Black Gold 1983

Ren Ye paused for a moment. The college entrance exam. He wasn't surprised at all when those two words came from Tian Sui'er's mouth. She had always been the most studious girl in the residential compound. While other children were running around in the yard, she was studying indoors. While other girls were thinking about buying clothes and getting their hair permed after starting work and earning money, she saved her salary to buy books and study materials. Taking the college entrance exam had always been her dream. If her family hadn't forced her to get engaged to Xu Dongsheng, she would have taken it long ago.

"What major should you study?" Renye asked.

Tian Sui'er glanced at him, a hint of surprise in her eyes, probably not expecting him to ask such detailed questions.

"Chinese."

"Chinese?" Renye thought for a moment. "You want to be a teacher?"

Tian Sui'er shook her head, tied the bag shut, and carried it in her hand. "I don't know. I just want to go to school, I want to go out and see the world." She looked up at the drab tenement buildings in the residential compound. "I don't want to stay here forever."

Renye looked at her. Her profile was outlined in a warm yellow by the streetlights; her nose was straight, and her chin was clean-cut. He remembered how, in his past life, Tian Sui'er failed to take the college entrance exam, was married off to Xu Dongsheng, and was trapped in a loveless marriage, trapped by the gossip of the mining area, trapped her whole life, and finally jumped off a building. In this life, she finally had the chance to escape.

"Take the exam," Renye said. "If you pass, I'll support you."

Tian Sui'er turned to look at him, something flashing in her eyes for a moment before disappearing. "Who needs your support?" She turned her face away, her ears red. "I have my own salary, I've saved money."

"Your salary isn't even enough to buy books." Renye pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took one out, and put it in his mouth without lighting it. "Besides, you quit your broadcasting job, so where would you get a salary?"

Tian Sui'er was momentarily speechless, glared at him, but didn't say anything in rebuttal. She had indeed quit her job as a broadcaster, and now she had no income and could only live off her savings. The little money she had saved could last her a while buying books and materials, but it was far from enough to pay tuition, living expenses, and food and lodging in the provincial capital.

"I can work in the provincial capital," she said, her voice lower and less confident.

Renye didn't reply. He took the cigarette from his lips, rubbed it in his hand, and then put it back in his pocket. He looked at Tian Suier, but Tian Suier looked away. The two of them stood there under the streetlight, neither of them speaking. The night wind blew in from the alley entrance, blowing the stray hairs on Tian Suier's forehead, then letting them fall, then blowing them up, then letting them fall.

"Sui'er," Renye said.

Tian Sui'er turned her face to look at him.

"You focus on your exams, don't worry about anything else." Renye's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear. "I'll figure out the money."

Tian Sui'er opened her mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again. She lowered her head, looking at the cloth bag she was carrying, and after a long while, she softly hummed in agreement. The sound was so soft that Ren Ye wouldn't have heard it at all if he hadn't been waiting.

Renye reached out and took the cloth bag from her hand, carrying it himself. "Let's go, I'll take you home."

The two walked side by side into the residential compound. The streetlights cast long shadows of them on the dusty cement pavement, one taller than the other, very close together. When they reached the foot of Tian Sui'er's building, Renye stopped and handed her the cloth bag.

"Let's go up."

Tian Sui'er took the cloth bag, walked up the steps, took two steps and then stopped, turning back to look at him.

"Nino."

"Um."

"I heard about your mining business." Her voice wasn't loud, but it was serious. "Be careful."

Renye looked at her, and felt a warmth spread through his heart.

"Don't worry," he said.

Tian Sui'er didn't say anything more, turned around and went upstairs. The light in the hallway flickered on for a moment, then went out again. Ren Ye stood downstairs, staring at the closed door, for a long while before turning back.

When Renye opened the door, Ren Shouyi was still sitting in the main room, with the map of the tunnels in the West Second Mining Area spread out in front of him. Several more red circles had appeared on the map. He was wearing reading glasses and holding a ballpoint pen, writing something in the blank spaces on the map. When he saw Renye come in, he put down the pen and took off his glasses.

"Has the equipment deal been finalized?"

"It's settled. The winch, water pump, mine car, and rails will cost five thousand in total." Renye took out the ledger and handed it to Renshouyi. "Take a look."

Ren Shouyi took the account book and flipped through it page by page, looking at it very carefully. After he finished reading it, he closed the account book and returned it to Ren Ye.

"The price isn't expensive. If you were to buy these things new, they would cost at least ten thousand yuan." He paused, "The price Han Changhe gave you is the cost price; he didn't make a single penny off you."

Renye nodded; he knew. Regardless of what Han Changhe had done to Gu Guihua, or how much he owed Han Tianfang, at least he hadn't cheated him on the equipment issue.

"What about the explosives?" Ren Shouyi asked. "Did Tianfang take care of it?"

"It's all taken care of. The well we went down last night has been blown up. The cavern has collapsed, and the tunnels have been sealed off."

Ren Shouyi remained silent for a moment, then picked up the cigarette case on the table, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a drag. Smoke billowed from his nostrils, slowly rising under the light.

"Good riddance," he said. "Some things are better left buried forever."

Renye knew he was talking about Gu Guihua, but it wasn't just about Gu Guihua. Buried underground in the West Second Mining Area was not just a set of remains, but also too many things that were hard to explain—the roof collapse of that year, the dead miners, and the guilt and regret that the survivors could never let go of.

"Dad, have you heard about Xu Dongsheng's matter?"

Ren Shouyi flicked his cigarette ash: "I've heard about it. The mine posted a notice suspending Xu Hongbing from his position as section chief, and Xu Dongsheng is suspended from his duties to cooperate with the investigation."

Do you think this matter can be verified?

Ren Shouyi didn't answer immediately. He smoked most of his cigarette before slowly speaking. "Xu Hongbing has worked in the mine for so many years; his connections are incredibly complex. No matter how detailed the whistleblower's letter is, without an insider testifying, he can't be convicted. Everyone knows what's going on in the transport team, but who's willing to testify? If you offend Xu Hongbing, how can you ever work in the mine again?"

Ren Ye fell silent. He had considered all of Ren Shouyi's points, but his thoughts ran deeper. Who wrote the whistleblower letter? If not Han Tianfang, then who? If it was Han Tianfang, why would he report Xu Dongsheng? Was it to help him, or was there some other reason?

He doesn't have the answers to these questions now, but he will eventually.

For the next few days, Renye was extremely busy. During the day, he went to Shigou Village to discuss the specifics of setting up the mine with Ma Dewang; he went to the machinery and electrical department's warehouse to inventory the equipment to be purchased and arrange for it to be transported; he went to the county town to inquire about the exact implementation of the policies. When he returned home at night, he would still look at blueprints, do the accounting, and discuss the next steps with Ren Shouyi.

On April 3rd, Renye was checking the fundraising accounts with Ma Dewang in Shigou Village when Ma Xiaojun came running from the village entrance, panting.

"Brother Ye! Brother Ye! Something's happened!"

Renye looked up and saw Ma Xiaojun running breathlessly, his face pale.

"What's wrong?"

"From the mine! People from the mine are here! They went to West Second!" Ma Xiaojun, bent over with his hands on his knees, gasped for breath. "From the security department! And a few others in uniform, not from the mine, they look like they're from the Public Security Bureau!"

Renye's heart sank. He closed the ledger, handed it to Ma Dewang, and stood up to leave. Ma Tiejun chased after him from the courtyard.

"Brother Ren, I'll go with you."

The two walked quickly towards the West Second Mining Area. Renye walked ahead, his pace so fast that Ma Tiejun almost had to jog to keep up. Neither of them spoke the rest of the way; Renye's expression was somber, and Ma Tiejun didn't press the matter.

From a distance, several figures could be seen at the collapsed area in the West Second Mining Area. There were security officers in gray-blue uniforms and two police officers in white uniforms. They were standing at the location of the vertical shaft, where the tarpaulin had been removed, and someone was shining a flashlight down into the shaft.

Renye stopped a dozen steps away from them, and Ma Tiejun also stopped.

An officer from the security department saw them, walked over, and looked them up and down.

What are you people doing?

Renye glanced at the security officer and recognized him. It was Ma Guoliang, the deputy head of the security department who had caught Tian Suier acting like a hooligan at her house last time.

"Section Chief Ma, it's me," Renye said.

Ma Guoliang recognized him and frowned slightly.

What are you doing here?

Renye didn't answer, but instead asked, "Section Chief Ma, what are you doing?"

Ma Guoliang glanced at him, made no attempt to hide anything, and said in a low voice something that made Ren Ye's heart race: "Someone reported that someone is illegally mining and stealing national coal resources in this subsidence area of ​​the West Second Mining Area. The mine sent us to come and take a look."

Renye stood at the edge of the collapsed area, watching Ma Guoliang and the police officers gathered around the shaft. His hands were in his pockets, clenching and unclenching repeatedly. His face was expressionless, but his mind was racing.

Someone reported that the mine was operating illegally and stealing national coal resources.

These words swirled in his mind, like water seeping from a well, dripping incessantly. Who was the whistleblower? Xu Dongsheng? Xu Hongbing? Or someone else entirely?

Seeing that he didn't speak, Ma Guoliang added, "Renye, this land is within the mining area of ​​the Hongxing Mine. Without the mine's permission, no one can start work here. Are you aware of this?"

Renye looked up at Ma Guoliang, took his hands out of his pocket, and wiped the sweat from his palms on his trouser leg.

"Section Chief Ma, I've heard that someone has been eyeing this area of ​​West Second, but it wasn't me. I came here today because I heard that someone was breaking ground here, so I came to take a look."

Ma Guoliang stared at him for several seconds, his eyes filled with scrutiny, suspicion, and something else that was hard to define. He took two steps forward, lowering his voice so that only the two of them could hear him.

"Renye, I don't care what you're up to. But I'm giving you a piece of advice: don't touch this land in Xier. The mine is watching, the bureau is watching, if you touch it, you're asking for death."

Renye looked at him but didn't reply.

Ma Guoliang stepped back, turned around and walked to the side of the shaft, where he said a few words to the two policemen. The policemen made some notes in their notebooks, and then the group covered the shaft with tarpaulin again, weighed it down with stones, and left.

Renye stood there, watching their figures disappear at the end of the dirt road. The wind blew down from the mountain ridge, chilling his back.

"Brother Ren," Ma Tiejun walked to his side, his voice low, "what do we do now?"

Renye did not answer immediately. He squatted down, untied the rope from the root of the old locust tree, coiled it up, and held it in his hand.

"Let's go back first. We'll talk about it when we get to Shigou Village."

The two walked back along the path they had come from. Renye walked slowly, but his steps were heavy, each step firm as if he were measuring something. Ma Tiejun followed behind, wanting to speak several times, but swallowing his words back.

Upon arriving at Shigou Village, several people were already gathered in the main room of Ma Dewang's house. Ma Dewang, Ma Decheng, Ma Delin, Ma Maocai, and Ma Xiaojun were all there, and even Ma Dehou had come, squatting on the threshold smoking a pipe, his face expressionless. Renye placed the rope in the corner of the yard, went into the main room, and sat down next to the eight-immortal table.

Ma Dewang poured him a bowl of water. Renye picked it up, took a sip, put it down, and looked at everyone in the room.

"People from the mine have come," he said. "From the security department and the public security bureau. Someone reported that someone is illegally mining in the West Second area."

The room erupted in chaos.

"Who reported it?" Ma Maocai was the first to stand up, his face flushed red. "Was it someone from the Hongxing Mine? They won't operate it themselves, but they won't let others operate it either?"

Ma Xiaojun, holding Hu Xianfeng, was pale-faced: "The police are here, will they arrest us?"

Ma Dehou took the pipe out of his mouth, tapped it on the sole of his shoe, and muttered, "Who are you arresting? We haven't even started digging yet, what law have we broken?"

Ma Decheng tapped the table to silence the commotion in the room.

"Stop arguing." He looked at Renye. "Rinye, what do you think we should do?"

Renye finished the remaining water in his bowl, wiped his mouth, and glanced at everyone's face.

"The policy hasn't been released yet, so if we start construction now, it would indeed be a violation. The person who reported us is taking advantage of this, trying to block us before we can even begin." He paused for a moment, "So, we can't move now. Not even a single blade of grass."

Ma Maocai panicked: "What about the money we raised? Are we just going to throw it away?"

"Who said it was thrown away for nothing?" Renye's voice wasn't loud, but it was firm. "I said it can't be touched now, not that it can't be touched forever. The policy will be released by the end of this month at the latest, and then it will be perfectly legitimate, and no one can do anything about it."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Ma Dewang spoke up, his voice low but steady: "Renye is right. Taking action now would be handing someone a knife. Once the policy is in place, we can act legitimately, and no one can stop us."

Ma Maocai opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again, plopped back down in his chair, and turned his face away. Ma Tiejun patted him on the shoulder, but he brushed it off.

Renye stood up and looked at the people in the room.

"These next few days, everyone should keep a low profile. Don't go to West Second, and don't go near the shaft opening. If anyone asks, just say you don't know anything about it and have never been there. Those who need to farm should farm, and those who need to go to work should go to work. Wait for my news."

He took the ledger out of his pocket and placed it on the octagonal table.