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

Chapter 9.9. Meeting with Classmates
The refrigerator originally contained mostly imported wines, beverages, and high-end fruits for the boss's enjoyment. Although they were expensive, they were neither practical nor likely to cause trouble in this day and age.

What Yang Guangming was most grateful for was that, during the time his boss was away on a business trip, he took advantage of his position to "use his position for personal gain" and adjusted the refrigerator's inventory list.

The boss regularly cleans out and replaces the ordinary consumables in his refrigerator, as long as they are not too expensive. The decision to dispose of these items rests with him, his personal secretary.

Since the boss was not around, he reduced his purchases of those flashy and impractical luxury goods and instead ordered a large amount of supplies that were more suitable for the daily life of his "ordinary" family.

His revised list mainly includes:

For a small family's own use: a small amount of high-quality rice, flour, and oil; basic seasonings (salt, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, etc.); a few kinds of fresh vegetables and fruits; and some snacks to satisfy cravings.

Show filial piety to parents by serving them some of the special cooked dishes and high-end dishes prepared by chefs at five-star hotels (such as braised beef, drunken chicken, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, braised abalone, etc.), as well as some local famous staple foods and pastries.

Social exchanges: such as two cans of imported milk powder, a box of nuts, etc.

In this era of relative scarcity, these seemingly "ordinary" refrigerator contents actually had a far greater value and practicality than those precious but undesirable tonics and gold and silver jewelry.

Leaving the quiet dead-end alley, the early summer afternoon sun shone warmly on him again, but it couldn't dispel the heavy excitement and planning in Yang Guangming's heart.

The cadre staffing issue was resolved in the short term, but the amazing "treasures" in the refrigerator, especially the priceless gift package of health supplements, were his true source of confidence for the future.

The "formal channels" that Zhang Yuanchao mentioned at the dinner table were like a light in the darkness, pointing out a relatively safe path to monetization.

But how exactly to do it? What will the price be? How much risk is involved? He needs an expert to guide him.

Fragments of memory quickly pieced together—my high school classmate, Wu Hongtao!

During a casual chat before graduation, he seemed to mention that his family had used their connections to find him a job as an apprentice at a traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy.

This is like a pillow for someone who's sleepy.

Yang Guangming's spirits lifted, and his steps became lighter. He carefully recalled the location of the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy that Wu Hongtao had mentioned; it was a branch of the long-established "Jimintang" pharmacy in the old city.

He determined his direction and quickly blended into the slightly languid afternoon crowds of Shanghai.

After passing through several familiar alleyways and turning onto a relatively wider road, a scent gradually filled the air, a mixture of the fragrance of herbs and the faint bitter smell of medicine.

A simple, black sign with gold lettering, bearing the name "Jishetang," comes into view.

The red-painted pillars and the polished bluestone thresholds both exude the weight of time.

Yang Guangming straightened his slightly worn white short-sleeved shirt and stepped inside.

The pharmacy was not brightly lit, but it was exceptionally clean.

A towering rosewood cabinet with a hundred eyes occupies half of the space, with neat labels of medicinal herbs affixed to countless small drawers.

The rich aroma of herbs in the air almost drowned out the everyday atmosphere of the city outside.

Several experienced medicine masters were either tidying up the medicine cabinet or meticulously dispensing and packaging medicines behind the counter with delicate copper scales.

He immediately spotted Wu Hongtao behind the counter, wearing a brand-new but obviously ill-fitting white coat, standing on tiptoe trying to read the labels on the high drawers.

I hadn't seen him for half a month, and he seemed to have gotten a bit stronger. The student look on his face had faded a lot, replaced by a slightly reserved yet excited energy that comes with just entering society.

"Hongtao!" Yang Guangming greeted him with a smile.

Wu Hongtao turned around upon hearing the voice, and seeing Yang Guangming, his eyes lit up, and a warm smile spread across his face:
"Sunny! Oh, what a rare guest! How did you find your way here?"

He put down the small scale pan he was holding and quickly walked around the counter to greet him. "I heard from a classmate that you have a good job here, and since I was passing by, I came in to see my old classmate." Yang Guangming smiled and patted his shoulder. "How's it going, how's your apprenticeship going?"

"It's satisfactory! Of course it's satisfactory!"

Wu Hongtao subconsciously puffed out his chest, tugged at the hem of his white coat, and spoke with a hint of smugness:

"This is Jishetang! A century-old brand! The rules are a bit strict, but you can learn real skills here."

My uncle is the director here; he's only been here a few months and is still learning how to identify the herbs.

He pointed to the 100-Eye Cabinet, then leaned closer to Yang Ming and lowered his voice, "It's much better than going to the countryside, isn't it?"

Yang Guangming smiled and nodded: "That's right, learning a skill steadily will lead to a bright future."

"How are you?" Wu Hongtao asked with concern. "Have you made any progress with the job? I heard you're having some trouble at home..."

He hesitated, clearly having heard about Yang Guangming's situation and his "heroic feat" of almost going to the countryside with Shen Meiyu.

"We've got a bit of a lead, but we're still waiting for news."

Yang Guangming gave a vague answer, not wanting to reveal Zhao Guodong's matter too early, and instead asked, "Is it convenient for us to talk? You seem quite busy."

"Convenient, convenient! Wait a minute!"

Wu Hongtao was clearly excited that his old classmate had come to see him. He called out to an old craftsman behind the counter who was grinding medicine:
"Master, my classmate is coming to see me. I'm going out for a bit, I'll be right back!"

Then he said to Yang Guangming, "Come on, there's a soft drink shop across the street. I'll treat you to a soda! Let's have a good chat, old classmate!"

Yang Guangming initially wanted to decline, but seeing his enthusiasm, he smiled and agreed: "Okay, then I'll bask in your 'working class' glory."

The two walked out of the pharmacy, the afternoon sun somewhat dazzling.

Sure enough, there was a small cold drink shop diagonally across the street, with two insulated buckets painted green at the entrance.

Wu Hongtao generously pulled out two small bills and a few cents and handed them to the auntie at the window: "Two bottles of orange soda! Iced!"

"Hiss—" The bottle cap was pried open with a screwdriver, and cool bubbles instantly rushed out of the bottle.

Wu Hongtao handed a bottle to Yang Guangming, then eagerly gulped down a large mouthful himself, exhaling a satisfied breath: "So refreshing! Try it!"

Yang Guangming also took a sip. The cool, sweet and sour liquid, with a strong impact of carbon dioxide, slid down his throat; in this day and age, it was indeed a rare treat.

"Thank you, Hongtao, you've gone to so much trouble." He thanked him sincerely.

The two stood by the wall next to the ice cream shop, not in the way of anything, one hand holding a soda bottle and the other in their pocket, chatting like any other recent graduates who bump into each other on the street.

"Have you heard anything from your classmates lately?" Yang Guangming started the conversation.

"Yes, I have!"

Wu Hongtao started talking, "Lin Shunan, do you still remember her? Sigh, let's not talk about it..."

　Today's update has arrived! Could you please give me a recommendation vote as a tip? It would make me feel like I'm not playing a single-player cultivation game, and that I'm not alone when I look around.

(End of this chapter)