I shouted out, warning Song Haizhu to be careful. He looked at me, his expression bewildered.
"How...?"
Before he could finish his sentence, several wooden pillars cracked simultaneously, revealing ghastly white fissures, then collapsed. The huge black stone above Song Haizhu's head fell down, as if the sky itself was collapsing.
It all happened too quickly, almost within the blink of an eye. I saw it, but my body couldn't react in time.
It was too late to dodge. Song Haizhu's face changed, and he used his body to resist. With a loud bang, like a spark colliding with the earth, the massive piece of coal, weighing nearly a ton, was somehow resisted.
His neck veins bulged, his face turned eggplant-colored, and his eyes reddened.
Just as I marveled at this, Song Haizhu suddenly sank, firmly pressed underneath. With a "pu" sound, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
His bones seemed to be crushed like a pack of instant noodles. Hearing the sound of bones breaking, my scalp went numb.
Even the tough White Ruoxue trembled for a moment. The others looked ashen, deeply frightened.
"Quick, help him!"
Huang Erhei shouted, trying to move the big black stone with force. Others also joined in, and the big black stone swayed a few times.
"Don't... don't move, it hurts, too much."
We were desperate to save him, ignoring everything to move the big black stone. By this time, Song Haizhu was bleeding from all seven orifices, and he was probably beyond saving.
Huang Erhei shook his head. "Big pillar, hang on, we'll get you out."
"I... I can't."
Song Haizhu held Huang Erhei's hand, his voice feeble.
"Can you... promise me one thing?"
Huang Erhei's voice trembled. "You tell me, even if it's a hundred things, I'll promise you."
Song Haizhu lifted his hand with effort. His arm had been broken into several sections, from shoulder to elbow, elbow to wrist, wrist to hand. He reached down to his crotch.
With a "shh" sound, he unzipped his pants, and something large poured out.
I was dumbfounded. Compared to my Italian cannon, this was like the Poseidon nuclear missile.
Seeing this, White Lao Tai, White Ruoxue, and Shi Jingxia blushed and turned away.
Nasal Cannon widened his eyes and exclaimed, "Incredible, it's so big."
I retorted, "Could you please shut up?"
Song Haizhu was already out of strength. He pointed to his underwear, where there was another zipper.
In those days, mobile payments were not yet widespread, and public security was not great. Many underwears had a small pocket for storing valuables. When I was in school, I used to hide my tuition fees in there.
"Big Octopus, I'll help you."
Nasal Cannon unzipped the zipper and took out a passbook from the pocket. Its corners were all worn out, emitting a foul odor.
Nasal Cannon opened it and looked inside, his mouth gaping. "Damn, over 800,000."
"Give it here."
I snatched the passbook and handed it to Huang Erhei.
"Keep 100,000 for my mom, for her retirement, her final farewell. Take another 100,000 as... as hard work pay. If Ailian, if she's still around, the rest, all of it, give it to her."
Nasal Cannon, being nosy again, asked, "What about the Thai girl? If she had left earlier?"
"In that case, donate it all to the country, for archaeological... archaeological affairs..."
He didn't finish his last sentence. Song Haizhu closed his eyes forever.
In his final moment, the pain rendered him unconscious, and he departed with remarkable tranquility, as if slipping into slumber.
My heart felt uneasy. Song Haizhu, though appearing robust, had a nuanced soul. He was not without wealth; in fact, he had plenty. Yet, he hadn't entirely bestowed it upon Ailian. Perhaps he understood that while Ailian sought fortune, his love for her could only be expressed in this manner, simultaneously satisfying her material desires and keeping her by his side.
There exists a love unable to be wholly given, yet must be built upon a material foundation. The nuances of such a love are perhaps understood best by those involved.
The passbook was light, but Huang Erhei's hand trembled.
"Big Pillar, the outcome of our contest is settled. You've won," Nasal Cannon said, leaning in. "Include me in the hefty burial committee for the big guy," he added.
Huang Erhei shot him a cold glance, holding up two fingers menacingly, causing Nasal Cannon to scamper away in fright.
Huang Erhei and I tidied Song Haizhu's remains and gave him a makeshift burial. It was the last tribute we could offer him.
"Farewell on your journey, Song brother. If fate permits, I, Huang, shall ensure your soul returns to its roots," I bid him.
"One cannot bring back the dead. Let us mourn together," sighed White Lao Tai. "This place is no longer safe. We must leave swiftly," she added.
The path became increasingly arduous, with steep inclines. We supported each other using the reinforcing steel bars fixed to the walls, preventing collapse, struggling onward.
After over an hour, we suddenly encountered a hoist cage, capable of accommodating thirty or so people simultaneously. It was connected to a thick wire rope, extending upwards.
Looking up, we saw a vertical shaft, estimated to be fifty to sixty meters deep, with faint starlight twinkling above.
Nasal Cannon rubbed his eyes, confirmed the sight, and excitedly exclaimed, "It's an opening! We're saved!"
With that, he slung his M3 submachine gun to his back and began climbing. His movements were swift and efficient.
White Ruoxue shook her head. "Let's see how he comes down later."
Three or five minutes later, Nasal Cannon climbed to a height of seven to eight meters but suddenly lost his grip and fell. Fortunately, his quick reflexes allowed him to grab the wire rope and slide down, albeit with some bruises.
Shi Jingxia exclaimed with mixed emotions, "I heard about these hoist cages at the Ru Jia restaurant before. They're used to transport miners vertically. But how do we get out?"
I recalled what Sun Tiedan said about hoist cages being connected to the main and auxiliary cages by a hoist rope, which winds around the drum and is fixed to it. As the hoist winch rotates the drum, the cage moves up and down the shaft.
Currently, the mine was depleted, abandoned for years, with all electrical facilities defunct. Our only option was manual labor to ascend.
However, fifty to sixty meters seemed an insurmountable height.
White Lao Tai instructed Huang Erhei, "Your legs are sturdy. Go up first and see if there are any resources we can use."
"Grandma," White Ruoxue called out, casting a sidelong glance at us and signaling to White Lao Tai. She worried that after Huang Erhei went up, he might pose a threat to them, the grandmother and grandchild.
Shi Jingxia muttered, "As one judges others by oneself."
White Lao Tai calmly responded, "Xue'er, don't worry. Trust Grandma. Grandma's judgment of people is accurate."
Huang Erhei tucked the walnuts into his trouser pocket. With a tearing sound, he tore two strips of cloth from his clothes, wrapped them around his hands, and then exerted force, leaping up. His entire body soared, grabbing the wire rope like a monkey climbing a tree.
His agility was remarkable, his movements graceful and swift, no less than that of a professional firefighter's climbing ability.
However, the distance was daunting, and he almost had an accident in between. Perhaps his hand was pricked, causing his body to sink momentarily, and he plummeted several meters.
We were all terrified. If Huang Erhei had an accident, it would be akin to a death sentence for us.
However, Huang Erhei's skill was exceptional. He immediately braced his feet against the wall, spun around, and leaped up again, successfully making his way out, the thick wire rope still trembling.