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

Chapter 49. The Mother-in-Law's Difficulties

Yang Guangming took the pound of ham that his mother had carefully wrapped. It was heavy, and the oil paper was soaked with dark stains.

After thinking for a moment, he added, "I'll bring something else with me. It wouldn't look good to come empty-handed on my first visit."

Zhang Xiuying opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end it turned into a soft sigh and a look of relief in her eyes: "Take care of yourself and come back soon."

As he left the alley, Yang Guangming's consciousness sank into the magical refrigerator space.

With a slight thought, a drunken chicken, wrapped tightly in thick oil paper and exuding an intoxicating aroma of wine, and two pounds of dark brown, clearly textured beef jerky appeared in his hand.

He then took out a brand-new tin candy box with a White Rabbit pattern printed on it, which was bulging with milk candies. He put it in a slightly worn military satchel, making it heavy.

These vintage-style packages were specially prepared in his spare time for easy access.

Apart from two pearls, gold leaf, ginseng, deer antler, bezoar, and rhinoceros horn slices, the other items in the refrigerator were only taken out as needed and not accumulated.

He would remove the packaging from these valuable items every day after refreshing the store, gradually eliminating the useless alcoholic beverages that took up space.

Once a space is occupied, items in the original location will not be refreshed.

Although the space in the refrigerator is limited, these valuable items are all small in size, enough for him to accumulate for a long time.

The eldest sister, Yang Xianglan, married someone who lived not far away, in a similar shikumen alleyway in western Shanghai.

The early summer afternoon was already a bit hot. Under the shade of the sycamore trees, pedestrians hurried along, and bicycle bells rang crisply.

Yang Guangming carried his things, wandering through the streets and alleys, following his memory to find that alleyway. The house number he found was the first-floor living room facing the street.

The door was ajar, and a high-pitched, aged woman's voice, tinged with obvious complaint and criticism, came from inside, penetrating the thin door panel:
"...How many times have I told you? Wash Honghong's diaper more thoroughly! Look, it's still all yellow and stained! The baby's skin is so delicate, what if she gets prickly heat from being dirty? You, as her mother, don't care at all!"

Then came the eldest sister Yang Xianglan's clear but suppressed anger voice, spoken very quickly:
"Mom, I've scrubbed the diapers three times with soap, scalded them with boiling water, and dried them thoroughly in the sun!"
This yellow stain is from milk, not filth. Babies get milk stains from breastfeeding, and it won't come off by rubbing!
When Jianjun was a child, you mentioned that his diapers had these kinds of milk stains, don't you remember?

"Hmph! I said it once, and you remember it so clearly! When Jianjun was a child, who washed his diapers? I did! I washed them until they were sparkling white! Now that it's your turn to wash them, you're making excuses and refusing to do it?"

The mother-in-law's voice rose, "And another thing, for lunch today, this bowl of stir-fried pickled vegetables and edamame had way too much salt! It's unbearably salty!"

Jianjun's father works hard to make a living, and he can't handle this salty food when he comes back! Where have you been thinking? All you do all day is think about going out to do odd jobs, while you're barely managing the household chores!

Yang Guangming paused outside the door, his brows slightly furrowed.

He knew his older sister was shrewish, but judging from this, his mother-in-law's刁难 (diāonán, making things difficult) must be commonplace. He listened intently but didn't go in immediately.

"Mom, I know exactly how much salt to add. When Jianjun's father came back, he said the saltiness was just right, and he even cooked two extra meals for himself!"
"You say I put too much salt in? Try it yourself and see, okay?"

Yang Xianglan's voice carried a hint of grievance, but more so a firm and reasoned argument: "Going out to do odd jobs is also for the sake of the family. Honghong needs to buy more clothes, and the family's expenses are high. How can Jianjun's salary alone be enough?"
It's not that I don't want to work, it's that I can't find a stable way to make a living! There are odd jobs on the street, and I'll take them; it's better than sitting at home eating for free!

"Oh! You mean I told you you were a freeloader? You've taken my kindness for granted!"
"You gave birth to a baby girl, but your belly is not cooperating, and you're blaming me?" The mother-in-law's voice suddenly became sharp, hitting the most sensitive spot.

The air inside seemed to freeze for a moment. Yang Guangming's heart tightened, and he was about to push the door open when he heard his elder sister's voice, unusually calm, even tinged with coldness:
"Mom, whether a baby is a boy or a girl is determined by God. Whether my belly is fertile or not is none of anyone else's business."

Honghong is my little girl, my precious darling. I go out to work so that Honghong can have a better life in the future.

"I do everything that needs to be done around the house. If you want to find fault, you can find something to criticize me for every day!"

These words were neither too harsh nor too soft; they pointed out the mother-in-law's meanness while maintaining her own bottom line and highlighting the hard work involved.

Yang Guangming smiled slightly. The eldest sister was still the same eldest sister; she hadn't suffered any loss.

He felt relieved, raised his hand and knocked on the mottled black lacquered wooden door, his voice clear and melodious: "Sister? Is anyone home? It's me, Mingming!"

The arguing inside the door stopped abruptly.

A moment later, the door creaked open.

Yang Xianglan appeared at the door. She was twenty-four years old, and her features were still beautiful, but there was a hint of fatigue and lingering anger in her eyes and brows.

Seeing her tall, handsome younger brother standing outside the door, dressed in a brand-new white shirt and crisp blue trousers, her eyes instantly lit up with immense joy, and the gloom vanished completely.

"Mingming? What brings you here? Oh my! Come in, come in!" She pulled her younger brother into the house, her voice brightening with genuine joy.

The living room was small and somewhat dimly lit.

A dining table, a chest of drawers, a large bed, and a small bed were placed against the wall, making full use of the space, but it was still quite tidy.

A woman in her fifties, thin and with slightly high cheekbones—Wang, Yang Xianglan's mother-in-law—stood in the center of the room, her face still bearing the harsh and critical expression she hadn't quite managed to shake off, appearing somewhat stiff.

Upon seeing Yang Guangming, especially his official-looking attire and the heavy load he was carrying, Wang's facial muscles quickly adjusted, and she broke into a warm smile:

"Oh my! It's Brother Xianglan! What a rare guest! Please, have a seat!"

She hurriedly moved a stool over, symbolically wiping it with her sleeve. "Xianglan, quickly pour some tea! In this heat, did little brother even walk all that way? He must have had a hard time!"

Yang Xianglan responded and quickly went to get the thermos and cup.

Her mother-in-law's eyes, like hooks, couldn't help but glance at the oil paper package and the bulging military satchel that were placed brightly in the sunlight on the table.

"Hello, Mother-in-law." Yang Guangming greeted her politely with a proper smile. "My mother said that my older sister hasn't been back to her parents' home for a long time. She got some good things at home and asked me to bring some over for her to try, as well as to show my respect to you, my dear mother."

As he spoke, he first pushed the package with the deepest oil paper soaking and the rich aroma of ham towards Wang:
"This is Jinhua ham. My mother specially cut off a top-quality piece so you could make a soup. It's so delicious it'll make your eyebrows fall off."

(End of this chapter)