In the fiery red era of the heavens, refrigerators are refreshed daily.

Chapter 15, Section 15: Father's Approval

"Yes, Mom!" Yang Guanghui responded immediately upon hearing the voice, his tone filled with unprecedented respect.

With the unquestionable authority of the matriarch, Zhang Xiuying pulled out a small cloth bag, washed white and with shiny edges, from her inner pocket.

She deftly untied the binding ropes, with an almost solemn air, carefully took out several neatly folded bills, along with those incredibly valuable meat and vegetable coupons, and solemnly pressed them into Yang Guanghui's palm:

"Go! Go to the delicatessen and get a pound of pork head meat, the best cut with a good balance of fat and lean! Also buy some spiced tofu, and if they have any braised duck gizzards, grab some too. Oh, and don't forget the vegetarian chicken! We're having a proper meal today!"

"Mom, this..." Yang Guanghui looked at the money notes in his hand, which far exceeded his usual expenses, and hesitated, his fingers still clenching them tightly. This expense seemed too extravagant in their days of careful budgeting.

"Go when I tell you to!" Zhang Xiuying waved her arm decisively, her loud voice echoing in the small courtyard, filled with undeniable joy. "Our Mingming has proven himself, he's become a cadre! This money is well spent, and I'm happy with it! Go and come back quickly!"

"Okay!" Without further hesitation, Yang Guanghui gripped the money tightly in his hand and pushed the worn-out old bicycle at home.

As the wheels rolled over the stone-paved alleyway, amidst the envious and complex gazes of his neighbors, he hunched over and his figure quickly disappeared outside the deep doorway of the Shikumen.

At the sink, Li Guihua's enthusiasm was almost like boiling water. Without a word, she "snatched" the vegetable-washing basin from her mother-in-law's hands, her movements as swift and efficient as a wound-up toy.
"Mom, you're a hero today! Take a break and talk to Mingming! I'll take care of these side dishes; I guarantee they'll be washed clean and beautiful!"

She raised her voice, her joy almost overflowing from her eyebrows and eyes, and called out to Yang Ming, who was still leaning against the wooden railing of the second-floor corridor:

"Mingming, come down and sit down! You must be exhausted after running around all day! Your brother went to buy some cooked food. We'll eat soon after you rest. We're going to have a proper celebration today!"

She kept working, humming off-key but cheerful revolutionary songs, a stark contrast to the aloof and indifferent older sister-in-law who used to bury herself in her work.

Sunlight streamed down the creaking wooden stairs.

Father Yang Yongkang, with his back hunched, sat silently smoking his pipe at a small square table.

The smoke from burning cheap tobacco swirled and rose in front of him, blurring his deeply lined face.

Seeing his youngest son come down, he slightly raised his eyelids, said nothing, and simply tapped the side of the stool twice with his polished copper pipe.

Yang Guangming sat down as instructed. For a moment, only the faint crackling of burning tobacco and the faint murmur of the marketplace drifting from the alley outside remained between father and son. The air seemed still, yet a thousand unspoken words surged within it.

After a long while, Yang Yongkang took a deep drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled.

The deep voice pierced through the smoke, carrying a hoarse, smoky tone:
"Once you're in the factory... stay calm. Observe more, listen more, and talk less. Cadres... bear heavy responsibilities."

These few words, like a piece of iron that has been tempered, are brief yet heavy with the father's life experience and his deepest expectations and worries for his son.

“I understand, Dad. I’ll remember it.” Yang Guangming straightened his back, met his father’s gaze, and solemnly agreed. Every word seemed to be engraved in his heart.

Before long, Yang Guanghui returned carrying several packages of cooked food wrapped in rough straw paper, the back of which was already soaked with oil stains.

The rich aroma of braised meat wafted in, instantly dispelling the stuffy smell of smoke in the room and making one's mouth water.

The dinner table was unusually lavish.

In the center of the small square table, a tempting mound of glistening, fragrant braised pig's head meat is piled up; diamond-shaped pieces of spiced tofu gleam with an enticing dark brown color; a small dish of dark brown, glossy braised duck gizzards exudes a savory aroma; and a dish of vegetarian chicken, plump and chewy, soaked in the braising sauce.

The pickled cucumbers and dried pickled radishes that usually take center stage are now relegated to a corner of the table, looking rather pathetic.

The staple food is still rice, with plump and clearly visible grains.

Zhang Xiuying's face was flushed with happiness as she kept piling meat into Yang Guangming's bowl, specifically choosing the best cuts that were perfectly marbled with fat and lean meat and melted in her mouth.

"Mingming, eat more! You're the biggest hero in our house today! This braised pig's head smells so good!" Li Guihua was also exceptionally attentive, first carefully placing a large piece of meat tremblingly into her father-in-law's bowl, then placing a piece of vegetarian chicken soaked in broth into her mother-in-law's bowl, her voice so loud it could penetrate the roof:
"Dad, Mom, you should eat more too! Our good days are just beginning! Mingming has become a cadre, he'll definitely rise through the ranks, and we'll benefit from that too!"

She didn't forget to serve food to her husband, Yang Guanghui, and her smile had never been so radiant.

Yang Guanghui didn't talk much. He just kept his head down and ate his steamed bun. Occasionally, he would raise his eyelids and linger on his younger brother for a moment with a complicated look, carrying a kind of reassessment and indescribable emotion.

The most shocking scene at the dinner table quietly unfolded.

Yang Yongkang silently picked up the bottle of his treasured Qibao Daqu liquor, unscrewed the cap, and poured it into the small rough porcelain wine cup in front of him.

The spicy aroma of the liquor instantly filled the air.

Then, his hand holding the wine bottle paused in mid-air, and his cloudy yet sharp gaze slowly fell on the empty, rough porcelain cup in front of Yang Guangming, which he usually used to drink water.

Under the watchful eyes of his family, he tilted his wrist slightly, and the clear, transparent liquor, exuding a strong aroma, was slowly poured into the glass with a soft sound—only a shallow layer, barely covering the bottom of the glass!
“Father?” Yang Guangming was startled and looked up at his father.

Yang Yongkang didn't look at him. His calloused, knuckled fingers steadily picked up his wine cup, and his voice was deep, yet carried an undeniable sense of ritual: "Eat."

Just one word, yet it carries immense weight!
This silent action and brief words proclaimed:

In his heart, this youngest son was no longer the boy who needed protection and whose future was uncertain, but a responsible, promising adult man who deserved to be treated as an equal.

Yang Guangming felt a lump in his throat and a soreness in his nose.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions, and respectfully picked up the glass containing a thin layer of white wine with both hands. He stood up solemnly, his gaze sweeping over his father, mother, brother, and sister-in-law:
"Father, Mother, Brother, Sister-in-law, thank you. I... I will definitely work hard and not bring shame to the Yang family!"

After saying that, he imitated his father in his memory, tilted his head back, and gulped down the spicy, throat-irritating liquid!

A scorching line of fire instantly burned from his throat straight to his stomach, choking him and causing him to cough violently, his face turning bright red, and physiological tears flowing uncontrollably.

But this burning pain also carried a fiery, exhilarating feeling of complete acceptance, and a heavy sense of adulthood, leaving an indelible mark on my heart.

"it is good!"

Yang Yongkang only replied with one word, then tilted his head back and drank his cup of wine in one gulp.

The spicy liquor slid down his throat, and he exhaled a long breath of warm air, the aroma of the liquor lingering in his mouth. The deep wrinkles on his face seemed to smooth out a little.

Zhang Xiuying watched as her husband, for the first time ever, allowed their youngest son to drink alcohol. She watched as her son coughed but stood up straight. For the first time in her life, she didn't nag her husband a single word about drinking.

She merely gave her son a reproachful look, then swiftly picked up a large piece of fatty and lean pork head meat with her chopsticks and slammed it into his bowl.

"You little rascal, stop showing off! Eat some vegetables to calm your nerves!"

His tone was overflowing with doting affection and pride.

The meal was warm and cozy, with laughter echoing in the cramped space.

White rice served with fragrant braised pork head and dried tofu became the most simple yet precious feast in this vibrant era.

Even the innocent Zhuangzhuang seemed to be infected by the joyful atmosphere in the room, waving his little hands and giggling incessantly in his mother's arms.

The heavy burden of "going to the countryside" and "unemployment" that had been weighing on the hearts of the whole family for many days was finally kicked away by Yang Guangming.

(End of this chapter)