The road to Chang'an Coal Mine is a straight and wide avenue, which can be run by four carriages in parallel.

Gongsun Hao and they rested at the post station on the road for one night, and arrived at their destination at noon the next day, Chang'an Coal Mine.

Gongsun Hao and his family came to Chang'an Coal Mine this time, but they did not notify the relevant parties to receive them, so when they arrived, they could not catch the lunch in the coal mine canteen.

"Let's go around the street first, and then go into the mine after lunch."

Gongsun Hao looked at his pocket watch, it was already half past one in the afternoon.

Lao Duan drove the carriage onto a street, which was the only street in the Chang'an Coal Mine, and the street was very long, and there were few pedestrians on the street at this time.

The streets are slate enough for two carriages to pass, but the streets are dirty and black everywhere because of the coal mine.

The carriage stopped in front of a restaurant called Guiyunzhai.

"Guest officer, do you want to stay at the top or stay at the top?"

The shopkeeper greeted him warmly in front of the door.

The three of them got out of the carriage, and Gongsun Hao asked, "What are you eating here?" ”

The shopkeeper said: "The chicken, duck and fish are complete, and you can order the northern and southern cuisines." ”

Gongsun Hao said: "Is there anything spicy?" ”

The shopkeeper said: "Sichuan cuisine, Hunan cuisine, you can eat whatever you want." ”

Gongsun Hao and Secretary Xing, who were walking in front, had already walked into the courtyard of Guiyunzhai, and the shopkeeper helped Lao Duan drive the carriage in the back.

Gongsun Hao was the first to step into the dining room, there were very few people eating inside, he found a table by the window and sat down, Secretary Xing and Lao Duan also entered the dining room one after another, and the three of them sat together.

The shopkeeper brought a basin of hot water and said, "Guest officer, you wash your hands first, and the tea will be brought to you immediately." ”

Gongsun Hao asked suspiciously, "Why did you let us wash our hands first?" ”

The shopkeeper said: "Because we are a coal mine here, the street is full of black soot, so guests have to wash before eating." ”

"Oh, I see." Gongsun Hao said with an open palm, "It's time to wash my hands." ”

Everyone washed their hands and the tea was served, and Gongsun Hao asked while ordering, "How long have you been working here?" I see you're very skilled! ”

"Back to this guest officer, I'm here when this store opens, because I'm the son of this owner." The shopkeeper replied while wiping the water stains on the table with a rag.

"I can't see that I'm still a prince!" Gongsun Hao said with a smile.

The shopkeeper said modestly: "It's just a small business. ”

Gongsun Hao asked again: "Is your business okay?" ”

The shopkeeper replied: "When I first came, business was not very good, but now that the coal mine is out, the bosses who come to pull coal have gradually increased." ”

Gongsun Hao nodded and said, "Business will get better and better in the future!" ”

"I promise you."

The three of them had eaten and drunk to their heart's content, and then left Guiyunzhai.

Gongsun Hao came to the office of the director of Chang'an Coal Mine, Mine Manager Chen was an old acquaintance of Gongsun Hao, and he complained vigorously when he saw Gongsun Hao: "Your Excellency, you are not right, you will not notify us in advance when you come to our Chang'an Coal Mine, so that we can pick up the wind and wash the dust for you." ”

Gongsun Hao said: "We also decided on an ad hoc basis, no, Mayor Hu asked me to coordinate the dispute between you and the Electric Power Department." ”

Mine Chief Chen said: "You are too timely, the people from the electric power department happen to be here, please ask the assistant to administer justice for us." ”

After understanding, it turned out that the reason for the dispute between them was that the coal mine proposed to use coal to offset the electricity bill of the electric power department, but the electric power department resolutely disagreed, and they insisted that the coal mine use silver to pay the monthly electricity bill.

Chen Mine Chief complained to Gongsun Hao: "Our funds are very scarce, it's not that we don't have money, the money has not been realized, buried in the ground, I really can't take out so much silver to pay the electric power department for a while." ”

Gongsun Hao said: "I don't think your business is very good? There is an endless stream of horse-drawn carts that come to pull coal every day. ”

Chen Mine Chief said: "You only see the superficial phenomenon, you don't want to think that there are tens of thousands of people in our mine who have to eat, and now we sell only enough coal for our own expenses." ”

Gongsun Hao suggested that he and Secretary Xing go to the coal mine to have a look, and Mine Manager Chen asked to accompany him.

Gongsun Hao said: "Mine Chief Chen, you can send an engineer to follow us, and we have to take a look at your coal production." ”

As he was talking, Tai Shiliang, director of the electric power department, and Ye Ding, deputy director, walked in first.

Tai Shi Liang smiled: "Assistant Gongsun is also here!" We meet again, how's that? Aren't we going to get drunk tonight? ”

Gongsun Hao said: "Drinking is to put things aside first, and your disputes will be resolved first." ”

Deputy Director Ye Dingxian said to Gongsun Hao: "Assistant Gongsun, the coal mine does not pay us silver, we are really not able to do it, our power workers are fighting day and night in the field, this is all to deliver electricity to the coal mine on time, if we don't have the workers to pay us, this is unjustifiable anyway." ”

Gongsun Hao didn't make any statement, he said to everyone: "We are new here, let's go and walk around first." ”

Chang'an Coal Mine submitted a statement to the city hall on the last month, this report Gongsun Hao has read on the way to come, what Chen Mine Chief said is true, the coal mine mined 150,000 catties of coal last month, sold 120,000 catties, one tael of silver 40 catties of coal, and the coal mine made a profit of 3,000 taels of silver, which is only enough for the various expenses of the coal mine for a month, and the detailed list of coal mine expenses is also in Gongsun Hao's hands.

At present, the electric power department has five hydroelectric generators and thirteen steam engine generators, and the steam engine generators are large coal users, and the number of coal purchases will definitely increase in the future, so the income of coal mines will increase month by month, which is not to worry.

At present, there is a turnover problem in the power department and the coal mine, what should be done about this problem?

Gongsun Hao and Secretary Xing, accompanied by Engineer Zhou, walked towards the mining site of the coal mine.

Zhou Gong introduced to Gongsun Hao as he walked: "At present, all the coal we mine are open-pit coal mines, so the input is simple and easy to mine, but the quality of the coal is slightly lacking. ”

Gongsun Hao asked, "What is lacking?" ”

"Heat." Zhou explained, "We have detected the presence of high-quality anthracite in the ground here. ”

"Can you dig it?"

"Of course, we are already preparing for the second phase of the project," Zhou Gong pointed into the distance, "you see, right in that place, underground work is going on there, and now the tunnel is being built, and after the tunnel is built, you can dig coal underneath." ”

"Can you show us there?"

Zhou Gong replied: "Of course, you are Lord Qincha, the mine manager said, you can go there if you want to go." ”

Gongsun Hao said: "Then please lead the way in front!" ”

Zhou Gong said: "Please walk slowly, the road here is very difficult." ”

The three of them turned around and finally came to the front of the coal pit after passing through several small hills.

There were seven or eight black people driving piles at the mouth of the well, and Gongsun Hao wanted to get closer to take a look, but was stopped by Zhou Gong: "Assistant, you can't go over, it's too dangerous!" ”

"Didn't you just say I could go there if I wanted to?"

Zhou Gong said: "Don't get me wrong, of course, you can walk everywhere, including here now, but we can only see from a distance here, and it's too dangerous to get closer." ”

Gongsun Hao asked, "What are they doing?" ”

Zhou explained: "They are driving piles and preparing to install a lift, which will put the coal diggers under the wellhead, and below is the tunnel, and the coal is in the tunnel. ”

Gongsun Hao said: "I understand, the coal dug up at that time will also be transported through this elevator. ”

Zhou Gong said: "This elevator is used to transport coal digging workers, and there is also a machine to transport coal up. ”

While listening to Zhou Gong's explanation, Gongsun Hao looked at several black workers in the distance, and suddenly, he found that one of them did not seem to be black, although his face was very dark, but at first glance, it was a Chinese.

Gongsun Hao, who was full of doubts, walked towards the wellhead again, but this time Zhou Gong wanted to stop but didn't.