Black Gold 1983

Ren Shouyi lit a cigarette, took a puff, and squinted his eyes.

"Did you go to see Han Tianfang?"

"not yet."

"When do you plan to go look for it?"

"Tonight," Renye said, "I'd like to discuss with you how to talk to him."

Ren Shouyi did not answer immediately. He took several puffs of his cigarette, smoking it down to the filter, before stubbing it out in the enamel mug.

"Tell him the truth," Ren Shouyi said. "Don't hide it from him, don't make decisions for him. He's not a child anymore; he needs to know what he should know."

Renye nodded.

In the evening, Renye went out and headed towards Han Tianfang's house. Halfway there, he turned into a small shop next to the mine and bought a bottle of liquor. It wasn't good liquor, just the kind sold in bulk, in a plastic bucket, costing a little over one yuan per jin (500g). He also bought half a jin (250g) of pig's head meat, wrapped in oil paper.

When he arrived at Han Tianfang's house carrying the wine and meat, the gate was ajar. Han Tianfang was squatting in the yard smoking, the same clothesline and the same work clothes swaying in the wind. When he saw Ren Ye come in, he paused for a moment, then glanced at the wine and meat in his hands, and then at his expression.

"Something happened?"

"No." Renye placed the wine and meat on the stone table in the courtyard. "I wanted to have a drink with you."

Han Tianfang didn't speak. He stood up and took out two enamel mugs and a bowl from the house. He poured the pig's head meat into the bowl and the wine into the mugs, moving very slowly.

The two sat down at the stone table.

Renye picked up his jar, and Han Tianfang did the same. They clinked their jars together and each took a big gulp. The liquor was spicy, burning from their throats all the way to their stomachs. Renye choked, but Han Tianfang didn't.

Neither of them spoke, they just drank. After a few sips and a few pieces of meat, Renye put down the jar, took out the letters from his pocket, and spread them on the table.

Han Tianfang glanced down, then looked up at Ren Ye. There was a light in his eyes that Ren Ye had never seen before—not anticipation, but fear.

"What is this?"

"Your mother's file. I found it at the Fenghuangshan Mine and the Wangtaipu Mine."

Han Tianfang didn't reach for the letters. He stared at them for a long time, as if looking at something he didn't know how to open.

"You went to Phoenix Mountain?" he asked.

"Yes, we went. We also went to Wangtaipu."

"Where have you been?"

Renye didn't beat around the bush. "I'll investigate your mother's background and find out what really happened between her and Han Changhe."

Han Tianfang's breathing became heavier, his chest heaving, and the enamel mug trembled slightly in his hand. He didn't get angry, didn't question him, but simply took another big gulp of wine and then slammed the mug heavily on the table.

"What did they find out?"

Renye recounted the contents of those letters in detail: Gu Guihua's background, her work at the Fenghuangshan Mine, her experience transferring to the Wangtaipu Mine, her application for leave without pay, and what the old lady had said.

He spoke while watching Han Tianfang's reaction. Han Tianfang didn't interrupt him or ask any questions. He just listened, drinking the wine in the jar one sip at a time, then poured himself another cup and drank that too.

When Renye finished speaking, the yard was so quiet that only the sound of the work clothes on the clothesline being flapped by the wind could be heard.

"You know," Han Tianfang said. It wasn't a question.

"understood."

Han Tianfang finished the last sip of wine, put the jar on the table, stood up, took a few steps in the yard, and then squatted down again.

"She's from Qinshui." He squatted there, his voice muffled. "When I was little, she always told me about Qinshui. She said there was a river in front of her house, a stone bridge over the river, and a big locust tree on the other side of the bridge. Every year when the locust blossoms, the whole village smells sweet."

Renye did not speak.

"She said she'd take me back to visit sometime when she had the chance." Han Tianfang's voice changed. "She's been saying that for so many years, but she's never gone back even once."

Han Tianfang buried his face in his hands, his shoulders trembling. He was silent, just like that night in the back mountain, crying silently.

Renye didn't try to persuade him or pat him on the shoulder. He picked up the enamel mug and downed the rest of the wine in one gulp, the spiciness making his eyes sting.

After a long while, Han Tianfang removed his hand from his face. His eyes were red, but there were no tears. He looked at Ren Ye, his lips moving several times before he finally spoke.

"Jinye, I have a question for you."

"you say."

"You said she went with Han Changhe, and that Han Changhe made her take a leave of absence without pay, is that right?"

Renye nodded.

"Where will she live after she takes unpaid leave?"

Renye's heart skipped a beat. He had been thinking about this question too, but hadn't gotten an answer from the old lady.

"Do you know if Han Changhe has any other place to live besides that family apartment at Hongxing Mine?"

Han Tianfang shook his head. "That's the only house he owns at the mine. After my mother comes, she can't stay there, and the neighbors will ask questions. He can't rent a place outside either; people at the mine are gossipy, and if word gets out, it'll be considered a matter of conduct."

Renye stood up and took a few steps in the yard.

"Then there's only one possibility." He paused, "Your mother didn't live in the mine, nor did she live outside."

Han Tianfang looked at him, his face gradually losing color.

"You mean—"

"I told you, don't rush me."

"you say."

Renye squatted down to be at eye level with Han Tianfang.

"Your mother took a leave of absence without pay from Wangtaipu and came to Hongxing Mine with Han Changhe. At that time, the West No. 2 Mining Area was still in production, and the underground chamber had already been dug. Han Changhe used his authority as the head of the electromechanical department to bring your mother down from the auxiliary shaft and settle her in that chamber."

Han Tianfang's face was as white as paper, and his lips were trembling.

"Your mother stayed there for almost a month."

The courtyard was as quiet as a graveyard.

Han Tianfang slowly stood up, walked to the metal cabinet in the corner, unlocked it, and took out the oil paper package from the bottom. He opened the oil paper, revealing the photograph. Gu Guihua was still the same, smiling, very beautiful, with long hair.

Han Tianfang pressed the photo to his chest, squatted on the ground, and finally burst into tears.

Renye stood there, the wind chilling his back. He looked up at the sky. It was completely dark; there was no moon, no stars, only a low-hanging cloud overhead, like a cloak that could never be lifted.

He recalled what Ren Shouyi had said: Han Changhe had wronged many people in his life, but there were very few that he could keep in his heart and dare not face.

Gu Guihua was the first. And perhaps the only one.

Han Tianfang cried for a long time, until he stopped crying and only his shoulders were shaking. Ren Ye went over, pulled him up from the ground, took the photo from his hand, wrapped it again in oil paper, put it back in the tin cabinet, and locked it.

"Where is Han Changhe now?" Han Tianfang's voice was so hoarse that it was almost inaudible.

"It should be in the mine. The electromechanical department."

Han Tianfang walked to the corner of the wall and picked up a shovel.

Renye blocked his way.

"Get out of my way."

"You went there with a shovel, what were you planning to do? Kill him? And then what? You'd go to jail, and who would take care of your mother in the back hills?"

Han Tianfang's hands, gripping the shovel, were bulging with veins, and he looked like a rope stretched to its limit, ready to snap at any moment.

"So, we're just going to leave it at that?" His voice trembled.

Renye placed his hand on the shovel handle and pressed down little by little.

"We can't let it end like that," he said, "but not in this way."

Han Tianfang slowly loosened his grip on the shovel. The shovel fell to the ground with a loud thud, particularly jarring in the quiet courtyard. He squatted down, hands on his knees, panting heavily, like a fish thrown ashore.

Renye picked up the shovel and placed it against the wall. He stood beside Han Tianfang, neither reaching out to help him up nor saying a word. Sometimes, people don't need comfort; they just need another person present, to know that he's still there.

After a while, Han Tianfang stood up, walked to the water vat, scooped up a ladle of cold water, and poured it over his head. The water streamed down his face, indistinguishable between water and tears. He threw the ladle back into the vat, wiped his face, and turned away.

"You're right." His voice calmed down a bit, but the fire in his eyes didn't go out. "Killing him won't solve anything. My mother's matter can't be left like this."

What are your thoughts?

Han Tianfang didn't answer. He walked to the stone table, sat down, poured the remaining wine into the jar, and drank it all in one gulp. He wiped his mouth and looked at Ren Ye.

"Is that mining deal you mentioned still valid?"

Renye paused for a moment, then said, "It counts."

"When will you make your move?"

"We'll act as soon as the policy comes out in April. It's almost the end of March now, so there are only a few days left."

Han Tianfang nodded, took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, took a puff, and the smoke billowed out of his nostrils and spread in front of him.

"Mining needs people," he said. "I'm one of them."

Renye looked at him, without saying anything like "You don't need to do this." He knew Han Tianfang wasn't helping him, but rather finding a way for himself. A way to gradually move aside the things that had been weighing on his heart for the past few years.

"Are you confident about the explosives?" Renye asked.

Han Tianfang didn't answer immediately. He put a cigarette in his mouth, squinted, and thought for a moment.

"The transport team's explosives warehouse is inventoried every two weeks. The last inventory was on March 20th, and the next one is on April 5th. From April 1st to 4th, the warehouse accounts were balanced; if one or two boxes of explosives were missing, it wouldn't be noticed without the inventory."

Renye frowned slightly: "One or two boxes? Do you really need that many?"

"We don't need that much. But if we take too little, it won't be enough, and we'll have to go back in to get more, which is riskier. We'll take enough at once, fry it all, and never touch it again."

Renye remained silent for a moment. He knew Han Tianfang was right, but the risks were considerable. While the transport team's explosives warehouse wasn't as heavily guarded as the mining bureau's main warehouse, it wasn't a place anyone could just enter and leave. It was locked, patrolled, and had records kept.

"How are you going to get in?"

"I have the key." Han Tianfang's voice was low. "The transport team changed the locks last year. The day I helped the team leader move, he was drunk and left the key on the table, so I made a copy."

Renye looked at Han Tianfang and suddenly felt that the person in front of him was a stranger. The Han Tianfang he knew was the carefree, easygoing guy who could be friends with anyone. Not the man in front of him who spoke in a low voice, had a gloomy look in his eyes, and even had a key made in advance.

"When did you get paired with her?"

"last year."

"You were planning to blow up that cave last year?"

Han Tianfang did not deny it.

Renye closed his eyes and went over the matter in his mind. Han Tianfang had a key made for the transport team last year, which meant he had been planning to take action since then. But he hadn't acted, waiting until now. Not because he was afraid, but because he was waiting for the right opportunity, an opportunity where he wouldn't be discovered or investigated after the explosion.

Now, the opportunity has arrived. The West Second Mining Area is to reopen, requiring underground construction, blasting, and tunnel modifications. At a time like this, who will care whether more or less blasting is done? Who can even find out?

"You want to take advantage of the mining opportunity to blow up that cavern," Renye said.

"right."

"After it's blown up, nobody will know what's underneath. Your mother's story will be sealed away forever."

Han Tianfang looked at him, his lips moving slightly.

"You don't want to?"

Renye didn't answer the question. He stood up and took a few steps in the yard. The wind blew in from the gate, making the work clothes on the clothesline rustle like countless hands patting something.

"It's not that I'm unwilling." He stopped and looked at Han Tianfang. "I just feel that your mother's story shouldn't be kept buried like this. She was murdered, and that person should pay the price."

Han Tianfang's expression changed.

"What did you say?"

Renye walked back, squatted down in front of Han Tianfang, and lowered his voice.

"Think about it carefully. Your mother went down the mine with Han Changhe; Han Changhe brought her down. After she went down, she never came up again. The West Second Mining Area was suddenly going to be sealed off. Han Changhe knew about it in advance, and he had time to bring her up, but he didn't. What did he say to your mother in the two days before the mine was sealed off? Did he go down down? Did he tell her that the mine was going to be sealed off? Have you thought about these things?"

Han Tianfang's hands were trembling. The cigarette slipped from his fingers, fell to the ground, and rolled to the side of the table leg.

"Your mother stayed in that chamber for almost a month. How many times did Han Changhe go down there during that month? How many times did he bring her food? Or did he never intend for her to come out in the first place?"

"Stop talking." Han Tianfang's voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from deep in his throat.

"If I don't say these things, no one else will." Renye didn't stop. "Your mother has been dead for over three years. How has Han Changhe been doing these past three years? Has he been sleeping well? Has he been able to eat? Has he gone to the back mountain to see your mother? Has he burned any paper money for her?"

Han Tianfang suddenly stood up, knocking over his chair which crashed to the ground with a thud. He stood there, trembling all over, like a tree about to break in the wind.

Renye also stood up, looked at him, and didn't say anything.

After a long while, Han Tianfang straightened the chair and sat down again. He buried his face in his hands, his voice muffled, as if it came from a deep well.

"You're right. He's never been to the back mountain. He's never even asked."