Chapter 78: Bringing Brother Home

Chapter 78: Bringing Brother Home

The old man lit a cigarette and squatted beside Su An. "Three shifts. Working in the mine doesn’t distinguish between day and night—lights are always on, so the workers also work around the clock."

Su An was a bit surprised. "Three shifts? Do they even sleep at night?"

The old man shrugged. "Night workers sleep during the day. This is hard labor—you can’t work without rest."

Su An looked around. The mine wasn’t large, mostly enclosed, with an outdoor faucet standing about fifty or sixty meters to the left of the entrance. Further ahead was a row of haphazardly built houses, topped with tiles. The largest one at the front was built of wood, with smoke rising from it—probably the mess hall.

"Old man, about how many workers are there in this mine?"

The old man glanced over the mine. "Not many. People come and go. The fixed number is around sixty or seventy. When one shift goes down, another comes up, and one is sleeping. So even though there are sixty or seventy people, it’s actually quite desolate. Plus, there are rarely outsiders coming here..."

"Old man, have you been here for a long time?"

"Yes. When it went from public to private, I was among the first to come in. My nephew and son-in-law are in the township government. Seeing I had nothing to do, they arranged this position for me."

Su An nodded in understanding. Such arrangements were common—private bosses needed favors, so they offered perks. Setting up a cushy job like this, with a monthly paycheck, beat outright bribes. Even if people caught on, they couldn’t complain.

"Old man, my brother said he’s on the middle shift. Should he be coming up soon?"

"Soon, soon. Didn’t you see people eating in the shed ahead? Once those guys are full, they’ll head down."

"It’s quite tough."

"What’s tough about this? Those who work two shifts are the ones who really struggle."

"Some people work two shifts? That must be over ten hours?"

The old man chuckled lightly. "If you’re broke, you’ve got to work double shifts. It’s all about trading your life for cash."

"Here, it’s not like you get money just for going down. You have to carry the ore up from below. The more you bring up, the more your wage. The less you dig up, the less your wage. These young guys don’t understand—ruining their health for a bit of money. They’ll regret it later."

Su An’s heart clenched, and her lips parted slightly.

The old man gave Su An a complex look. "When your brother first came, he always worked two shifts."

"I remember him well. When he first came, he was young and not too sharp. The foreman trained the new guys, and while others caught on quickly, he struggled. It was like his brain just wouldn’t click. He got scolded a lot—a real fool. He’d do what he was told, but only if you spelled it out. Otherwise, he’d just stand there, clueless."

"Let me give you an example. If your mom told you to sweep the floor, after sweeping, at least you’d know to sweep the garbage into a dustpan, right? Your brother wouldn’t. He’s the type who, after sweeping, would hold the broom and stare at the pile of garbage on the floor, not knowing what to do."

"Around here, everyone is risking their lives to make money. How many have the patience to slowly teach him?"

"So he hauled up very little ore, and being a teenager, he was always hungry. Even though the mine fed them, the food was bland. He’d say working an extra shift meant more money and an extra meal."

Su An lowered her eyes, her fingers trembling slightly.

"Actually, it’s understandable. My grandson, when he was a teenager and growing, wanted to eat eight meals a day. Hahaha, the bowl was bigger than his own head."

When he talked about his grandson, the old man’s voice brightened. He gestured with his hands, showing Su An just how big the bowl was.

Su An asked softly, "He, my brother, is he still working two shifts now?"

The old man shook his head. "Not now. His brain doesn’t turn, but he’s hardworking and willing to endure hardship. After a year, he gradually got the hang of it, brought up more ore. In recent years, he’s even more impressive—with his brute strength, he digs more ore than most. The foreman doesn’t let him go down anymore. After all, he’s still young. The mine wants to make money, but it’s not the kind that disregards human life. Otherwise, after a few years, would you still have a brother to call?"

"Before, he had pleaded with the foreman, explaining that his younger sister needed to continue her studies and he had to send money back home. He didn’t earn much, and though his body seemed fine, the foreman allowed him to work two shifts. The young man had a hard life, wearing the mine-issued work clothes all year round, sending all his wages back home. Even when everyone pitched in for a special meal, he wouldn’t even spend a few cents on himself."

"He’s a good guy, just a little tight with money. He earns quite a bit, but lives very frugally. His hands were covered in cracks, and he wouldn’t even buy himself a tube of ointment."

Su An kept her head down, listening to the old man’s rambling. The autumn breeze swept by, lifting her hair and revealing her reddened eyes.

Just then, a sharp electric bell rang out, and Su An suddenly looked up.

The old man’s gaze turned toward the mine entrance on the mountainside. "It’s time for them to come up, and the other shift should be going down."

Hearing the old man’s words, Su An stood up from the ground, her eyes fixed on the mine entrance.

About twenty men, ready for their shift, heads down, were being ushered in by a foreman wearing a rattan safety helmet.

After a while, another group of dust-covered men emerged one by one from the tunnel entrance.

Su An’s eyes scanned the figures, quickly spotting the familiar one.

"Brother~"

"Brother~"

Her voice rang out, clear and bright, full of joy.

Hearing his sister’s voice, Su Ping’s eyes brightened, and the weariness on his face disappeared.

"An An?"

Seeing Su An, he swung his arms and ran over.

"An An, why are you here?"

Su An smiled up at him, "Didn’t we agree you’d work till the end of the month? I came to pick you up."

"It’s so far, I could have gone back by myself tomorrow."

"No, I wanted to see you sooner."

Su Ping’s face turned red, and he chuckled, taking Su An’s hand. "Come on, let’s go with brother."

The coworkers, curious, teased Su Ping.

"Su Ping, who’s this girl? She’s quite pretty."

Su Ping, brimming with pride, instantly became like a doting grandmother showing off her grandson, grinning widely at everyone. "Brother Wang, this is my sister. Of course, she’s pretty."

"Brother Li Chang, my sister, my real sister, hehe, yes, my sister."

"Boss, this is my sister, the one I told you about, the one studying at home. She’s really amazing."

At the canteen entrance, a woman washing buckets heard Su Ping’s loud voice and looked up curiously. "Su Ping, you’re so happy today?"

Su Ping grinned, shaking the arm holding Su An. "Aunt Chunhong, my sister, hehe, my sister came to take me home. I won’t be going down the mine anymore..."