Chapter 33 Misty Western Hills (Part 5)

The next day, just as dawn broke, the horses were ready in front of the inn.

Upon receiving the news, Sun Man rushed over with Du Wen and others, his face plastered with a fawning smile: "Your Highness wishes to personally inspect the mine, and I must accompany you. However, the place is rather crude and chaotic, and I fear there may be remnants of bandits disturbing Your Highness. Perhaps I should have someone clear the path and set up a guard first, and then..."

Ling Wei had already mounted her horse. Hearing this, she turned to look at her with a half-smile: "The Prefect is following my itinerary so closely."

Sun Man's heart skipped a beat, but his smile widened: "This humble official was merely worried that my subordinates might neglect their duties..."

"No need." Ling Wei waved her hand. "I'll just take a look around. I'll have my guards with me. You can go about your business, Prefect."

Having said that, he pulled on the reins and rode away with Qing Shu and some of his personal guards, leaving Shen Zhilan to guard the post station.

Sun Man dared not insist any further; to do so would only make her seem suspicious. She bowed to see them off, and once the group had gone far away, she straightened up, her face darkening.

Du Wen whispered, "Sir, are you really not going to follow?"

“I’ve already prepared something for her to see. What’s the point of following her?” Sun Man said coldly. “Send two clever people to follow her and report the details to me later.”

During the day, the mine is noisy, with the clanging and banging of hammers, the muffled thuds of ore rolling into the truck bed, and the occasional short shouts from the foreman.

Accompanied by several officials from the Mining Supervision Bureau, Ling Wei walked slowly along the main mine road.

The officials originally intended to clear the area "to prevent any unruly people from disturbing Your Highness," but Ling Wei merely glanced at them indifferently and retorted, "If everyone's gone, what am I supposed to see? These empty stones?"

The official who made the suggestion immediately fell silent, forcing a smile and saying no more.

The miners pushed heavy carts back and forth between the pit entrance and the storage yard, their faces covered with a thick layer of gray and black soot that their expressions were obscured.

There were women and men.

In this mine, there's no distinction between superiors and inferiors when it comes to physical labor; it's all about who can endure it.

Women mostly supervised the work or managed the counting and distribution tools, while men were the majority who actually dug deep into the tunnels and trudged back and forth with carts full of ore.

They might be taller and have broader shoulders, but the heavy mine carts pressing down on them caused their backs to bend at an even deeper angle.

Sweat mixed with black ash flowed into their collars, leaving dark stains under their coarse cloth shorts. No one spoke; only heavy breathing and the dull thud of wheels rolling over gravel filled the air.

The official explained that it is not easy to recruit workers at the mine, especially in recent years. If young women have the strength and connections, they are more willing to go to the city to find other jobs or rent land to farm.

Those who are willing to go down into the mines are mostly poor people who have no land to cultivate and no other skills.

If a man is in dire straits, the mine is willing to take him in.

“They are all pitiful people,” an official sighed. “Your Highness has seen it too. We will take them in if we can. It’s a way for them to survive.”

Ling Wei listened, occasionally asking about the distribution of rations and pay, and always received a thorough and appropriate answer.

The figures in the ledger seemed to match what was in front of them: the piles of ore, the people coming and going, the busy figures in the sheds—there was nothing obviously wrong.

As we approached a fork in the road, the alley ahead narrowed, the lighting became sparse, and the air was filled with a stronger earthy and damp musty smell.

This is a place where waste and residue are piled up, messy and remote, a distance from the orderly busyness of the main mining area.

Ling Wei paused here for a moment.

The accompanying official was talking about the quality of this year's ore when she stopped, and he paused as well, following her gaze.

Deep in the alley, under the dim yellow light of an oil lamp, a figure hunched over against the rock wall.

It was a woman, dressed in rags, almost blending into the surrounding gray and black, clutching a rusty old pickaxe in her hand.

She continued to chip away at the rock face, her movements mechanical, the pickaxe striking the rock with a monotonous and feeble thud.

Accompanying the muffled echo was a hoarse, indistinct hum, with a strange, intermittent tune:

"Dig, dig... sparkling... stars grow in the black stone..."

The official's expression changed, and he took half a step forward, seemingly wanting to speak.

Ling Wei raised her hand to stop him.

She took a few steps forward alone, stopping about ten feet away from the figure, and asked in a very calm voice, "What stars?"

The scraping sound stopped.

The figure froze for a moment, then slowly turned its head.

His face was covered in black grime and dirt, making his features almost unrecognizable. Only his eyes were fixed on Ling Wei.

Suddenly, she grinned, revealing a somewhat strange smile.

"The stars..." her voice was hoarse, "...have been eaten!"

She leaned forward, as if to whisper, but her voice wasn't lowered; it was clear in the quiet alley: "Big rat... gnawing at the hole... gnawing here, gnawing there... gnawing all over the ground... shiny, crumbs, crumbs!"

She spoke the last few words slowly and deliberately, and something seemed to flash quickly in her eyes.

Ling Wei looked at her and asked, "Are there rats in the mine?"

Officials quickly explained that the rats in the mine are very wary; if the rock strata become slightly loose or there is any hidden danger, they will disappear without a trace. Therefore, the tunnels where rats are active are actually considered the safest. Over time, the miners stopped chasing them away, and it even became a way of bringing good luck.

As for the fool's nonsense, it was nothing more than what she had seen on ordinary days, which she then stuffed into her rambling thoughts.

The woman suddenly shrank her neck, covered her head with her hands, and made a muffled whimper: "A rat... a rat bit my ear! It hurts!"

She waved one hand wildly, her voice becoming shrill: "There! There are shadows in the cave... lots of shadows... dig and dig, dig and dig... they can't talk! Shadows can't talk!"

She trembled as she spoke, her tattered sleeve slipping down to reveal several old scars of varying shades on her forearm. She curled up in fear, but in a fleeting moment, her unfocused gaze pierced Ling Wei's face.

That was not a completely chaotic gaze.

"Your Highness, please forgive me!" The head of the mining supervision office could no longer contain himself. He rushed forward, practically dragging Ah Sha away from Ling Wei, then turned and bowed deeply to her, sweat beading on his forehead. "This...this is a fool! Years ago, the village suffered a disaster, and her family was wiped out, leaving her all alone. Here..." She pointed to her temples, "She's lost her senses. The mine took pity on her, seeing she was still strong, and took her in to do some rough work, just to give her a meal. I never imagined she would offend Your Highness today. I have failed in my duty, I deserve to die!"

Ling Wei flicked the hem of her dress, her face revealing no emotion, and simply said, "I see."

Her gaze swept over Ah Sha, who was still trembling and being shielded behind the official, and her expression was kind and gentle: "It is a good thing that the Prefect and you all have the heart to take care of the lonely and suffering."

The officials present breathed a sigh of relief.

She turned her head and said to Qing Shu beside her, "Her lips are terribly dry, give her some water."

Qing Shu untied the water pouch from his waist, walked over, and handed it to Ah Sha.

Ah Sha's trembling stopped. She stared blankly at the water pouch handed to her, then looked up at Qing Shu, and then at Ling Wei not far away, her eyes vacant.

Suddenly, she reached out and snatched the water bag, hugging it tightly to her chest as if afraid someone would take it away. Then, she hurriedly pulled out the stopper, tilted her head back, and gulped down the water. The water spilled from the corners of her mouth, washing away the black ash on her face and leaving several wet streaks.

Having drunk her fill, she curled up and moved to the darkest corner of the alley, her back against the cold rock wall, her face buried between her knees.

A muffled, incoherent murmur came from there again:

"Water...so much water...rats...the rats led the water away...splash, splash...it all flowed away...into invisible holes...gone...all gone..."

Ling Wei didn't look in that direction again, and turned to walk back the way she came: "Let's go."

The person in charge breathed a sigh of relief and responded repeatedly. He wiped his sweat as he followed, explaining how the mine was managed on a daily basis and how unauthorized personnel were strictly prohibited from approaching the main road. Ling Wei listened, nodding occasionally, and did not ask any more questions.