Chapter 159 Condolences

It was after 11 p.m. when Yu Mingyuan and the others got out of the car on Tufang Street in the Zha Nan District and met Sanjie, who had been waiting there for a while.

"How many families did the former district chief visit?" Yu Mingyuan asked Sanjie.

"Five or six, I think," Sanjie replied softly. "They were just finishing up when I arrived."

"Okay, let's go take a look," Yu Mingyuan nodded.

Sanjie looked at everyone, her eyes suddenly turning red, and said, "There's one more thing."

"What is it?" Su Tianyu asked.

"... Jiu-shu's wife...she drank pesticide and committed suicide." Sanjie's voice trembled as she replied, "Fortunately, the neighbors found her and sent her to the hospital. She's just been rescued and is still in a coma."

Everyone was shocked and speechless upon hearing this.

Jiu-shu's family had four members, with two children. The eldest son was in his early twenties and had also gone down the mine a few days ago, but his body had not been found yet. His youngest daughter was just starting junior high school.

The family was already living in poverty, and now that they had lost two main sources of income, no one knew how they would survive in the future.

For some families, they might crave compensation, but others valued people more. What was the use of money when people were gone?

Jiu-shu's wife had been suffering from a serious illness for a long time, and most of the family's expenses were spent on her. This time, Jiu-shu wanted to earn more money in the short term, partly for his wife's health and partly to think about getting a wife for his eldest son.

Therefore, Jiu-shu's wife's suicide was mainly due to guilt. She felt that she was a burden to her husband and children, and if it weren't for her, they wouldn't have to go down the mine and do such dangerous things.

Once people become poor, even their motivations become incredibly simple. Earning money, making a living, waiting to grow old, waiting to die—all the joys, sorrows, and emotions are so difficult to hide.

After a long silence, Yu Mingyuan lowered his head and said, "After we finish here, let's go visit her."

"Okay!" Sanjie nodded emphatically and led the group into the pigeon loft building.

...

The Lu family had six members, living in a forty-five-square-meter, one-and-a-half-room apartment in the Relief Agency's residential area, built by the Relief Agency. It housed two elderly people in their seventies, a middle-aged couple, and a pair of children who were still in school.

The family's mainstay, Lu Hengyuan, had died in the mine disaster a few days ago. Although his body had not been found yet, the family had completely given up hope. After so long, even if he hadn't been crushed or drowned underground, he would have suffocated or starved to death.

When Yu Mingyuan, Su Tianyu, and the others arrived at the house, the hostess couldn't even find enough chairs for everyone to sit down. They looked at the Tongji Association management with numb eyes and were at a loss for words.

The small living room was filled with a strange smell, like Chinese medicine, or a foul or rotten odor. It was hard to describe, but it existed in every household in this neighborhood.

It seemed that this smell had become a commonality, difficult to get rid of, without discrimination or prejudice, but objectively present.

"Sister-in-law, no need to fuss," Yu Mingyuan had met Lu Hengyuan's wife in the union, so he said softly, "We'll just stand for a while."

"Okay, okay." Lu Hengyuan's wife moved the stacks of ghost money and semi-finished paper figures to the corner, making room for everyone to talk.

These ghost money, paper figures, gold ingots, and so on were not for Lu Hengyuan, but Lu Tai-tai's (Mrs. Lu's) usual work. She worked in a plastic factory during the day and took on odd jobs at a funeral shop in the evening to earn extra money.

"It's like this, Sister-in-law," Yu Mingyuan paused, frowning as he said to the Lu family, "We've communicated with Baolong Mining, and they feel that paying the full amount according to the insurance contract is a bit too high..."

"The contract is written like that, why is it too high?" Lu Tai-tai asked numbly, "We're not trying to extort anyone. However it's agreed, that's how it should be executed."

Lu Tai-tai's words were full of dissatisfaction. She thought Yu Mingyuan was like the people who had come earlier, trying to lower the price.

"We also agree to take the full amount," Yu Mingyuan immediately explained, "And the union has been working hard in this direction."

On the sofa, the old man, looking somewhat dazed, asked in a hoarse voice, "Can the union help us get the money back?!"

"The money will definitely be recovered, but we're afraid that while we're pursuing the money, some of the deceased workers' families will sign a settlement agreement with Baolong Mining in private," Yu Mingyuan said bluntly. "If that's the case, there will be internal problems, and Baolong Mining will definitely not agree to our demands. It's impossible to have the same result and pay out two shares of money, do you understand what I mean?"

The old man pondered for a long time, then said clearly, "Whoever signs a settlement agreement with Baolong Mining, I won't live! I'll kill him...!"

Everyone was silent.

"The former district chief who came earlier filled his family's safe with money, and he's still helping the big group to suppress the money we risked our lives for... we don't agree," the old man frowned. "However much compensation is written on the contract, they should pay that much."

Hearing this, Lu Tai-tai lowered her head and wiped away tears, "If we had a choice... we definitely wouldn't want money, we'd want people. But... but the problem is that we don't have a choice now. Lao Lu (Old Lu) is gone, I can't let his son go down the well in the future, can I?!"

"Don't worry, unless the union is gone, we'll definitely get this money back!" Yu Mingyuan took out his wallet, took out all the cash from it, and put it on the table, saying, "Give us some time."

...

That night.

Yu Mingyuan and the others went to the homes of six deceased miners and communicated with their relatives. Except for a small number of people whose thoughts were a bit shaken, most of them insisted on full compensation.

In this way, the internal pressure of the union was much less. At least there weren't so many different voices.

After visiting six families, Yu Mingyuan, Su Tianyu, and the others donated all the cash they had on them.

Poverty cannot be disguised. Everyone was really embarrassed to offer condolences empty-handed, just talking about policies.

Working until dawn, Yu Mingyuan and the others went to the hospital, while Su Tianyu and Su Tiannan waited for Ermao from Changqing Company in the car.

Su Tiannan was leaning on the back of the seat, smoking a cigarette, and suddenly asked, "Xiao Yu (Little Yu), do you think that running a union can change the current social environment?"

"It can't be changed," Su Tianyu replied without hesitation.

"... I don't know what's been happening lately, but I always feel that the Dragon City is too depressing, I can't see any hope." Su Tiannan took a deep breath of his cigarette and said softly, "Let me lead the team this time to fight Baolong Group!"

...

Baolong Group, in the resplendent sky garden lounge area.

Xu Jinbo sat under the parasol in the rooftop garden, eating supper, and said softly to Yang Decheng, "The Tongji Association isn't stupid either. There's no benefit to being stubborn. The most practical thing is for the workers to get the money quickly. I personally think they'll compromise. Later, during the second negotiation, you can also raise the compensation amount a little, about four hundred thousand per person, and that should be about right..."

Yang Decheng was a little unwilling, "Four hundred thousand, for over a hundred people, that's almost fifty million in compensation. Damn it, this money has to come from our mining company...!"

At the same time, Lao Hei drove to The Dragon City.