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

Chapter 16. 16. A Showcase of the Times
The next morning, as dawn broke and the familiar smell of coal smoke from the Shikumen had not yet completely dissipated, the Yang family home was already filled with a lighter, more cheerful atmosphere than usual.

Yang Guangming was awakened by his mother Zhang Xiuying's deliberately soft, yet still cheerful, humming.

Pushing open the door to the cubicle, I saw that the eldest brother, Yang Guanghui, had already gone to work. His sister-in-law, Li Guihua, was holding the babbling Zhuangzhuang, her face beaming with a rare, bright smile. Seeing him awake, she greeted him warmly.

"Mingming's up already? He must be full of energy today!"

Yang Guangming smiled and replied, "Good morning, sister-in-law."

After he finished washing up, breakfast was already laid out on the small square table. It was still rice soaked in hot water and pickled vegetables, but the atmosphere was completely different.

Father Yang Yongkang sat at the table, slowly drinking his porridge, the sorrowful lines etched on his brows seemingly fading slightly.

Zhang Xiuying was radiant, her eyes and brows beaming with smiles, as she kept adding thicker rice to her son's bowl.

"Mingming, sit down, sit down!"

After her son sat down, Zhang Xiuying couldn't wait to take out the familiar little cloth bag from her inner pocket and carefully opened it.

Inside, besides a few small bills and cents, were several neatly folded ration coupons. She solemnly took them out and pushed them in front of her son.

Here, take this.

Zhang Xiuying's voice was filled with excitement, "Three cloth coupons, that's the last bit we have in the house. When your second brother and sister passed away last year, we still owed them a few coupons, and we just paid them off a few days ago."

"Take this and make a new pair of trousers. I see your old work trousers are worn out at the knees; they're too shabby for a factory office job. And this shoe coupon..."

She paused, her tone tinged with emotion: "These are the labor protection benefits your father received from his factory last year. He said he had old shoes to wear, so he insisted on saving them and didn't want to use them."

Your father is right. Cadres should look like cadres, and their footwear should reflect that. Go to the No. 1 Department Store and pick out a pair that fits well!

Looking at the tickets that carried the family's meager savings and earnest expectations, Yang Guangming felt a warmth in his heart.

The three cloth coupons meant that no one in the family could buy new clothes this year; the shoe coupon that the father had saved up was a heavy symbol of his fatherly love.

Just as he was about to speak, his sister-in-law, Li Guihua, came over with Zhuangzhuang in her arms.

“Mom is right!” Li Guihua’s voice was loud and clear, with unwavering support. “Now that he’s a cadre, he represents our family and the community. It’s time to get him a new outfit!”

As she spoke, she deftly pulled a ticket from her own pocket and handed it to Yang Guangming, a warm smile plastered on her face:

"Look, I have a short-sleeved shirt voucher here, brand new, I've never been willing to use it."

"Mingming, take this and get a new shirt to match your new pants and shoes. You'll look much more impressive when you go out!"

This move surprised both Zhang Xiuying and Yang Yongkang.

In the past, when it came to scarce resources like tickets, Li Guihua was always meticulous in her calculations, and even had some complaints.

Today's act of giving away tickets is undoubtedly the most direct effect of the change in the younger brother's status.

Yang Guangming understood, but didn't show it on his face. He simply accepted the gift with a gentle smile: "Thank you, sister-in-law! This is a timely help."

Seeing that he accepted it so readily, Li Guihua's smile widened even more:
"No need for formalities among family! Your success brings honor to us brothers and sisters-in-law!"

"Eat quickly, have a good breakfast and then go to the No. 1 Department Store. It's Saturday, it'll definitely be crowded!"

Sunshine nodded. He definitely needed this outfit. First impressions were crucial for reporting for duty on Monday.

The faded, even patched, clothes that were common in the Shikumen neighborhood seemed out of place in the factory office. A new beginning, a new look—this money was well spent.

After breakfast, Yang Guangming tucked his money and tickets into his pocket and left home amidst his parents' gratified gazes and his sister-in-law's warm words of advice.

As I passed by the courtyard, Granny Chen, who was lighting the coal stove, greeted me with a smile: "Mingming, going out? Going to put on your new clothes?"

Yang Guangming smiled and nodded: "Good morning, Grandma. Go buy something."

He could feel several complicated gazes coming from the direction of the rooftop behind him, but he ignored them and stepped out of the heavy black lacquered gate of the Shikumen without looking back.

It was a warm, sunny morning in Shanghai in early summer. The sunlight helped me find my way, and I headed towards Nanjing Road.

The Shanghai No. 1 Department Store, more commonly known as "Shanghai No. 100," is a commercial landmark of this era and also his destination on this trip.

In the distance, a magnificent Soviet-style building came into view.

With its beige exterior walls, tall pillars, and four-story structure, it stands out among the surrounding low-rise buildings.

The huge red signboard of "Shanghai No. 1 Department Store" on the rooftop is particularly eye-catching in the sunlight.

The entrance was already crowded with people, dressed in blue, gray, and military green work clothes, with the elderly and children in tow, their faces showing a desire for material goods and the joy of entering the "big store".

As people walked through the revolving glass doors, a stench of fabric, leather, cosmetics, sweat, and disinfectant hit them.

The spacious and bright hall instantly gave the sunlight a sense of time and space displacement.

The floor was smooth terrazzo, and a huge ceiling fan hung from the high ceiling, turning slowly.

Everywhere you look, a strong sense of the times hits you!

On the wall directly opposite the main entrance in the shop window are huge red slogans: "Develop the economy, ensure supply!" and "Serve the people!"

In the large display window next to it, several brand-new "Butterfly" sewing machines and "Forever" bicycles were on display, each one polished to a shine.

A prominent price tag stood next to it: Sewing machine 150 yuan, bicycle 180 yuan.

These key pieces of "three turns and one sound" (referring to a series of turns, turns, and a radio) attract countless envious glances like luxury goods, representing a dream that ordinary working-class families need to save for years to achieve.

The entire hall is divided into different merchandise areas by rows of tall, heavy glass counters.

The counter was spotless, and inside were neatly arranged a dazzling array of goods: fabrics, clothing, enamelware, stationery, toys, cosmetics...

Each counter was packed with customers.

Sales clerks, dressed in uniform blue or white work clothes, stood behind the counter, responding to the customers' barrage of questions with expressions that ranged from serious and attentive to impatient.

They hold the power of life and death over the goods; customers need to point and select items through the glass so that the salesperson can take them out for inspection.

"Comrade, do you have these leather shoes, size 41?"

"Comrade, could you please take a look at that blue khaki cloth?"

"Comrade, do you have any 'White Rabbit' milk candy? I'd like half a pound!"

Amidst the various inquiries, a crucial sentence was uttered: "Comrade, we have tickets!"

(End of this chapter)