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

Chapter 65. A Stern Admonition
Zhang Xiuying could almost see the golden oil sizzling in the scalding hot wok, and the enticing aroma of the vegetables rising the moment they hit the pan.

"Yes, yes!" Li Guihua nodded repeatedly, looking at the things on the table, her mind racing:

"The rice noodles are great too! Add some bok choy, toss them with peanut oil, sprinkle with fine salt, and then put a few slices of my mom's cured pork on top...tsk tsk tsk!"

She couldn't help but swallow, as if the oily, fragrant taste was already on her lips.

She looked eagerly at Yang Guangming, with a cautious anticipation:
"Mingming, will your friends be able to get this kind of rice noodles again in the future?"

In our household, food coupons are always a bit scarce... If we could get more supplies more often, I'd rather pay with cash!

Her shrewd and calculating nature immediately made her see the long-term value of this "channel".

Just then, familiar, heavy footsteps and Yang Yongkang's low cough came from the stairs.

Immediately afterwards, the door was pushed open, and Yang Yongkang and his son Yang Guanghui walked in one after the other.

Yang Guanghui was still bare-chested, his bronze-colored, sweat-covered, muscular upper body bare, with a faded towel casually draped over his shoulder; Yang Yongkang was wearing a loose-fitting shirt with several small holes in it, both of them carrying the heat of the courtyard and a strong smell of sweat.

As soon as they entered, the father and son's eyes were drawn to the square table as if by a magnet—that bottle of golden peanut oil, almost dazzling! That bag of red, blue and white White Rabbit milk candy, symbolizing sweetness and luxury! And those two heavy rolls of rice noodles, exuding the true essence of grain!
This scene, so abrupt and shocking in a home that is usually dominated by pickled cucumber rice and salted vegetable dumplings.

"This...this is?" Yang Guanghui opened his mouth wide, looking completely bewildered, as if he had entered the wrong house.

Yang Yongkang stopped abruptly. His face, usually as serious and rigid as a rock, twitched violently for the first time, and his eyes flashed with unbelievable astonishment.

His gaze swept across everything on the table in an instant, finally settling on his youngest son's calm face with a hint of a smile.

The air seemed to freeze.

Zhang Xiuying immediately recounted Yang Guangming's explanation with embellishment and vivid detail, as if presenting a treasure, her excitement and pride barely contained.

The article highlighted the colleague's "loyalty and insistence on giving a thank-you gift," as well as the astonishingly low price of the rice noodles at "35 cents a pound, no coupons required."

Li Guihua nodded in agreement and exclaimed in admiration, repeatedly emphasizing the advantage of being "half the price".

After listening, Yang Yongkang fell silent.

He walked heavily to the table, his rough, calloused hands carrying an almost reverent solemnity. He first picked up the bottle of peanut oil and carefully examined its clear, flawless golden color under the dim light bulb.

Then, he picked up a roll of rice noodles, weighed it in his hands, feeling its solid and heavy texture, and then brought it close to smell the pure aroma of rice.

Finally, his gaze fell on the bag of White Rabbit milk candy, the brightly colored wrapper shining brightly under the light.

The dim light outlined the silent and awestruck profile of the head of the family, his chest rising and falling slightly, as if he were processing this enormous, unimaginable surprise, and the ensuing reassessment of his son's "abilities."

After a long while, he finally exhaled a long, deep breath, a breath that carried a sense of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and was filled with an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

He raised his eyes and looked at Yang Guangming with a complex expression that included shock, pride, scrutiny, and finally, a heavy sense of affirmation.

"Good...good lad!"

Yang Yongkang's voice was somewhat hoarse, yet it carried an unprecedented weight.

He patted Yang Guangming's shoulder hard, so hard that Yang Guangming's body swayed slightly.

"You...you've made something of yourself! You've really made something of yourself! You've brought honor to the Yang family!" This simple praise, coming from the mouth of a father who was always sparing with words and dignified, carried a weight heavier than a thousand pounds.

Yang Guanghui looked at his younger brother, his eyes filled with pure envy and a sense of relieved satisfaction.

He scratched his spiky short hair and grinned憨厚ly, "Mingming, you're really something! Zhuangzhuang will have milk candy to eat from now on!"

He could almost see his son's delighted little face as he held the White Rabbit milk candy, and the tempting sight of oily, fragrant rice noodles with salted pork on the dining table.

Seeing her husband's reaction, Zhang Xiuying was overjoyed, her eyes and brows radiating a triumphant glow.

As if she had made some great decision, she walked quickly to the bedside, lifted the pillow, and pulled out a small cloth bag carefully wrapped in a faded handkerchief.

She carefully unfolded the layers one by one, revealing a thick stack of neatly folded small bills, along with a few one-yuan and two-yuan banknotes.

She carefully counted out ten yuan—a huge sum that her family had saved up through frugality—and then, without hesitation and with an unquestionable maternal authority, stuffed it into Yang Guangming's hand.

"Take it, Mingming!"

Zhang Xiuying's voice was firm and resolute, "Keep this ten yuan safe! It's specifically for preparing things for the house!"

If you help someone out, that's one thing, but if you don't have the money, you should make up the difference yourself!

You're not receiving a salary yet, and your expenses are high; socializing and entertaining also cost money.

"From now on, if there are any good opportunities like helping colleagues out or things that our family needs, we'll cover the cost! I won't let you suffer any loss! Mom believes in you!"

Although Li Guihua felt a pang of heartache as she looked at the ten yuan, she couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

But when I think of the really good stuff on the table, and the possibility of a continuous stream of affordable rice noodles or other "surprises" in the future, that little bit of reluctance is immediately overwhelmed by the huge sense of bargaining.

She nodded repeatedly, her tone earnest: "Mom is right! Absolutely right! Mingming, just keep it! Use it when you need it! We'll tighten our belts to support you!"

She already regarded her brother-in-law's "channels" as the golden key to improving the family's life.

Looking at the neatly folded banknotes in his hand, still warm from his mother's touch, Yang Guangming understood.

This ten yuan was the family's highest recognition of his abilities, and it also provided a crucial, transparent, and reasonable source of funds for his "golden touch" operation.

He desperately needed this cover.

"Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Sister-in-law."

Yang Guangming didn't refuse much, readily accepting the money and carefully placing it deep into his pocket.

“I understand. I will keep an eye out for suitable channels in the future and try my best to provide more affordable items for the household.”

His calm and reliable attitude reassured Zhang Xiuying and Li Guihua, making them feel that the money was well spent.

The small front building was enveloped in a long-lost, immense joy filled with genuine anticipation for the future.

(End of this chapter)