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

Chapter 53. Letter from the Northeast
As Li Guihua spoke, she glanced at her silent husband, Yang Guanghui.

"Third, you're very generous to me! You never keep good things to yourself. How much of the ham or salted duck do you share with my family?"
You wouldn't even eat that much yourself! And you never skimp on me for the smallest things.

Tell me, where can I find a mother-in-law like you?

Li Guihua became more and more excited as she spoke, her face turning slightly red, clearly speaking from the heart.

With Wang Shi as a living "negative example" for comparison, Zhang Xiuying listened to her daughter-in-law's heartfelt praise, and the gloom on her face was completely replaced by a huge sense of satisfaction and smugness.

She straightened her back, a smile playing on her lips, her eyes gleaming with the pride of being recognized.

"Oh dear, Guihua, why are you saying all this? We're all family here, it's only right!"

As a mother-in-law, I must always be reasonable and treat everyone equally! What's the point of mistreating my daughter-in-law? Harmony in the family is the foundation of everything!

She waved her hand, as if to be modest, but her expression clearly said, "I really am that good."

"That's right! A mother-in-law as good as you, Mom, is hard to find even with a lantern!"

Li Guihua immediately chimed in, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law smiled at each other. The previous somber atmosphere was replaced by a strange harmony built on a common "enemy."

Even the way Lian Yang and Yong Kang knocked off cigarette ash seemed a little lighter.

However, this brief moment of harmony was quickly pulled back to the cold reality by the two opened letters on the table.

Those two thin sheets of paper felt like two heavy blocks of ice, pressing down on everyone's hearts.

"Sigh..." Zhang Xiuying sighed heavily, the smugness on her face vanished instantly, replaced by deep sorrow.

She pointed to two letters placed side by side on the dresser, her voice lowering: "These are letters I received this afternoon, from Yaoyao and Meimei."

Yang Guangming's heart sank as well.

He picked up the letter closest to him; the familiar, delicate handwriting on the envelope belonged to his second sister, Yang Xiangmei.

Unfolding the letter, the words seem to carry the rustic charm of the black soil of Northeast China.

Dear Mom and Dad, eldest brother and sister-in-law, and younger brother:
Greetings! Don't worry about me. Everything is fine here in the Northeast.

The village I was assigned to was called Kaoshantun, isn't that a powerful name? The village is nestled against a mountain, with a vast meadow in front—the view is so open and pleasant. The air is fresh too; one breath and your lungs feel clean and refreshed!
The villagers in the village are incredibly honest and warm-hearted. When I first arrived, I knew nothing, and it was Aunt Wang who patiently taught me how to light the stove, heat the kang (a traditional heated brick bed), and identify wild vegetables. They themselves weren't well-off, but whenever they cooked corn porridge, they would always call out to me.

Farm work is a bit strenuous, but I'm young and can handle it! Sowing wheat in spring and weeding in summer, working alongside the rest of the team, chatting and laughing, makes the time fly by. I even learned to drive an oxcart! Although it's just a short distance, sitting in the oxcart watching the sunset is a wonderful experience!
Don't worry about me being weak. The team leader will take care of the female educated youth and will assign lighter tasks.

As for food, cornmeal and sorghum rice are the staple foods, and I've gradually gotten used to them.

I also cultivated a small vegetable garden behind the house, where I planted some eggplants, green beans, and potatoes, which are growing quite well.

Aunt Wang also taught me how to pickle vegetables. I'll send some back for you guys to try when they're done!
The problem is... there are so many mosquitoes at night, and they're really fierce, making it hard to sleep. My roommate, Liu, and I used mugwort to fumigate the area, which helped a little. Of course, these are all minor issues; you get used to them.

Mom and Dad, please take care of yourselves and don't overwork yourselves. My older brother and sister-in-law have also worked hard; Zhuangzhuang must have grown taller again, right? How's work going, little brother? I'm doing well here, don't worry!

Respectfully presented by Ms. Xiangmei

X month X day

The edges of the letter were worn, and the handwriting became slightly messy when writing "there are so many mosquitoes," but the tone of the whole letter was light and cheerful, trying to depict the "fun" and "good" of the new life.

The obvious hardships—heavy farm work, coarse food, and nasty mosquitoes—are glossed over and even transformed into "learning skills" and "unique scenery."

Yang Guangming could almost see his second sister under the dim oil lamp, biting her pen, trying to suppress her longing and possible grievances, and only writing her most "sunny" side for her family to see.

She's always like this; beneath her quiet exterior lies amazing resilience.

After putting down Xiangmei's letter, Yang Guangming picked up another one.

The handwriting on the envelope was much more messy, carrying a sense of irritability and resentment—it was my second brother, Yang Guangyao. The letter paper was crumpled, as if the writer was extremely angry.

Mom and Dad:

Did you receive the letter? I really can't hold it in any longer, I have to tell my family!
This godforsaken place is truly uninhabitable! I shared a dilapidated mud and thatched hut with three other educated youths; it was even smaller than our family's kitchen! It was damp, dark, and reeked of mold. And each of us in that room was more selfish than the last!
That guy surnamed Li, just because he's a local educated youth, he takes advantage of me at every turn! I finally managed to get someone to buy me some biscuits from town, and he grabbed a whole handful without even asking! His snoring at night is like thunder, it shakes the roof beams! I've argued with him a few times, but he's still so arrogant!
And then there's this guy, Xiao Wang, who's incredibly lazy! Whenever it's his turn to fetch water, chop firewood, or heat the stove, he makes excuses and either does a terrible job, leaving me freezing and having to get up in the middle of the night to redo it! If I say anything to him, he rolls his eyes and tells me I'm meddling! People like that are infuriating!
Farm work? Humph! That's not work, that's deadly!
Every day I toil in the black soil, my arms aching from swinging the hoe! My back feels like it's broken! The sun is so scorching, my skin is peeling off layer by layer! How can my small body endure this kind of torment?

The team leader is no human being either. He yells at me if I'm a little slow, showing me absolutely no respect! I feel like my team is being completely drained!
The worst part was that we weren't getting enough to eat! Every meal was cornmeal porridge and sorghum cakes, so tough they scraped our throats! There wasn't a drop of oil in them! The only vegetables were boiled potatoes and boiled radish greens in salt water!

Meat? I've been here for almost a year and I've only seen meat twice, and that was when the team slaughtered a pig during the Lunar New Year and got a little bit of fat!

I feel like throwing up just looking at leafy green vegetables! My stomach is so empty, it growls loudly at night, and I can't sleep at all!

The amount of food I received was so little, barely enough to fill a tooth gap! I'm even walking unsteadily now!
Just think about it, doing such heavy work and eating such terrible food, even a person of iron couldn't take it. I've lost at least ten pounds! If this continues, I'm afraid I'll die here!
And then there's winter! You can't even imagine how cold it is here in winter! The northwest wind is like a knife, stinging your face! The quilts and cotton-padded coats I brought from home are like paper here!
Last winter, one of my roommates, a former educated youth, almost lost his toes to frostbite. The cotton-padded shoes sent from home cracked at the soles after only a few days!

(End of this chapter)