Der Himmel ist das Ufer des sterblichen Staubs

Kapitel 27

Old Zhang: "I often eat steamed buns at noon underground because they are convenient, but I only have three per meal."

Lin Zhenzhen: "Why aren't you eating any? Aren't you hungry?"

"I am a gas inspector. I don't have to do heavy physical work underground. I can just have a bowl of porridge and some side dishes. The steamed buns are for my elderly parents. All four of my elderly parents like to eat them, but unfortunately I can only bring back three each time."

Lin Zhenzhen: "How could I possibly eat food from an elderly person?"

Old Zhang: "Don't be so polite. We don't know how long we'll have to wait. If you're hungry, just eat. City girls are delicate."

Lin Zhenzhen was about to decline when she suddenly heard a hollow sound coming from the distant tunnel. The sound reverberated loudly in the mine. Old Zhang suddenly stood up and said cheerfully, "The people outside have dug this far. You'll be able to get out soon."

Lin Zhenzhen cheered and forgot her hunger, quickly running towards the direction of the sound. Old Zhang quickly pulled her back and said, "Reporter Lin, don't rush to the other side of the landslide. When they're digging, something might fall down nearby. Be careful not to hit you. Wait until they've cleared the way before you go."

Lin Zhenzhen stuck out her tongue, thinking that Lao Zhang was more experienced. She waited quietly a little further away. Lao Zhang took out a mining helmet from somewhere and carefully put it on Lin Zhenzhen's head, saying, "It's best to wear a safety helmet when you go out, just in case something bumps into you."

Lin Zhenzhen was so happy that she didn't notice where Lao Zhang had taken the helmet from. She just thanked him repeatedly. At this moment, Lao Zhang said something strange: "There's something inside this helmet. Don't lose it after you go out."

Lin Zhenzhen asked curiously, "What is it?"

Just then, a ray of light suddenly appeared ahead. The collapsed section had been cleared, and they heard someone shouting from the light on the other side: "Reporter Lin, Reporter Lin, are you in there?"

Lin Zhenzhen quickly answered loudly, "Yes, we're inside, we'll be out now."

Just then, Lao Zhang said again from behind her, "Reporter Lin, don't forget your hat."

Lin Zhenzhen finally had time to talk to Lao Zhang: "I'll give the hat back to you as soon as I go up. By the way, Lao Zhang, what's your name? I haven't asked you yet."

Old Zhang: "My name is Zhang Wenzheng. They're coming. You should go out quickly. You walk in front, and I'll follow behind to light your way."

The name Zhang Wenzheng flashed through Lin Zhenzhen's mind. She seemed to remember something, but before she could have more time to think, someone shouted from the other side, "Reporter Lin, it's safe here. Come out quickly. Can't you walk by yourself?"

Lin Zhenzhen quickly replied loudly, "I'm fine, I can walk, I'll be over soon."

Part 3: Ghost Miner 9 - The Strange Hat

Feng Junzi and a large group of people waited outside the mine. The crowd was talking excitedly, and Feng Junzi kept telling everyone what had happened here yesterday. Not far away, Wang Minggao looked melancholy, while Liu Wanshan, who had been guarding the entrance of the mine, had a smug look on his face.

The crowd didn't have to wait long before cheers erupted from the mine shaft. Several workers then helped a disheveled woman out of the pit; it was Lin Zhenzhen. Seeing Lin Zhenzhen rescued, everyone rushed over, offering their concern. Liu Wanshan and Wang Minggao arrived almost simultaneously, stopping the chaotic crowd. Xiao Yuan said, "Miss Lin has just been rescued and is still very tired. We need to take her to the hospital for a checkup. You can ask her anything after she recovers."

Feng Junzi had already squeezed to Lin Zhenzhen's side. He carefully observed that Lin Zhenzhen looked very tired, but she didn't seem injured at all, so he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Lin Zhenzhen had probably been in the dark for a long time, and the sudden bright sunlight made her a little uncomfortable. Only now did she realize what had happened. She suddenly shook off the person next to her and shouted, "I'm alright! Where's Lao Zhang? Lao Zhang is still downstairs. Has he come out too?"

When Lin Zhenzhen spoke, everyone fell silent. Her repeated calls of "Old Zhang" confused everyone. Liu Wanshan and the others quickly asked, "What Old Zhang? Who else is down there?"

Lin Zhenzhen: "Zhang Wenzheng, the gas inspector at your mine, is trapped in the mine pit due to the collapse. Why hasn't he come up yet?"

As soon as the name Zhang Wenzheng was uttered, the attendees surrounding him didn't react much, but Feng Junzi, Liu Wanshan, Wang Minggao, Xiao Yuan, and several miners coming and going all changed their expressions, staring at Lin Zhenzhen as if they were seeing an alien. Lin Zhenzhen, seeing these people staring at her with wide eyes, was also puzzled, and then said to everyone, "There's another person in the mine, his name is Zhang Wenzheng. He gave me this hat. He's right behind me, why hasn't he come up yet? You should send someone down to look for him."

"A hat? What hat? Zhang Wenzheng's hat?" Wang Minggao suddenly exclaimed, his voice clearly filled with panic.

Lin Zhenzhen was momentarily at a loss. Feng Junzi, standing beside her, suddenly reached out and removed the miner's hat from her head. At the same time, Liu Wanshan and Wang Minggao, standing nearby, reached out as if to take the hat. Feng Junzi hesitated slightly, seemingly stepping aside, and Liu Wanshan snatched the hat away. Holding the hat tightly in his hand, Liu Wanshan stared wide-eyed at Lin Zhenzhen and asked, "Explain yourself clearly, who gave you this hat?"

Lin Zhenzhen: "I ran into Zhang Wenzheng downstairs. He just gave me this hat. Oh, and he also said to be careful with this hat..."

Before Lin Zhenzhen could finish speaking, another commotion erupted nearby. Wang Minggao, clutching his chest and pale-faced, collapsed limply to the ground. Someone quickly reached out to support him. Seeing this, Feng Junzi shouted, "Quick, get him in the ambulance! Mr. Wang has had a heart attack!" As he spoke, he caught a glimpse of a sly smile on Liu Wanshan's lips.

The ambulance was already parked at the tunnel entrance, and paramedics were on standby. Several people in white coats rushed over to give Wang Minggao first aid. At this moment, Xiao Yuan also said to Lin Zhenzhen, "Ms. Lin, you should go to the hospital with the ambulance. You need to get checked out."

Lin Zhenzhen couldn't understand why such things were happening around her. She just continued, "Where's Lao Zhang? Quickly bring Zhang Wenzheng up. I'm not leaving until Lao Zhang comes up."

This morning, Feng Junzi already knew that a miner named Zhang Wenzheng had died here a year ago. Lin Zhenzhen suddenly claiming to have encountered Old Zhang underground seemed like a ghost story. The look of shock and fear on the faces of those around her clearly indicated they suspected Lin Zhenzhen had suffered some kind of mental breakdown after being trapped underground for a day and a night. Not only were others suspicious, but even Feng Junzi suspected Lin Zhenzhen's mental state was abnormal. However, he vaguely felt that things weren't so simple; there might truly be something more to it underground.

He didn't want to explain anything and upset Lin Zhenzhen. Instead, he said to her, "Lin Zhenzhen, don't worry, I'll go down and check right away." With that, he grabbed a mining helmet from a nearby worker and rushed into the mine. People were still coming up from the mine, and seeing Feng Junzi rushing back down again, they all looked puzzled. At this moment, Liu Wanshan, standing at the entrance of the mine, said, "Teacher Feng went in to find something. You all hurry in and keep him company, just in case something happens."

Lighting equipment has now been installed in the mine. Feng Junzi hadn't gone far before he reached the place where they had just dug. Judging from the scene, Lin Zhenzhen had indeed slipped and fallen into the mine, and then, without knowing which way she was going, she walked into the depths of the mine. At that moment, the tunnel behind her collapsed, trapping her inside for a day and a night.

After crawling through the excavated tunnel, there was no more light. Feng Junzi turned on the headlamp on his mining helmet and also picked up another flashlight before crawling inside. This section of the tunnel was very short, only a few dozen meters long, and further ahead it was blocked by a collapse. This collapse was probably an accident that happened a year ago.

...

Feng Junzi didn't stay inside long; he soon came out with several workers. Seeing that Zhang Wenzheng wasn't among them, Lin Zhenzhen anxiously asked Feng Junzi, "Where's Lao Zhang? Isn't he downstairs?"

Feng Junzi did not answer. The worker next to him said, "We've checked. There's no one left down there."

Seeing that everyone around her was looking at her like she was an alien, Lin Zhenzhen couldn't help but feel scared, and her voice became hoarse: "Why are you all looking at me? Don't you believe what I'm saying? There really was someone down there who stayed with me for a whole day. He said his name was Zhang Wenzheng."

Feng Junzi seemed to sigh, walked over to Lin Zhenzhen and said, "Zhenzhen, you've been trapped down there for a whole day and night without eating or drinking. Aren't you tired?"

Lin Zhenzhen hadn't thought much of it until Feng Junzi asked, but upon hearing his words, she immediately felt a deep weariness wash over her, her legs buckling and she could barely stand. Feng Junzi rushed forward to support her, and Lin Zhenzhen heard him whisper in her ear, "I believe what you're saying, but don't say anything now. I'll explain what happened to you later. Just go to the hospital obediently."

Just then, the ambulance from the mining hospital started moving. Even though Lin Zhenzhen was originally conscious, she was somewhat disoriented after all this commotion, and she didn't understand what was happening. She and Wang Minggao were then taken to the mining hospital.

Part 3: The Ghost Miner, Chapter 10: A Chance Encounter with Zhang Wenqing

The crowd's attention was focused on the ambulance, and no one noticed that Feng Junzi had quietly left. To outsiders, it seemed like a young man had gotten into an accident while playing around, thankfully without serious consequences; a few older people even shook their heads and sighed.

After all this commotion, the afternoon meeting was delayed by an hour and a half, but it still proceeded as scheduled, though Feng Junzi did not attend. For the rest of the afternoon, no one knew where Feng Junzi went or what he did. Just when Liu Wanshan, Secretary Yuan, and others realized that Feng Junzi seemed to have disappeared, he suddenly reappeared at the entrance of the mining area hospital.

Feng Junzi had come to see Lin Zhenzhen, but he was stopped by Secretary Yuan and two staff members in the second-floor corridor. Secretary Yuan told him in a serious tone, "Miss Lin has been trapped in the well for a day and a night and has suffered some shock. Her mental state is not normal and her emotions are unstable. The doctor said that no one should disturb her for the time being. We have already persuaded the people who came to visit her to go back. We hope that Teacher Feng can also cooperate with the doctor's work."

Feng Junzi seemed to have anticipated that Secretary Yuan would say such a thing, and said with a concerned expression, "I know she was traumatized, so I came to see her. Please let me in."

Xiao Yuan: "Everyone else said that, and they all went back. Teacher Feng, you should go back too."

Feng Junzi: "I'm different from others. It's only right for others not to bother Lin Zhenzhen, but I can't leave her alone."

Xiao Yuan found this a bit strange: "Why is Teacher Feng different from others?"

Feng Junzi said sincerely, "I am her boyfriend. She is emotionally unstable right now and needs me to comfort her. How can you not let me see her?"

Xiao Yuan had never heard anything like this before. Lin Zhenzhen was from Beijing, and Feng Junzi was from Binhai. They had only been here for two days, and one of those days Lin Zhenzhen was still trapped in the mine. It was indeed a bit unbelievable that they had started dating. However, Feng Junzi's tone didn't seem to be lying at all. But Xiao Yuan had already been fooled by Feng Junzi outside the conference room that morning, so he wasn't very convinced by him this time.

As the group was talking, a nurse in a white coat came out of a room on the side of the corridor. She seemed to wink at Feng Junzi a few times and then gestured downstairs. Since Xiao Yuan and the others had their backs to the nurse, they didn't see it, but Feng Junzi saw it clearly. He felt something was amiss, so he said to Secretary Yuan, "You won't let me see my girlfriend? I'll reason with you later. Since the doctor said so, let's do it this way for now. If your mining hospital can't handle it, I'd better get Zhenzhen transferred to another hospital as soon as possible." With that, he turned and went downstairs. Secretary Yuan and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

...

After leaving the hospital, Feng Junzi didn't go far. He found a secluded spot and stopped, seemingly waiting for someone. Sure enough, a short while later, a slender figure emerged from the hospital, glancing around as she walked. Feng Junzi called out softly from the shadows, and the person, noticing Feng Junzi's presence, hurried over.

The woman who arrived was a nurse, still wearing the uniform of the mining hospital. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, with delicate features, but her face was pale and she appeared rather haggard. As she approached, Feng Junzi spoke first, asking, "Did you need something from me?"

The nurse seemed afraid to look up and meet Feng Junzi's gaze, and said in a low voice with her head down, "Are you that reporter Lin's boyfriend? Then you must know what happened to her." It seemed that she had heard Feng Junzi and Xiao Yuan's conversation in the corridor.

Feng Junzi stared intently at the other person, scrutinizing her from head to toe. This look seemed somewhat impolite, especially since the person standing opposite him was a young woman. Feng Junzi replied, "I'm not her boyfriend. I was just lying to those people. I just have something to ask her." For some reason, Feng Junzi didn't lie; instead, he told the truth.

"Oh?" The other person sounded a little disappointed, then said, "I'm so sorry, sir, I was just a little curious."

"You're not just curious, you also want to know what happened down in the well, isn't that right, Miss Zhang Wenqing?" Feng Junzi said calmly.

The nurse seemed to flinch slightly, then looked up and asked, "How did you know my name is Zhang Wenqing?"

Feng Junzi smiled and his tone softened considerably: "It seems I haven't mistaken you for someone else. Don't be surprised. I know a little about your brother Zhang Wenzheng's situation, and I also know that he has a younger sister named Zhang Wenqing who works as a nurse at the mining area hospital. I think that if you're the kind of nurse who's so curious about this matter, you're probably the one."

Zhang Wenqing: "You have a good eye. I don't know who you are, how do you know my brother?"

Feng Junzi: "My name is Feng Junzi. I have no connection with the mine. I just happened to run into Lin Zhenzhen's situation. Don't be afraid, I mean no harm. I'm also very interested in your brother's situation. But right now, I'm more interested in how Lin Zhenzhen is doing."

Lin Zhenzhen was taken to the hospital in a daze and underwent a physical examination. She was not injured, but no one seemed to pay much attention to what she was saying. When she intermittently recounted her experience in the mine during the intervals between examinations, the staff around her all looked frightened.

Among women, Lin Zhenzhen was considered bold and forthright, but she wasn't stupid; she felt there must be something more to it. After a medical check-up, a shower, changing into a hospital gown, and eating a hospital meal, the hospital tests weren't over. Doctors in white coats examined her pupils, performed an EEG, and even tapped her knees. Although Lin Zhenzhen didn't understand medicine, she felt like the doctors were examining someone with a mental disorder.

After all the inspections were completed, Secretary Yuan came to visit again with her staff. It was more like Secretary Yuan came to inquire than to visit. Lin Zhenzhen finally had a chance to recount her experiences underground in detail, and repeatedly asked Secretary Yuan how Zhang Wenzheng was doing. Secretary Yuan looked strange and didn't answer, only advising her to rest well before leaving.

Lin Zhenzhen was indeed exhausted, but she couldn't fall asleep in bed, repeatedly pondering the events that had occurred when she came up from the well. She realized that all the strange things seemed to have started after she called out Zhang Wenzheng's name. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind, and she remembered the tombstone she had seen with Feng Junzi the day before at noon—wasn't the name on that tombstone Zhang Wenzheng?

Part 3: Ghost Miner 11, Zhang Wenzheng's Last Will and Testament

11. Zhang Wenzheng's Last Will and Testament

The reason Lin Zhenzhen only remembered the name on the tombstone now wasn't because she was slow to react, but because time didn't allow her the peace of mind to make the connection. She suddenly thought of Zhang Wenzheng's tombstone, and a chill ran down her spine; she was suddenly filled with fear. "Zhang Wenzheng? I saw Zhang Wenzheng's grave yesterday. That tombstone was new; he hadn't been dead for long. Could it be that I met him in the well…?"

Thinking of this, Lin Zhenzhen almost immediately wanted to jump up and ask someone if the Zhang Wenzheng she met was the same person as the Zhang Wenzheng in the grave. At this moment, Lin Zhenzhen felt that lying alone in the empty ward was so eerie. She wished that someone would come and talk to her. Just then, a doctor in a white coat pushed open the door and walked in.

The person who entered was wearing a white coat and a white cap, with a stethoscope hanging around their neck, and a large mask covering their face completely, obscuring their features. Judging from their attire, they were a doctor from a hospital. Lin Zhenzhen was about to greet them when the doctor gestured for her to be quiet. As Lin Zhenzhen hesitated, the doctor removed their mask, revealing a side of them that shocked her—this person wasn't a doctor at all, but rather Feng Junzi.

"Feng Junzi, what brings you here? And why are you dressed like that again?"

"Keep your voice down. I sneaked in. They had people guarding the corridor to prevent me from seeing you, but I insisted on coming anyway. I wanted to see if they could recognize me, but none of those idiots recognized me."

"What? Someone's guarding outside? Why?"

"I'll tell you about this later. Guess how I got in?"

"Judging from your appearance, someone must have helped you. Who helped you?"

"You guessed right, the person who helped me is Zhang Wenzheng..."

"What? Zhang Wenzheng!" Lin Zhenzhen sat up abruptly in bed, staring wide-eyed at Feng Junzi.

Feng Junzi waved his hand, signaling her to lower her voice, and said, "I haven't finished speaking yet. The person who helped me is Zhang Wenzheng's sister, Zhang Wenqing. She works as a nurse in this hospital. You didn't expect that, did you?"

Upon hearing Zhang Wenzheng's name, Lin Zhenzhen inexplicably shivered and pressed him for details, "You know Zhang Wenzheng too? You've met him? And what about that tombstone we saw yesterday? Who is this Zhang Wenzheng?"

Lin Zhenzhen's barrage of questions left Feng Junzi at a loss for words. He could only whisper to Lin Zhenzhen, "Don't rush, let me explain slowly. Could you please tell me in detail what happened down in the mine?"

Lin Zhenzhen recounted her experience in the well to Feng Junzi once again. At this point, she realized that Zhang Wenzheng might be a ghost, and she was both shocked and frightened, her voice even trembling slightly. However, as she recalled the experience, she felt that Zhang Wenzheng did not seem to have any ill intentions towards her. In fact, he was quite friendly, and gradually she was not so afraid anymore.

After saying that, Lin Zhenzhen asked Feng Junzi, "Do you believe what I said? They didn't find Zhang Wenzheng in the well, and they looked at me like I was a monster."

Feng Junzi smiled and said to Lin Zhenzhen, "I believe what you say, I believe it completely. Actually, it's not difficult to judge whether someone is lying or not. Take you for example, if you hadn't experienced it firsthand, you couldn't have made up such a story."

Lin Zhenzhen: "Then this Zhang Wenzheng..."

Feng Junzi: "Listen, don't be afraid. The Zhang Wenzheng we saw on that tombstone is the same Zhang Wenzheng you met in the mine. This Zhang Wenzheng is the miner who died in the accident a year ago."

Lin Zhenzhen: "Am I seeing a ghost?"

Feng Junzi: "You could say that, but Zhang Wenzheng doesn't have any ill intentions towards you. He just wants to ask you for help with something."

Lin Zhenzhen: "What happened? You went down there too, did you see him?"

Feng Junzi: "I didn't see it, but I know that Zhang Wenzheng gave you something when you came up here."

Lin Zhenzhen: "Oh right, the hat! He gave me a miner's hat. What's so special about that miner's hat?"

Feng Junzi: "There's something in the hat, something Zhang Wenzheng asked you to bring out."

Lin Zhenzhen: "I think I saw Mr. Liu take the hat. What was inside? Did Mr. Liu find anything?"

Feng Junzi smiled mysteriously and said, "The hat was taken by President Liu, but I don't think he noticed anything. I kept the things."

Lin Zhenzhen: "You stayed? I didn't see anything?"

Feng Junzi: "Do you know that I lived in a very big inn when I was a child? I learned a lot of magic tricks from itinerant magicians. If you could see them clearly, they wouldn't be magic."

Lin Zhenzhen: "What exactly did you take?"

Feng Junzi seemed to be answering a different question, instead asking Lin Zhenzhen, "Do you know what I found in the mine later?"

"What did you find?" Lin Zhenzhen was a little confused.