Five years later, I saw China again, in a mountainous area, deep in a mine.
This is a private coal mine. The mine is opened more than 500 meters deep into the ground, and there is no sky or earth except for a pair of shining eyes flashing in the slightly dim place.
"Xiaoguang, how long have you been here?"
In the darkness, an obviously low voice sounded, breaking the silence. The voice sounded very young.
The person who asked the question was a short man wearing a hat. He was on the thin side, and his appearance... Appearance was no longer important. Here, everyone's face was pitch black, and their appearance could not be seen clearly. Only their teeth and
The whites of the eyes are white.
The person being asked, Xiao Guang, was a boy of fifteen or sixteen years old. He was squatting on the ground transporting coal back and forth. When he heard him ask, Xiao Guang raised his head and smiled at him: "I've been here for a long time, more than half a year."
.”
"Oh." The young man nodded and said to himself, "I haven't been here long, less than a week." Xiaoguang smiled, touched the back of his head and said, "I know."
"How did you know?"
The young man was obviously a little surprised. He found a place to sit down and started chatting with Xiaoguang.
"Looking at your accent, you are from outside. People in this mine are from our village. There are very few outsiders coming. You are the first one, so we all know if any strangers come."
The young man nodded: "So that's it."
It happened to be lunch time, and the foreman put lunch down from the top of the mine, and the workers queued up to receive their lunch boxes one by one.
The lunch was not good. Two steamed buns per person were obviously not enough for the growing little heads. The young man glanced at him and handed him the other steamed bun in his hand: "You go ahead and eat more."
"I can't take it!" Xiaoguang waved his hands quickly, "These two are enough."
There are more than a dozen workers in this mine. Everyone is taciturn and dark-skinned. They are not good at words and cannot even speak Mandarin. They can only speak some local languages. They are around 30 or 40 years old and have been oppressed for a long time.
Doing work that is often unimaginable.
"Take it." The young man put the steamed bun into his hand and smiled kindly at him, "I don't eat much, you eat more."
They get up at five in the morning to work and work continuously for eighteen hours. In addition, they do not eat well and suffer from long-term malnutrition, which makes them look sallow and thin.
While the two men were pushing each other, the other miners all lowered their heads to eat the steamed buns in their hands, and sometimes looked up at them.
The young man put the steamed buns into Xiaoguang's bowl and smiled: "Don't worry about me. I can't eat enough now. I will be full in two days. Besides, the steamed buns you have here are big enough for two people.
If I eat one, it's equivalent to eating two, don't worry about me."
Xiaoguang still refused to eat. The young man picked up the steamed bun and put it in his mouth. When Xiaoguang resisted, he accidentally held the young man's hand. He was stunned for a moment. The young man immediately took his hand out and said, "Eat it quickly."
, we’ll start working again later.”
Xiaoguang finally accepted his kindness and picked up the steamed buns to eat. The young man sat next to him and kept asking some questions about the mine and what the mine boss thought about their workers.
Xiaoguang told him everything she knew. The young man listened carefully, his eyes shining in the darkness.
"Why do you ask so many questions?" Xiaoguang lowered his head and took a bite of the steamed bun. "I don't know some things about the boss. Anyway, if we work here, we will get money. Also, you should be careful.
Don't let the foreman hear you inquiring about the mine like this, otherwise you will be beaten."
The young man smiled and nodded: "I know, I know."
Xiaoguang glanced at him and said, "Why do you want to come here to work?"
The people who come here to work are all from extremely poor families. They are offered cheap wages, hard labor, and vicious foremen.
"Me?" The young man pointed to himself, "Of course it's because of money."
"But the wages here are not high."
"Then why do you still work here?"
Xiaoguang finished the last bite of the steamed bun and said, "I have no parents since I was a child. Only my grandparents have taken care of me. They are old and sick, so I can only come here to work to make money to treat their illnesses."
"Then why don't you get out of here?"
"No." Xiaoguang shook his head, "Because the foreman will beat people, and they will also beat my grandparents."
The young man pursed his lips and fell silent. I could understand what he meant. These bullies were doing evil in the local area and making money. They had no conscience and no humanity. The local government didn't care and worked hand in hand with these businessmen.
annihilate.
The mine was quiet for a moment, and soon the young man laughed again, "It's okay, you won't have to suffer these crimes in the future..."
There was a sudden 'pop' sound, and before he could finish his words, he felt a severe pain on his arm.
"Why don't you do the work! Don't you even want money?!" With a roar, the foreman swung down the whip again and threw it on the little bare foot, causing him to scream in pain.
"Hey!" The young man couldn't hold it back. He jumped up and roared, "How do you beat someone? Is there any law anymore?"
The foreman grabbed him and said fiercely: "Here, I am the law!"
The young man clasped his hands and stared at him.
"Tsk, tsk, I've never found a boy to be prettier than a girl." The foreman's eyes swept over her face, and the young man pushed him away angrily, "I'm a man!"
When the foreman was about to get angry, Xiaoguang rushed over, pulled the young man over, nodded and bowed his head to apologize to the foreman, "We are going to work now, we are going now!"
Then he grabbed the young man and pulled him aside to do something. The foreman walked around them several times, finally cracked his whip a few times, threatened them a few times, and walked away.
"Last time, there was a man who confronted the foreman. He clamored for money and refused to do the work. In the end, the foreman maimed him." Xiaoguang whispered, "Don't fight with the foreman, otherwise you will suffer.
.”
The young man gritted his teeth angrily: "Wait until I get out of here and blow this place up so that none of those bullies can escape."
Xiaoguang didn't hear clearly, "What did you say?"
The young man shook his head, "Nothing."
…
When they rested at night, they did not leave the mine site, but found a place to rest. Anyway, they could not rest for a few hours, so they would get up and work again. This could save time and greatly increase the profit cost for the coal mine boss.
Only then does time truly belong to these workers.
After there was no work, the mine became quieter and quieter. The young man walked up to Xiaoguang and patted him on the shoulder: "Hey, wake up."
Xiaoguang rubbed his eyes and sat up, "What's wrong?"
The young man sat next to him and smiled: "It's okay, I just want to say goodbye to you. After all, I have been troublesome for you these days here."
He lurked here, and none of the workers at the mine paid her any attention. Only this little light took the initiative to talk to him.
After hearing what he said, Xiaoguang's eyes widened in shock, "What did you say?"
The young man lowered his voice and said to him with a wide smile, his white teeth looking particularly shining in the dark, "I'm leaving, let me tell you."
"Let's go, where are you going?"
"Go back to my old life." The young man patted him on the shoulder, "You have to endure it for two more days. After I go out, this hard life will soon be over."
"What are you talking about? Why can't I understand you?"
"It doesn't matter if you don't understand. You will understand in a few days." The young man stood up from the ground, glanced at the other sleeping people, lowered his voice and continued, "You continue to sleep, just treat it like nothing else."
I don’t know, I have to leave now, and we will meet again if we have the opportunity.”
After saying this, the young man turned around and left, but his wrist suddenly tightened. The young man looked back, and Xiaoguang stood up and said softly, "Are you really going to leave?"
"certainly."
"Then... then I'll give you a ride." Xiaoguang said, taking the lead to move forward.
The young man was stunned for a moment and then immediately followed him. When he came out of the mine, the vast land was pitch black, with only the stars twinkling in the night sky.
It was easy for them to get out because the foremen knew that these workers did not have the courage to escape, so they were relieved that no one was guarding them.
"Wait a minute." The young man called to Xiaoguang who was walking forward. Xiaoguang stopped and said, "What's wrong?"
"Stop sending it off, go back and rest quickly. You have to get up to work before dawn tomorrow." The young man said, taking out the mobile phone in his pocket and looking at the time, "It's already three o'clock, and there are still two or three o'clock.
You will be up in an hour."
Xiao Guang pointed to the mobile phone in his hand with some surprise, "Why do you have this?"
The young man raised the mobile phone in his hand and said, "What, are you interested? But no, I can't give it to you. I only have this one, which is used to contact my friends. If I give it to you..."
"No." Xiaoguang shook his head, "I don't want your phone, I just want to know...you...what are you doing?"
"Oh, you want to know this." The young man looked at the dark-skinned, thin boy in front of him and sighed, "It's not that I don't want to tell you, but the less you know, the better for you. Those
The foreman doesn't seem to be a good person, I'm afraid they will cause trouble for you, you..."
"Hey! Who's that over there?!"
Before he finished speaking, suddenly there was a loud shouting in the distance, and then a flashlight light swept over. The young man's face changed, he said "Oops", took Xiaoguang's hand and ran forward.
Xiaoguang recognized the voice of the foreman, and her hands couldn't help but tremble, "What... what should I do..."
"run!"
The young man pulled him, and Xiaoguang immediately started running after he came to his senses. After running for two steps, he stopped again, "No, I can't walk, I can't walk..."
Seeing the figure getting closer and closer over there, the young man was very anxious, "What's wrong? Why don't you leave?"
"I can't, can't leave."
"Why?"
"My grandparents won't be able to live after I leave. They are waiting for me to go back with my wages to treat their illnesses, even though the boss has not paid wages for several months..." Xiaoguang murmured to himself, breaking away from the young man.
The young man's hand was about to run back.
Of course he refused to let him go and grabbed him, "They will beat you to death if you go back now. What will happen to your grandparents then?"
Xiaoguang's eyes were dull and his face turned pale.
"Run!" The young man led him and ran forward as hard as he could. "You and I will run out and wait for my accomplice to pick me up. We will be safe by then, and your grandparents will be fine too."
"real?"
"Of course it's true, I won't lie to you!"
Xiaoguang nodded, "Okay, I'll follow you."
The two of them ran towards the avenue. During the process, the young man tripped and fell to the ground. The mobile phone and everything in his arms fell off. Xiaoguang hurriedly pulled him up.
"Wait." He turned back and picked up the fallen things and put them in his arms again, just like treasures.
Xiaoguang asked suspiciously: "What is that?"
The young man chuckled, "This is something that can put those evil-hearted businessmen in jail. It's a good thing."
Xiaoguang nodded half-understood and half-confused.
"Let's go quickly, don't let them catch up." After the young man hid his things, he patted the dirt on his body, looked behind him again, and muttered, "It's strange, they were following us just now, why don't they hear us now?
movement."
Xiaoguang urged him, "Let's go quickly. Go to my house first. It's not far ahead. We'll be there soon."
The young man was about to speak when suddenly——
"Look where you are running to, seeking death!"
The foreman holding a long whip suddenly appeared in front of them, with a ferocious look on his face, harsh words, and his eyes fixed on the young man, "I know you are restless, you little brat, you are simply impatient to live!"
After saying that, he pointed at Xiaoguang: "You, go back to the bottom of the mine."
Xiaoguang shook his head: "I won't leave."
He knew that as soon as he left, the foreman would deal with the young man, so he couldn't leave.
With a 'snap' sound, the whip in the foreman's hand whipped out, and Xiao Guang was hit hard on the face, which hurt. The young man yelled, pulled Xiao Guang behind him, and glared: "You beast, you have the guts."
Come to me, don't bully a child..."
There was another 'snap' sound, and the whip fell from the sky, cutting off his words. Fortunately, he dodge quickly and did not receive this whip.
The strong wind blew past the young man's face. Although he dodged, the tip of the whip swept past him, and a bloodstain immediately appeared on his face.
The foreman snorted coldly, "If you want to die, I will help you! You are a reporter, hand over what you have in your hands, and I will let you go."
The young man stared at him intently and said nothing.
Xiaoguang looked at the people around him in shock, "Reporter...reporter?"
He remembered hearing something from an elder at the mine once before, saying that a reporter had been here before, but in the end he was discovered by the foremen supported by the boss, and the reporter met a tragic end.
It's very dangerous here. No reporters are willing to come. Even if there are reporters, they will be sent away by the boss with money.
But he never imagined that this person who had been working in the mine with him for almost a week would actually be a reporter?
A reporter who has only heard of it but never seen it.
Xiaoguang stood there, his arm suddenly hurt, and he heard the young man say: "Xiaoguang, be obedient and go back to the bottom of the mine." Then he lowered his voice and whispered, "Take the opportunity to run away, otherwise they will bully you.
.”
When Xiaoguang came to his senses, the young man was looking at him motionless, motioning for him to leave quickly. He looked at him for a while, then shook his head: "No, I can't leave, something will happen to you."
"Hey, why are you so stubborn?" The young man was stunned.
Xiaoguang stretched out his hand and scratched his head, "My grandparents also said that I have been a stubborn donkey since I was a child..."
"That's enough!" the foreman shouted and swung down the whip again. Xiaoguang pulled him over and received a blow on his arm, which instantly caused blood to drip from his face.
The young man looked like a cat with a hairy coat and cursed: "Damn!"
Then he jumped up and was about to rush over. Suddenly a dazzling light came over him, and then a roaring engine sounded. The foreman looked back and saw that it was too late. The car rushed over like a huge wave and he was knocked out.
The young man was stunned for a moment, then his head came out of the car and shouted to them: "Come up!"
"Xiao Guang, let's go!" He pulled Xiao Guang into the car, quickly closed the car door, and shouted to Da Si: "Drive, get out of here."
The driver sitting in the driving seat swallowed, "That person..."
The young man glanced in the rearview mirror and said anxiously: "He's not dead, he's getting up again, drive quickly!"
The driver glanced back, and sure enough, the man he had knocked away was getting up from the ground. He was so happy that he immediately started the engine and the car sped off.
After driving for a long distance, the speed of the car gradually slowed down.
"Have you got everything?"
The driver glanced at the person next to him and asked.
"Of course!" The young man sitting in the passenger seat chuckled, and took out the voice recorder, as well as all the videos and photos taken. Looking at those things, he smiled coldly, "This evidence is enough for those annihilators."
Shang has been in jail for several years, huh."
The driver smiled and shook his head, "You really work hard to save your life. Sure enough, the nickname Thirteenth Sister is right."
"I have you as my partner. If it weren't for you today, I'm afraid Xiaoguang and I..." At this point, he suddenly remembered that there was someone on the seat behind him, and immediately turned around, "...Hey, I almost forgot.
Xiaoguang, you are here too."
While driving, the driver glanced at the scrawny boy in the rearview mirror and frowned: "How did you bring these miners out?"
"I can't explain it to you right now. I'll explain it later. Don't say that in front of others." She rolled her eyes at him, then turned her eyes to Xiaoguang, smiled, and pointed to the driver, "His name is He."
Page, my name is Xiao Wan."
Xiaoguang nodded. This was the first time he heard his name today. He glanced out the window and said silently: "You guys find a place to park. I want to get off the car and go back."
He Ye glanced at the boy sitting behind him and said, "We'll take you back. You just need to show the way."
Xiaoguang waved his hand: "No need..."
"Don't refuse, we've decided to send you back." Xiao Wan smiled at him, "We can also stop by to see your grandparents. I've been hearing what you said, and I really want to go and see you."
Xiaoguang smiled shyly, "Then they will definitely be very happy."
He Ye took out a box of wet tissues and handed it to her, with a look of disgust on his face, "Wipe your face, it's so dirty, you look like a beggar, and I took off your hat too, it's so ugly."
"
Xiao Wan rolled her eyes at him, "How could I disguise myself and go in like this? Do I have to dress like you?"
After saying that, I took a look at his fashionable and trendy clothes.
"Hey, what's wrong with me? Do you know what fashion is?"
"Is fashion actually a peacock?"
"you--"
"Did I make a mistake? What man would wear pink clothes? You are really weird."
"...I am too lazy to tell you, pink is the most popular color this year, okay? Even the big Hollywood star Leonardo Dicaprio has worn this brand. Do you know whether it is fashionable or not?"
He Ye was offended by her. If he hadn't driven again, he would have been furious with her as usual.
Xiao Wan smiled and did not answer his words. She took out a wet tissue and wiped all the dirt on her face carefully. She then took off the hat and the hair that was stuffed in the hat came loose. She had not washed her hair for a week.
Her hair was dirty and oily, so she found a hair tie and tied it up casually.
For the sake of simplicity and convenience, Xiao Wan had already cut her long hair short five years ago. Now her hair only reaches her shoulders and is only tied up a little. But in the past few years, she has been accustomed to short hair, even if her hair is not as long now.
Even though it was long, she still felt a little uncomfortable.
I thought that when she returned to the United States, she would cut off her long hair.
Xiao Guang, who was sitting at the back table, said in disbelief: "You are... you are a girl?"
Xiao Wan was stunned for a moment, then turned to look over and pursed her lips with a smile: "How about it, my camouflage skills are not bad, I fooled you all."
"You don't even pretend to be a man, so why are you pretending?" He Ye replied in a dignified manner, and glanced at her breasts, "Are you just like a man?"
Xiao Wan glared at her fiercely: "What did you say?!"
"You are so fierce, do you want to prove that you are a man?"
"..."
"Yes, this is the right way, this is how you look like a woman, hey, hey, you have to stop those fierce eyes, otherwise... ow!!!"
Xiao Wan smiled sweetly: "How about it, is this ladylike enough?"
He Ye yelled: "Lady, you are so stupid! My feet are about to be kicked to pieces!"
"Isn't this still useless?"
"..."
It was normal for the two of them to quarrel with each other, but in Xiaoguang's ears, it changed. He looked at them cautiously and said: "Stop arguing, I can go back by myself, please."
How bad."
Xiao Wan was stunned for a moment and then looked back. After getting along with each other these days, she saw that this boy's inner world was very sensitive. After thinking about it, she said: "Xiaoguang, don't think like that, we are very willing to send you back.
This Uncle He and I are usually like this, noisy and noisy."
He Ye answered dissatisfiedly: "What Uncle He? Does my face look like Uncle He? It's obviously Brother He."
Xiao Wan endured her scolding and smiled at Xiaoguang: "You see, this is what he is like. You should be more relaxed and don't be so restrained, just like when we were in the mine."
After glancing at her and quickly looking away, Xiaoguang nodded: "Yes."
"What's wrong?" Xiao Wan was puzzled, "Why do you seem afraid of looking at me?"
She's not that scary.
"No...no!" Xiaoguang raised his head, glanced at her, then quickly lowered his head, his cheeks red, "I just think you are so beautiful, even more beautiful than the most beautiful aunt in our village."
this……
Xiao Wan was startled.
He Ye couldn't help but play devil's advocate: "You think she's good-looking? What's so good about her? She's just a tomboy. She's not feminine at all, and she's so fierce! Comrade Xiaoguang, you have to see the truth through the essence, etc.
After you get along with her for two days, you will find that she is not as cute and good-looking as you thought, so I was deceived by her appearance."
Xiao Wan: "..."
Xiaoguang: "..."
A few minutes later, the car drove slowly to Xiaoguang's home. He Ye didn't go in, but just sat in the car waiting for them. Xiao Wan went in with Xiaoguang. Xiaoguang's home was so simple that it didn't look like the 21st century.
It's a proper house, a dilapidated house with tile roofs. There's a hole in the roof, and there's another hole there. As long as it rains heavily, the house will definitely be flooded.
Xiao Wan's heart was extremely heavy, and Xiao Guang was a little embarrassed to stand in front of her, "My house is not good, sister Xiao, don't dislike it, I'll get a bench for you to sit on..."
"No need." Xiao Wan grabbed him and said, "Where are your grandparents? Take me to see them."
"Here, grandma is sick in bed, and my grandpa has been taking care of her."
With that said, he took Xiao Wan to a room at the back of the house. Before he entered, he heard coughing from a distance.
Xiaoguang was the first to run in, shouting as he ran: "Grandpa and grandma, we have guests at home."
…
When leaving, Xiao Wan secretly put a thousand yuan in cash borrowed from He Ye under the old man's pillow. She also pulled Xiao Guang and told him that if people from the mine come to see him, he should be quick to hide first.
After two days, as soon as the newspaper is published, someone from the government will come to help them.
Xiaoguang nodded expectantly, and his eyes were red when he sent her away. Xiao Wan sighed: "Don't cry, you are a man now. Men bleed and don't shed tears. If I have a chance in the future, I will definitely come to see you.
Um?"
Xiaoguang nodded vigorously.
Xiao Wan hugged him firmly, turned around, walked out of the house, and got in the car. He Ye glanced at her, started the engine, and drove away as the sky was just getting light.
The country road was difficult to walk, always bumpy, and Xiao Wan almost got vomited. He Ye slowed down the car so that she could feel more comfortable, but she said: "Don't slow down, hurry up, let's go earlier
Hurry back and sort these out. If you go quickly, this matter will be exposed tonight or tomorrow morning."
He Ye glanced at her and said, "You care about this matter?"
Xiao Wan pursed her lips.
"We are reporters. We see unfair things every day. Have you forgotten? As reporters, you should not involve any personal feelings. You can only report what you see fairly and impartially..."
"I lived in the mine with the miners for a week, and saw the ruthlessness and cruelty of the foremen, and even more, the pity and helplessness of the miners. If you ask if you care about this matter, then I will tell you, yes.
Yes, I care about this very much." Xiao Wan turned to look out the car window. When she said these words, she was very calm. Just like He Ye said, they had seen too many unfair things, so they were numb.
This report is a good opportunity for Xiaoguang to start his life again.
At this time, the morning glow had already risen in the sky, and it was hanging red in the east. They walked forward against the morning glow. She was bathed in the sunshine, and her whole body looked beautiful, as if all the light in the world had gathered on her.
, she looks like a newborn.
He Ye suddenly remembered what had happened in the past few years, and couldn't hold it back for a moment, asking: "Who is the man who made you heartbroken?"
"What?" Xiao Wan didn't hear clearly for a moment.
He Ye glanced at her and thought, forget it, don't mention things she doesn't like, but curiosity is like this, sometimes you know there are things that you shouldn't say without asking.
"What I wanted to ask just now was about those two naughty people..."
"Bang--"
Xiao Wan grabbed the handle of the car roof and was startled: "What's wrong?"
The car bumped violently a few times, then drove hard for a few steps, and immediately stopped moving.
"Damn!" He Ye yelled.
"What happened?"
"The tire burst." After saying that, He Ye opened the door and got out. Xiao Wan also jumped out. The two of them checked the tires and found that the front tire had burst.
I got a flat tire in this ungrateful place!
Well, Xiao Wan also wanted to be rough.
He Ye cursed and kicked the tire angrily. Xiao Wan pointed to the trunk, "There should be another one there."
"No more."
"Why is it gone?"
He Ye opened his mouth, Xiao Wan raised his eyebrows, and he could only say: "While you were at the bottom of the mine, I drove to the town to buy things, and my tire blew out once."
Wouldn't their luck be so good?
"..." Xiao Wan was speechless, "If you remember to buy things, why don't you remember to buy tires?"
"It's time to come back."
"..."
All right.
When the two of them were at a loss what to do, the sound of an engine suddenly sounded in the distance. Xiao Wan and him looked at each other and immediately saw a message in each other's eyes - they were saved.
*
The vehicle stopped slowly. Xiao Hao looked up and asked the driver: "What's going on? Why did it stop?"
The driver shook his head: "I don't know."
"Go down and have a look."
"yes."
The driver ran to the front to take a look, grabbed a soldier and asked, "What's going on? Why did the car stop?"
The soldier pointed to the front and said: "Their tire was broken and they had no spare. They stopped us and wanted to ask for help."
The driver looked at the man and woman and asked, "How long will it take?"
There were two heavyweights sitting in the car behind. It would be no joke if we were delayed.