At the beginning, his wife came to him, and he became rich by selling kidney treasures.

At noon, Ren Hao brought Xu Hu to the outside of the city.

On a flat and wide field in the south of the city, five thousand soldiers stood in neat rows under the scorching sun, holding tools.

Hongyao is carrying a longbow on his back, standing next to a strong horse, holding a scimitar, looking heroic.

Soon, two horses came in front of the crowd.

Ren Hao and Xu Hu jumped off their horses.

Hongyao bowed and said, "Greetings, sir!"

"Greetings, Your Excellency!" Five thousand soldiers knelt on one knee and saluted the new commander.

After taking a look at the military appearance, Ren Hao was very satisfied. These were the sturdy men he wanted, strong and able to work.

"Everyone get up!" Ren Hao said loudly.

Five thousand people stood up again in unison.

"Let's go." Ren Hao turned around and mounted his horse. Xu Hu and Hong Yao also mounted their horses and followed Ren Hao.

Ren Hao had studied the map long ago and headed straight into a wilderness in the west with five thousand men.

They walked until evening and arrived at a small river. Ren Hao ordered the army to stop marching, cook on the spot, and set up tents to rest.

After a simple meal of brown rice, Ren Hao called Xu Hu and Hong Yao into the tent.

Taking out a map, Ren Hao had already marked several circles on it.

These places were the ones he thought were most likely to have coal. The terrain here was the same as the location of the coal mines in Jin District in his previous life. When Ren Hao was on a business trip in his previous life, he happened to have a client there, so he went there in person and learned a little about coal mines.

But Ren Hao is not an expert in this field after all, and can only imitate and search based on some memory.

Fortunately, there are 5,000 people, and there are 1,500 people deployed at each of the several locations above. Once the coal is dug up and the approximate scope is determined, mining can begin.

"Tomorrow you will each bring 1,500 people and start digging at the places I marked," said Ren Hao.

Hongyao nodded in agreement.

Xu Hu scratched his head and asked, "Brother Ren, what are we going to dig?"

Hearing Xu Hu's words, Hongyao's gaze also fell on Ren Hao. She didn't know what to dig out, and she was originally planning to ask later, but since Xu Hu asked, she just happened to listen.

"What we want to dig is something called coal," said Ren Hao.

"Coal?" Xu Hu and Hong Yao were stunned.

"Actually, it's similar to charcoal, but coal looks more lustrous than charcoal, and is harder and heavier. Most coal is black, which is very different from stone, and it can be ignited and can burn for a long time." Ren Hao explained briefly.

He had never seen coal in this world. Perhaps someone had dug it out, but the court did not pay much attention to it.

Charcoal made from wood is more popular, and almost all the firewood used by dignitaries is charcoal.

Hearing Ren Hao's words, Xu Hu nodded with a hint of realization: "I understand, Brother Ren. Once I dig out this kind of coal, I will report to you immediately."

"I understand." Hongyao also agreed, but in her mind she was sketching the shape and appearance of the so-called coal.

"Coal mining is a big project. We have to dig at least ten feet deep to find coal. If we still haven't found any coal after digging fifty feet, stop temporarily and wait for my order." Ren Hao said.

In the past, most of the coal mines in Jin District were between thirty and sixty meters deep. Of course, there were some that were over a hundred meters deep. Mines of that depth consumed too much manpower and were difficult to complete without excavation equipment.

If it's thirty to sixty meters, it wouldn't be too difficult for these fifteen hundred people to dig.

The next morning, they cooked again. The cooks prepared the meal. After the soldiers had eaten, they moved forward again under the leadership of Ren Hao.

This time, it took another whole day, and we finally arrived at the first location in the evening.

Ren Hao immediately arranged for Xu Hu to set up camp here with 1,500 people. He personally took Xu Hu, Hong Yao and several captains to tour the area and marked the location for excavation.

On the third day, Ren Hao and Hongyao set off with 3,500 people. After arriving at the next location, they arranged for Hongyao to lead 1,500 people to continue excavating.

Ren Hao brought the remaining two thousand people to the largest location and set up camp.

On the fourth day, Ren Hao brought two thousand people to an open space early, selected several locations, and carried out stair-like excavation.

The so-called staircase method is to open an opening and then dig downward in a rotating manner, using wooden structures to support the digging process.

Although this will slow down the progress, it will ensure safety.

After the coal is dug up, we will expand the excavation and develop underground mines.

One thousand of them were divided into two teams to take turns digging, and the remaining one thousand were led by Ren Hao to cut down trees around and build supporting structures.

Hongyao and Xu Hu did the same thing, building support structures and conducting rotary excavation.

In this way, there will be fewer deaths due to mine collapses. These people are also raised by their parents. Ren Hao can accept deaths in accidents, but it absolutely cannot be caused by his own stupidity.

In that case, what's the difference between him and that second-rate emperor?

As time passed, everything went as Ren Hao had expected. Occasionally someone was injured, but there was no death so far, which made Ren Hao quite relieved.

It doesn't matter if the progress is slow. It would be good if we can find a coal mine within three months.

Time passed quickly, and ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

……

Cai Xucun.

Ren Hao's home.

"How are the two ladies? My husband is in Zhanshen Pass. He has important matters to attend to, so he will stay here for at least three months to develop a business. You two ladies don't have to worry..." The little girl Qian'er slowly read the letter that Ren Hao asked the villagers to bring back.

Su Wan'er clenched her hands and listened to the content with a nervous expression.

Although Xu Yating's face was calm, her hands were clasped between her legs, betraying her nervousness.

After hearing that Ren Hao was fine, they both breathed a sigh of relief. But when they heard that Ren Hao would have to stay for three months, they couldn't help but frown at the same time.

Qian'er continued to read: "The affairs of the family, the paper mill, no matter how big or small, rely on the hard work of the two ladies to manage on your behalf. If you encounter any problems, you can make your own decisions, and your husband will agree. If there is an emergency, the two ladies can protect their own lives, and the paper mill does not need to worry about it. A million family wealth is not as good as one ten-thousandth of the two ladies..."

Su Wan'er covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes. Listening to Ren Hao's emotional words, which touched the softest spot in her heart, she was overjoyed.

Xu Yating's eyes were also filled with tears. Although the paper mill could not compare to the Xu family's assets, it was the family business that Ren Hao had worked hard to build. He was willing to give it up for her. What a good man he was!

"Also: If anyone bullies or speaks rudely to me, you can ask the security team to punish me, and I will bear all the consequences!"