that only appears when hope is seen.

Renye stood beside the well, looking at the people, at the collapsed land that had been barren for more than three years, at the gray sky in the distance and the mountain shadows further away.

"Let's get started," he said.

"Let's get started." Ren Ye's voice wasn't loud, but in the quiet of the morning, every word was clear. Ma Tiejun was the first to move. He spat into his palm with the shovel, gripped the handle tightly, and shoveled into the mound of earth beside the well. The soil was loose, and each shovelful left a deep pit. Ma Xiaojun followed behind, shoveling the excavated soil aside. Ma Dehou squatted by the well, running his hand along the stones of the well wall, checking the stability of the supports. He felt them very carefully, touching every single stone as if he were caressing a precious piece of porcelain.

A dozen or so laborers were scattered around the wellhead; some were reinforcing the well walls, some were clearing rubble from the alleyway entrance, and some were moving wooden stakes and thorny branches. Renye wasn't idle either; he rolled up his sleeves and shoveled soil with Ma Tiejun. He worked very hard, shoveling every shovel to the bottom, sending the soil flying high. Sweat streamed down his forehead, dripping into the soil and creating small pits.

Ma Maocai was also working. He was on the other side of the mine shaft, moving wooden stakes with several other laborers. He worked as usual, neither slacking off nor overworking; he did the work he was supposed to, and he sweated as much as he was supposed to. But Renye noticed that every now and then, he would look up and glance towards the mining area, as if he were waiting for someone, or as if he were guarding against someone.