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

Chapter 25. Focus of Attention
Yang Guangming carefully folded the receipt and put it into his inner pocket along with the velvet cloth.

One last look at this state-run store, a testament to the times and brimming with the wisdom of thrift:

The sounds of haggling, the lingering scent of old furniture, the meticulous examination of the collar of a wool coat, the regulations outlined in the official documents under the counter, and the unwavering white gloves of the veteran shop assistant…

All of this constitutes a unique and authentic picture of a corner of Shanghai Beach in 1969.

He turned around and followed the flow of people out of the "Huaihai Road State-Owned Trust Store".

Outside the door, on Huaihai Road, the sun was shining brightly.

The tall plane trees, with their lush foliage, cast large, shimmering patches of sunlight onto the bustling pedestrians and onto the brand-new old watch on his left wrist.

Yang Guangming took a deep breath; the early summer air carried the fresh scent of sycamore leaves and the unique vibrancy of the city.

He gently pressed the pocket containing the receipt, feeling the weighty, reassuring weight on his wrist.

He strode forward, his upright figure blending into the crowd under the shade of the plane trees, heading towards home.

Around 3:30 pm, the alleyway was unusually quiet.

The workers had not yet returned to work; only the gurgling of water in the courtyard and the hushed whispers of the women floated in the lazy afternoon air.

Yang Guangming, carrying a net bag containing a new shirt and leather shoes, walked briskly into the alley.

As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, the sharp-eyed Granny Chen spotted him.

"Oh my! Mingming's back?"

Grandma Chen was hunched over on a small stool next to the communal large basin, washing an old garment.

Her seemingly cloudy eyes instantly focused on Yang Guangming's wrist, and the deep lines on her face smoothed out, revealing undisguised surprise. "This watch... is it new? It's so shiny and shiny!"

The sound of water suddenly stopped.

Beside the tap, Li Guihua, the eldest sister-in-law, suddenly stopped wringing the bed sheet, straightened her back, and two burning eyes immediately swept over.

Mrs. Feng, Lin Fengjiao, who was picking vegetables in front of the kitchen shed, also smiled and glanced sideways.

Even Chen Weihong, who was silently scrubbing in the corner, stopped in her tracks. She quickly glanced up, her gaze lightly sweeping over Yang Guangming's wrist before she lowered her head again, her long eyelashes like a curtain, concealing all the turmoil in her eyes.

"Grandma has such sharp eyes!" Yang Guangming approached with a smile, naturally raising his wrist to expose the nearly new Shanghai watch to everyone's view. "It can't be new, it's old, a classmate of mine replaced it."

"An old watch?" Li Guihua shook her wet hands, took a few steps closer, and her eyes were almost glued to the watch face. "An old watch that looks brand new and shiny? Your classmate must have a lot of money in his house!" Her tone was full of straightforward amazement and envy.

"really."

Following his prepared remarks, Yang Guangming spoke in a relaxed and natural tone, "He went straight to the district government after graduation. His living conditions are good, and he bought a new watch to celebrate. He doesn't need this old watch anymore."

This noon, a few classmates and I met up for lunch. He knew I'd found a job and didn't even own a watch, so he offered to sell it to me for a cheap price.

"How much?" Granny Chen was most concerned about the price; her hand, with its prominent veins, stopped at the rim of the basin. "Thirty-five yuan."

When the figures were published in the Ming Pao newspaper, a brighter light suddenly ignited in Li Guihua's eyes.

"He said I shouldn't pay him now, but I could pay him back slowly after I got my salary. I thought about it, and it would be inconvenient not having a watch at work, so I accepted it."

Thirty-five yuan? Or is it on credit?

Li Guihua clicked her tongue repeatedly, her face almost overflowing with envy, "Your classmate is really loyal! He'll pay for things he's never paid before."

This watch looks so sturdy, it's much more accurate than the old alarm clock in my house!

She quickly calculated in her mind that buying such a decent and stylish watch for thirty-five yuan was an incredible bargain.

“It’s a stroke of genius.” Mrs. Feng nodded gently in agreement, her tone calm and reasonable. “It’s convenient for young people to have a watch when they go to work. You’re clearly lucky, and your classmates are helping you too.”

Yang Guangming picked up the net bag at the opportune moment: "Here, I bought some clothes while I was at it. I can't be too sloppy when I arrive on Monday."

He took out the brand-new white "Dacron" short-sleeved shirt and showed off his shiny black leather shoes.

"Oh my! Dacron!" Li Guihua's eyes were almost dazzled by the snow-white fabric. She couldn't help but reach out and carefully touch the stiff and smooth material. "So crisp and clean! The leather shoes are so crisp too! Wearing this outfit, I'd look exactly like a cadre!"

Grandma Chen squinted her eyes and smiled kindly: "You've made something of yourself, little boy. You should dress better. Leather shoe coupons are hard to come by, but your father is willing to give them to you because he truly loves you."

"What about the pants?" Li Guihua pressed, her thrifty instincts making her want to know the bottom of things. "Did you buy the fabric?"

“I bought it, I bought it,” Yang Guangming said, pulling out the tailor shop’s work certificate. “Nine feet of cloth is enough to make one. There should be some left over. We agreed to pick it up tomorrow afternoon.”

Li Guihua habitually wondered, "How much does he earn for his work?"

"One dollar and twenty cents," Yang Guangming replied.

"One yuan and twenty cents?" Li Guihua frowned slightly. "That's a bit pricey. The tailor Li in the alley next door only charges one yuan."

"I need it urgently, so forget it." Yang Guangming smiled, not caring about the small price difference at all.

He kept an eye on Chen Weihong in the corner.

She remained silent, only occasionally uttering soft "hmm" or "yes" during the intervals between the others' conversations.

However, her gaze lingered longest on his wrists and new clothes, her eyes filled with heavy envy and an indescribable complexity, as if envy was mixed with bitterness and expectation was wrapped in anxiety.

She seemed to want to say something, her lips moved a few times, but in the end, amidst the laughter and clamor of the crowd, she silently swallowed it back, only burying her head even deeper and scrubbing the clothes in the basin even harder, as if she wanted to crush all her worries into the water.

The atmosphere in the courtyard was harmonious and slightly tipsy, carrying the simple joy of neighbors.

The three families have always had a harmonious relationship, and their envy and praise at this moment are all genuine, without a trace of sourness, only heartfelt admiration for Yang Guangming's "good fortune" and "promising future".

(End of this chapter)