Chapter 122
Not far behind the Shuangshan government, there is an old road that is almost abandoned. Overloaded coal trucks have passed over it over the years, and the road surface is bumpy. Looking around, there is almost no intact place within the field of vision. It rained a little last night, and the dew had not yet dried on the grass and leaves on both sides of the road, and there were small puddles on the road one after another.
The sky was a little dark, with dark clouds rolling in. However, it was noon time, but it seemed like it was almost evening.
Walk a little further along the road and you will see a small pine forest on the left. The sounds of chickens crowing and dogs barking came from behind the hill, and the outline of the village could be vaguely seen.
The person on the phone made an appointment with her in the pine forest. Because the person who called was a woman who sounded quite old, and the place was not remote, Yunshu dared to come here alone. She could have brought a driver with her, but considering that he was hired by the local government and she didn't know his background, she ended up not bringing him along.
She walked into the pine forest along a path that was only wide enough for one person, and saw the person she had dated next to a withered bush. A woman with simple clothes and a hunched figure, short hair with a hint of silver and deep wrinkles on her face.
"You're here!" The woman's voice sounded older than on the phone.
"Excuse me, what can I do for you?" Yun Shu walked over.
The woman's name was Ding Xiaofeng. She looked older than she actually was in her fifties. She told Yunshu that she had been paying attention to her since the first day Yunshu was transferred here, and it has been almost a month today.
Yunshu asked why. The answer I got was, "I want to see if you are in the same group with them."
If you want to really see a person clearly, one month is not enough. But Ding Xiaofeng no longer has time. "I have been holding these things in for many years. If I don't speak out now, I'm afraid I won't have the chance to speak out in the future. I won't be at peace even if I die."
Shuangshan is rich in coal resources, with countless mines of all sizes within its jurisdiction. What Ding Xiaofeng wanted to talk about was related to a mine that had been abandoned two years ago.
"There was an accident in the mine at the foot of Sanlian Mountain a few years ago. It was reported that three people died, but in fact four died, and one was concealed and not reported."
The person who kept the secret was Ding Xiaofeng's son. She only has this one son, and her daughter-in-law died while giving birth, leaving behind only a grandson. My son is not well educated, but he is hardworking and willing to work. There is nothing else in Shuangshan but a lot of mines, so they give priority to local people when recruiting workers.
According to the regulations at the time of the accident, any accident with a death toll of three or less was classified as a general safety accident and the work could resume after it was rectified within the specified time limit as required. In a place like a mine, the losses from stopping work for just one day are huge, not to mention long-term rectification or mine closure. In the early years, there were many examples of false reporting and concealment, and it was the same everywhere.
"They told me that your son is dead and cannot be resurrected, so you should think more about the living. Your grandson is still so young, what will happen in the future? If you don't want him to continue mining coal in the future, the only way is to send him to school. Elementary and junior high school can be studied in town, but high school and university will cost a lot of money!"
They repeatedly emphasized their grandson's future and promised to give more compensation, and Ding Xiaofeng was convinced. When the son died, they couldn't hold a funeral or bury him openly, so they buried him quietly at night, leaving an inconspicuous grave mound and planted a tree as a mark. The household registration has been kept and it is said that I am working outside.
"This is not the first or second time this has happened. In our village, several families have had similar experiences. Just before you came, one of them died. She said she accidentally slipped and fell to her death while climbing the mountain. But before she died, she told me that she was going to sue these people."
Although it was not stated explicitly, the meaning was very clear, and it was suspected that this man's death was not simple.
"There was an accountant who had worked at the mine for many years. He died suddenly in a car accident last year. He lived in our village. After his death, his house was turned upside down, but those people must have found nothing."
The reason why Ding Xiaofeng was so sure was because she knew that it was impossible for the accountant to hide things at home.
"After spending a long time with Lao Chen, you will know that he has a habit of moving things around. He would move to a new place after a while. Not long before he died, I saw him go to the abandoned mine, sneaking there alone. But I didn't go to see it, because I was afraid that I wouldn't find it myself, but someone else would find it and take it away, so I'm not sure if there is anything there."
The wind was very strong that day, whistling through the pine forest and swaying the trees and grass. When Ding Xiaofeng finished speaking, she suddenly couldn't stop coughing. After she let go of her hand, there was obvious blood on the palm of her hand.
"Junjun is still young, and we don't have many relatives in our family. He doesn't know how to live after I die. Mayor Tan, I don't think you are in the same group as those people. If what I said is of any use, I hope you can take care of Junjun in the future and find him a reliable family. He is still young, and he will forget many things when he grows up."
Ding Xiaofeng left, walked along the path down the hill and headed towards the village. But her home is not in this village, but farther back.
Yunshu watched her figure disappear around the corner before turning and leaving.
Since her experience at the tea mountain, she has developed a habit of carrying recording equipment with her. Today's conversation with Ding Xiaofeng was recorded from beginning to end.
The Chinese New Year is coming soon, and I had promised Jing Ling that I would go to his house this year, or it would be more appropriate to spend it with him. Because the crew didn't have a holiday during the Chinese New Year, it would be too late to go back home, so Jing Qiu went to Junshan to celebrate the New Year with him.
Yunshu booked a flight for tomorrow morning so that he could arrive in Junshan in time for the New Year’s Eve dinner.
If it was something else, it would seem fine to leave it until after the New Year, but it happened to be this kind of thing.
Yunshu was hesitating all the way, but finally decided to go and take a look first.
Junshan Film and Television City.
Jing Ling finished filming and during the break, his temporary assistant came over and said someone was looking for him. He was a little surprised, "Who is looking for me?"
"It's a lady named Yang Xinyao, and she said you know her." The temporary assistant replied.
Jing Ling was even more surprised. After meeting at Jiang Sijin's birthday party, Yang Xinyao asked Yunshu to play with her a few times, and then they just communicated in the Penguin group. Why did Yang Xinyao suddenly think of looking for him? However, despite his doubts, he still went to see her.
The two found a secluded place to talk.
Yang Xinyao is no different from when we first met, and her personality remains the same. Although they haven't seen each other for a while, they are not unfamiliar at all, and even the way they speak is still so direct, "Long time no see, Jing Ling. But this time I am not here to reminisce about the past, but to ask for your help. I will tell you the details of the matter later, and you can decide whether to help after listening. Before that, I will tell you a piece of news related to you, just as a token of my sincerity."
Jing Ling nodded, "You go ahead."
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