West Mountain Province, Bali Gou Mine.
A truck carrying coal drove by, kicking up a cloud of dust so thick it left people gasping for air.
Shi Shengyong squinted as he wiped his face, which immediately turned into a "multicolored face" smeared with coal dust.
His face, neck, and clothes were all covered in dirt. Li Shichang, who had come along to help capture the fugitive, was worried about his newly-bought buns getting dirty and quickly stuffed the steaming buns into his shoulder bag.
The two men walked back along the uneven dirt road compressed by the truck wheels, where a single step would submerge their shoes in dust, returning to the small hostel adjacent to the post office. Xiao Liu, the auxiliary police officer who had stayed in the room to watch their luggage, hurried to fetch water for them to wash their faces.
There were no beds in the room, only a clay kang.
Everything was covered in dust; it was quite an adjustment upon arrival.
