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

Chapter 172, Section 171: A direct confrontation. Utterly ashamed. Setting new rules.
On Sunday morning, the courtyard of the Shikumen was noisier than usual.

The weather was rather muggy, with low-hanging gray clouds pressing down on the rooftops of the alleyways. The air was so thick it felt like you could wring water out of it, and cicadas were chirping hoarsely among the sparse sycamore leaves, adding to the irritability.

After everyone had eaten breakfast, people didn't rush off to work or busy themselves with other tasks as usual.

Chen Le'an's wife was vigorously scrubbing a basin of clothes under the tap, soap bubbles piling up high, but her movements were noticeably slower than usual.

He Caiyun slowly and methodically picked through the vegetables, examining each leaf for a long time, her eyes constantly glancing towards the gate.

Teacher Feng held a screwdriver, gesturing towards the old Red Lantern brand radio, but hesitated for a long time before finally putting it down. The radio's wooden casing was weathered, but it was meticulously maintained, showing how much its owner cherished it. This radio was the most valuable appliance in Teacher Feng's home, and it always received the latest revolutionary songs and news broadcasts.

Even the few men who usually leave home by this time were smoking cheap cigarettes and chatting idly. The smoke swirled in the sweltering air, but their eyes darted around, clearly their minds weren't on the conversation.

A tacit anticipation, mingled with the sweltering heat, permeated the small courtyard. Everyone knew what would happen today, and they were all waiting for that moment to arrive.

The Yang family members were all in the courtyard, and each person's posture revealed a different state of mind.

Yang Yongkang was still sitting in his old, dark red bamboo chair, leaning against the mottled wall.

This bamboo chair has been with him for over twenty years, the bamboo strips worn smooth and shiny. He squinted, his hand fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, his face as calm as a deep pool, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Only those who know him well can see the unease in his heart from the slightly taut corners of his mouth.

Zhang Xiuying sat on a small stool to the side, mending a bright red old garment in her hand.

It was a little girl's smock, worn thin at the elbows and needing a patch. Her stitches were much rougher than usual, and she would occasionally glance up at the entrance to the courtyard, her needle often pausing in mid-air.

Li Guihua held Zhuangzhuang in her arms, sitting next to Yang Xianglan on a long bench. Zhuangzhuang was playing with a small wooden stick, occasionally trying to break free from his mother's embrace. Li Guihua comforted the child while scanning the entrance to the courtyard with a wary gaze, as if ready to fight off any invading enemy at any moment.

Yang Xianglan kept her head down, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her dress. She wore a faded blue cotton shirt, the collar and cuffs frayed. It was her best piece of clothing, something she rarely wore, only bringing it out for important occasions. Today's occasion was both important and embarrassing for her.

Yang Guanghui squatted beside his father, silently smoking. He smoked Labor brand cigarettes, eight cents a pack, the most common brand in the area. Smoke rose from his fingers, swirling around his tightly furrowed brow. As the eldest son in the family, he felt a heavy responsibility on his shoulders.

Yang Guangming stood leaning against the wall, his gaze calmly sweeping over the neighbors in the courtyard. His gaze finally settled on his sister, a hint of worry barely perceptible in his eyes.

Honghong was playing with some old bottle caps, her small figure looking somewhat lost in the tense atmosphere among the adults. Honghong was already three years old, and she vaguely sensed the tense atmosphere among the adults, occasionally looking up at her mother and then at her grandmother.

Time passed slowly, and the hands of the watch pointed to nine o'clock. The atmosphere in the courtyard grew increasingly heavy, and even the cicadas seemed to have quieted down.

Around nine o'clock, the light at the entrance to the courtyard dimmed slightly.

All the chatter, laundry sounds, and repair noises seemed to be cut off, instantly falling silent. A dozen pairs of eyes turned to the entrance of the courtyard.

Granny Wang, accompanied by Wang Jinhuan and Wang Yinhuan, appeared somewhat timidly at the doorway. They clearly hadn't expected so many people to be in the courtyard, and were momentarily caught in a dilemma.

Granny Wang was carrying a net bag containing a bottle of Moutai liquor, several packets of pastries wrapped in oil paper, and two cans of fruit.

In the early 1970s, this was considered a very respectable gift.

The labels on the Moutai liquor were the most eye-catching, the glass bottles and jars reflected an enticing luster in the sunlight, and the pastries wrapped in oil paper emitted a faint sweet aroma. But these presentable gifts seemed particularly out of place at this moment.

Granny Wang paused for a moment, trying to force a smile, but it looked extremely stiff and forced.

She wore a slightly worn gray polyester short-sleeved shirt today, and her hair was neatly combed, clearly indicating that she had put some effort into dressing up. But this deliberate dressing up only made her seem more guilty.

Wang Jinhuan and Wang Yinhuan followed behind her, their eyes darting around, avoiding eye contact with the Yang family members, let alone the neighbors. Jinhuan held a handkerchief in her hand, wiping the sweat from her forehead from time to time. Yinhuan kept her head down, staring at the tips of her plastic sandals.

The air of someone who was about to reason with someone and even try to bargain before entering the door was already intimidated by this silent display of force before they even stepped inside.

"My dear...my mother-in-law, they're all here..." Granny Wang said dryly, her voice hoarse and clearly guilty. "It's Sunday today, and I was thinking...I thought I'd come and see Xianglan and the children."

Zhang Xiuying put down her needlework, didn't get up, but just raised her eyelids, her tone as indifferent as if she were talking about the bad weather: "It's kind of you to still think of me. Xianglan, your mother-in-law is here."

Yang Xianglan raised her head, her lips moved but no sound came out, she just subconsciously pulled A Mao next to her closer to her. This subtle movement did not escape the eyes of anyone present.

Yang Yongkang then slightly lifted his eyelids, his gaze sweeping over the net bag in Wang Pozi's hand, and said indifferently, "Sitting down is fine since you're here."

Li Guihua quickly got up, dragged out two small stools from the house, and placed them in front of Granny Wang and her daughter, her face expressionless: "Please sit down."

Wang Jinhuan and Wang Yinhuan sat down awkwardly, unsure of what to do with their hands and feet. Granny Wang placed the net bag beside her feet, rubbed her hands together, and tried to regain some initiative.

"Well... a few days ago, I was senile and didn't know how to speak properly, which caused Xianglan to suffer, and... also made you in-laws worry."

Granny Wang spoke, her voice deliberately ingratiating, but she dared not look at Zhang Xiuying, "I thought about it for a long time after I got back, and I realized I had misunderstood."

She paused, glancing furtively at Yang Yongkang's expression, before continuing, "Those two large deposit certificates were originally agreed to be kept by each side in half. I was just blinded by greed and thought that Amao was still young, and I was afraid... afraid that something might go wrong, so I thought it would be safer for me to keep them together. I didn't mean anything by it, I really didn't have any bad intentions!"

She emphasized, "Since Xianglan is unwilling, then let's just forget about it. I won't bring it up again! The deposit certificate will still be kept according to the old rules. Xianglan will keep her half, and I will keep mine. When Amao grows up, we'll take it out together and give it to him!"

She spoke as if she were being sincere, but she never mentioned asking Xianglan to hand over her wages, as if that had never happened.

Li Guihua was furious and her eyebrows shot up as she was about to speak. But Zhang Xiuying pulled her arm hard under the table, stopping her with a look.

Zhang Xiuying knew her daughter-in-law was eloquent; if she were to speak, she could definitely silence Wang Pozi and her two sisters-in-law.

However, as a younger generation, daughter-in-law Li Guihua could certainly confront Wang Jinhuan and Wang Yinhuan directly. But for Li Guihua to openly criticize Wang Pozi would be extremely rude, making the Yang family appear ignorant and ill-mannered.

Although Zhang Xiuying wasn't as eloquent as her daughter-in-law, she had been holding back her anger for a week and was eager to vent it.

Now that Granny Wang has come knocking on her door, apologizing in a roundabout way and trying to downplay the seriousness of the matter in an attempt to get away with it, she certainly won't be happy.

Zhang Xiuying put down her needlework and slowly stood up. Though not tall, she possessed a calm and dignified air. She walked up to Granny Wang and looked directly at her.

"Mother-in-law, you came all this way just to say this?"

Zhang Xiuying's voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed throughout the quiet courtyard: "Regarding the deposit certificate, Yongkang made it very clear last time in front of both families."

Why must half of the orchid be preserved?
"It's precisely because I'm worried about the time frame being too long, ten or twenty years. What if something goes wrong, or you get older and can't remember where you put it? Then it won't be clear how you explain it!"

Her tone hardened, tinged with coldness: "When that time comes, what will outsiders say? Will they suspect that you used your grandson's money to subsidize some relative?"
We're doing this as a precaution, for your and your relatives' reputation, and even more so to ensure that not a single penny of A Mao's money is spent on him!
How come in your mouth it's become that you don't trust Xianglan, and you're just afraid something will happen to her?"

Granny Wang's face flushed red and then turned pale, her lips trembling as she tried to explain, "That's not what I meant..."

"Then what do you mean?"

Zhang Xiuying interrupted her, her anger and grievances that had been building up for a week finally finding an outlet. Her words flowed like a river bursting its banks, urgent and forceful: "Let's put aside the deposit certificate for now, what does it mean to demand that Xianglan hand over her entire monthly salary?"

Her finger almost poked Wang Pozi's nose: "How much does Xianglan earn in a month? Seventeen yuan and eighty cents!"
She has to support herself, Honghong, and Amao all by herself!
How precious is baby formula these days? If it weren't for her younger brother Guangming having connections to get some from time to time, Amao would go hungry just from those limited milk coupons!
This little bit of money is barely enough to live on, and you actually want her to hand it all over? What's wrong with you?

The courtyard was completely silent, save for Zhang Xiuying's trembling yet exceptionally clear question. Even the cicadas in the sycamore trees had stopped chirping, as if listening to this debate about the survival of a woman and two children.

"Master Wang earns over fifty yuan a month. You two can't possibly spend it all, right? Are you struggling financially?"

Which elderly person doesn't save money and try to find ways to support their children and grandchildren?

You, on the other hand, hold onto your own money tightly, yet you try to squeeze every last drop of hard-earned money from your daughter-in-law, who lost her husband and is raising two children alone!

Is this how you live a normal life? You're practically sucking blood from your daughter-in-law!

The words were extremely harsh and unpleasant.

Granny Wang's face turned deathly pale instantly, and Wang Jinhuan and Wang Yinhuan were also so ashamed that their faces turned bright red, their heads almost buried in their chests.

Although the neighbors remained silent, the disdain and approval in their eyes pierced the Wang mother and daughter like needles.

"Xianglan married into your Wang family, was filial to her parents-in-law, and bore children. Even if she didn't do anything great, she must have worked hard, right?"
Jianjun is gone. Who will carry on the Wang family line? If Xianglan hadn't given birth to Amao, this branch of your Wang family would have ended!

Such a great favor, and no one appreciates it; instead, she's being called unlucky and a jinx by her own people!

Zhang Xiuying became increasingly angry as she spoke, her voice rising slightly, tinged with tears: "No one has dared to mention this kind of feudal superstition for so many years!"
Every day, the streets are filled with propaganda about breaking down feudal ideas, and yet you, behind closed doors, use this same rhetoric to humiliate my daughter! You're rubbing salt into her wounds!

If I were more ruthless, I would go to the neighborhood committee right now to report the situation and send you to a re-education class to reform your thinking!

"No...no..." Granny Wang panicked completely, her body trembling slightly.

Going to the neighborhood study session would be extremely shameful, and she waved her hands repeatedly in fright, "Mother-in-law, I was wrong, I was just confused for a moment, I couldn't keep my mouth shut and talked nonsense... Please don't... please don't go to the neighborhood..."

She was incoherent, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. All her previous calculations and wishful thinking completely collapsed under Zhang Xiuying's barrage of accusations and the silent pressure from the surrounding neighbors.

Seeing this, Wang Jinhuan had no choice but to bite the bullet and try to smooth things over, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace:
“Aunt Zhang, please calm down, please calm down… My mother is getting old, and sometimes she’s a little confused and doesn’t speak clearly, but she’s not a bad person at heart… This time she really did say or do something wrong, and she’s wronged Xianglan. We’ll definitely talk to her properly when we get back…”

Li Guihua had been waiting for this moment. Her mother-in-law forbade her, a younger generation, to talk back to Old Lady Wang, but Wang Jinhuan was her peer. No matter what she said, they were still peers, so she couldn't be considered wrong. Li Guihua immediately sneered and took over the conversation; her tongue was much sharper than her mother-in-law's.

"Sister Jin Huan, you make it sound so easy! Confused? Can't you speak properly? Aunt Wang is an elder, highly respected, and always very shrewd. It's not appropriate for you to talk about Aunt Wang like that, is it?"

As the older sister, you're definitely more sensible than me. I'm learning to speak like you, so please don't blame me if anything I say is offensive!

Then, her tone became even more sarcastic: "So all those hurtful words and bullying acts can be forgiven with just 'old and senile'? All the grievances Xianglan suffered and the tears she shed were for nothing?"

Her gaze swept over Wang Jinhuan and Wang Yinhuan, her tone filled with undisguised sarcasm:
"If you ask me, Auntie is so easily swayed. She can listen to this person's instigation today and that person's provocation tomorrow."

This time they're eyeing deposit slips and salaries; who knows what they'll be eyeing next time!

If my dad hadn't spoken up in public and stood up for Xianglan, who knows what some people would have been plotting behind our backs!
Do you think that once Xianglan loses her husband, she's become like dough that can be kneaded at will?

Wang Jinhuan's face turned pale and then flushed from the rebuttal. She wanted to argue but knew she was in the wrong, so she could only manage to say, "Guihua, look at you... what you're saying... how could we think like that... we're all family..."

"A family? A family can force a wife to run back to her parents' home crying with her child? A family can say such hurtful things as 'bringing bad luck to her husband'?"

Li Guihua stood her ground, saying, "If you really care about Xianglan and the two children, you should help them more, instead of trying to squeeze money out of them!"

Wang Yinhuan muttered timidly in a low voice, "They didn't say they wouldn't help out..."

"Support? How do I support you?"

Li Guihua immediately seized the opportunity, "Did they help take care of the children, or did they give money or goods? I didn't see anything! I only saw them trying to get money and goods in various ways!"
Xianglan has been working for a month now. After work, she comes home and has to cook, do laundry, take care of the kids, and clean the house. She hasn't had a single moment of rest, and nobody seems to care!

Her words hit the nail on the head, leaving Wang Jinhuan and Wang Yinhuan speechless and their faces burning with embarrassment.

The neighbors in the courtyard began to whisper among themselves, shaking their heads from time to time.

Chen Le'an's wife stopped washing clothes, He Caiyun stopped picking vegetables, and Teacher Feng finally put down the screwdriver that she had been holding all along.

Everyone's attention was drawn to this debate.

Zhang Xiuying and Li Guihua's rebuttals, like a sudden storm, left the Wang mother and her two daughters bewildered and utterly humiliated. Their petty thoughts and schemes were laid bare in broad daylight, exposed to the scrutiny of the neighbors, leaving them nowhere to hide.

Granny Wang could only repeat herself, saying, "I meant well," "It's all to make a better life," and "I'm old and confused," but she couldn't offer any more compelling explanations.

She kept wiping the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, but the sweat seemed never to dry. The canned snacks in the mesh bag stood out starkly at her feet, as if they were evidence of her atonement.

Having seen that he had given the Wang family mother and daughter a good beating, and their arrogance had been completely crushed, Yang Yongkang, who had been silent all along, finally cleared his throat and spoke.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a calm and powerful quality that instantly drew everyone's attention, even silencing the usually talkative Li Guihua.

"Alright." Yang Yongkang's gaze slowly swept over the dejected Wang family mother and daughter, finally landing on Wang Pozi's face. "Mother-in-law, we heard your apology. But today's matter cannot be resolved with just an apology or a few promises."

He paused for a moment, his tone steady but undeniable: "This incident has caused such a big stir; the neighbors are all watching."

Xianglan has been wronged, and it's true that your Wang family acted unfairly.

To prevent such foolish mistakes from happening again, and to ensure Xianglan and her two children can live in peace, some things must be discussed openly and frankly, and a plan must be established.

Granny Wang raised her head, a hint of fear in her eyes: "Establish...establish rules?"

“Yes.” Yang Yongkang nodded. “The three of you coming today isn’t enough. This matter needs to be handled by Master Wang. He’s the head of the family, so we need to let him make the decision. Only then will his words carry weight.”

He glanced around at the neighbors in the courtyard and continued, "Furthermore, since we're setting rules to avoid future disputes, it's not enough for just our two families to be present. We need to invite a few respected old neighbors to witness this. We've all been neighbors for decades, we know each other well, and justice will prevail."

His demands were reasonable and completely eliminated any possibility that the Wang family might renege on their promises or cause trouble later.

The neighbors in the courtyard nodded in agreement, and someone whispered, "Uncle Yongkang is right. This matter needs a witness."

Granny Wang's face turned even paler. For her, the man of the house, to come and apologize and set rules in front of so many outsiders was a huge loss of face.

But looking into Yang Yongkang's uncompromising gaze, and then at the silent yet clearly supportive attitude of her neighbors, she knew she had no room to refuse.

"I...I'll go back and call him right away..." Granny Wang's voice trembled, and her hands and feet felt weak.

Wang Jinhuan quickly helped her mother up, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She resented her mother for her foolish actions that had caused such a big problem, and she also felt that the Yang family was being too pushy. But ultimately, her own family was in the wrong. She glanced at Yang Xianglan, who kept her head down, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

Yang Yongkang glanced at the sky and said, "It's almost ten o'clock now. I'll give you the whole morning."

At 2 PM, still here, please ask Master Wang to come over, and also ask him to invite two more respected neighbors to be witnesses.

Our two families got together, with several neighbors as witnesses, to discuss things face-to-face, clarify everything, and establish all the necessary rules.

To avoid getting upset and hurting feelings over the same thing again in the future.

He made it clear that the formal negotiations would take place in the afternoon; this was just a notification.

Old Lady Wang dared not utter a word of refusal, nodding repeatedly, her voice weak: "Okay, okay...we'll go back now...this afternoon...we'll definitely come this afternoon..."

She almost collapsed onto Wang Jinhuan and Wang Yinhuan, and was supported by her two daughters as she staggered to her feet. She nearly kicked over a net bag at her feet as she stood up, and Wang Yinhuan hurriedly picked it up.

The expensive canned pastries in the net bag now seemed incredibly ironic, a merciless mockery of their futile efforts. Granny Wang had come hoping to use these gifts to make things work out, but she hadn't even had the chance to give them away.

The mother and her two daughters' initial sense of luck and feigned confidence had vanished, leaving them only in a disheveled and defeated state.

Under the silent gaze of many eyes in the courtyard, they hurriedly left the Shikumen as if fleeing.

Only after their figures disappeared at the alley entrance did the stagnant air in the courtyard seem to begin to flow again.

Zhang Xiuying let out a long sigh of relief, her tense shoulders relaxing. She felt as if she had fought a tough battle, and although she had won, she was completely exhausted. She raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye, which was a little wet.

A look of satisfaction spread across Li Guihua's face. She pursed her lips in the direction where the Wang mother and daughter had disappeared, "Finally, I've gotten my revenge." She whispered to Yang Guanghui beside her.

Yang Guanghui nodded, but his brows remained furrowed. "The main event is this afternoon," he replied in a low voice, his eyes filled with worry.

Yang Xianglan's tense body relaxed slightly, but her eyes remained complex as she kept her head down, lost in thought. Honghong, sensing her mother's emotions, gently tugged at her mother's sleeve. Amao, completely unaware of what was happening, was still intently fiddling with the old bottle cap in his hand.

The neighbors began to whisper among themselves, mostly supporting the Yang family and condemning the Wang family for their unethical behavior.

"The Wang family did something really unethical, bullying an orphan and a widow."

"That's right, Xianglan has it so hard, raising two children all by herself."

“Uncle Yongkang did the right thing. This matter should be made clear face to face and rules should be established.”

Teacher Feng put away the screwdriver and walked over to Yang Yongkang. "Yongkang, if you need anything from me this afternoon, just let me know," he said solemnly, adjusting his glasses.

Chen Le'an's wife also dried her hands and came over. "Xiuying, don't worry, we'll all be here this afternoon to testify for you." She held Zhang Xiuying's hand and said, "If the Wang family dares to bully Xianglan again, we neighbors will be the first to object."

He Caiyun put the vegetables she had picked aside and sighed, "It's not easy being a woman in this world. It's better for Xianglan to have us neighbors helping her than to have to bear it all alone."

Yang Yongkang slowly stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to the surrounding neighbors, and said in a steady voice, "Dear old neighbors, I would like to trouble you all to come forward this afternoon and help me witness this. It's all for the sake of my child's peaceful life in the future. Thank you all for your help."

Everyone readily expressed their support and agreed. In this era of scarcity, mutual support among neighbors was especially precious. Although life in the Shikumen (stone gate) was crowded, it also fostered a special sense of community and collective consciousness.

People gradually dispersed, heading home to prepare lunch, but a sense of anticipation and tension still lingered in the air.

The atmosphere in the courtyard relaxed, yet a new sense of anticipation subtly stirred. Everyone knew that the morning's meeting was merely a prelude; the main event would be the afternoon's formal confrontation. Master Wang was a stubborn man, and getting him to swallow his pride in public wouldn't be easy.

The Yang family also began tidying up the chairs and stools in the courtyard, preparing to go back inside. Yang Guanghui helped his mother tidy up the sewing basket, while Yang Guangming stacked the stools one by one. Li Guihua, holding Zhuangzhuang, called Honghong into the house.

Yang Xianglan was the last to stand up. She glanced at the alleyway entrance, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. There was resentment, anger, but also a barely perceptible worry. After all, the Wang family was the home she had lived in for many years, her husband's family. Today's confrontation meant that her relationship with her in-laws could never go back to what it was before.

Zhang Xiuying walked to her daughter's side and gently patted her back. "Don't overthink it. With your parents here and so many neighbors helping you, we won't let you and the children suffer any injustice." Her voice was soft, but firm.

Yang Xianglan nodded, her eyes slightly red, but she held back her tears. She hugged Amao in her arms and followed her family into the house.

Yang Yongkang stood in the center of the courtyard, staring blankly at the black lacquered door.

This elderly man, who has weathered countless storms, is now contemplating how to handle the situation this afternoon.

Yang Yongkang took one last look at the entrance to the courtyard, then turned to Zhang Xiuying and said, "Let's go back and eat first. We still have a tough battle to fight this afternoon."

His voice was calm, yet it carried a reassuring power.

(End of this chapter)