Black Gold 1983

Renye remained silent. He knew that Han Changhe was referring not only to the winch, but also to himself.

"Uncle Han, don't take Tianfang's matter too seriously. It's not that he doesn't acknowledge you; he just needs time."

Han Changhe paused for a moment, then put the cigarette in his mouth, took a drag, and exhaled smoke from his nostrils, which dispersed in the sunlight.

"I know," he said. "I'll wait for him."

The two men squatted beside the pile of equipment, meticulously checking each item one by one. There was one winch, one water pump, ten mine cars, three hundred meters of track, and numerous miscellaneous items such as cables, wires, lighting equipment, and switches. Han Changhe took a notebook and wrote everything down, then handed it to Ren Ye.

"Count them, are they right?"

Renye took it, read it from beginning to end, and nodded.

"Uncle Han, regarding the price, I think the number you mentioned last time was too low."

Han Changhe looked up at him.

"Three hundred for the winch, two hundred for the water pump, two thousand for ten mine cars, one thousand five hundred for the rails, and one thousand for miscellaneous items, totaling five thousand. Even if these things were sold as scrap metal, they would fetch more than this price." Renye handed the notebook back. "I'd feel more at ease if you added a little more."

Han Changhe stared at him for a long while, then suddenly smiled. The smile was faint, but genuine, unlike the perfunctory smiles of the past; it came from the bottom of his heart.

"You little brat, just like your dad." He took the notebook, made a few changes, and wrote, "Windmill 500, water pump 300, mine car 250 each, 10 cars 2500, tracks still the same, odds and ends 1500. Total 5500."

Renye looked at it and nodded.

"make a deal."

In the afternoon, Ma Tiejun borrowed a tractor from Shigou Village and drove it to the entrance of the electromechanical department's warehouse. Ren Ye and Han Changhe, along with several workers, loaded the equipment onto the tractor one by one. The winch was the heaviest, requiring four people to lift it, leaving them drenched in sweat. The water pump was lighter, needing only two people. The mine cars were pushed up one by one, secured with ropes to prevent them from falling apart on the road.

Han Changhe stood by, watching them load the truck, occasionally lending a hand, handing over a tool, or adjusting the equipment. His movements were slow but steady, and he did everything perfectly.

By the time the last mine car was loaded, it was almost dark. Ma Tiejun tightened the rope again, jumped onto the tractor, and started the engine. The tractor sputtered and churned, a plume of black smoke billowing from the exhaust pipe and dissipating into the twilight.

Renye walked up to Han Changhe and extended his hand.

"Uncle Han, thank you."

Han Changhe grasped his hand; the rough palm was warm. He squeezed it briefly, then released it.

"Work hard. Don't embarrass your dad."

Renye nodded, jumped onto the tractor, and patted Ma Tiejun on the shoulder. The tractor chugged out of the warehouse, onto the dirt road, and headed towards Shigou Village. Renye glanced back; Han Changhe was still standing at the warehouse entrance, the setting sun casting a long, long shadow over him. Standing there, he looked like an old tree planted in cement, its roots unable to take hold, unable to move.

The tractor bumped along the dirt road. Renye sat in the back, surrounded by rusty equipment. The evening breeze was cool on his face, carrying the scent of earth from the fields. He leaned against the mine cart, looking up at the sky. The clouds on the horizon were dyed orange-red by the setting sun, layer upon layer, like a richly colored painting.

Ma Tiejun called out from the front, "Brother Ren, where do we put all this equipment when we get back?"

Renye sat up and thought for a moment: "Let's put it in your yard for now. We'll move it over after the well in West Second is repaired."

"OK."

The tractor entered Shigou Village and stopped in front of Ma Tiejun's house. Ma Tiejun dismantled the gate, and the tractor drove directly into the yard, unloading the equipment against the wall. Renye and Ma Tiejun carried it out piece by piece. After they finished, the two squatted in the yard and smoked.

"Brother Ren, what did the mine say about the mining rights?"

Renye took the approval document out of his inner pocket and handed it to Ma Tiejun. Ma Tiejun took it and looked at it. He didn't recognize many words, but he recognized the official seal, bright red like a ball of fire. He returned the approval document to Renye, grinned, and revealed a set of yellow teeth.

"It's done."

"It's done," Renye said. "But it's only an indication of intent; the formal mining license still needs to be approved by the mining bureau. However, it's not a big problem. The policy has already been issued, and the mine supports it. It's just a matter of going through the procedures."

Ma Tiejun nodded, finished his cigarette, stubbed it out on the sole of his shoe, stood up, and dusted off his trousers.

"Brother Ren, there's something I want to tell you."

"you say."

"Mao Cai went out again today. He left early this morning and hasn't returned yet."

Renye frowned slightly. Ma Maocai went out twice yesterday and again today; this frequency was unusual.

"Tell me when he gets back. Don't tell anyone."

Ma Tiejun nodded.

After leaving Ma Tiejun's house, Renye didn't rush home but took a walk around the village. It was already dark, and the village lanes were unlit, pitch black, with only a few windows letting in a dim yellow light. He walked to Ma Maocai's house; the gate was closed, and there were no lights inside. It was quiet and didn't seem like anyone was home.

He stood outside the courtyard wall for a while, then turned and left.

When Ren Ye returned home, Li Yue'e had already set the table. Tonight's dishes were more plentiful than usual, including a dish of stir-fried cured pork with garlic sprouts and a bowl of egg drop soup. Ren Shouyi was sitting at the table, his rice bowl half empty. When he saw Ren Ye come in, he put down his chopsticks.

"Did you get it?"

Renye took the approval document out of his inner pocket and placed it on the table. Ren Shouyi picked up the document, put on his reading glasses, and read it word by word. His fingers moved slowly across the paper, as if touching something precious.

After reading it, he put down the approval document, took off his reading glasses, and took a sip of the egg drop soup.

"Okay." He only said one word, but Renye could hear the weight in that word.

Li Yue'e came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of rice and placed it in front of Ren Ye. She glanced at the approval document on the table, didn't ask what it was, and pushed the bowl towards Ren Ye.

"Have a meal."

Renye picked up his bowl and shoveled a large mouthful of rice into his mouth. The rice was fragrant, and the stir-fried garlic sprouts with cured pork was also very delicious. He ate two bowls in one go and even finished the egg drop soup. Li Yue'e watched him eat, a slight smile appearing on her lips, but she quickly suppressed it.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

Renye put down his bowl, wiped his mouth, and looked at Li Yue'e.

"Mom, once I make money, our family will eat cured meat every day."

Li Yue'e rolled her eyes at him, collected the bowls, and took them to the kitchen to wash. The tap was running, and with her back to Ren Ye, her shoulders trembled slightly; it was unclear whether she was laughing or something else.

Ren Shouyi stood up, bracing himself against the edge of the table. His lame leg was weak, and he swayed slightly. Ren Ye quickly helped him up.

"Dad, don't move, let me help you back to your room."

Ren Shouyi waved his hand, pushed it away, and walked back to the bedroom step by step. The door closed, and the old grandfather clock ticked away on the wall, round and round.

Renye sat in the main room, looked at the approval document again, folded it, and put it in his pocket. He took out the pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took one out, lit it, and took a puff.

Smoke slowly rose under the dim yellow light.

He remembered what Tian Sui'er had said—"Then you absolutely have to come."

He recalled Han Tianfang squatting in front of the grave on the back hill, Han Changhe's shadow stretched long by the setting sun as he stood at the warehouse door, Ren Shouyi's body swaying slightly as he stood up with his hand on the table, and the fleeting smile on Li Yue'e's lips as she walked out with her rice bowl.

He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, stood up, turned off the light, and went back inside.

I have to get up early tomorrow. I need to go to the mining bureau to get the official mining permit.

Renye was up just as dawn was breaking. Li Yue'e was already busy in the kitchen. Hearing him push open the door, she peeked out from beside the stove and said, "So early?"

"Let's get going." Renye grabbed a cold steamed bun from the table, stuffed it into his pocket, and filled a jug with water.

"It's a long way to the mining bureau, take the shuttle bus, don't be stingy with the money." Li Yue'e took out a few crumpled banknotes from her apron pocket and stuffed them into his hand. Renye looked down and saw that they were several one-yuan notes and a few small bills, which felt thin but heavy in his hand.

"Mom, I have money on me."

"What money do you have? Your pockets are emptier than your face." Li Yue'e ignored his explanation, stuffed the money into his pocket, turned around and went back to the kitchen. "Go and come back soon."

Renye carefully pocketed the money and went out.

The bus ride from Hongxing Mine to Jincheng Mining Bureau takes more than two hours. When Renye arrived at the long-distance bus station, it was just getting light. There weren't many people at the station. He bought a ticket, boarded the bus, and sat in the last row by the window. The bus swayed and bumped along the road. The scenery outside the window changed from the mining area to fields, from fields to hills, and from hills to low-rise buildings.

Renye leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and mentally reviewed all the tasks he needed to complete that day. The mining permit approval was handled by the Production Technology Department of the Mining Bureau, and he had already prepared all the necessary materials—geological data for the West Second Mining Area, the mining plan, safety measures, environmental commitments, and a letter of intent from Hongxing Mine. He had checked these materials several times; nothing was missing.

But he wasn't sure if the approval would go through. The mining bureau's approval process wasn't just a formality; they considered reserves, safety, and profitability. The Xi'er area was considered a peripheral coalfield on Hongxing Mine's books, with insufficient reserves and profitability. The geological data Renye possessed wasn't official Hongxing Mine data; it was compiled by him based on his memories from his previous life. Whether the mining bureau would accept it was uncertain.

When the car arrived in Jincheng, Renye got off and walked along the road he had walked countless times towards the mining bureau. Jincheng was much more prosperous than the mining area. All sorts of shops lined both sides of the road, selling cloth, sundries, and food. Pedestrians came and went, and bicycle bells jingled. Renye paid no attention to any of this. He walked quickly, his pockets sweating as he clutched the materials inside.

The mining bureau building was a six-story gray structure with a sign above the entrance reading "Jincheng Mining Bureau" in gleaming copper lettering. Renye pushed open the glass door and stepped into the lobby, a cool breeze hitting him. The lobby was quiet, the terrazzo floor was so polished it reflected his image, and a slogan hung on the wall—"Safety First, Prevention Foremost."

Renye went up to the third floor and found the Production Technology Department's office. The door was open, and several people were sitting inside; some were writing reports, some were looking at blueprints, and some were drinking tea and chatting. He knocked on the door twice, and a middle-aged man wearing black-rimmed glasses, sitting behind the desk at the far end, looked up at him.

"Who should I look for?"

"Hello, I'm from Hongxing Mine. I'm here to apply for a mining permit." Renye walked in, took the documents out of his bag, and handed them over with both hands.

The middle-aged man took the materials, didn't look at them, placed them on the table, and sized him up. There was something in his eyes, not scrutiny, nor curiosity, but a kind of indifferent calmness.

"From Hongxing Mine? Which mining area?"

"West Second Mining Area"

The middle-aged man paused for a moment, then looked up at him again, this time with a different look in his eyes, a hint of surprise in them.

"West Second? Wasn't that mining area sealed off?"

"It was sealed off. But now the policy has been implemented, and the communes can raise funds to start mines. West Second is a marginal coal mining area, and according to the policy, it can be allocated to us for mining." Renye took out the official document from his bag and placed it on the table.

The middle-aged man picked up the document and glanced at it, then picked up the geological data compiled by Renye, flipping through it page by page. After reading a few pages, his brows furrowed, he put the document down, and took off his glasses.

"Where did you get this geological data from?"

Renye's heart tightened, but he remained calm on the surface: "We conducted the survey ourselves in West 2."

"You conducted your own exploration?" The middle-aged man's tone was clearly skeptical. "The geological department of Hongxing Mine conducted a detailed survey of that area in West Second Mine back then, and the conclusion was that the reserves were small, the coal quality was average, and it wasn't worth mining. You think your own exploration is more accurate than the mine's geological department?"

Renye knew he would ask this question, so he was prepared.

"Leader, the exploration at Hongxing Mine back then only drilled into the shallow layers and didn't go any deeper. We conducted supplementary exploration at Xier and discovered a layer of coking coal beneath the shallow lean coal layer, more than 2.5 meters thick, with a caking index of 80. This isn't scrap material; it's high-quality coking coal."

The middle-aged man's expression changed. He picked up the documents again, turned to the page on coking coal, and stared at the numbers for a long time.

Are you sure?

"Confirmed. If the leaders don't believe it, they can send the mining bureau's geological team to re-explore the West Second Mine. We will cooperate."

The middle-aged man didn't reply. He put down the documents, leaned back in his chair, and tapped his fingers lightly on the table, as if he was pondering something.

"What's your name?"

"Nino."

"Rinno." The middle-aged man repeated, picked up a pen from the table, and wrote a few lines on the cover of the document. "Leave the document here for now, I'll take a look. I'll give you an answer in a few days."

Renye knew that this was called "let's do some research," a common excuse used by people getting things done. But he had no other choice; the mining bureau had the authority to approve, so he could only wait.