love on the turquoise land

Chapter 31

Driving back to Xi'an took two days, but Yan Tuo had something on his mind and couldn't focus completely, so it ended up taking three days.

On the evening of the second day, as the car entered Shaanxi, the outline of Shaanxi Province on the map looked like a crouching Terracotta Warrior. Yan Tuo felt like he entered the province from the toe of the warrior and was making his way towards the destination in the abdomen.

The highway was bustling yet desolate. It was bustling with constant traffic, but lonely for those driving alone. Yan Tuo followed the navigation and occasionally glanced up at the tall directional signs at the junctions.

At one point, he looked up and saw a sign indicating Tang County (62km).

Tang County.

Yan Tuo hesitated for a moment, not sure if he should make a detour. But before he could decide, the steering wheel had already veered in that direction.

***

It was past eight in the evening when Yan Tuo's car reached Lao Niutougang (Old Niu Head Hill, the village in chapter 1).

This was where his father, Yan Huanshan, originally started his business - a coal mine. But now it was as desolate as a graveyard. The entire Lao Niutougang, not just the coal mine, was abandoned. It was reminiscent of the gold rush that once swept through the American West - prospectors came, saloons and restaurants sprung up, women came, and all sorts of supporting facilities emerged. A small city rose up. But when there was no more gold to be found, the crowds receded, leaving behind only barren mines.

The closure of the coal mine at Lao Niutougang was not due to the coal being completely depleted, but rather because mining was no longer economically viable. Later on, as the process of coal capacity reduction intensified, many coal mines were phased out, leaving behind more and more abandoned mines. Yan Tuo had read relevant reports and knew that by 2020, there were approximately 12,000 abandoned coal mines in China alone. The world was discussing various ways to utilize these abandoned mines - some suggested developing industrial tourism, while others proposed building underground hospitals or deep underground scientific laboratories. However, all this buzz didn't extend to the small place like Lao Niutougang.

The iron gate leading to the mining area was closed, with rust and dust covering the iron bars. The metal plaque on top of the gate hadn't completely corroded away, leaving behind the words Work Happily, Return Safely clinging to it.

Sitting in the car, Yan Tuo absentmindedly stared at the iron gate. People couldn't enter, but the light from the car could penetrate through, illuminating the flat ground behind the gate.

In the beginning, Yan Huanshan used to ride a bicycle through this gate every day. His mother also frequently came and went. Even he had vague memories of this place: he learned to walk on the flat ground behind the gate, stumbling step by step while the miners cheered him on. Uncle Changxi held a lollipop like a carrot, coaxing him to move forward step by step.

Yan Tuo turned the car around, and as the headlights swept over the mining area, it quickly plunged into darkness. Soon, Lao Niutougang disappeared into the darkness, like a tomb containing a secret.

***

The car entered Tang County.

The county was no longer the same. The streets, skyscrapers, and commercial streets were all newly built, making those who attempted to reminisce feel lonely.