Chapter 1 Chen Jichuan [New book uploaded! 】
Da Chu was founded 400 years ago and Xuande was 6 years old.
Fire fell from the sky and landslides fell from the earth.
Demons dance wildly.
Banditry is everywhere.
The vast country was shattered overnight.
same year.
Yongfeng County, Shi'an County was captured by thieves.
The king's flag was replaced at the top of the city.
All former Yongfeng County government officials and government servants were thrown into prison, and their close relatives were imprisoned.
A snap of the fingers, six years.
……
The sky is dark and gray.
It was foggy, cold and damp.
The dark and undulating land is filled with miners wearing tattered cotton-padded jackets, like ants, holding pickaxes in their hands, clanging and clanging to mine ore.
This ore, known as 'iron-hating', is dark brown in color, extremely hard, but has average toughness.
Knock it hard with a pickaxe and break it into fist-sized pieces. A little black liquid like grease seeps out from it, giving off a fishy smell.
"Hoo~"
"Hoo~"
"Hoo~"
Chen Jichuan was holding a pickaxe and panting like an ox.
Every move requires all your strength.
The broken pieces hit him, hitting the worn cotton-padded jacket that exposed half of his arm. The iron-hating grease splashing with a fishy stench has long been covered with it, and the stench is unbearable.
Working day after day, being exposed to iron ore and these smells all day long has become a habit.
Sometimes chiseling.
Rest sometimes.
It took a long time to knock down half of the bamboo basket, but even this small basket weighed hundreds of kilograms.
After a long day of hard work.
Sore arms.
Soreness in waist.
Chen Jichuan's remaining strength could only carry about a hundred kilograms on his back.
Carrying the bamboo basket.
It was so heavy that he had to bend over and stoop.
The heavy life of a miner has made Chen Jichuan, who is only 18 years old, look a lot older than the middle-aged man who was in his thirties in his previous life.
Every day when the fog gets a little lighter, Chen Jichuan will go to work.
You can't go back until the fog is thick and the cold is unbearable.
day to day.
Year after year.
Starting from the age of twelve, Chen Jichuan's body was destroyed for six full years. Not only because of overwork, but also because of this hell-like environment——
The fog was hazy and the humidity was too heavy.
Every night, various joints in my body ached, making it difficult to fall asleep.
Keep it up like this.
In a few years, the whole person will be completely useless. Even if he could return to the normal world in the future, he would still be in pain all year round.
It's still light.
If they had been treated like they were when they first came in, if they were treated as human beings and allowed to mine these ores to death, Chen Jichuan would not be alive today.
In this place, which is privately called the ‘Black Prison’ by the miners, countless dead bones have been buried in the past six years.
Chen Jichuan’s father, second uncle, third uncle, eldest brother, second brother and third brother.
They all died of exhaustion or illness here.
Six years later.
The ‘Black Prison’ has also changed its owners several times, the tasks have been reduced a lot, and the mortality rate has dropped.
Only then could Chen Jichuan and his younger brother Chen Shaohe survive by chance.
But it's just a matter of survival.
……
"Lao Wu."
Chen Jichuan glanced at Chen Shaohe who was working hard beside him.
"Fourth brother, I'll be fine soon." Chen Shaohe groaned hard and breathed heavily.
Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding.
He wielded the pickaxe without raising his head, showing that he was quite familiar with the work. Although he was a little tired when talking to his fourth brother Chen Jichuan, his tone was brisk and he was obviously not numb.
Chen Jichuan looked two years younger than him, and looked as old as him, but in fact, the fifth child, Chen Shaohe, who was only sixteen years old, would always think of six years ago.
then.
Their family is still in Yongfeng County, Shi'an County.
My father, second uncle, and third uncle all worked in the yamen. Although they were just subordinates, they had deep roots and had close contacts with big families and local tyrants in the county.
It's a local snake.
The Chen family is not a good person.
In that stinky manure vat of the Yamen, not even a mouse has a dark heart, and there is absolutely no white feather in it.
The same goes for the Chen family. Like most government servants and officials, they do a lot of immoral things.
Chen Jichuan was reborn. Although he had wisdom, he was still young and could not stop or change him at all.
I thought I would find another way out when I grew up.
Unexpectedly, when he was just twelve years old, the huge Chu State fell at the first sign, and his Yongfeng County was also captured by thieves.
Yamen officials and servants were all thrown into prison.
Even their close relatives had to sit together.
then.
Chen Jichuan, who was only twelve years old, was imprisoned before he could realize his ambitions. Immediately afterwards, he was sent to the "dark prison", where there was no light from now on.
But he lived his whole life after all.
In his previous life, he had a successful career and a rich net worth. Even excluding the large compensation and insurance for his death in a car accident, the eighteen properties in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou alone are enough to support his parents until they grow old.
Just reborn.
Chen Jichuan was still a little worried. When he thought of his white-haired parents giving away their black-haired parents, his heart twitched.
But eighteen years have passed.
Everything was washed away.
Instead, there was the secret joy of rebirth after death.
Even if it is so unfortunate now, at least it is a second life, an opportunity that countless rich and powerful people cannot imagine. Not to mention, before he was twelve years old, his family was well-off, and no one dared to mess with him in Yongfeng County. He was like a little bully.
Chen Jichuan is content.
but.
My younger brother, Chen Shaohe, is only sixteen years old now. In my previous life, I had just graduated from junior high school, but I had already spent six years in the "black prison". Watching relatives die one by one, life is extremely gloomy.
"One person does evil."
"The whole family suffers."
If this had happened to other people, and in his previous life, Chen Jichuan, an older and angry young man with ungrateful views and a hatred of evil, would have only applauded and applauded.
But when it comes to my own family, this feeling——
"Fourth brother."
Chen Shaohe didn't know what his fourth brother was thinking. He knocked off the last piece of ore and threw it into the bamboo basket. He didn't stand up for a while and looked up at Chen Jichuan.
After all, this sixteen-year-old boy was not as strong as Chen Jichuan.
"Come."
Chen Jichuan came to his senses and held the bamboo basket up with both hands. Chen Shaohe used his strength to stand up.
Two brothers together.
Chen Shaohe was in front, and Chen Jichuan was behind. They helped hold Lao Wu's bamboo basket and walked to the supervisor's office.
Along the way.
It’s not just Chen Jichuan, it’s not just Chen Shaohe.
There are other miners.
Either carrying a bamboo basket alone, carrying a load, or two people working together.
"Shiro."
"Xiaowu."
Many miners who were familiar with each other smiled and greeted the brothers when they saw them.
Both are miners.
The same fishy smell, the same dust.
Don't dislike anyone.
"Uncle Wang."
"Brother Zhao."
Chen Jichuan also responded with smiles.
Life in the "Black Prison" is extremely difficult, but over the years, most miners have become accustomed to it.
Life will go on.
You can't be miserable all day long.
and.
The adults outside this ‘black prison’ gave hope——
Just do it for ten years.
And the performance appraisal every ten days cannot be less than two thousand catties.
You can be released from the dark prison.
Ten years is not a short time.
But it’s always a rush.
For example, the first batch of miners who came in, such as Chen Jichuan and Chen Shaohe, were even more visible to the naked eye.
And therefore.
Nowadays, most miners hope that the Black Prison will never change owners again. Otherwise, when new 'adults' come, they don't know if this rule will still work.
What’s funny is——
Chen Jichuan thought so too.
……
The supervisory office is in the North District mine warehouse.
Chen Jichuan and Chen Shaohe were busy all day, making two trips back and forth, each carrying two hundred and ten kilograms of ore, which was considered to be the completion of today's task. The fraction of an extra ten kilograms adds up to a lot. Whether it is used to rest or to exchange grain, vegetables, oil, salt, meat and fish with the mine superintendent's office, it is excellent.
Get the bamboo chip.
The two brothers hurried back, discussing what the overseer had just said on the way.
"Fourth brother."
"There is still mining in this mine, how can we be transferred to other mines smoothly?"
Chen Shaohe was a little strange.
The mines they are currently in are mostly open-pit mines, which are easy to mine and there are no dangers such as mine collapse. It is considered a good job.
If this were switched to other mines, it might not be safe.
Chen Jichuan also felt strange.
The supervisor did not explain to them, but just asked them, the miners from the north area of Mine No. 19, to gather early tomorrow morning and go to the new mine together.
"Maybe there are new people coming in, make room for them."
Chen Jichuan could not think of other possibilities.
In this 'dark prison', there is mostly the extremely smelly 'Yi Iron Ore'. I heard from newcomers who came in before that this 'Yi Iron Ore' can be used to refine 'Yi Iron'. Although it is too strong and easy to break, it is used for It is excellent for making arrowheads and gun heads.
In the dark prison.
Apart from the iron ore, I have never seen normal iron ore, silver or gold mine——
Maybe there are other minerals.
But Chen Jichuan hadn't seen it, or maybe the adults outside the 'Black Prison' didn't want to mine it.
so.
It is unlikely to change the mineral type.
In this case.
Changing the mines will most likely make room for newcomers.
For six years.
Although Chen Jichuan was in the 'Black Prison' and was unaware of the changes outside, he also knew that the chaos was still continuing, order had not yet been fully restored, and there were wars all year round. Every time a war breaks out, there are always prisoners of war, many of whom are sent to "black prisons" to serve hard labor.
Open pit mines are easy to mine.
When new people come in, most of them work in open-pit mines. It’s easy to adapt to avoid too many casualties.
"Newcomer?"
"Could it be that the Black Prison is changing its owner again?"
Chen Shaohe thumped and looked at his fourth brother worriedly.
"It's no use worrying about this."
Chen Jichuan shook his head and looked at Chen Shaohe, who was hunched over and looked slightly older: "Go back and pack your things. Remember, no matter what mine you change to tomorrow or what happens, don't show up."
"I know."
"The first rafters will rot first."
Chen Shaohe nodded in response, then winked at his fourth brother and said sneakily: "You have a destiny and a future."
When Chen Jichuan saw it, he immediately smiled.
Lao Wu was born in the home of the evil-hearted Li Xu, and grew up in the cold and desperate "black prison". His loved ones died one by one. If you let yourself go, your heart will definitely be dark and you will be doomed to despair in life.
fortunately.
Chen Jichuan had seen a lot of fairy tales and fantasy in his previous life, and he had told Chen Shaohe tirelessly over the years.
In each mysterious story, there are countless "private goods"——
Lead people to be good and shape their three outlooks.
He also deliberately describes the protagonist as a native born and raised in a difficult background, but perseverant, and finally rises to great heights when opportunity comes and good fortune arrives.
Many of them are protagonists who only emerged in their twenties and thirties.
There are even some people in their seventies and eighties.
This is to give 'opportunity' and 'fate' enough time so that Chen Shaohe will not despair no matter what age he reaches.
It turns out.
The effect is remarkable.
Even in the 'Black Prison', Chen Shaohe always had hope in his heart, dreaming of being like the protagonist in the story, who would shine after going through hardships.
Treat these hardships as trials.
even.
It’s not just Chen Shaohe.
These fictional stories are also inspiring Chen Jichuan, and they are no less helpful to Chen Jichuan than Chen Shaohe.
Chen Shaohe's advantage lies in the fact that he has been exposed to few things and is easily fooled, easily molded, and easily inspired.
And Chen Jichuan——
It’s because he himself is ‘travel and reborn’.
"If you don't die, you will always come forward."
"To live is to hope!"
Chen Jichuan seemed to be motivating Chen Shaohe, but also seemed to be admonishing himself to stand up straight, with a gleam in his dark eyes: "The running water does not compete to be first, but the competition is to keep flowing!"
……
Early the next morning.
The fog dispersed slightly.
Chen Jichuan and Chen Shaohe packed up their belongings and rushed to the North District Mine Supervisor Yamen.
It was said to be a 'family property', but in fact there were only two quilts, which were sewn together from the cotton-padded jackets my father and others wore.
It is also the brothers' most prized possession.
besides.
There are also very few necessities such as bamboo baskets, iron picks, iron pots, bowls and chopsticks.
As for food——
Every ten days, a batch of old rice, oil and salt, as well as vegetables and even meat would be delivered from outside the ‘Black Prison’.
There is rationing of old rice, oil and salt.
But vegetables and meat are not given for free.
The amount of ore that exceeds two thousand kilograms per ten days can be used to purchase vegetables and meat. Although it is not proportional and very little can be purchased, for the owner of the "Black Prison", it can get a lot more ore.
It's a great deal.
Incentivized work is much more efficient than simply compulsory work.
This account is not difficult to calculate.
Chen Jichuan and Chen Shaohe were young and weak. They worked exhaustingly every day and could barely complete the task quota after ten days.
There is rarely a surplus.
Even if there is.
Also save it for when you have a headache or a fever.
Therefore, there was not much food left on hand, no vegetables, and only two salted fish, which were rare delicacies. Chen Shaohe wrapped them in clean rags and hid them in the pocket of old rice.
The two of them hugged the quilt tightly, and the bamboo basket jingled loudly behind them.
When we arrived.
The miners from the North District have already arrived.
When we arrived at this time, there were not too many people there, so it was very inconspicuous.
There are ten divisions in the North District.
Chen Jichuan and Chen Shaohe were in the North Second District. They found acquaintances in their own district, stood in a queue, and waited for everyone to gather and wait for the mine supervisors to come.
No one spoke.
Most of these miners are acquaintances with each other. They can chat anytime they want. There is no need to gossip at this time.
Chen Jichuan was holding a quilt and carrying a basket on his back.
Nor spoke.
By the time the miners from the North District arrived, the open space in front of the 'Mining Supervision Agency Office' that was leveled by Chen Jichuan and his miners two years ago was already full of people.
Fifty columns in total.
Five hundred people in total.
The Nineteenth Mine has four areas: east, west, north and south, with a total of two thousand miners.
certainly.
This is a full capacity situation.
Although there have been fewer deaths among the Black Prison miners in the past two years, there are still people passing away every month, and they are rarely replenished in time, so each mine supervisor is rarely full.
Chen Jichuan waited quietly.
After everyone gathered.
After about half an hour, someone finally came.
The crowd was in a commotion at first, then became quiet in an instant. Chen Jichuan tried his best to straighten up and take a look. He felt nervous when he saw a dozen soldiers wearing black armor and holding swords walking out of the mine superintendent's office.
These soldiers are the force of the "Black Prison".
Suppressed nearly 10,000 miners.
In the past two years, miners who were newly imprisoned persuaded hundreds of people to attack the mine supervisor, but these black armors killed every one of them. In that battle, only twenty black armors were dispatched.
"Black armor."
"What is worthy of Black Armor's dispatch?"
Chen Jichuan secretly wondered and became wary in his heart.
The reputation of black armor.
Chen Jichuan is not the only one who knows this.
This can be seen from the moment the black armor comes out, there is no more subtle sound on the field.
Chen Shaohe stood in front of Chen Jichuan, glanced at the black armor, and immediately lowered his head, firmly remembering his fourth brother's advice: "Don't let anyone see the light in your eyes."
I thought silently in my heart.
Lower your head.
After the black armor, several figures in robes filed out. This was a mine supervisory official. The leader, Chen Jichuan, did not recognize him, but the middle-aged man standing behind him, Chen Jichuan, knew that it was Feng Mo, the magistrate of the North District Mining Administration. Behind him, there are also the director of the North District, the recorder, and ten supervisors with whom he often interacts.
All the adults from the North District Mining Administration are here.
The person who can stand in front of Feng Mo must be the big shot of the mine supervisor.
These people come out.
The face may or may not be obvious, but there is more or less a look of disgust.
Miners like Chen Jichuan and others deal with the iron ore all day long, and their bodies smell extremely fishy. I don't feel that they both have the same stench, and I can't tell it. But these adults sit in the yamen all day long, all of them are very tight, and they suddenly encounter the miners, and they are immediately intoxicated.
Where can I have a good look?
Without saying a word, the supervisors were allowed to lead each division to set off.
It was silent all the way.
The adults are far ahead.
The miners are in the middle.
Twelve black-armored guards stood around.
Most of the day later.
According to the distance, it should be twenty or thirty miles. Along the way, everything you see is dark and depressing rocks.
The mountains are black.
The road is yellow.
Vegetation is rare.
It's hard to see other colors.
Only when streams and rivers flow, can one see a touch of clarity, which can ease people's depression a little.
Go all the way.
Out of the Nineteenth Mine.
When the fog became slightly thicker, we arrived at a place with dozens of thatched huts.
Chen Jichuan thought he had reached his destination.
As a result, hundreds of people crowded in all night and continued to set off the next day.
In this way, you drive during the day and rest at night.
Walked for half a month.
It was estimated that it was five to six hundred miles away from the Nineteenth Mine, and finally stopped.
New Mine——
arrive.
……
"Is this the new mine?"
"So high."
“Lots of caves.”
After traveling for days, the miners were also a little tired. Seeing that they had reached their destination, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
So is Chen Jichuan.
Like other miners, he looked up to see the towering mountains, and at a glance he saw caves on the cliffs. Looking from the bottom of the mountain, the scene inside the cave cannot be clearly seen.
But you can see it.
On the cliff, climbing ladders cling to each other and drop down from the cave entrances. On such a steep cliff, I don’t know who has the ability to fix the climbing ladder.
"Are we allowed to enter this cave to mine?"
Chen Shaohe also saw it and couldn't help but whisper to his fourth brother.
This cliff is high and steep. Even if there is a climbing ladder fixed, if you are not careful when climbing, you may fall to pieces. It would be even more dangerous to carry the mined ore down.
"We'll find out later."
Chen Jichuan signaled Chen Shaohe not to speak.
The miners present were worried and inevitably made buzzing comments.
At this time.
'Feng Mo', who used to be in charge of the North District Mining Administration, frowned slightly and shouted loudly: "Quiet!"
A drink.
For a moment, there was silence.
"What a loud voice."
Chen Jichuan thought secretly in his heart and looked at Feng Mo.
Feng Mo's eyes were like those of an eagle. He glanced at the crowd coldly. When no one spoke, he said coldly: "From now on, you will live in these caves. As long as you can find twenty pieces of this kind of ore, , you can go out.”
As soon as these words came out.
There was almost another commotion on the field.
What these miners want most is to get out of the prison?
Leng Buding was inevitably excited when he heard Feng Mo mention it.
Fortunately, Feng Mo's appearance was terrifying, and there were twelve black armors nearby, which frightened the miners, so they just secretly rejoiced and said nothing.
"Get out?"
Chen Jichuan looked at Feng Mo.
He saw in his hand an indigo stone the size of a fist. This stone looks pitted and bumpy, and I don't know what it is used for.
Feng Mo took the ore in his hand and let everyone see it clearly.
Chen Jichuan looked hard and kept it in his mind.
"Twenty dollars."
"Get out of jail."
Thinking of Feng Mo's words, Chen Jichuan felt both hot and uneasy.
What’s hot is——
God knows how much he hates the dark prison and how much he wants to get out.
Now you only need to find twenty pieces of that kind of ore to get out, which may be a shortcut.
The uneasy thing is——
……
"These adults are all smart, and there are obviously insufficient miners in the black jail. How could they let us out so easily?"
Chen Jichuan trembled and climbed up the mountain ladder to a cave before telling Chen Shaohe what he had just thought.
"It's definitely not a good thing."
Chen Shaohe is not stupid, he knows that there is no such thing as pie in the sky.
There was also a worried look on his face.
but.
"I work for you as a swordsman and as a fish."
"You have to pick up this pie if you don't want to, and you have to eat it if you don't want to."
Chen Jichuan felt helpless, "We have no choice."
No choice.
We can only take one step at a time.
Chen Jichuan and Chen Shaohe walked into the cave.
The seven or eight-meter-high cave winds deep and leads to nowhere. Chen Jichuan took out a fluorescent stone from the bamboo basket. It emits light, illuminating three to five meters in all directions.
According to newcomers who entered the 'Black Prison' in the past, this kind of fluorescent stone was originally very precious, but in the past two years, a new mining area was discovered in Muhua County next door, which produced this kind of fluorescent stone, so it gradually became popular.
The cave is dark and lightless.
It was dark and humid, and ordinary torches would be easily extinguished, so they were given fluorescent stones.
Chen Jichuan pulled at the entrance of the cave a few times to indicate that the cave had an owner.
Then go inside.
One foot is deep and one foot is shallow.
There is a lot of water in the cave, which is far colder than outside.
Chen Shaohe couldn't help but shudder and wrapped his cotton jacket tighter.
"Let's do it."
"You won't feel cold if you move."
When Chen Jichuan saw this, he didn't go inside either.
Right where it is.
I took out the pickaxe from the bamboo basket, looked at the rock walls on both sides, and finally decided to start from the bottom first. According to Feng Mo, the ore called "Spirit Mine" is actually an associated mineral species of the Yanite Mine. It is extremely rare and is hidden in the Yanite Mine. But you have to break the iron ore bit by bit to find the spiritual ore wrapped inside.
The work was pretty much the same as before.
Moreover, it also eliminates the task of carrying ore on the back, and no amount of quota has been set. As long as you can stay in this mine, there is no punishment even if you do nothing.
It looks so pleasant.
But the more this happened, the more hairy Chen Jichuan felt in his heart.
Don't dare to be lazy.
"Get it done soon."
"Get out early."
"Can't stay here longer."
Chen Jichuan rushed to Chen Shaohe and said to Su Rong.
"Understood." Chen Shaohe responded, waving the pickaxe, and took the lead in changing.
Chen Jichuan also started working.
For several days.
The two of them smashed countless amounts of iron ore, but they didn't even see the shadow of the spiritual ore. I thought it would be easier if I didn't have to carry the ore on my back, but I didn't expect it to be even more tiring.
In the past, we would call it a day when the fog was a little thicker.
Now when I sleep until midnight, I can hear clanging sounds coming from other caves.
Obviously everyone wants to go out early.
one day.
Two days.
Three days.
Time passes day by day.
Neither Chen Jichuan nor Chen Shaohe found even a piece of spiritual mine.
On the contrary, my body is gradually experiencing problems——
nausea.
Retching.
fatigue.
All kinds of symptoms made Chen Jichuan feel more and more uneasy.
On the twelfth day after entering the cave, Chen Shaohe suffered a nosebleed for no apparent reason, which completely panicked Chen Jichuan——
"Radiation!"
"There must be radiation here!"
Chen Jichuan's eyes were scarlet red and bleeding.
Chen Shaohe covered his nose in confusion, feeling something indescribable in his heart: "Fourth brother, am I going to die too?"
Although he was young, he had seen a lot of life and death.
Now he seems to be dying too.
No fear.
Just a little bit reluctant to part with it.
He couldn't let go of his fourth brother, and he couldn't let go of the beautiful things that his fourth brother told him.
Such as getting a wife, such as flying to heaven.
He wants to marry a virtuous wife who can give him a lovely son.
He wanted to fly to the sky, go to the white clouds that were blurred in his memory, look at the sky, look at the earth, and blow the strong wind.
That must be beautiful.
"If I die, the fourth brother will be the only one left."
Chen Shaohe covered his nose, looked at the panicked fourth brother, and couldn't help crying.
Crying and crying.
Only then did I realize that the nosebleed had stopped.
"..."
Chen Shaohe wiped away the nosebleed, let go of his hand, and found that there was no more bleeding.
This time.
Suddenly he felt a little embarrassed and looked at the fourth brother with a stern look. He felt that the way he had cried just now was really embarrassing, and he was worried that the fourth brother would say something about him.
“It’s normal to have nosebleeds when you’re angry.”
Chen Jichuan was relieved when he saw this and smiled at Chen Shaohe.
But my heart didn't feel much lighter.
Before it was nausea and retching.
This time it was a nosebleed.
How many more days will it take?
Chen Jichuan helped Chen Shaohe sit on the elevated stone, which was covered with hay and covered with quilts: "You rest first."
Then turn around.
Take the pickaxe and smash it with all your strength.
There is a black armor squatting under the mountain climbing ladder, making it impossible to escape. The only way now is to find twenty pieces of spiritual minerals as soon as possible and let Chen Shaohe go out first.
"Fourth brother."
"I'm fine."
Chen Shaohe didn't have the nerve to rest, so he stood up and continued to crush the ore.
It's time for the fog to get thicker again.
Chen Jichuan and Chen Shaohe walked out of the cave and reported to the supervisor.
At the foot of the mountain climbing ladder.
Chen Jichuan glanced casually and found that there were far fewer people coming tonight. When the supervisor counted the number, sure enough, there were originally 478 people, but now there were only 454, a decrease of 24 people.
"My lord."
"My father is exhausted. The ladder is too high. If he comes down again, he will fall to death."
There was also no one from the North Second District where Chen Jichuan was located.
Chen Jichuan looked at the person who made the noise and recognized him as Li Ming. The Li Sanshui who didn't come was his father. The father and son had no idea what they had committed and were caught here. They had stayed in the North Second District for two years and seemed friendly on weekdays.
Now.
Li Ming smiled apologetically at the supervisor, Qian Lai.
Qian Lai ignored him——
Snap!
He raised his hand and whipped it on Li Ming's face, leaving a trail of blood.
"Ah!"
This hurts too much.
It was too sudden.
Li Ming was knocked to the ground all of a sudden, covering his face and screaming.
Other miners in the North Second District were also frightened.
In the past.
This 'Qian Lai' is tepid, and I have never seen him lose his temper. This time he didn't say a word, he just raised his hand and hit me. It was really scary.
"In the past, in the 19th Mine, miners like 'Qian Lai' also had performance appraisals and had to complete a certain amount of tasks every month. Therefore, they did not want to make trouble and beat and scold the miners. Otherwise, the amount of iron ore collected would be less, and his face would It’s not honorable and there are even corresponding punishments.”
"But now——"
Chen Jichuan smiled in his heart, which became even colder.
"Tell Li Sanshui to come down quickly."
"You fall to death, or I beat you to death with a whip, you choose one!"
Qian Lai rolled his whip and looked at Li Ming with a sneer on his face.
"I——"
"I'll go right away."
Li Ming didn't dare to protest and hurried to find Li Sanshui.
Not only Li Ming.
It wasn't just Li Sanshui who didn't come.
There was a noise at the foot of the mountain, and after a while—
fell into silence.
Not long after.
In the silence, another 'bang' and 'bang' sound was heard, which shocked everyone.
Chen Jichuan and Chen Shaohe looked at each other: "He fell to death!"
I knew someone must have fallen off the climbing ladder.
There is no way to survive if you fall off such a high cliff.
"Dad!"
"Brother!"
Faintly, one could hear cries coming from the foot of the mountain in the distance.
Chen Jichuan felt cold in his heart.
I don’t know that one day I and Chen Shaohe will fall to death like this.
Thinking wildly.
The overseer left.
Among the miners, of the twenty-four who did not come this time, ten of them fell to death with a bang.
The remaining fourteen were inspected by the supervisor and eight were taken away.
Li Sanshui from North Second District is one of them.
Chen Jichuan could clearly see that Li Sanshui was very tired, and a chunk of his gray hair had fallen out, making him look a little funny. Money came and asked him to stick out his tongue. There were blisters on his tongue, which looked like symptoms of oral ulcers.
"Hair loss."
"Oral ulcers."
When Chen Jichuan saw Li Sanshui's symptoms, he was even more sure of his previous guess: "Radiation!"
……
Return to the cave.
Chen Shaohe was a little scared: "I heard from Li Ming that his father had nausea, retching, and nosebleeds seven or eight days ago. It was only in the past two days that he started losing hair, and he couldn't feel energetic."
"It's okay."
"Dad Li is old and can't bear it anymore. He's just tired."
Chen Jichuan knew what Chen Shaohe was thinking and comforted him.
However, he mustered up his energy and continued to work hard to crush the ore and search for the spiritual ore.
Chen Shaohe saw it.
Silent.
Follow suit.
But he knew in his heart that in just a few days, he would be like Li Sanshui, losing his hair, having blistered tongue, and then——
……
Three more days passed in the blink of an eye.
In these three days.
More and more miners are experiencing various symptoms——
This includes but is not limited to nosebleeds, hair loss, mouth ulcers, skin ulcers, coughing and hemoptysis.
Some even became so hot that they burned into a pile of ashes; others were so cold that they turned into a pile of ice.
Panic spread.
Some people couldn't bear it and ran away privately. They were blocked by black armor and hanged on the cliff.
Some people gave up on themselves, jumped down from the cave, and were freed.
Most of them were seriously ill, slipped and fell, or were taken away by supervisors and no one knew where they were going.
Chen Jichuan didn't want to escape.
Don't want to fall to death.
I don’t want to be taken away either.
So he worked harder and seemed a little crazy.
Chen Shaohe's nosebleeds became more and more frequent. Knowing that time was running out, I spent the whole day chatting and joking with my fourth brother, recalling the past and looking forward to the future.
He also worked harder, thinking only that he could help his fourth brother find a few more pieces of spiritual minerals before he died.
The seventeenth day after entering the cave.
Chen Shaohe covered his nose with one hand.
He had another nosebleed.
Holding an iron pickaxe in one hand, he struck hard on a piece of iron ore the size of a millstone——
Clang!
The ore broke open, and a blue ore rolled out.
Only as big as a baby's fist.
Potholes and bumps.
"Spirit Mine!"
Chen Shaohe was stunned for a moment, then became ecstatic. He picked it up, staggered a few steps, and went to find Chen Jichuan: "Fourth brother, I found a piece!"
Chen Jichuan looked up.
At a glance, Chen Shaohe saw a piece of indigo ore in his hand that was slightly smaller than the one Feng Mo showed them at the beginning, and he was also happy.
This is the first spiritual mine they have found.
There is a beginning.
There is hope.
"Only nineteen yuan left."
Chen Jichuan's mouth was relaxed, but his heart was full of bitterness.
Chen Shaohe didn't notice it. He happily covered his nose and handed the spirit mine to his fourth brother, with hopeful eyes: "The spirit mine is so hard to find. I wonder if there is anything weird. Fourth brother, please take a look."< br>
The indigenous boy heard too many stories told to him by Chen Jichuan.
At this moment, I think back to the many moments where the protagonists made their fortunes, and I can’t help but look forward to it. He knew he was about to die, but he still held on to hope and would never give up until the last moment of his life.
I thought it was so scary here.
And the adults in the mine supervisors valued the spirit mine so much that they felt that there might be something fishy and there might be a life-saving opportunity.
"Weird?"
Chen Jichuan took the spirit mine and smiled bitterly in his heart: "What else is weird? I'm afraid that dizziness and nausea are all caused by the radiation of this spirit mineral."
Thought in my heart.
Looking at Chen Shaohe's hopeful eyes again, I couldn't bear to pour cold water on Chen Shaohe.
He also knew that Lao Wu might not be able to survive it. All he can do is probably make his last days happier.
I thought about it and prepared to say something to comfort him.
But I never thought——
……
PS: The new book has set sail, please vote for favorites and recommendations. (End of chapter)