Black Gold 1983

Han Changhe was taken away on June 8th. That day, Renye was working underground when Ma Xiaojun climbed down from above, his face pale and his voice trembling: "Brother Ye, Section Chief Han... Han Changhe has been taken away by the disciplinary inspection team." Renye paused for a moment with his pickaxe, without looking up, and continued to hammer the coal wall, thud, thud, thud, one after another, very steadily.

Ma Xiaojun stood to the side, unsure whether to stay or leave, at a loss. After a while, Renye put down the pickaxe, wiped his hands on his trouser leg, took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a puff. "Okay, you can go now." Ma Xiaojun opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then swallowed his words, turned around, and climbed up.

Renye stood alone on the working face, finished his cigarette, and stubbed it out on the coal face. A spark flickered on the rock and went out. He picked up his pickaxe and continued working. The coal face cracked open little by little in front of him, and chunks of coal rolled down, piling up at his feet, black and shiny, shimmering with tiny lights under the beam of his miner's lamp.

It was almost noon when they came up from the mine. Renye climbed out of the well, the sunlight so bright he could barely open his eyes. Ma Tiejun stood beside the well, taking off his safety helmet; his face was covered in coal dust, and sweat left streaks of white marks. He looked at Renye, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but then he closed them again.

Renye didn't look at him. He walked into the shed, took the miner's lamp off his forehead, hung it on a pillar, sat down, and took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. Ma Tiejun followed him in and squatted down next to him.

"Brother Ren, you knew about Section Chief Han's matter all along?"

Renye took a drag of his cigarette, neither nodding nor shaking his head. "He should be held responsible for those six lives."

Ma Tiejun was silent for a moment, squatting there with his head down, looking at the cigarette butts trampled and scattered on the ground. "He's my uncle," he said in a low voice. Renye glanced at him and handed him a cigarette. Ma Tiejun took it, took a puff, and then handed it back.

"He did something wrong, and he has to take responsibility for it. It has nothing to do with you, and nothing to do with me." Renye stubbed out his cigarette, stood up, and dusted off his pants. "Let's go down the well."

That afternoon, Renye stayed underground for a long time, two hours longer than usual. He dug frantically at the working face, the pickaxe striking the coal face harder and harder with each blow, as if trying to smash something out of his body. Ma Tiejun didn't say a word, silently cooperating with him. Ma Tiejun shoveled the coal Renye dug out and loaded it onto the truck.

It was already dark when he came up from the mine. Renye climbed out of the mine shaft, soaked to the bone, it was hard to tell if it was sweat or water from the mine. He took the miner's lamp off his forehead, held it in his hand, and stood by the mine shaft, looking at the lights of the distant mining area. Those lights flickered in the night, like eyes that refused to close. He hung the miner's lamp on a post, walked out of the shed, and headed towards the village.

He didn't go home; instead, he went to Ma Dewang's house. Ma Dewang was sitting in the main room drinking tea when he saw Renye come in and poured him a cup. Renye picked it up and took a sip. The tea had been brewed several times; it was very pale, but it was very thirst-quenching.

"Uncle Dewang, Han Changhe has been taken away."

Ma Dewang paused for a moment, then put down his teacup. "I understand. Ma Guoliang told me this afternoon."

Renye put down his teacup and looked at Ma Dewang. "Uncle Dewang, the roof collapse three years ago in Xier was not a natural disaster, but a man-made one. Han Changhe approved substandard timber and altered the quality inspection report. Those six people were killed because of him. My father's leg was also crippled because of him."

Ma Dewang didn't speak. He picked up his pipe, filled it with tobacco, lit it, and took a puff. The smoke slowly rose in front of him, like a thin curtain obscuring his face.

"Jinye, do you hate him?"

Renye thought for a moment, then didn't answer immediately. Did he hate Han Changhe? Yes, he had. When he learned that Han Changhe had altered the quality inspection report and used substandard wood, he was seething with hatred. When he learned that Han Changhe had hidden Gu Guihua in the well, causing her to die in the darkness, he wanted to beat him up with his own hands. But now that Han Changhe had been taken away, the hatred in his heart seemed to have faded. Not that it was gone, but that it had been covered up by something else.

"I used to hate him," Renye said, "but I don't anymore. He deserves his punishment, and the law will give him what he deserves. Whether I hate him or not is not important."

Ma Dewang looked at him, and there was something indescribable in those cloudy old eyes. He took the pipe out of his mouth, tapped it on the sole of his shoe, stood up, walked to the door, and looked at the night outside.

"Jinye, you've grown up."

Renye didn't speak, but stood up and walked to Ma Dewang's side, looking out at the courtyard. The locust leaves rustled in the night wind, and the moonlight shone into the courtyard, making the ground look white, like a thin layer of frost.

"Uncle Dewang, I'm going back now. I have to go down the mine again tomorrow."

Ma Dewang waved his hand without turning around.

Renye walked out of the courtyard and along the village lane. The moonlight illuminated the road brightly, allowing him to see the pebbles and potholes under his feet without having to fumble in the dark. When he reached the big locust tree at the village entrance, he stopped, leaned against the trunk, and took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

The leaves of the old locust tree rustled in the wind, and moonlight filtered through the leaves, scattering on the ground like shattered silver. He finished his cigarette, stubbed it out on the sole of his shoe, and walked out from under the old locust tree toward the mining area.

When he arrived home, Li Yue'e was sitting in the main room waiting for him. On the table was a bowl of mung bean soup, a dish of peanuts, and a small cup of wine. Renye paused for a moment, looked at the cup of wine, and then at Li Yue'e.

"Your dad asked him to pour this for you," Li Yue'e said softly. "He said you're tired today, and a little wine will help you sleep better."

Renye sat down at the table, picked up the cup of wine, and took a sip. The wine was loose, a bit spicy, burning from his throat all the way to his stomach. He picked up a peanut, threw it into his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and then took another sip.

Li Yue'e sat down opposite him, looking at him. "Your dad locked himself in his room all day and didn't come out. He didn't eat lunch or dinner." Renye put down his wine glass, stood up, walked to the bedroom door, and knocked. "Dad, it's me." There was no answer from inside, so he knocked again, and the door opened.

Ren Shouyi stood at the door, wearing an old thermal undershirt, his hair disheveled. His eyes were red, but Ren Ye could tell he hadn't been staying up all night; he had been crying. The table was empty; the alleyway map was put away, the tin box was gone, and only a table lamp remained, casting a dim yellow light.

"Dad, have something to eat."

Ren Shouyi shook his head, walked to the bedside and sat down. He didn't lie down, just sat there, looking at the dark night outside the window. "Han Changhe has been taken away," he said, not as a question, but as a statement.

Renye nodded. "This morning."

Ren Shouyi remained silent for a long time. The old clock on the wall ticked away, round and round. He looked up at Ren Ye, his eyes holding a light Ren Ye had never seen before. It wasn't liberation, nor relief, but something indescribable.

Did he say anything when he left?

Renye thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't know. I didn't see him off."

Ren Shouyi nodded, turning his gaze away from Ren Ye and back to the window. "He told me everything he needed to say."

Ren's heart skipped a beat. "What did he say to you?"

Ren Shouyi didn't answer. He pulled back the covers and lay down, turning his back to Ren Ye. "Go out, I'm tired."

Renye stood at the door, watching Ren Shouyi's back as he lay on the bed, his heart feeling heavy. He wanted to say something but swallowed it back, closed the door, and went back to the main room.

Li Yue'e remained seated, clutching the cup of wine in her hand, but hadn't drunk from it. She looked at Ren Ye, her lips moving slightly. "Your father…"

"Mom, it's okay. Let Dad be alone for a while."

Li Yue'e put down the cup of wine, stood up, walked back to the bedroom, and closed the door. Ren Ye sat alone in the main room, finished the cup of wine, turned off the light, and sat in the darkness for a long time.

The next morning, when Renye arrived at the West Second Wellhead, Ma Tiejun was already there. He was squatting next to the winch, tightening screws with a wrench. Seeing Renye approach, he stood up and dusted off his hands.

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

"What is it?"

Ma Tiejun looked around and lowered his voice. "Last night, Han Tianfang came to see me. He said he wanted to see you."

Renno's heart skipped a beat. "Where is he?"

"Wait at the village entrance."

Renye emerged from the well and walked along the dirt road towards the village entrance. The sun had just risen, and a thin layer of mist hung over the eastern mountain ridges. The corn seedlings in the fields had already grown to knee height, their leaves glistening with dew in the sunlight. He walked slowly, taking the headlamp off his forehead and holding it in his hand. His rubber boots made a clattering sound on the dirt road.

Han Tianfang stood under the old locust tree at the village entrance, wearing faded work clothes, his hair disheveled, and his eyes bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept all night. He held a cigarette in his hand, the filter already burned down to the tip, but he didn't throw it away even though it was hot to the touch. Seeing Ren Ye approaching, he stubbed out the cigarette on the tree trunk; a spark flickered on the rough bark, and it went out.

"You're here?" Renye walked over and stopped in front of him. Han Tianfang looked at him, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something but then swallowed it back. Renye took out a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to him. Han Tianfang took it, put it in his mouth, and Renye lit it for him. He took a drag, and the smoke billowed from his nostrils, dispersing in the morning light.

"He's gone." Han Tianfang's voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible.

Renye knew who he was talking about and nodded. "I know."

Han Tianfang squatted down, leaning against the locust tree trunk, a cigarette dangling from his lips, squinting at the hazy sky in the distance. Ren Ye squatted down beside him and lit a cigarette as well. The two of them squatted there, neither of them speaking.

"He came to see me before he left." Han Tianfang's voice was very low, so low that it sounded like he was talking to himself. "Yesterday afternoon, before the disciplinary inspection team arrived, he came to my house first. He stood at the door but didn't come in. I asked him what he was doing there, and he said he came to see me."

Han Tianfang finished his cigarette, stubbed it out on the sole of his shoe, and threw it into the ditch beside him. "He stood at the door and said a few words. He said he was sorry to my mother, sorry to me, sorry to those six lives. He said he had done many wrong things in his life, some of which could be made up for, and some of which could not."

Renye didn't speak, he just put the cigarette in his mouth and listened.

"What's the use of saying all this now? Can my mother come back to life? Can those six people come back to life? Can you give my dad back your leg?" Han Tianfang's voice began to tremble, but he didn't cry. His eyes were dry, red as if they were about to bleed. "He didn't say anything, stood there for a while, then turned and left. As he left, he said, 'Tianfang, Dad is sorry.'"

Renye took the cigarette from his lips and crumpled it in his hand. Han Changhe, this man, spent his whole life saying sorry—to Gu Guihua, to Han Tianfang, to Ren Shouyi, to those six lives. But is saying sorry useful? Can it bring someone back to life? Can it heal a crippled leg? Can it stop those six wives and children from crying? No. So now he's in jail, and in his time there, he can slowly say it to a wall.

Han Tianfang stood up, dusted off his pants, and looked at Ren Ye. "Ren Ye, do you think he'll be sentenced?"

Renye stood up and stubbed out the cigarette he hadn't finished smoking. "Yes. Someone has to be held responsible for those six lives."

Han Tianfang was silent for a moment, then nodded, turned around, and walked towards the mining area. After taking a few steps, he stopped again without looking back.

"Jinno, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?"

Han Tianfang didn't answer and continued walking. His figure grew smaller and smaller in the morning light, becoming increasingly blurry until it disappeared at the end of the dirt road. Ren Ye stood under the big locust tree, gazing in that direction for a long time, until the sun rose higher and the fog dissipated, before turning around and walking towards the West Second Wellhead.

When they arrived at the mine entrance, the workers had already started working. The winch was turning, the steel cable was creaking and groaning, and a cart of coal was being lifted up from underground. Ma Tiejun stood beside the mine entrance, holding a shovel, breaking up large chunks of coal from the mine cart. Seeing Renye approaching, he put down the shovel and wiped the sweat from his face.

"Gone?"

"I'm gone."

Ma Tiejun didn't ask any more questions and picked up his shovel to continue breaking coal. Renye strapped his headlamp to his forehead, walked to the edge of the mine, gripped the rope, and slid down section by section, his feet pushing against the mine wall. The rope swayed, and the loose stones and dirt on the mine wall were kicked up by his feet, falling into the water at the bottom of the mine with a splashing sound. The deeper he went, the colder it got; the chill seeping from the ground enveloped him. But today, he didn't find the cold so terrible, perhaps because he had gotten used to it.

When his foot touched the bottom of the well, the water was above his ankle, and the icy water seeped into his rubber boots. He shivered, but didn't stop, bending down and crawling into the alley. The alley was longer than last month, nearly thirty meters deeper. The wooden stakes on both sides were newly erected, the bark already dried, emitting a faint woody scent. The gravel under his feet crunched and echoed in the enclosed space.

When they reached the working face, Ma Dehou was squatting there inspecting the supports. He ran his hands over the wooden stakes, one by one, very carefully, making sure he felt every single one. Seeing Renye approaching, he stood up and took his pipe from his mouth.