jdhmnovel Chapter 690: Looking for a Beating
Chapter 690: Looking for a Beating
Xu Zize was the first to walk out of the cave. The sunlight on his face was a bit dazzling. He rubbed his eyes, then closed them for a long time to adapt. Only when he opened his eyes did a smile appear on his face.
At this moment, he saw Jing Chunxi excitedly holding two black stones and running towards him like a gust of wind. Her face was filled with unconcealable joy, and her eyes were shining with excitement, as if she had just discovered a treasure. But in his eyes, it was like a ray of light.
She said excitedly and very confidently: "The charcoal powder is made from burning this black stone!" She handed the black stone in her hand to Xu Zize, as if showing him a rare treasure.
Xu Zize took the black stone and examined it carefully. The stone was black and shiny, and its texture seemed to be somewhat hard. He tapped it lightly with his fingers, and it made a crisp sound.
Jing Chunxi took him around the mound and saw a large pile of similar black stones.
Xu Zize's heart moved, and he was sure that this pile of black stones would not be piled here for no reason, and must be used to burn charcoal.
"Since the charcoal kiln was originally used by the villagers to make charcoal, Uncle Ling must know something about it." Xu Zize raised his head with a hint of expectation in his eyes, as if he had seen the dawn of a solution to the problem.
"Yes, yes, my father must know." Daniu immediately agreed, his eyes gleaming with trust and reliance on his father. In his heart, his father was the smartest person in the village.
This discovery made Jing Chunxi and Xu Zize very excited. They always felt that these black stones must be useful and might even come in handy.
"Chuyi, have Uncle Kuaijiao drive a carriage over and load half of it with black stones. Also, scrape as much scorch powder as possible; it might be useful." Xu Zize turned to Chuyi, who was not far away, and said with a tone of unquestionable determination. Chuyi was stunned for a moment, then reacted, nodded in agreement, and turned to make arrangements.
After Xu Zize finished speaking, he glanced at the mud pile not far away. Erniu and Sanniu were sitting there, covered in mud and looking miserable.
Sanniu's hair was disheveled, and there were a few streaks of mud on his face, while Erniu lowered his head, his face full of shame. Xu Zize looked at them with a hint of disgust on his face, and said to Chuyi who was running out, "Tell him to throw these two on the car too." The two little guys were so dirty that they looked like they had crawled out of a mud pit.
When Chuntao threw Sanniu into the pond, he twisted his body and protested loudly, but Chuntao ignored him and pushed him in. He thrashed around in the water for a long time, splashing water and making everyone around laugh.
Chuntao didn't pull him out of the water until she felt he was clean. Sanniu sat on the tarpaulin with his bare bottom, and soon he found his fun. He moved his bottom from time to time, leaving a trail of butt marks on the tarpaulin, almost like he was peeing on his food.
"If you continue to be naughty, I won't give you any food later." Hongfen chased him with a wooden spoon, and bursts of laughter were heard.
Seeing Sanniu's miserable state, Erniu was too shy to come ashore. He was only six years old, and even if he dared to go ashore naked, he couldn't stay naked forever. His face flushed red, and he didn't know what to do.
Finally, Da Niu couldn't stand it anymore and took off his clothes to help Er Niu tie them around his waist. Er Niu then ran out of the water as if he had been reborn, with a long-lost smile on his face.
……
"More than 20 years ago, a mountain in Shibaao suddenly started smoking. The smoke billowed like it was coming out of the eighteen levels of hell." Ling Bo's voice was low and slow, as if he was telling an ancient legend.
He sat in the crowd, a look of worry on his face, his eyes filled with reminiscence. "Everyone in the village was terrified at the time, but after the smoke stopped coming from the mountain, some people, curious as to what was going on, ran up to see what was going on. They discovered these black stones. They can be burned, but the odor is so pungent it's almost intoxicating."
He paused, sighed, and continued, "That year, the weather was extremely cold, with a biting wind that chilled even the bones. A family in the village couldn't stand the cold, and since they didn't have enough firewood, they used charcoal braziers to burn black stones to keep warm. No one could have imagined that the next morning, the entire family would be dead, not even a single one left alive."
"From then on, everyone in the village believed that the black stone was an ominous object, and no one dared to bring it home. They said that the black stone was cursed and that anyone who touched it would bring disaster."
"I didn't realize anyone used it to fuel a charcoal kiln." Ling Bo frowned, as if pondering the question. "Perhaps they felt that wood burned too quickly and wouldn't burn long enough, so they used black stone as a supplement. After all, life is tough, and everyone is trying to save energy. Using this to burn charcoal can save more firewood."
Ling Bo's words were like a bombshell, exploding in the crowd. Everyone was shocked, and the children were so frightened that their faces turned pale.
Cuifang was so frightened that she threw the black stones far away, as if they would bite her. She clutched her brother's clothes tightly with both hands, her body still trembling slightly, her eyes filled with fear. The other children also retreated away from the pile of black stones, as if they were poisonous snakes.
"So, do you still want these rocks?" Even Uncle Fastfoot looked at the half-loaded cart of black rocks, a look of embarrassment on his face. He scratched his head, smiled wryly, and said, "This thing sounds so weird. If anything really happens, we can't bear the responsibility." He even considered throwing it away, thinking it was better not to take the risk.
"Did anyone die while burning charcoal?" Xu Zize looked at Ling Bo with a determined gaze, not a trace of fear or retreat. His voice was steady and powerful, like a bright lamp in the darkness.
"Not really." Ling Bo thought for a moment and replied.
His answer finally relieved everyone present, but no one dared to approach the carriage loaded with stones. The Black Stone's bad reputation had already been deeply rooted in people's minds and would not be easily eradicated.
"If the gas isn't inhaled, it can't be toxic." Xu Zize pondered for a moment before reaching his conclusion. He turned to look at Jing Chunxi, and they exchanged glances, each seeing the determination in the other's eyes. "Otherwise, those charcoal burners would have died long ago." Jing Chunxi nodded in agreement. She even thought Xu Zize was quite clever, able to quickly identify the key to the problem in such a complex situation.