Black Gold 1983

When he came out of the well, the sun was blinding, and he squinted for a while. Ren Shouyi stood beside the well, holding a bowl of water, and handed it to him. Renye took it and drank it all in one gulp.

"Dad, the coal seam at the bottom is thicker than the one above."

Ren Shouyi didn't speak, but his eyes lit up.

On May 15th, people from the Provincial Coal Industry Bureau came. They weren't there for an inspection, but for research. They brought a cameraman to film a documentary about the West No. 2 mining area. Renye was stunned and asked why they were filming a documentary. They said the province wanted to promote the West No. 2 experience throughout the province and make a film to send to all the small coal mines for study.

The cameraman carried his equipment, filming at the wellhead for half a day, then went down into the mine for another half. Ma Tiejun, never having seen anything like this before, was so nervous he could barely speak, and even wore his safety helmet backwards. Ma Xiaojun stood beside the coal pile, holding Tiger Vanguard in his arms. The cameraman pointed the lens at him, and he grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. Tiger Vanguard squeaked twice in his arms. Ma Maocai stood at the back of the crowd, not moving forward, but his back was very straight, and a faint smile played on his lips.

Ren Ye was not on camera; he was hiding in the shed smoking. Ren Shouyi sat next to him, holding an enamel mug in his hands.

"Dad, why aren't you going?"

Ren Shouyi shook his head. "I'm not going. It's not a big deal."

Renye glanced at him but didn't say anything.

On May 20th, Tian Sui'er came again. She was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she was carrying a cloth bag. Renye came up from the mine and saw her standing next to the coal pile, holding a piece of coal in her hand, examining it from all angles.

"What are you looking at?"

Tian Sui'er put down the coal and dusted off her hands. "Look at the treasure you dug up."

Renye squatted down, took a cigarette out of his pocket, glanced at Tian Suier, and then put it back. Tian Suier saw this and her lips curled up slightly. "Smoke if you want, I'm not bothering you."

Renye took it out again, lit it at the corner of his mouth, and took a puff. The smoke dispersed in the wind.

"How's your review going?" Renye asked.

Tian Sui'er squatted down beside him. "Almost there. I'm just a little nervous."

"What's there to be nervous about? You've never been afraid of exams since you were little."

Tian Sui'er didn't speak, looking down at the crushed coal pieces on the ground. The wind blew her hair, a few strands fluttering in front of her eyes, which she tucked behind her ears.

"Renye, if I get accepted into university, will you come to the provincial capital to see me?"

Renye took the cigarette from his lips and squeezed it in his hand. "Go. Go every month."

Tian Sui'er turned to look at him, something flashing in her eyes. "Don't forget what you said."

"I won't forget."

She stood up, dusted off her pants, and handed him the cloth bag. "These are rice dumplings my mom made. It's almost Dragon Boat Festival, so you can try them." Renye took the bag; it was still warm. He opened it, and inside were several rice dumplings, wrapped tightly in bamboo leaves. He unwrapped one; the glutinous rice was white, filled with red dates and peanuts. He took a bite; it was sticky and sweet.

Tian Sui'er watched him eat, stood there for a while, then turned and walked away. After a few steps, she stopped again without looking back.

"Nino, July 7th."

"I remember."

She left, her white shirt receding further and further into the sunlight, like a cloud drifting in the wind.

On May 26th, the West Second Mining Area held its mid-year summary meeting. The main room of Ma Dewang's house was packed with people, even the shareholders from other villages were there. Ren Ye stood beside the eight-immortal table and went over the accounts for the first half of the year from beginning to end. Production, sales, revenue, profit, dividends, safety—everything was clearly stated, and every figure stood up to scrutiny.

"In the first half of the year, our mine produced more than 40,000 tons of coal, generating nearly three million yuan in revenue. The highest dividend for shareholders was over ten thousand yuan." Renye paused, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces. "In the second half of the year, the coal washing plant will operate at full capacity, doubling the output of refined coal, and everyone's income will rise even further."

A round of applause erupted in the main room. Someone shouted "Bravo!" and others slapped the table in approval. Ma Xiaojun, carrying Hu Xianfeng, weaved through the crowd, the tiger squealing from the jostling. Ma Tiejun grinned, his eyes narrowing into slits, revealing a set of yellow teeth. Ma Dehou squatted on the threshold, a pipe dangling from his lips, a faint smile playing on his lips. Ma Maocai, sitting in the front row, also smiled, a hearty smile, his hands resting on his knees, his back ramrod straight.

Ma Dewang stood up, waved his hand to quell the commotion, took the pipe out of his mouth, tapped it on the sole of his shoe, and looked at Renye. "Renye, what are your plans for the second half of the year?"

Renye pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a drag. "Expand production. Open another working face and increase output to 10,000 tons per month. We also need to recruit another batch of people and train them before they can go down the mine."

Ma Dewang nodded and put the pipe back in his mouth. "Okay. You do it, the village supports you."

After the meeting, Renye left Ma Dewang's house; it was already dark. He stood under the big locust tree and lit the cigarette he was holding. The moon was bright, shining on the village lanes and making the road surface appear gleaming white. In the distance, the winch at the West Second Well was still turning, the steel cable creaking and groaning, the sound carrying far on the night wind. He held the cigarette in his mouth, squinting at the lights.

On June 1st, the new working face commenced operations. Ma Tiejun led the workers in drilling and blasting on the new working face, making rapid progress. Ren Ye went down the mine every day, shuttling back and forth between the old and new working faces. Ma Maocai was in charge of the old working face, leading his team, and production steadily increased. Ma Tiejun, in charge of the new working face, was full of energy, and the sound of blasting could be heard throughout the entire mine shaft.

Ren Shouyi sat in the shed every day, holding an enamel mug, watching the workers go down and up the mine, watching the winch turn, and watching the coal pile grow taller day by day. He didn't talk much anymore, sometimes sitting for the whole day, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Ma Dehou was spending less and less time underground. He was getting old, and his knees were failing him; a single trip down the mine would leave him in pain for days. Ren Ye let him stay upstairs, keeping Ren Shouyi company while they drank tea, smoked, and chatted. The two old miners could sit in the shed and talk for an entire afternoon, reminiscing about the old days—how much coal they mined in which year and month, when the roof collapsed, and who passed away in which year and month.

On June 10th, Tian Sui'er arrived. She wore a floral dress, her hair loose and draped over her shoulders, carrying a cloth bag. She stood in front of the coal washing plant, watching the rumbling machines. Ren Ye came out of the shed and, seeing her standing there, paused, stunned. He had never seen her wear a dress before; she looked beautiful.

"Why are you here?"

Tian Sui'er handed him the cloth bag. "These are dumplings my mom made. It's the summer solstice, so you can have something nice to eat."

Renye took the lunchbox, opened it, and found it full of dumplings. They were filled with chives and eggs, the wrappers tightly pinched together, not a single one broken. He picked one up, popped it into his mouth, chewed a couple of times, and nodded. "Delicious."

Tian Sui'er watched him eat, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

Renye took another one and handed it to her. Tian Suier took it, took a small bite, chewed, and swallowed. The two of them squatted down next to the coal washing plant, eating the box of dumplings one after another. Hu Xianfeng squatted down beside them, watching longingly, while Ma Xiaojun peeked out from behind the coal pile and carried it away.

"Renye, I got my exam admission ticket." Tian Suier's voice was soft, with a slight tremor. Renye glanced at her; her face was expressionless, but her hands were shaking, clutching the cloth bag tightly, her knuckles white.

"Don't be nervous. You've never been afraid of exams since you were little."

Tian Sui'er nodded, placed the cloth bag on her lap, and held the opening with both hands. "Renye, what if I don't pass the exam?"

Renye took the cigarette from his lips and squeezed it in his hand. "If you don't pass, try again next year. I'll support you."

Tian Sui'er didn't speak, looking down at her toes. The wind blew her hair, and she tucked it behind her ears, revealing the tips, which were red. After a while, she finally looked up at Ren Ye, something flashing in her eyes.

"Don't forget what you said."

"I won't forget."

She stood up, dusted off her skirt, picked up her cloth bag, and left. Her floral skirt fluttered in the sunlight, like a flower blooming in the wind.

On June 15th, the progress at the new working face was faster than expected. The coal seam was thick, the coal quality was good, and the workers were working with great enthusiasm, resulting in a rapid increase in output. Renye was spending more and more time underground, sometimes staying for the entire day. Ren Shouyi didn't rush him or stop him; he would save his meals for him to reheat when he returned.

Li Yue'e brought out a bowl of noodles from the kitchen, which had been heated and cooled repeatedly, and placed it in front of Ren Ye. "Eat, and then go to sleep early. You have to go down the mine tomorrow."

Renye picked up the bowl and slurped the noodles into his mouth. Li Yue'e sat opposite him, watching him eat without saying a word, just watching.

On June 20th, Section Chief Zhao from the provincial steel plant arrived. He squatted beside the coal pile, grabbed a handful of fine coal, rubbed it in his palm, and then brought it to his nose to smell it, his expression as if he had found a treasure. "Good coal. Boss Ren, could you increase the quantity by another five hundred tons next month?"

Renye thought for a moment. "Yes. The new work site is in operation, and production has increased."

Section Chief Zhao grinned, extended his hand, and Renye shook it. "It's a pleasure working with you."

On June 25th, the West No. 2 Mining Area released its sixth-month report. Production exceeded 8,000 tons, and revenue exceeded 600,000 yuan. Renye posted the report on the wall of Ma Dewang's main room, and the villagers gathered around to read it, laughing, joking, and patting each other on the shoulder.

Ma Dewang stood at the back of the crowd, a pipe dangling from his lips, squinting at the monthly report. He didn't smile, but his eyes shone brightly—a brightness not befitting a man in his sixties, but the light of a young man.

On June 30th, Renye went to the provincial capital. He wasn't there to look at the coal washing plant equipment, but to check on Tian Sui'er's exam venue. The exam venue was at the provincial capital's No. 1 High School, with its main gate facing south. There was a large locust tree at the entrance, about the same thickness as the one at the entrance of Shigou Village. He stood at the entrance and looked inside. The teaching building wasn't tall, four stories high, with gray-white exterior walls and gleaming windows. He stood there for a while, lit the cigarette he was holding, and took a puff.

On July 1st, the West Second Mining Area held its first-half profit-sharing meeting. The main room of Ma Dewang's house was packed with people. Ren Ye stood beside the eight-immortal table, distributing the profit-sharing payments one by one. When it came to Ma Maocai, he handed over the money, which Ma Maocai took, held in his hand, looked at it, and then put in his pocket.

"Brother Maocai, your class had the highest output this month. You've worked hard."

Ma Maocai shook his head. "It's not hard work. It's what I should do."

Renye looked at him and nodded.

After the meeting, Renye came out of Ma Dewang's house, stood under the big locust tree, and lit the cigarette he was holding. The moon was bright, shining on the village lanes and making the road surface appear white. In the distance, the winch at the West Second Well was still turning, the steel cable creaking and groaning, the sound carrying far on the night wind. He stared at that patch of lights for a long time.

July 7th, the day of the college entrance examination. Before dawn, Renye got up. He didn't go to the mine shaft; he told Ma Tiejun, changed into clean clothes, put on the thousand-layered cloth shoes Li Yue'e had made for him, and went out. The journey from Hongxing Mine to the county town, and then from the county town to the provincial capital, took more than four hours. By the time he arrived in the provincial capital, it was almost noon, and he couldn't get into the examination hall. He stood under the big locust tree at the entrance of the examination center and lit the cigarette he was smoking.

When Tian Sui'er came out of the examination hall, she was carrying a cloth bag and her face was expressionless, making it impossible to tell whether she had done well or not. She walked with her head down and almost bumped into a tree. Ren Ye called out to her, and she looked up to see him standing under the locust tree. She stared blankly for a while, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but then she swallowed it back.

"Why are you here?"

Renye stubbed out his cigarette, pulled a new one from his pocket, and put it in his mouth without lighting it. "You promised to come. How did the exam go?"

Tian Sui'er didn't answer. She walked over and stood in front of him, looking down at her toes. "I don't know. I guess it's alright." She switched the cloth bag to her other hand and gripped it tightly. Renye noticed her hand was trembling.

Have you eaten yet?

Tian Sui'er shook her head. Ren Ye took her to a small restaurant next to the exam center and ordered two bowls of noodles. When the noodles were served, they were steaming hot, with bone broth and scallions floating on top. Tian Sui'er picked up her chopsticks, took a mouthful of noodles, chewed a couple of times, swallowed, and then took another mouthful.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you." Renye put the fried egg from his bowl into her bowl.

Tian Sui'er looked at the fried egg, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears. "What are you eating?"

"I'm not hungry." Renye picked up the bowl and took a sip of soup, which burned his mouth.

Tian Sui'er lowered her head and ate the fried egg. She ate very slowly, one bite at a time, as if she were eating something very precious.

After dinner, Renye escorted her back to her accommodation. She was staying in a guesthouse near the exam center—a small room with a bed, a table, and a washbasin. The table was piled high with books and exam papers. Renye stood at the door, not going in.