Sansha Town is a settlement that grew up around the Sansha Coal Mine. A small town has sprung up next to the mining area surrounded by barbed wire. It now has more than 300 households and a population of about 2,000.
The people in this town make their living from the coal mines. Most of them are from mining families or people who serve the mining area.
The mayor appointed by the county government is not as powerful as the mine owner here. The mine owner is the real provider of food and clothing for everyone in this town and the real ruler here.
Longgang County has a well-developed network of small railways leading to every coal mine. After the coal is dug, these small coal mines use oxen and horses to pull rail cars to transport the coal from all directions to the freight railway station near the county seat, and then special coal-transporting trains transport the coal away.
But the road from Longgang County to Sansha Town is a bumpy and rubbish road.
The Longgang County Government Office has only one jeep which is exclusively used by the county governor.
Deputy Governor Gao Shaoting was a good person and lent the county police station's only three-wheeled sidecar motorcycle to Lu Ming, a relative of the Western county magistrate.
Heitou was the driver, Lu Ming sat in the sidecar, and Sun Bo sat in the back seat.
Leibao, Heifeng and Zhao hired a carriage.
The journey was over thirty miles. We set out in the morning and it took more than two hours depending on the speed of the carriage. We arrived at Sansha Town around noon.
The town hall has a very small facade, squeezed among the shops on the street. The sign with black lacquer characters on a white background hanging on the door frame is not as impressive as the vertical signs of the grocery store and grain shop next to it.
Liu Sili, the mayor of Sansha Town, is in his forties, with a square face, thick eyebrows and big eyes.
Lu Ming had seen his information. He was a scholar who graduated from a secondary school in Heishan. In Longgang, he was definitely highly educated. However, after graduation, he returned to Longgang and worked as a clerk at the grassroots level. He had been wandering around for 20 years without being promoted. Until three years ago, when the previous county governor took office, Liu Sili somehow got inspired and was promoted to the mayor of Sansha Town. He must have been ruthless and borrowed money to buy the position.
But apart from the huge debts he owed due to the famine, he was still frustrated, especially since the previous governor was soon transferred to another place. He probably had no money to bribe the previous county governor and was on the verge of being sidelined.
Since they had called in advance, Lu Ming took out the letter of introduction written by Gao Shaoting, and Liu Sili warmly welcomed Lu Ming and others into his office.
The town office consists of two rooms facing the street. In addition to the mayor Liu Sili, there are two clerks in the town office, which seems to imply that the imperial power does not extend below the county level.
The holsters and pistols hanging on the hanger in Liu Sili's office are even more unique to Jiangning Province. Even in the neighboring Andong Province, there is no requirement for town-level officials to carry their own guns to deter possible dangers and protect their own safety.
"Brigade Commander Hu is not here?" Lu Ming asked with a smile.
Last night, Gao Shaoting should have informed Brigade Commander Hu to come to the town office to complete the coal mine handover procedures with him.
Liu Sili smiled bitterly and picked up the tin box of tobacco on the table.
The blackhead standing behind Lu Ming took two steps forward and handed a pack of cigarettes to Liu Sili.
Lu Ming knew that Heitou smoked, but he never smoked in front of him. He didn't expect that he had such good eyesight. It seemed that Bizhu's training had broadened her horizons and made her know how to share the worries of her master. She was no longer just a mindless object that only did things when her master told her to.
"Oh? Donghai brand... I've only heard of it..." Liu Sili's eyes lit up, he stood up and took the cigarette with both hands, sat down, put the cigarette aside, but did not open the lid of the tobacco box again, smiled bitterly and said to Lu Ming: "Brigade Commander Hu just left a while ago, he said he was too busy now, and had to rush to the provincial capital to meet his uncle, Commander Hu, so we can talk about the handover when he comes back."
Lu Ming suddenly noticed that one side of Liu Sili's face was a little red and swollen, with faint traces of finger marks, as if someone had slapped him hard.
Lu Ming nodded. "Then there's no need to wait for him to be here. The mining contract he has has expired and is automatically invalid. I have a new contract here. Just go and take over the coal mine. Anyway, I will take over all the workers, foremen, etc., and everything will follow the original rules. As for the economic accounts, I will wait until he has time to come back. When I take over, I will definitely count them clearly. His personal belongings, tools, and the coal that has not been transported before today will all be his. If you have any questions, you can sue me then."
Liu Sili was stunned. "Isn't this a bit hasty? How about this? It's almost noon. I'll arrange lunch for Mr. Lu and his entourage. After lunch, I'll see if I can call him and tell him what Mr. Lu meant. See how he responds."
At this moment, Heitou whispered in Lu Ming's ear: "Master, look outside."
Lu Ming turned his head, but saw outside the window that Sun Bo, the thunderstorm and the black wind had blocked the window intentionally or unintentionally.
On the streets on both sides, some ragged men and children were walking towards them. Many of them were covered in black, and they looked like they had just come out of a coal mine. They had numb expressions and were slowly gathering together.
Liu Sili also stood up suddenly, his face turned pale, and turned around to pick up the holster on the hanger.
Having read countless literary works and TV dramas in his previous life, Lu Ming knew this routine even with his eyes closed. It was nothing more than inciting the miners to tell them how the new boss was sucking their blood and that they might not be able to eat in the future. The lower-class people were generally very ignorant, like zombies, and had no ability to think for themselves. These miners were even more ignorant. In addition, if the foremen, who usually made them very afraid, instigated them, they would become a mob in a minute.
Looking at Liu Sili, Lu Ming smiled and said, "Sili, you helped me solve this problem outside. I think I don't need to show up. Go out and tell those foremen that the provincial governor is my uncle and the new county magistrate is my wife. How could Brigade Commander Hu lose this coal mine? How could he not know who is the boss here? Tell them to bring their people back to the mine and wait for me to take over. I originally wanted to keep them. New workers are not as good as experienced workers, right? But if they make trouble like this, they will all get out tomorrow!"
Liu Sili was stunned when he heard this, and smiled bitterly in his heart. At least someone should believe your boasting, right? The provincial governor is your uncle? The Xiyang county magistrate is your wife? How dare you brag.
Lu Ming seemed to know what he was thinking and grinned at him: "Actually, it's my concubine, the third concubine."
Liu Sili didn't want to listen to the nonsense of this greasy-haired pretty boy anymore. He took out the gun from the holster, turned on the safety, turned around and walked out.
Lu Ming looked at his back and nodded, showing some responsibility.
Outside, someone suddenly took the lead and shouted, "Whoever wants to take our well! We will take his life!"
"come out!"
"come out!"
The shouts were getting louder and louder. Flames gradually danced in the eyes of the numb crowd. The violence that had been pent up in their hearts was extremely terrifying. Once it erupted, these walking corpses, whose self-esteem was trampled upon and who lived like pigs and dogs, would be so terrifying that people would not believe they were still human.
Lu Ming slowly walked to the window and checked. The salary for absenteeism here is about 20 cents per day for adult workers, which is about 6 yuan per month.
Child laborers earn even less, about 5 or 6 cents per day, depending on their work permit.
The miners here have no names. Coal miners are called "hoes", loaders are called "shovels", coal carriers are called "basket heads", porters are called "mules", and so on.
Of course, I will not exploit them like the previous mine owners did, but I will not make any promises when they come to make trouble now.
For ignorant groups, only by combining kindness and severity can the best results be achieved.