When Xu Mengyao woke up from her sweet dream, the sunlight had quietly filled the room, and Huang's father had already started his busy morning shift.

She gently pushed open the window, and a breath of fresh air blew towards her. Outside the window, Huang's mother was chatting and laughing with someone, her voice revealing her anticipation and joy for the new day.

"The children at home haven't woken up yet. Let's go out for a walk after they finish their meal." There was some anticipation in Huang's mother's voice.

"Children are all sleepy. My little grandson is the same. I have to call him several times every day before he gets up." Another person responded with a smile, his voice full of pampering and helplessness.

Xu Mengyao was attracted by the conversation outside the window and couldn't help but stick her head out. She saw Huang's mother and Grandma Qiu chatting animatedly. She smiled slightly, turned around and gently woke up her eldest sister and youngest sister who were still immersed in sleep.

"Sister Wenxia, wake up quickly! The sun is scorching our butts! We need our big brother to take us out for a nice stroll today."

Huang Wenrong was awakened by his sister's call. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and followed Xu Mengyao in a daze to pull Wenxia out of the quilt.

When they reached the main hall, they saw their eldest brother, Huang Wenbin, still sprawled out in a deep sleep, as if the world had nothing to do with him. Xu Mengyao shook her head helplessly and continued her "wake-up call."

More than ten minutes later, the four siblings finally sat down at the table. Huang's mother had cooked some fragrant millet porridge and pancakes, and the family devoured them with juicy salted duck eggs that Huang's mother had prepared.

"Wenbin, today you have to take mom and your sisters to have a good look around this place. You have to ask mom to find out where the vegetables and meat are sold, and you have to take them to the school. School is about to start, and I don't know if your dad has registered for them." Huang's mother reminded him while eating.

"Don't worry, Mom. My dad has already taken care of this. We have them together in school, so you don't have to look for them. I'll just take them there when school starts." Huang Wenbin answered while eating.

Huang Wenbin first led a few people to the place where Huang's father worked.

"I'll take you around the mine first. There's a bathhouse inside. Everyone in the mine goes there to take a bath in winter." He introduced as he walked, as if he knew the place well.

Along the way, we passed two small ponds, where a few people were leisurely fishing. Huang Wenbin pointed at the ponds and said, "These are all sinkholes, dug underground for coal mining. People often fish here. In the summer, we men swim in them."

Huang's mother couldn't help but remind him to be careful when entering the water. Xu Mengyao, however, stared curiously at the black debris on the ground and asked, "Brother, is that coal slag?"

"That's right! Big trucks come into the mine every day to load coal ash and take it away. Some are scattered along the way, but it's not much. There is a railway next to the mine, and there are coal trains transporting coal every day. There are small pieces of coal fallen on the railway, and many women pick them up there in the early morning." Huang Wenbin looked at the coal ash under his feet and answered, his speech as fast as a machine gun.

"Really? There's free coal ash to pick up. I'll pick up some when I get back!" Huang's mother was delighted to hear that.

Huang Wenbin quickly dissuaded her, "Mom, don't go! They're all picked up by people living near the railway. You'll come back dirty and still not be able to compete with them. It's not worth it!"

"Yes, mother, it seems that coal ash is not worth much, so you don't have to go. We are new here, so it's better to familiarize ourselves with the situation first." Xu Mengyao also comforted Huang's mother in a soft voice.

Huang's mother nodded after hearing her daughter's words, and the thoughts in her mind dissipated.

After a while, we saw a large enclosed wall. The outermost building was four stories high. The road leading to the mine entrance was occupied by a large open space. The gravel road was paved neatly, making it look clean and spacious.

Above the gate, built of four stone pillars, hang four golden characters: [Daishan Coal Mine]. Above the gate, a row of brightly colored national flags flutter in the wind. Two majestic stone lions sit in front of the two middle pillars.

Huang Wenbin excitedly led his family inside and pointed to a row of factory buildings on the right. He said, "Mom, look, this is the bathhouse the mine built especially for our family. Although they don't boil water in the summer, they provide hot water when it gets cold. It's very convenient."

He pointed to the iron fence and guardhouse in front: "That's where Dad works every day. The uncle at the door will conduct strict inspections. We can't go in without a work permit."

The four of them curiously surveyed the taller buildings and towers, nodding in agreement. Then, they followed Huang Wenbin out of the mine. After exiting the gravel road, they continued along the dirt path, which was still surrounded by wasteland.

When they reached a crowded area, Huang Wenbin pointed to a fork in the road on the left and said, "Going from here, you'll find the workers' canteen where we ate yesterday. There are also big shops and a cinema on this street, all built around the largest and earliest workers' village. Up ahead is the vegetable market street. Let's go buy some vegetables first, and then go shopping when we come back."

Huang's mother walked around, selecting dishes for lunch. She entered the market with a smile on her face and bought a piece of fresh meat. Xu Mengyao stood at the entrance, frowning slightly, somewhat unaccustomed to the strong smell of mutton.

After buying the vegetables, Huang's mother had a satisfied smile on her face: "It's so convenient to buy things at this mine. It's close to home. I can come here to buy meat every day. I don't have to go to the market like before." Her words were full of expectations and longings for the future.

Carrying their newly purchased groceries, they retraced their steps and soon came upon the cinema and a magnificent workers' village. Across from the village, a massive store came into view. Its exterior was imposing, almost twice the size of the workers' canteen. Its two wide doors caught their eye.

As you walk into the store, a fresh air hits you. Glass counters are neatly arranged along the walls, with another circle in the middle, forming two circular shopping aisles.

There was a wide variety of goods on the counter, ranging from various lamps to fashionable clothes to daily necessities such as washbasins and tea bottles. The whole family was dazzled by the sight.

The sales assistants were busy with their own things, some were knitting sweaters, and some were chatting quietly in groups of three or two. When they saw Huang Wenbin and his group come in, they just glanced at them lightly and then continued with their work.

After a tour, everyone left satisfied.

After leaving the big store, diagonally across from them was the workers' canteen, which was already somewhat familiar to them. Huang Wenbin introduced it as he walked:

"Simply put, the entire mining area consists of three horizontal streets and two vertical streets, surrounded by a village. The middle horizontal street is the busiest, the one at the entrance to the workers' village. People eat, shop, and go to the movies here. The rest of the streets lead to the school and the vegetable market street."

In Xu Mengyao's opinion, this mining area was only in its infancy and the living area was limited. However, for Huang's mother and her sisters, everything here seemed so novel and convenient.

Little Wenxia was extremely excited. She jumped all the way, curiously observing everything around her and asking questions. Even when she got home, her face was still filled with a happy smile.