This kind of coal-pulling oxcart must have been customized for the purpose of loading coal. The two carts have large and thick wheels. The cart is lengthened and widened, and is surrounded by wooden boards to a high height for loading and unloading coal.

Mao Xin said that loading such a cart of coal is estimated to be about 7,000 kilograms, and usually requires three oxen or three mules to pull it.

When the car starts, it still needs the help of the driver or escort to push it.

Most of these coal pullers are mountain people from this area, including those from Guangde, Anhui, and Changxing, Zhejiang.

If there was such a bullock cart at home, pulling coal every day, I guess the whole family would have no worries about food and drink.

The three of them raced sometimes fast and sometimes walked slowly. After about two hours, the surrounding area became deserted.

Judging from the posture, we should be approaching the mining area.

While taking a break to drink water, Chen Tianhua and Mao Xinhua started chatting.

"Brother Mao, when you talk about Meishan Town, your face turns pale and your brows furrow. What's going on?"

Mao Xin smiled bitterly and said:

"Young master, I don't know. This town of Meishan was originally a remote and barren country. The locals dug out the coal in the mountains for their own use, and some sold it on their backs, but the quantity was relatively small."

"Ever since Yaojin Mining started large-scale coal mining and mining here in the past two years, it has suddenly become lively. Thousands of people from other places come to dig coal and sell coal."

"People are the market. Brothels, gambling houses, and opium dens of all kinds are open all over the place. You can find everything you want. In other places, even a county town is not so lively. There is eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, and smoking. This is an independent kingdom."

"Many truck owners who hauled coal and transported their hard-earned money spent it on eating, drinking, whoring, gambling and smoking in Meishan Town."

"The land and forests of the local mountain people were sold to mining companies. The whole family simply worked in various mining areas. With some savings, they opened their own shops, stalls, or engaged in transportation."

"Is there a township office here?" Chen Tianhua asked.

"Well, the town office here is the mining area security brigade, and the security guard of the town office is the security brigade captain. The county government only requires Yaojin Mining to pay annual management fees and pay taxes. I am happy."

Well, this situation is conceivable.

These behind-the-scenes investors have designed a closed-loop industrial chain. From mineral ownership, mining rights, transportation, sales, consumption and other aspects, Yaojin Mining Group controls all aspects.

Now, Chen Tianhua finally understood how Yaojin Mining made a fortune.

He suddenly understood that being able to design this closed-loop industrial chain was not a problem for a person who traveled from later generations, let alone an invention.

But for the current closed and ignorant society of the late Qing Dynasty, most people do not have this kind of economic acumen. The person who designed it is either a time traveler from later generations, or someone who has drank foreign ink and understands science, technology and ideas.

In other words, there are foreigners behind the scenes.

"It's really lawless when you enter Meishan Town. A person's death is like the death of a dog. Yaojin Mining is the local emperor. People die in mining accidents here every day. Most of them are paid according to the head count and some compensation is calculated."

Mao Xin poured beans out of a bamboo tube, minding his own business and continuing his chatter.

Thinking of this, he felt horrified in his heart. If Chen Tianhua hadn't saved him from danger this time, he would have repaid his kindness. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to Meishan Town even if he was beaten to death.

He told Chen Tianhua that people often disappeared here. A businessman he knew a while ago disappeared inexplicably when he entered Meishan Town. To this day, no one is seen alive or dead, and there is no trace of the case.

.

"Get on your horse and continue on your way."

After hearing this, Chen Tianhua smiled bitterly, patted his butt and stood up, calling everyone to end their rest and continue on their way.

The situation Mao Xin mentioned was completely within his expectation. This kind of closed-loop control, of course, includes everything including human life.

The mountains here are high and the emperor is far away. No one knows what is happening here?

After trotting on horseback for more than half an hour, we came into view. Wherever we looked, many low houses and buildings appeared. It seemed that we had arrived at Meishan Town.

"Damn it, we finally arrived at Meishan Town, this hellish place." Zuo Gang hummed happily and rode forward.

After walking for another five or six minutes, a checkpoint suddenly appeared on the bumpy road.

"Why are there still roadblocks set up here to check?" Chen Tianhua asked Mao Xin in confusion.

"This is a coal exit inspection station. Whenever an ox-mule cart pulling coal leaves the town, it must issue coal tax payment procedures at the inspection station, otherwise it will be detained. But in the past, they only inspected the vehicles going out, and they did not check the people and vehicles coming in.

, but I never check it.”

As he talked, Mao Xin was also confused.

Next to the roadblock, there were several low houses with roofs covered with thin stone slabs. Three strong young men came out one after another.

They were wearing very ordinary clothes, they were gray and black and did not have uniforms, but there was something that made Chen Tianhua pale in shock.

That was the standard rifle they were holding in their hands, all equipped with long-handled bayonets.

There is only one country in the world that likes to possess this standard rifle with a long handle and bayonet, and that is Japan, an island country in the East.

The Japanese have always had the spirit of Bushido. Although modern times are inseparable from automatic firearms, on the battlefield, they are still keen on cold weapons and do not forget to fight with bayonets in hand-to-hand combat at critical moments.

Therefore, although their soldiers are generally not tall, the rifles they hold are long spears. If long-handled bayonets are added, the entire spear is taller than a person.

Without looking closely, Chen Tianhua could guess that this standard rifle should be the Murata Type 22 standard rifle.

Here, during the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War of 1894, the Japanese Army's infantry equipment could hold eight bullets in one magazine.

He also knew that the Qing government had never purchased and imported this kind of Murata-style rifle, and naturally it had not been equipped with the Qing army, whether it was the New Army, the Green Battalion, or the Patrol Battalion.

If it appears in this remote mining area, it must not have been picked up, but must have been smuggled in.

Although this kind of gun is already obsolete in the Japanese army and is currently replaced by the Murata Type 33 rifle, isn't it strange that the security team in the mining area actually has such a regular standard firearm?

In addition to the Murata standard rifles, these people had a red armband on their left sleeve, with the words 'Mining Area Security Force' clearly written in five golden letters on the armband.

Zuo Gang's reaction was naturally very different from Chen Tianhua's. He couldn't figure out what the standard rifle was, let alone the words on the armband.

His horse was walking ahead, and when he saw several men with guns rushing out of the house, his first reaction was that he had encountered bandits.

"Go quickly, young master!"

While shouting, he had reined in his horse, turned around, and started running back.
Chapter completed!