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

Chapter 48. Green Tea Ending
She instantly understood that emotional blackmail and the lure of benefits had completely failed her.

Her carefully prepared "three tricks"—feigning weakness to gain sympathy, emotional blackmail, and hinting at marriage—appeared so pale, laughable, and utterly vulnerable in the face of Yang Guangming's impeccable logic, his arguments always logical, and his high-sounding pronouncements of "organizational principles" and "revolutionary work."

Her intelligence was shattered in the face of absolute principles and clear-headedness!
"You...you..." Shen Meiyu's lips trembled as she pointed at Yang Guangming, wanting to curse, but she was intimidated by that invisible aura and couldn't speak for a moment.

A profound sense of loss, shame, and the panic of being completely seen through overwhelmed her. She knew that the path to Yang Guangming was utterly blocked!
Seeing her swaying precariously, Yang Guangming softened his tone, but it still carried a hint of distance:

"Comrade Shen Meiyu went to the countryside to work in response to the country's call to receive training in the vast countryside. My second brother and sister went last year."

I understand that things are difficult for you. But it seems you're destined to go down this path.

Instead of thinking of unrealistic solutions, we should think about how to pack our bags properly and how to learn from and work diligently with the poor and lower-middle peasants once we arrive. That's the right way.

His words both extinguished her hopes and provided her with a seemingly reasonable way out.

Shen Meiyu felt as if her spine had been removed. She slumped back onto the bench, tears streaming silently down her face. This time, it was no longer an act, but a genuine expression of despair.

She lowered her head, her fingers gripping the hem of her coarse cloth tightly, her knuckles turning white.

A few seconds later, she raised her head again, her eyes brimming with tears, her face now bearing an expression of resignation, tinged with the last vestige of humble pleading.

"Obviously..."

Her voice carried a broken calm, which only made it sound more poignant. "I know... I did some things wrong before, but I don't blame you."

I'm leaving soon. If you hear any news about returning to the city... or if there's any opportunity...

You must never forget me, okay?
Please help me, please keep an eye out... I... I will remember your kindness..."

Looking at her like this, Yang Guangming felt nothing but a sense of calm as if the dust had settled.

He nodded, his tone as indifferent as if he were responding to a casual colleague's request: "Okay, I understand. I'll keep an eye out for it if I get the chance. Take care of yourself."

After saying that, he stopped looking at Shen Meiyu's pale face, turned around, and walked steadily away from the small park.

There was no comfort, no promise.

Sunlight shone on his straight back, carrying a clarity and decisiveness that seemed out of place in this land steeped in sentimental sentiments.

Back in the Shikumen, as soon as I stepped into the courtyard, Zhang Xiuying and Li Guihua surrounded me, their faces full of tension and inquiry.

"Mingming, how is it? What does she want from you?" Zhang Xiuying grabbed her son's arm and asked urgently in a low voice, "Is she going to keep bothering you?"

Li Guihua, holding Zhuangzhuang, also moved closer, her eyes filled with undisguised wariness:
"That's exactly what I'm saying! Her house is dirt poor. Now that you're a cadre, she'll definitely stick to you like glue!"
Don't be soft-hearted, or she might threaten suicide and cling to you! These kinds of girls are incredibly cunning!

Looking at his mother and sister-in-law's anxious and worried faces, Yang Guangming felt a warmth in his heart.

He patted his mother's hand, a relieved smile on his face, his voice clear and calm:
"Mom, sister-in-law, don't worry. I explained everything clearly to her."

She contacted me simply because she wanted me to help her find a job, preferably one where she could give up my current job. She even had her eye on my mother's job.

She's really dreaming!

Yang Guangming's tone carried a perfectly measured mix of helplessness and disdain. "I told her directly that this is an organizational arrangement, a matter of principle, and it's impossible to give in. My mother's job is a matter for the two of them; it's not appropriate for me, a junior, to interfere." "You're right!" Li Guihua immediately chimed in, a look of satisfaction on her face. "How could she make such a request! What does she think we are?"

Zhang Xiuying breathed a sigh of relief, but still pressed on, "So... she just let it go like that? She's willing to give up?"

Yang Guangming smiled, his tone resolute: "At first, she was unwilling to give up, crying and saying that if I didn't help her, I would be heartless, and that I was her boyfriend, so I should help her..."

I deflected their questions with 'organizational principles' and 'revolutionary work'.

I told her that I am now a cadre and need to focus on my work. I shouldn't be distracted, and I certainly shouldn't engage in such private transactions.

As soon as she heard that, she knew it was hopeless.

He paused, and seeing that the tension on his mother's and sister-in-law's faces had eased slightly, he continued:
"Later, when she saw that there was really no other way, she begged me, saying that after she went to the countryside, if I heard any news or opportunities about returning to the city, I should keep an eye out for her."

I simply replied, "I'll keep an eye out if there's an opportunity," and then came back.

"Oh...so you mean she's resigned to her fate and is going to the countryside?" Zhang Xiuying finally felt relieved.

"Yes, judging from her appearance, she has given up."

Yang Guangming nodded, his tone carrying a hint of relaxed conclusion, "Once she goes to the countryside, as time goes by and the distance grows, contact will naturally decrease."

By then, everyone will be fine, and there won't be any further entanglement. She's just seeking psychological comfort right now; I'll offer some polite words to save face for everyone.

"Oh my, Mingming, you're really shrewd now!" Li Guihua smiled genuinely, with a hint of admiration. "That's how it should be! Explain things clearly to her, leave no loose ends! It'll save you trouble later!"

Zhang Xiuying was completely relieved, and a smile returned to her face:

"That's good, that's good! You did the right thing! My son is a cadre now, and he really knows how to handle things!"

She looked at her son, then at the clothes still on the washboard, and hurriedly said, "Quick, there's still some rice porridge left, go get some more!"

Sunshine smiled and agreed.

His gaze fell upon the small patch of sky outside the door, cut off by the eaves.

The chapter about Shen Meiyu is now temporarily closed. His new life at the Red Star Factory is the vast world he truly wants to cultivate.

……

afternoon.

Zhang Xiuying stood in front of the chest of drawers, her gaze falling on the pipa-shaped object wrapped in oil paper on top of the chest, which had lost some of its weight.

"Mingming," she turned to call her youngest son, who had just woken up from his afternoon nap, "Your older sister hasn't come for a long time. There's a piece of ham left for her at home. Could you go and deliver it to her for me? It's a long way from her house, and it's inconvenient for her to come out with her little girl. You don't have anything to do today anyway."

Yang Guangming was adjusting the collar of his new shirt in front of a small mirror when he heard this, and readily agreed:

"Okay, Mom. I'll go see my older sister and Honghong; it's been so long since I've seen them."

(End of this chapter)