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

Chapter 79, Section 78: The Harsh Reality
The old gentleman practically sprang up from his chair, slamming his withered hand heavily on the counter with a loud "smack," making the thick compilation jump!
He sat up abruptly, his eyes behind his glasses widening and shooting out an incredulous, stern light, as if Yang Guangming had uttered some outrageous words!
"What are national grain coupons? Do you think they're just pieces of waste paper? They're 'priceless securities' issued by the state! They're even more valuable than banknotes!"

The State Council's "Ten Regulations on Grain Coupon Management" issued in 63 clearly stated these regulations and firmly established them!
Sending grain coupons by private mail is considered a crime of 'disrupting the unified purchase and distribution system'!
This will be prosecuted under Article 120 of the Criminal Law! He'll face legal trouble! He'll go to jail!

His voice trembled slightly with excitement and severity, each word like a hailstorm.

His withered fingers struck the compilation again, producing a dull "thump-thump" sound:

"The post office has special regulations for dealing with this kind of thing! All letters must pass through 'three checkpoints'!"
The key is to check for grain coupons hidden in the letters!
Do you want to harm your own family, or have your older siblings imprisoned?

He gasped for breath, his gaze, sharp as a hawk's, fixed on the sun-drenched, deathly pale face, detailing the dreadful examination procedure as if pronouncing a death sentence:
"First challenge: letting light through!"

If you slip a grain coupon into an envelope, even just one, hold it up to a strong light, and you'll see it clearly! It'll be visible through the light!

Second challenge: Flooding!

Suspicious letters, dipped in water, and the special absorbent texture of the paper used for ration coupons will immediately reveal their true nature! They'll be exposed when wet!

The third challenge: Weighing!

We know exactly how much a grain coupon weighs, we handle it every day, and we know it perfectly well! If an envelope is even slightly overweight, even by a fraction of a gram, we open it immediately for inspection! No leniency!

He cited horrific cases that were right in front of him, each one capable of destroying a family:
"A few months ago, someone had the wild idea of ​​smuggling five kilograms of national grain coupons to try and get through the checkpoint. What happened?"

The light-transmitting barrier is blocked!
The items were confiscated.

Last year in Kyoto, someone tried to smuggle two kilograms of grain into the envelope, but the water immersion test failed, and the grain coupons were exposed!
Two years ago in Huacheng, a letter was 2 grams overweight. When it was opened, it was found to contain ten kilograms of grain coupons!
These are lessons learned in blood!

Yang Guangming's throat felt as if it were being tightly choked by an invisible hand, preventing him from making a sound.

He really didn't know there were such strict regulations!
He believed that those who enclosed food coupons in the letters certainly did not know that there would be such serious consequences!
Too scary!

The consequences were so terrible that they far exceeded all his worst expectations!

He originally thought the worst that could happen was that the package would be returned and the items would be confiscated, at most he would lose some money, but he never expected it!
His understanding of the "risks" of this era was truly shattered by this bloody reality.

This isn't a difficulty, it's a minefield! It's an abyss! One wrong step and you're shattered to pieces, never to recover!
Looking at the young man's instantly serious and solemn face, and his tightly pursed lips, the old man knew that those tragic cases had extinguished the last glimmer of hope in him like ice water.

The stern tone softened slightly, and beneath that sternness lay a deep, heavy sympathy that was easily missed by someone who had been through it all.

"Young comrade, I know you genuinely care about your family, and your heart is good."

But these policies are a monolithic entity! Once you run into them, whether intentionally or unintentionally, you'll be the one who suffers the consequences!

He sighed and offered one last piece of practical advice: "Your older brother and sister are in the Northeast. Life is tough, but the country has a subsidy policy for educated youth, so they won't starve."

If you really want to help, I have a piece of honest advice for you: either send some old clothes or bedding, cleaned and tidied up. The policy allows it, and there are limits on the quantity, but you can still send some to keep warm.

Or... we should think of other ways, other avenues.

"The mail route, especially for food and ration coupons, is a dead end! Forcing it is like walking into the line of fire! They're asking for trouble!" Yang Guangming took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his turbulent emotions, seizing this only seemingly feasible opening, and pressed on in Mandarin:
"Originally, the family wanted to send some new cotton to my brother and sister to make a thicker quilt, but from what you've said, that's definitely not going to work. We can only send some old clothes and bedding."

"Excuse me, could you please explain the regulations in more detail? I'm afraid I might do something wrong despite my good intentions."

The old gentleman nodded, showing greater appreciation for Yang Guangming's cautious and pragmatic attitude.

He reopened the thick compilation, his withered fingers sliding across the yellowed pages, precisely locating the entry, and explaining it in a plain but clear tone:

"Old cotton-padded clothes and old cotton-padded quilts, once cleaned and disassembled, can indeed be sent."

But the regulations are very strict:

First, it must be old; new won't do, and new cotton is out of the question.

Second, the quantity is strictly limited.

For items like cotton quilts, each recipient address can only send one quilt at a time, and it must be a thin quilt with a thickness requirement. The same applies to cotton-padded coats; each person is limited to sending one.

Third, it must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, with no stains or odors, as the post office will inspect it.

Exceeding the prescribed quantity or smuggling in new cotton will be treated as a violation. The consequences range from rejection to... well, you know.

He looked up and gave Yang Guangming a meaningful look. "That's the policy. It's a nail or a rivet, there's no room for compromise."

"Thank you, thank you, Master!" Yang Guangming bowed deeply, his gratitude heartfelt and profound.

Working in the post office is like walking on the edge of a cliff.

Without this experienced, outspoken, and even somewhat cautionary old gentleman, he might have recklessly plunged headlong into that abyss of certain destruction.

"You explained it so clearly, you've helped me immensely! It's truly a lifesaver!"

The old man waved his hand wearily and picked up the stack of receipts again, which seemed to never end.

"No need to thank me, it's my job. Remember my words, safety first, peace is a blessing. Go back now."

His voice returned to its initial detachment and calm, as if the dramatic conversation had never happened.

Yang Guangming walked out of the post office with somewhat unsteady steps.

The scorching sun outside poured down on him, but he felt no warmth whatsoever, only a chilling fear of his ignorance.

The rice noodles and honey in his satchel were no longer symbols of hope, but rather two red-hot irons, scorching his shoulders and back.

He stood in the blinding sunlight, squinting, taking a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

(End of this chapter)