Pingxiang coal mine is surrounded by high mountains. In the deep mountains in the northeast, the coal deposit is very close to the ground. Earth coal kilns are dotted everywhere. Earth coal mines rely entirely on manual mining. The kiln owner picks a place at will and digs an inclined hole, even a coal kiln. Workers can't even stretch their waists when they go in and out. They climb in to dig coal like dogs and drag coal out of the kiln like dogs.
it is also manual to transport coal from the mountains to other places. The porter carried the coal to the station one by one.
I have seen poor children older than me go to pick coal, and I plan to earn a few pennies by myself.
I asked Xiao Zhao, who played with me since childhood, to discuss and ask him to take me.
Xiao Zhao cocked his head, looked at me from left to right and said with a smile, "Come on! You can carry coal, too? Like a thin monkey, don't let the pole crush you! "
"I have great strength. Don't believe me, let's try wrestling! "
"I won't wrestle with you. Go if you want, and get up early tomorrow!"
if you want to pick coal, you have to leave at midnight. There are no lanterns or torches in my house. I ran to the mine motor room to find some used oil cotton yarn, rubbed some machine oil on the machine and tied it to a wooden stick, ready to light the road in the middle of the night.
mother knew I was going to pick coal, but she didn't want to watch the children go hungry. She got up in the middle of the night and quietly walked me to the door. I made an appointment with Xiao Zhao and left in a hurry.
we climbed several mountains and went through several Woods to get to the place where we picked coal. I didn't know it was too early, and there was no one yet. The door of the small coal mine was closed tightly, there was no light inside, and everyone was sleeping.
There are two square tables under the eaves, which are used for billing and accounting on the kiln. I didn't think it was dawn, so I climbed onto the table and lay down. As soon as I closed my eyes, I watched. I was fast asleep, and I fell down in a hurry, as if I had fallen into an abyss, and I was aching all over. It turned out that the table was removed and the clerk in the mine came to weigh the coal.
I got up and rubbed my arm, thinking that it's not easy to go out to work, and the poor will be bullied everywhere.
I really want to choose more. I tried, but I couldn't pick it and removed a little.
The clerk in the mine said impatiently, "If you don't choose, forget it. Don't make trouble!"
I pick it up at the first sight and leave.
I hurried along with coal. At first, I was able to keep up with others, but after less than a kilometer, I gradually fell behind. The shoulder pole hurts the shoulder, and the burden changes from the left shoulder to the right shoulder, from the right shoulder to the right shoulder, and both shoulders can't bear it, so we have to stop and have a rest.
I don't know how to choose things to walk. The more I rest, the more I want to rest. The more I rest, the more I feel burdened. In a short time, I will climb the mountain again. There was no road in this mountain, and the path stepped by those people was extremely slippery, with three steps sliding, and the coal basket on their shoulders swayed back and forth, like playing a swing.
climb the hill, it's already noon. I unbuttoned my shirt and saw that my shoulder was swollen and my skin was broken.
I mustered up all my courage, and still picked up the coal basket and walked forward. When I was not careful, I tripped over a stone under my feet and fell headlong halfway up the mountain. My arms and feet were scratched several times, and coal was scattered all over the floor.
The sun has set, and other coal pickers have probably already arrived at the station, leaving me alone on the barren hill, which is still two or three kilometers away from the station. Even if I picked the station, the coal collection station was closed. What shall I do?
My swollen shoulder was as painful as scalding water, and the wound on my leg kept bleeding, so I had to pick two empty baskets and go home.
as soon as I entered the door, I threw myself on the bed and didn't want to move. Hunger and fatigue overwhelmed me.
Mother came over and asked softly, "What's the matter with you, son?"
I said the coal didn't reach the station, and it was all thrown halfway up the mountain. My mother brought me foot washing water with tears in her eyes.
I'm afraid my mother will feel sad when she sees my wound, and she won't go down to the ground to wash her feet.
I said to my mother, "Mom, it doesn't matter. I'll pick it tomorrow."
My mother asked me, "Have you eaten?"
I replied, "I'm not hungry."
the next morning, I drank wild vegetable porridge and went over the mountain to pick coal. As soon as the shoulder pole presses on the swollen shoulder, a cold sweat breaks out on his head. I think we should hurry a few more steps before we run out of strength, so as not to grind until it gets dark and spoil the accident, so we will bite our teeth and keep our feet on the ground and carry this load of coal to the station.
Since then, I have embarked on a difficult life path.