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

Chapter 34. Daily Update!

As He Caiyun spoke, she kept glancing at Zhao Tiemin, who was silently smoking and looking dazed, with eyes as sharp as knives.

Unable to withstand his wife's glare, Zhao Tiemin had no choice but to raise his head, forcing an extremely stiff and unnatural smile. He coughed dryly, his voice muffled and tinged with a hint of ingratiation.

"Hmm... thank you, Master Yang. Caiyun, you usually have a sharp tongue, but in the future... learn from the Yang family's magnanimity."

Mingming has become successful now, he's a cadre, and we're neighbors, so we should visit each other more often and maintain a good relationship.

The way he said it sounded particularly awkward.

"Yes, yes! Tiemin, you're right! Absolutely right!"

He Caiyun immediately seized the opportunity to smile even more brightly at Li Guihua, as if the two were long-lost best friends:
"Guihua, please help me when you get back! Mingming is such a smart little boy, I've always seen him as intelligent, promising, kind-hearted, and reliable!"
He'll definitely become a high-ranking official someday! My little boy should learn a lot from Mingming! Learn how to be a good person, learn his skills!

This blatant and free flattery made Li Guihua feel incredibly comfortable, like drinking iced plum juice on a sweltering summer day; her earlier reluctance vanished instantly.

She felt like a triumphant general, enjoying the surrender and flattery of her "defeated adversaries".

She nodded demurely, her chin slightly raised: "I will pass on the message. Please enjoy your meal."

After saying that, he raised his head, his face full of undisguised pride and satisfaction, and turned to go downstairs, his footsteps much lighter than when he came.

As Li Guihua's boastful footsteps disappeared at the end of the stairs, He Caiyun's smile vanished instantly, like the receding tide; her change of expression was equally astonishing.

She looked down at the small, poor-quality piece of ham in her hand, and then thought of the huge piece downstairs and the domineering aroma that filled the entire courtyard. Her heart felt like a jumble of emotions, a bitter and astringent mix of sourness, jealousy, and a nameless anger rising to her head.

She angrily tore open the oil paper, looking at the white, fatty flesh, as if she could see Li Guihua's smug face. She took a small bite, and the rich, salty flavor melted in her mouth, but it carried an indescribable feeling of frustration and bitterness, making her want to curse.

The Yang family's dining table became the most envied and secretly jealous focus in the Shikumen neighborhood.

The enormous Jinhua ham, under the skillful hands of Zhang Xiuying and Li Guihua, contributed to the most impressive dish of the evening—a large bowl of crystal-clear, savory and fragrant steamed taro with ham!
Thin slices of lean and fatty ham are laid on top of plump and round taro. The golden oil from steaming soaks into every piece of taro, and the aroma is so strong that it can almost lift the roof off and go straight into people's nostrils.

The whole salted duck was chopped into evenly sized pieces, with white skin and tender meat, and the bones were filled with an enticing salty aroma. The pieces were neatly arranged on a plate, with a small dish of ginger-infused vinegar sauce on the side.

In addition, there are bright green vegetables cooked in a rich broth made with ham skin and carefully removed scraps, with tempting golden oil floating on the surface; a large plate of golden, fluffy, and fragrant scrambled eggs; and the indispensable, piled high, and fragrant steamed buns made from a mixture of wheat and vegetables.

The lavishness and satisfaction of this meal even surpassed the meal we had yesterday to celebrate Yang Guangming's onboarding!

At the dinner table, the atmosphere was warm and satisfying, filled with the rich aroma of meat and joy.

Zhang Xiuying kept piling food onto Yang Guangming's plate, especially the glistening, translucent slices of ham, which were piled up in his bowl like a small mountain.

"Mingming, eat more! You've been saving people and running around all day, it must have taken a toll on you. Does this ham smell good? Mom specially picked the finest, most fragrant meat to steam for you, to help you replenish your energy!"

Li Guihua also diligently served her father-in-law and mother-in-law duck legs and breasts, her voice brimming with undisguised joy and pride: "Dad, Mom, you should eat more too. This salted duck is so tender! The skin is crispy and the meat is succulent. Dip it in ginger and vinegar, and it tastes even better! It's so delicious it'll make your eyebrows fall off!"

The smugness on her face hadn't completely faded yet; He Caiyun's blatant flattery from the third-floor pavilion still seemed to echo in her ears, making her feel smug.

Yang Guanghui remained a man of few words, like a silent shadow, but the speed and frequency with which he ate were surprisingly honest.

He was engrossed in gnawing on a piece of ham, skin and tendons juicy and flavorful, sucking hard the salty and savory essence that seeped into the bone, his cheeks bulging as he chewed with unusual seriousness.

Occasionally, she would glance quickly at her younger brother, her eyes filled with complex emotions—inquiry and envy—but the pure satisfaction she felt from the food was genuine and intense.

Zhuangzhuang sat in his special little bamboo chair, his chubby little hands holding a small piece of taro that had been steamed until soft and flavorful, soaking up all the ham oil. He ate it with his mouth glistening with oil, laughing and babbling, while his little feet swung happily under the chair.

Father Yang Yongkang remained as silent as a mountain, as if the clamor of the outside world had nothing to do with him.

He ate his meal slowly and deliberately, his movements seemingly more steady and composed than usual.

He picked up a nearly transparent, trembling piece of ham fat, put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly, feeling the richness of the fat melting on his tongue; then he picked up a piece of taro soaked in the essence of ham, so soft and powdery that it melted in his mouth.

He didn't say anything, but when he added more rice, he added half a spoonful more than usual.

The brows that were always furrowed, etched with the hardships of life, seemed to relax slightly amidst the rising steam and the rich, irresistible aroma of meat, revealing a rare moment of ease.

Under the dim yellow light, an orange halo enveloped the small dining table.

The family sat together, the sounds of chewing, the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks, Zhang Xiuying's satisfied sighs, and Li Guihua's hushed laughter intertwining to create a warm and down-to-earth melody full of everyday life.

Outside the window, the Shikumen (stone gate) houses sank into the deep night, but inside this small front building, the abundance and warmth of food and the satisfaction and joy of family members filled the room to the brim.

As Yang Guangming looked at everything before him, savoring the salty and savory richness of the ham and the soft, sweet taste of the taro mingling on his tongue, and thinking about the inexhaustible "treasures" in the refrigerator, an unprecedented sense of security, like tender buds breaking through the soil in early spring, quietly took root deep in his heart.

In the stillness of the night, the Shikumen (stone gate house) was completely asleep, with only the occasional faint bark of a dog coming from afar.

Outside the window, cool moonlight streamed through, casting several hazy, quiet patches of light on the floor.

It was just after midnight.

Yang Guangming closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into that strange refrigerator space.

Under the soft, cool white light, everything in the refrigerator has been restored to its original state!

(End of this chapter)