Boats up the river, stopping and stopping along the way, digging and shoveling everywhere with a sapper shovel, looking for the clay we needed.

However, there was too much wet soil along the river, and after walking for more than two hours, I still couldn't find a suitable soil mine.

"Lele, there's a river beach over there, let's go over and go into the mountain inside to have a look. ”

"Good!"

I answered, and I found a place to park the raft.

Went ashore and tied a cable.

Only carry a bamboo basket, take a gun, leave the basket on the bamboo raft, do not need to take it, and when you find the clay, it is not too late to come back and get the basket. Otherwise, it will be troublesome and difficult to walk.

"Strong, come back, keep up!" the little dog, as soon as he came ashore, rejoiced, and spread his legs and burrowed into the grass. As he drilled, there was no shadow, and only a patch of grass was shaking.

The two of them crossed the beachhead and looked for the nearest green mountain.

When I got to the bottom of the mountain, I chose the land and found it without a shovel.

"It's all black soil, and it doesn't look like there's any claystone. ”

Tian Xiaxia picked up a piece of new soil that I had turned up, rubbed it, shook her head and muttered to herself.

"Wait a minute!" I suddenly noticed something, and when I saw that she was leaving, I called her to stop.

Tian Xiaxia looked back at me curiously: "What's wrong?"

I picked up a handful of dirt from the ground, held it up in front of her, and said, "Look, what is this?"

On the tip of my shovel, there was a small black, shiny lump of mud, which was completely different from the loose black soil on top, and it stood out.

Tian Xiaxia took a look, picked it up and played with it again, smelled it, his face was shocked, and he never spoke.

I asked, "Do you recognize it?"

Tian Xiaxia wiped the black stains on her hands and shook her head: "I think this looks like coal." ”

I laughed and said, "It's not like, it's coal!"

Tian Xiaxia said: "Yes? So this is coal? I have seen briquettes, but I have never seen such coals!"

I said, "This is called raw coal, and the briquettes we use are crushed and re-made into balls." This mountain, there may be a coal mine. ”

As I spoke, I took the shovel again and pulled it down, digging half a meter deep, clearing the loose soil on the top, and at the bottom, it was indeed a layer of black oil coal rock.

I rejoiced: "That's right, this is really a coal mountain, it doesn't look small." ”

Tian Xiaxia seemed to think of something, and couldn't help laughing: "That's great, you can just use it to burn the kiln, go back and change the earthen kiln, don't burn firewood, change it to coal." It's better to burn coal, my cousin burns ceramics there, and people don't use firewood, they all use coal. ”

I muttered, "Not only can we use the kiln, but we can also use coal instead of firewood for cooking every day." Here the waterway ...... I calculated, it only took two hours for us to stop and go, and if we walked straight, it would be about an hour, which is not far. It can be carried on a bamboo raft without manpower. In the future, let's not go up to the mountains to find firewood, it's so hard to find, let's dig coal here and burn it. ”

Tian Xiaxia said: "I just don't know if there is a lot of coal here, is it enough to cook every day!"

I said, "Just look at it!"

I picked up a shovel and dug another layer of soil more than ten meters to the right, and after digging about half a meter, I also saw the coal seam underneath. Then I walked more than ten meters up the mountain, digging the same soil, and got the same result.

I turned my head and said happily to Tian Xiaxia next to me: "This mine is not small, just a few of us can use it, it is enough for decades, it's not a problem!"

Tian Xiaxia nodded: "Then what should we do now, digging coal here?"

I got up, patted the black soil on my body, and said, "Let's go find the clay first." It's important to find clay at the moment, this coal is put here, you can't run, and you can dig it again when you have time. ”

So we made a striking mark, remembering that there was a coal mine here, and then we continued to go up the river and get down to business.

……

It was past noon, but I still didn't find anything useful.

Tired and hungry, we stopped the raft and went ashore for lunch.

The food was already cold, and there was no choice but to gnaw on it.

I picked a piece of dry rice ball, raised it to Zhuang Zhuang, and shouted, "Eat, Zhuang Zhuang!"

This bear thing, catch it, swallow it in one gulp, and still not satisfied, continue to look at me with its eyes, and wag its tail happily.

I took another piece of fish and threw it in its mouth.

Tian Xiaxia didn't have a big appetite, and after eating some, she was full, and she discussed with me: "What should I do, it's past noon this day, do we have to go back again today?"

I chewed on a sea hare, stuffed my mouth, and whined, "You decided! Today is not a wasted return, at least I found a coal mine, which is a windfall!"

Tian Xiaxia looked at his wrist and said, "Half past one, go back now, it's not dark." Let's look a little higher. Oh yes, Lele, did you say that we are almost at that foothold now? It was last time, didn't we follow this river down, we stayed there for the night first, and then came to the beach the next day. ”

I swallowed the food in my mouth, then opened my mouth in confusion and recalled, "You said that place...... It seems like...... It's almost there. But it should be another hour or two up. ”

Finally, I asked, "What's wrong?"

Tian Xia Xia said: "I suddenly remembered, there should be a large rocky mountain, not very trees, I think that place can find clay mines, that day I saw that beautiful scenery, and Kexin went to the side of the mountain for a walk, I seem to have seen Guanyin soil in my memory." ”

I said, "Yes, let's go there and have a look." Go directly, don't stop and go like this, waste time and no results, go there directly to see, find that there is picking, if not, quickly turn back. ”

Tian Xiaxia hesitated at this time: "But this time is ...... It doesn't seem like enough. If it really takes an hour or two to arrive, then it will be three or four o'clock when the harvest is ready, and we won't have enough time to go home. ”

"Let's go!"

I slapped my thigh, stood up, and said, "What are you afraid of, going back is going downstream, and the speed is more than twice as fast as when you came." And we brought a flashlight, even if it was a minute and a half late, we thought we would go home. ”

Tian Xiaxia didn't expect me to be so decisive, and I was dragged on the bamboo raft in a daze.

I had just eaten, and my strength was replenished.

The two of them used their pennies together and rowed straight towards their destination.

Luckily, it was quicker than expected, and by less than three o'clock we were at the bare rocks.

Here, we finally found the clay we needed, which is Guanyin clay, the most commonly used clay mine for pottery.

It's just that we encountered a little accident!

I can't go home tonight!

(End of chapter)