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

The next morning, Yang Guangming and his family had just finished a simple breakfast at the guesthouse canteen and returned to room 203.

Tian Yufen was holding a thermos, preparing to go to the boiler room to get some hot water; Grandma Qin Lanying sat on the edge of the bed, slowly moving her somewhat stiff hands and feet; Yang Shanshan was leaning against the window, continuing to curiously look downstairs.

Just then, a few steady and forceful knocks came from outside the door.

"Dong dong dong."

Yang Guangming stood up and walked towards the door, asking, "Who is it?"

There was a moment of silence outside the door, followed by a deep, slightly hoarse male voice: "It's me, Yang Jianxiong."

Sure enough it was him.

Yang Guangming took a deep breath and calmly opened the door.

Outside the door, a tall and upright middle-aged military officer came into view. He was wearing a crisp grass-green military uniform, with his rank buttons fastened meticulously.

He looked to be around forty years old, with a face sculpted like it had been carved by a knife and axe, a bronze color left by years of wind and sun, and between his brows etched the dignity and fortitude that belonged to a soldier over the years.

But at this moment, his eyes were fixed on the sunlight as the door opened, his gaze surging with excitement, guilt, anticipation, and a hint of cautious nervousness that even he himself might not have noticed.

This is Yang Jianxiong, Yang Guangming's father.

After eight years, through misunderstandings, resentment, and long separations, the father and son finally stood face to face again in this narrow doorway.

Yang Jianxiong looked at his son inside the door and almost couldn't recognize him.

The thin, frail boy in my memory, whose eyes always held a stubbornness that refused to admit defeat and an almost tangible resentment, has completely disappeared.

Instead, there was a tall, robust young man with broad shoulders and a wide back, who was even slightly taller than me, probably over 1.8 meters.

His face bore a six or seven-tenths resemblance to mine, but he appeared younger and more handsome, with less of the coldness and hardness honed by military life and more of a gentle, scholarly air.

Especially his eyes, which were as calm as a deep pool of water, without any ripples, completely devoid of the resistance and coldness he had anticipated, or rather, had long been accustomed to.

My son has grown up, he's really grown up!
This realization, like a surging tide, instantly breached the dam built in Yang Jianxiong's heart, causing an indescribable surge of soreness and excitement in his chest. His throat felt blocked, and he couldn't utter a sound for a moment.

As Yang Guangming looked at his father outside the door, the blurry yet tall figure from the original owner's memories became incredibly clear and concrete.

Having fused fragments of memory with the truth he heard from Wen Anrong yesterday, the sharp, almost scorching hatred in his heart was no longer there. In its place was a complex calm that came with experience of the world, even with a touch of cool scrutiny.

Seeing the undisguised, almost overflowing excitement in his father's eyes, he naturally smiled faintly but clearly, stepped aside to make way, and called out in a calm tone, "Dad, you're back. Come in quickly."

That "Dad" was so natural, so calm, without the slightest hesitation, as if the eight-year estrangement had never existed, as if it were just one of countless ordinary homecomings.

But this natural and peaceful call was like a silent thunderclap, or a precise key, instantly unlocking the emotional floodgates that Yang Jianxiong had kept closed for eight years.

He froze, his pupils dilated slightly involuntarily, and he stared at his son in disbelief.

He had imagined countless scenarios of their meeting, thinking that his son might treat him coldly, might angrily accuse him of "abandoning" him over the years, might resent him for causing his mother so much suffering, or even... might simply lock him out and refuse to see him at all.

He never imagined that it would be such a calm, even slightly gentle, "Dad."

Overwhelmed by immense joy mixed with a deeper sense of guilt, he was instantly engulfed like a flood breaking through a dam.

This tough guy, who never flinched on the battlefield amidst gunfire and remained unfazed in the face of life-or-death tests, now found his eyes rapidly reddening and a strong soreness welling up in his nose.

He moved his lips a few times, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, before finally squeezing out a hoarse, almost distorted voice from deep within his throat: "Ah... okay, okay..."

He staggered into the room, his steps unsteady from his intense emotions, as if he were walking on cotton.

His gaze swept quickly and eagerly across the room, with an almost greedy search, before immediately fixing on the old woman sitting on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at him.

Eight years had passed since he last saw her, and time had left too deep a mark on his mother. She was much older and thinner than he remembered, the wrinkles on her face were like ravines on parched land, deeper and thicker, and her hair was almost completely white, sparsely tied back.

But those eyes, those eyes that watched him grow up, were still the same as he knew them, filled with unchanging love and an overwhelming, magma-like excitement that he could not hide at this moment.

"mother……"

Yang Jianxiong felt as if he had been struck hard by a heavy hammer, a sharp pain shooting through his heart.

Without any hesitation, he strode up to the old lady and, before anyone in the room could react, he knelt down on the cold, hard cement floor with a "thump".

"Mother! Your unfilial son... has returned to see you!"

His voice choked with emotion, filled with deep remorse, and his head bowed low, almost touching the ground.

This kneeling was incredibly heavy, as if it pressed down on the hard ground, carrying with it the guilt of not being able to fulfill filial duties for eight years and the longing of eight years.

The old lady was stunned for a moment by her son's sudden action, her hands, covered with age spots, hanging in mid-air.

Then, I heard all the truth from Wen Anrong yesterday—about the dying entrustment of my son's comrade-in-arms, about the unfortunate slander and tragedy, about the pressure and hardship my son has endured alone over the years for the sake of responsibility and promise.

Mixed with the deep longing for each other over the years, it surged into her heart like boiling water, shattering the calm she had tried so hard to maintain.

Her tears welled up instantly, not silently, but like a flood that had been released, rolling freely down the crisscrossing wrinkles on her face.

She stretched out her dry, calloused, and trembling hands and tightly grasped her son's strong arm, as if afraid he would disappear at any moment. Her voice was filled with uncontrollable sobs and heartache: "Jianxiong... my son... get up, get up... the ground is cold..."

She gripped her son's arm tightly, large, cloudy tears falling onto his military uniform. "It's good you're back, it's good you're back... Mother understands now... I know it wasn't easy for you either... You were under immense pressure out there... My son..."

There was not a trace of blame in the old lady's words, only a mother's unreserved love and complete forgiveness for her son.

Hearing his mother's heart-wrenching words, Yang Jianxiong felt an even greater pang of sorrow.

He slowly stood up, following his mother's lead, but still held her withered hand tightly, refusing to let go.

“Mother, your son is unfilial. It is my fault for being useless and causing you worry and suffering... I am sorry for you…” His voice was low and hoarse, and every word was filled with burning self-reproach.

"It's all in the past, it's all in the past... Mother doesn't blame you, Mother has never really blamed you..."

With tears streaming down her face, the old woman raised her other trembling hand and patted her son's muscular arm repeatedly.

"Mother understands everything now... I don't blame you anymore, I won't blame you anymore..."

The mother and son looked at each other and wept. A thousand words were condensed into these silent yet overwhelming tears and their tightly intertwined, inseparable hands.

Standing to the side, Tian Yufen watched this deeply moving scene like a statue, her feelings complex and indescribable.

Yesterday, Wen Anrong's calm yet chilling narration completely shattered and emptied the foundation of hatred that had been building up in her heart for eight years, supporting her through countless difficult days and nights.

After a night of tossing and turning, digesting and settling, those intense emotions seemed to have flowed away with the night.

Seeing Yang Jianxiong again, the man she had once resented and relied on so deeply, she found herself strangely calm.

There was no anger or sharp pain as I had imagined, only a faint sense of melancholy, like an autumn mist, and a feeling of alienation from the past.

The hatred vanished, like ice and snow melting away in the sunlight, leaving no trace.

However, the estrangement, hurt, and the immense distance caused by years of hardship in raising a child alone cannot be easily erased by the truth and forgiveness of a single day.

This will take time, a very long time, perhaps a lifetime to truly heal.

Yang Jianxiong roughly wiped the wetness from his face with the back of his rough hands, trying to calm his agitated emotions and soothe his mother, helping her to sit up on the edge of the bed again.

He then raised his head, his gaze filled with deeper guilt and indescribable complexity, and turned to Tian Yufen, who had been standing silently to the side, seemingly detached from the matter.

His eyes were filled with struggle, his lips moved, his throat tightened, and for a moment, a thousand thoughts were swirling in his mind, and he didn't know how to start or where to begin.

Any language seems pale and powerless in the face of eight years of neglect.

Finally, Tian Yufen spoke first, breaking the suffocating silence.

Her tone was flat, revealing no obvious emotion—neither the joy of a long-awaited reunion nor suppressed resentment—as if she were speaking to a distant acquaintance.
"coming."

Just those two simple words, without accusation, resentment, or even much turmoil, as calm as saying "The weather is nice today."

This was completely unexpected by Yang Jianxiong.

He had prepared himself to bear all of Tian Yufen's anger and resentment. On the way here, he imagined countless times that even if she hit him, scolded him, or cursed him with the most vicious words, he would accept it, because that was what he deserved.

But now, such a calm, even indifferent, treatment felt like a fine needle piercing the softest part of his heart, making him feel even more uncomfortable, with waves of fine, throbbing pain.

But at the same time, an indescribable sense of gratitude, like surviving a disaster, quietly welled up within him—gratitude to her for not making the situation more awkward, for not subjecting him to further judgment in front of his mother and child.

“Yu Fen…”

Yang Jianxiong's voice was as dry as sandpaper. He uttered the name with difficulty, but the rest of the words caught in his throat, "I...I'm sorry to you, sorry to the children...These past eight years have been so hard on you..."

Tian Yufen lowered her head, her gaze falling on her fingers, roughened by long hours of labor. She gently shook her head, refusing to address the heavy topic.

She simply turned around and silently placed the thermos she had been carrying on the table next to her. Her movements were slightly stiff, revealing that her inner world was not as calm as it appeared on the surface.

Yang Jianxiong's gaze finally fell on Yang Shanshan, who was hiding behind her grandmother, peeking out with only half her head, blinking her big, dark eyes, looking at him with curiosity and timidity.

The little girl is already ten years old, and she doesn't match the little girl he remembers waving her little fists at all.

But those big, clear, bright eyes that looked just like Tian Yufen's, like a mountain spring, made him instantly realize that this was his daughter, the little girl who was barely up to his knees when he left.

A warm current, a mixture of intense guilt and natural blood kinship, surged uncontrollably into his heart and crashed against his chest.

He crouched down, trying to soften the usually serious and hard lines of his face, and extended his calloused hands, accustomed to holding steel guns, to his daughter. His voice unconsciously became extremely soft and gentle, as if afraid of startling this timid little deer:

"Shanshan...you've grown so much...I'm your dad, do you still remember your dad?"

Yang Shanshan didn't answer immediately. She first raised her little face, looked at her grandmother whose eyes were still red but whose face was encouraging, then looked at her brother who had a calm expression, and finally her gaze fell on her mother who was tilting her head slightly and whose expression was not clear.

Seeing that they didn't show any objection or intention to stop him, he seemed to have received some kind of permission, and softly, with the uncertainty and unfamiliarity unique to children, he timidly called out those two words: "Dad?"

That tender, tentative "Dad" was like the warmest sunshine in the world, instantly shining into Yang Jianxiong's heart, which had been shrouded in guilt and heaviness for eight years. It softened his hardened heart completely, and a warm current flowed through his limbs and bones.

He could no longer resist. He stepped forward and gently picked up his daughter's petite and soft body, holding her in his arms.

Yang Shanshan's body was initially a little stiff, and her little hands hung helplessly in mid-air.

But she felt the firmness and warmth of her father's embrace, and his careful manner as if he were afraid of hurting her.

The child's innate keen intuition quickly relaxed her, and her small body leaned softly against her father's broad chest—an instinctive dependence and trust.

Holding his daughter, whom he had lost and found again, and feeling her real weight and warmth in his arms, Yang Jianxiong was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

He looked at Tian Yufen, whose expression was calm yet distant, and then at his son Yang Guangming, whose demeanor was composed and whose eyes were clear. Finally, he asked the question that had been lingering in his mind since he entered the room:

"Yufen, Mother...you...I never thought...you could..."

He paused, struggling to organize his somewhat jumbled words, trying to accurately express his shock and confusion, "I thought... I thought you would hate me and not want to see me."

He couldn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear. He had expected this to be a difficult, tense standoff, and he might not even be able to get through the door.

The old lady wiped her still-wet eyes with her sleeve, sighed, and said in a hoarse voice, "Jianxiong, this is a long story. Yesterday... Anrong came by."

"Wen Anrong?"

Yang Jianxiong's body trembled slightly, his face showing undisguised surprise, and his brows furrowed subconsciously. "She was here yesterday? How did she find this place? What did she say to you?"

A barrage of questions came out of his mouth, revealing the shock he felt.

"Ah."

The old lady nodded, confirming his question. "She explained to us everything that happened back then, including all the hidden details we didn't know."

Including Wenhan's dying wish, how Liu Yueqing slandered her and drove her to the brink of death, how she injured her brain by hitting a wall and became... became like that later, and how you, out of a sense of responsibility, had to marry her and take care of her for so many years..."

As the old lady spoke, recalling the tragic past hidden beneath Wen Anrong's calm narration, her eyes welled up with tears again.

She reached out and punched her son's arm a few times, her tone tinged with reproach, but even more so with an overwhelming, unyielding heartache.
"You silly child! Stubborn mule! Such a big thing, like the sky is falling, why did you bear it all by yourself? Why didn't you tell your family the truth back then? Why did you have to swallow your pride and bear the pain?"
If we had known it would turn out this way, we could have come up with another solution together. Why... why did it have to come to this point of divorce? It's been so hard on Yufen, the children, and you yourself all these years!

Look at you, how much older you've aged in these eight years..."

Yang Jianxiong remained silent, like a silent mountain, letting his mother scold and beat him with heartache.

The events of that year involved too many things: loyalty, promises, unspeakable internal influences within the military, concerns for Wen Anrong's fragile life, and his own stubbornness in bearing everything.

Now that time has passed, it seems pointless to dwell on those considerations and struggles from back then. The mistakes have been made, and the damage has already been done.

He said in a low voice, with a hint of weariness that was barely perceptible, "It's all over now, Mother. Some things are better left unsaid; they only cause more people distress and fear."

It's my fault... I didn't handle it well, and in the end, I let my family down, I let Yufen and the children down... It's all my fault."

He raised his eyes and looked at Tian Yufen again, his gaze heavy and sincere. "Yufen, I know that no matter how many times I apologize now, it can't make up for the suffering you've endured in these eight years, nor can it make up for the lack of fatherly love for the children."

Words fail me in the face of facts. In my life, the person I've wronged the most is you. I will remember this debt.

Tian Yufen turned her face away, avoiding his overly heavy and direct gaze, and turned her gaze to an old locust tree with sparse branches and leaves outside the window. Her voice remained calm, but carried a deliberate sense of distance:
"Let's not dwell on the past. It's pointless to talk about it now, and it won't change anything."

Her attitude was clear: she no longer hated him; based on those truths, she chose to let go.

But letting go doesn't mean forgetting, much less going back to the past.

She didn't want to relive that painful past filled with tears and despair, as it would only tear open the newly scabbed wounds again.

Yang Jianxiong understood, and at the same time secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The change in his family's attitude was a million times better than he had expected; it was the best outcome he could have hoped for.

He cannot, and should not, ask for more.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions, and instead spoke of Wen Anrong's current situation, which might also be one explanation:
“An Rong’s condition is not actually completely stable.”

She appears much more lucid than she did a few years ago, and her speech and actions seem normal. However, the doctor said that her brain damage is permanent, and she has suffered a great deal of mental stress. She cannot be subjected to any further major stressors, and her emotions cannot fluctuate too much.

We... I and the organization usually try our best to go along with her, being very careful and always treating her like a patient.

Upon hearing this, a barely perceptible hint of unease and realization flashed across Tian Yufen's face.

She recalled Wen Anrong's almost submissive demeanor yesterday, as well as the occasional pauses and slightly strange tone of her voice. Only now did she realize that it wasn't just a sequela of her head injury; her mental state had not fully recovered, and she remained in a vulnerable state.

She suddenly felt a pang of regret for the two slaps she had delivered in the heat of the moment yesterday.

Although it was triggered by years of hatred and the other party's sudden appearance, if we had known beforehand that the other party did indeed have mental problems and was a patient who needed special care.

Even if she harbored deep hatred and resentment, given her personality, she would never vent her pent-up anger so directly on a patient with an unstable mental state.

This made her feel that she had lost her composure.

At this moment, Yang Guangming, who had been quietly observing, spoke up at the opportune moment, steer the conversation away from the somewhat heavy and awkward past and towards more practical matters: "Dad, have you had breakfast? If not, I'll go to the cafeteria and get you something to eat."

Yang Jianxiong then realized that he had rushed over here as soon as he got off the train and hadn't had time to eat anything yet.

My stomach felt empty, but at that moment it was filled with emotions, so I didn't feel hungry.

He waved his hand, his tone softening considerably: "No need to trouble yourself. I'll be back at the unit in a bit. There should still be food in the cafeteria. I can just grab something to eat."

He looked at his son, his eyes softening considerably. "Guangming, you've grown up and become more sensible. You're better than your father was back then. Dad... Dad is very happy."

He did not hide his admiration for his son; his son's composure and thoughtfulness in handling matters far exceeded his expectations.

Yang Guangming smiled, a frank smile. He stopped with pleasantries and got straight to the point, which was the most important thing for the whole family right now: "Dad, how are things going about Mom's job? We'd like to have some idea so we can prepare in advance."

When serious matters were brought up, Yang Jianxiong's expression turned serious, and the competence and orderliness that belonged to a soldier returned to him.

He said, "I have already spoken with an old comrade-in-arms who has transferred to a local job, and we have had a preliminary discussion. Considering all factors, the current plan is to arrange for your mother to work at the Women's Federation in Haidian District."

He explained in detail, his tone clear and thorough: "The reason for this arrangement is mainly to take into account where you will go after graduation."

Since you are a mathematics major, your job assignments after graduation will either be to stay at the university or to work in a research institute.

I inquired beforehand, and it seems that for someone with your major, whether you stay at the university or are assigned to important research institutions, such as some institutes under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the work location is very likely to be in the Haidian District.

After all, most universities and research institutions are concentrated in this area.

His gaze swept over his family, finally settling on Tian Yufen, with a long-term perspective: "Arrange your mother's job at the Women's Federation in Haidian District. After you graduate, you'll most likely be assigned a job in Haidian as well."

This way, the whole family lives close by, they can look after each other, and it's convenient to see each other. Shanshan can also be assigned to a nearby school later. What do you think of this arrangement?

Yang Guangming was surprised that his father had considered things so thoroughly and meticulously, even researching his future career path in advance and prioritizing family reunion.

This arrangement is indeed the most optimal and humane choice under the current circumstances, taking into full account both reality and family ties.

He nodded immediately and said with certainty, "This arrangement is very well thought out, very good, we have no objections." As he spoke, he looked at his mother and grandmother.

Although Tian Yufen and the old lady did not know much about what the Women's Federation did, and were even more unclear about the division of functions among government agencies, they had no objections when they heard that they could live close to Yang Guangming and that the whole family could be reunited and no longer have to endure the pain of separation. Their faces even showed a look of anticipation.

Tian Yufen was even a little dazed, feeling as if she were walking on clouds.

She originally thought that if she could follow her son to the city, get a job as an ordinary worker in a factory, have a formal "iron rice bowl" job, eat state-supplied grain, and no longer have to work in the fields to earn work points, she would already be blessed by her ancestors.

Unexpectedly, Yang Jianxiong managed to get himself directly into the district's Women's Federation!
This sounds like a great job, something she never even dared to dream of before.

"Things are not finalized yet and some procedures still need to be followed, but they have agreed in principle, so there shouldn't be any major problems."

Seeing that his family all agreed, Yang Jianxiong felt much more at ease, as if he had accomplished a major task. "If you have no other ideas, then I will proceed with this plan as soon as possible."

"Dad, there's one more thing I need to discuss with you."

Yang Guangming recalled the home-buying plan he had previously discussed with Political Commissar Yang and felt it necessary to also inform his father, since he needed his father's help in keeping an eye out for information.

"If my mother's job is confirmed to be at the Women's Federation in Haidian District, then we should try to find a suitable house near her workplace and buy it."

This way, it's convenient for her to commute to and from get off work, and her grandmother and Shanshan can live comfortably.

"Waiting for housing allocated by the work unit involves waiting in line, and even then, the housing might not be good or in a suitable location."

When the topic of buying a house came up, Yang Jianxiong's relaxed expression tightened again, revealing a hint of seriousness.

Political Commissar Yang had already mentioned this matter to him yesterday, and he was very surprised and worried at the time, but it was inconvenient to ask for details over the phone.

He looked at his son, his gaze turning serious, filled with a father's characteristic concern and scrutiny:

"Guangming, Political Commissar Yang mentioned the house purchase to me yesterday."

Dad isn't against you improving your living conditions; on the contrary, having your own house and settling down is a good thing.

But you have to tell Dad the truth: where did you get so much money? I know you're filial and want your family to live a better life; Dad understands that.

But our Yang family has a clean reputation for generations. We must be upright in our conduct and actions. You can't take any wrong path for money!

As a father and a soldier, his primary concerns are his son's character, safety, and future—this is his bottom line.

Yang Guangming fully understood his father's concerns, and he even admired his father's attitude of prioritizing principles.

He remained calm and composed, and then repeated in greater detail and with clearer logic the same explanation he had given to Political Commissar Yang regarding bezoar.

He emphasized the origin of bezoar and the process of its sale.

After saying this, in order to completely dispel his father's doubts, he took out the purchase certificate issued by Tongrentang from the worn canvas bag he was carrying and solemnly handed it to Yang Jianxiong.

"Dad, look, this is the official purchase receipt issued by Tongrentang. The amount, item name, weight, and official seal are all clearly stated on it. It can't be faked."

The money was absolutely legitimate and clean; you can rest assured. I know what's important and would never do anything illegal, disorderly, or that would damage the family's reputation.

Yang Jianxiong took the thin sheet of paper that contained proof of the source of a "huge sum of money" and carefully examined every word on it with a serious expression.

He understood the weight and reputation of Tongrentang, a century-old brand, and also knew the preciousness and rarity of natural bezoar, especially "premium bezoar".

The son's explanation was logically clear, complete in its steps, and supported by authentic and valid evidence; it was entirely plausible.

His doubts were finally largely dispelled, and his tense expression gradually relaxed.

He handed the light yet weighty receipt back to his son, letting out a complete sigh of relief. A look of immense relief, even a hint of undisguised pride, spread across his face.
"Good, good. As long as the source is legitimate. I was just being overly concerned. I was afraid you'd go astray because you're young."

He patted his son's shoulder hard, the force carrying praise and trust, "You're a son who has his own opinions, is responsible, and has good luck too."

It's wonderful that you remained so calm and composed despite such an opportunity! Dad is very pleased!

He glanced at the slightly worn watch on his wrist and said, "As for buying a house, since the funds are legitimate, that's a good thing."

I'll ask a few acquaintances to help you find out if there are any suitable houses for sale in the Haidian area, especially near the Women's Federation.

But this can't be rushed; it depends on opportunity and fate. Right now, the most important thing is to secure your mother's employment and household registration—that's the foundation.

He stood up, resuming his decisive military bearing: "I need to get back to my unit right away. I've been away for a few days, and there's been a backlog of things to deal with."

You can stay here in peace. As for the work, we should have definite news in the next day or two.

Once it's settled, I'll come over immediately, or arrange for someone to take Yufen to her workplace to report for duty and complete the necessary procedures.

"Let's get everything done as soon as possible, transfer the household registration, and arrange Shanshan's schooling sooner."

Yang Guangming got up and saw his father off.

The father and son walked one after the other in the dimly lit corridor of the guesthouse, their footsteps echoing in the empty space.

As I approached the guesthouse entrance, a burst of bright light suddenly flooded in, almost blinding me.

Yang Jianxiong stopped, turned around, and looked at his son, who was a little taller than him and had a straight posture. He was filled with emotion.

He patted Yang Guangming's shoulder hard again, his eyes filled with earnest expectation: "Guangming, the family... will rely on you more from now on. You've grown up, you're better than your dad. If anything happens, you can come to my workplace anytime, or call my office."

“I know, Dad. Don’t overwork yourself, take care of yourself. Drive carefully.” Yang Guangming nodded and replied in a steady tone.

Yang Jianxiong looked at his son again, as if trying to make up for the eight years of lost memories all at once.

Then he resolutely turned around and walked with steady and firm steps toward the grass-green military jeep parked by the roadside.

Watching his father drive away, the jeep kicking up a wisp of dust and disappearing around the street corner, Yang Guangming stood alone at the entrance of the guesthouse, the warm summer breeze brushing against his cheeks, his heart filled with many emotions.

As Yang Jianxiong had predicted, things progressed very smoothly, even exceeding expectations.

The very next afternoon, Yang Jianxiong called, his tone relaxed, to inform Tian Yufen that her job had been officially secured and that the receiving unit was the HD District Women's Federation. He told her to prepare her relevant identity documents, organizational affiliation materials, and other materials, and that she could report for duty the next day to complete the onboarding procedures.

He originally planned to send a staff member familiar with the process to accompany him, to show that he valued it and to ensure a smooth process.

But since Yang Guangming had nothing to do during the summer vacation, he offered to accompany his mother to complete the onboarding procedures. He also wanted to take this opportunity to familiarize his mother with her future work environment and colleagues, and to get acquainted with the area.

Yang Jianxiong hesitated for a moment on the other end of the phone, then thought it would be good to let his son accompany him for some experience, so he agreed, only giving detailed instructions on the specific address for reporting, the name of the contact person, and the office door number.

The next morning, the sky was a clear blue and the sun was shining brightly.

Yang Guangming changed into a clean white short-sleeved shirt and dark trousers, looking exceptionally energetic and neat.

He accompanied his mother, Tian Yufen, with a series of documents he had prepared beforehand, stamped by the village branch and commune of their hometown—including Tian Yufen's Party membership certificate, her work experience as the village women's director, her identity and household registration certificate, etc.—to the Haidian District Women's Federation.

It was a three-story Soviet-style office building that looked quite old, with red brick walls covered in lush ivy. It looked vibrant under the summer sun, yet it also carried the quiet and solemn atmosphere unique to government-affiliated units.

They were received by an office director from the district women's federation, surnamed Li, a woman in her forties with short, ear-length hair, wearing black-rimmed glasses, and with a kind and amiable demeanor.

Clearly, Yang Jianxiong had made prior arrangements. Director Li was not surprised by their arrival and warmly led them to his office, poured them two cups of warm tea, and then began to skillfully process the relevant procedures.

The whole process went very smoothly, with almost no setbacks.

Tian Yufen is a veteran Party member who joined the Party in 1950. She has served as the women's director in the village for many years and has extremely rich experience in grassroots work. She has handled countless trivial matters related to rural women, such as family disputes, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflicts, and policy publicity.

These solid resumes were clearly listed in a series of materials that Yang Guangming had carefully prepared in advance and which were stamped and certified by the village branch and the commune at each level. They were impeccable and could even be described as a rather impressive "resume".

After reviewing her materials, the comrades sent by the organization department quickly determined her rank and benefits based on her party membership, work experience, and actual situation—she was designated as a level six clerk in the administrative system, which is commonly referred to as administrative level twenty-four, with a monthly salary of forty-three yuan.

This level and salary is already a pretty good starting point for a female cadre who has just come from the countryside to the city.

When Tian Yufen received the thin yet incredibly heavy form from the staff, and under their guidance, solemnly pressed her red handprint at the end of the form, which symbolized her new identity and responsibilities, her hand trembled slightly, her eyes instantly welled up with tears, and her vision blurred.

She could hardly believe that she, a rural woman who had spent most of her life toiling in the loess soil, had suddenly become a cadre in a government agency in the capital, holding the legendary "iron rice bowl" with a fixed monthly salary of forty-three yuan!

This was something she never dared to dream of in her past life; it was as if she had stepped into a completely different world.

She blinked hard to keep her tears from falling, but her excitement was like boiling water, refusing to subside for a long time.

Old lady Qin Lanying waited anxiously for news at the guesthouse. When she saw her daughter-in-law and grandson return and learned that not only had she secured a job, but she also had cadre status and would receive forty-three yuan a month, she was overjoyed.

Previously, a family might work hard in the countryside all year, from dawn till dusk, but when the year was the end and the work was divided, they might not even receive this much cash.

With this stable salary, even if we can't buy a house yet, the whole family can live in the city and feel completely at ease, with the most basic security.

What surprised and delighted the family even more was that the district women's federation happened to have an internal guesthouse with available rooms.

Considering that Tian Yufen and her family had just arrived in Kyoto and their housing problem was difficult to solve immediately, Director Li offered to temporarily arrange for them to stay at the internal guesthouse free of charge while they waited for the unit to allocate housing later, or for them to solve their own housing problem.

This undoubtedly solved another pressing problem, saving a considerable amount of accommodation expenses, and it's also very close to my workplace, making commuting extremely convenient.

That same day, Yang Guangming promptly checked out of the military region's guesthouse and settled the bill.

With simple luggage and boundless hopes for the future, the family moved from the somewhat solemn military district guesthouse to the district women's federation guesthouse, which had a more lived-in atmosphere and made Tian Yufen feel more at ease and at ease.

Although the conditions here are equally simple, with small rooms and basic furnishings, they are also kept very clean, and the bedding smells of sunshine.

More importantly, this place is just steps away from Tian Yufen's future workplace, and the surrounding environment is closer to the lives of ordinary citizens, making Tian Yufen feel less constrained and distant than she did at the military guesthouse.

After settling his family in, Yang Guangming immediately went to Kyoto Railway Station and successfully bought a train ticket to return to his hometown of Ying County, Hebei Province, for the next day.

He needs to go back as soon as possible to handle the household registration transfer procedures for his family.

Only when the family's household registration is officially transferred from their hometown to a collective household registration in the Haidian District of Kyoto or a personal household registration after purchasing a house can the family receive their food ration book, thus completely solving their food problem. At the same time, the younger sister Yang Shanshan's schooling problem can also be solved, allowing her to enjoy Kyoto's educational resources.

This family finally took root in Kyoto, completing the transition from rural to urban life.

To celebrate the mother officially starting her job and securing a stable, secure position, and to celebrate the hopeful new life that the family is about to embark on.

In the evening, Yang Guangming specially found a medium-sized, fairly clean state-run restaurant near the district women's federation and decided to treat the whole family to a good meal to celebrate his mother's birthday.

In an era when supplies were still tight and meat, eggs, sugar, oil, and other necessities required ration coupons, eating out was a luxury for ordinary families.

It's rare to find a decent meat dish in small restaurants, while larger state-owned restaurants, with better channels and planned quotas, have a relatively larger supply, and you can occasionally eat one or two substantial meat dishes.

In order to ensure that his family could have a meat dish or two, Yang Guangming deliberately ignored small restaurants and chose a larger, mid-to-high-end restaurant.

Apart from the well-informed Yang Guangming, Tian Yufen, the old lady, and Yang Shanshan were all dining in a restaurant for the first time in their lives.

Stepping into the bright and clean restaurant lobby, furnished with neatly arranged octagonal tables and long benches, and smelling the enticing aroma of food wafting through the air, while looking at the red slogans and price lists hanging on the walls, the three of them appeared somewhat reserved and at a loss.

At the same time, he was filled with an irrepressible curiosity, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, the diners at other tables, and the waiters who moved among them, wearing white uniforms and with slightly indifferent expressions.

A waiter wearing a white apron walked over, carrying a small notebook and a pencil, and placed a handwritten, somewhat greasy menu on the table in front of them with a blank expression.

Yang Guangming took the menu, glanced at it skillfully, and quickly ordered a few relatively substantial dishes: a braised carp, a scrambled egg and pork dish, a stir-fried vegetable dish, and a seaweed soup with egg drop soup. Finally, he ordered four bowls of steaming white rice.

After ordering, paying for the food and paying with ration coupons, he led his family to sit down at a relatively quiet table by the window.

The old lady, Qin Lanying, touched the smooth, cool, and oily wooden tabletop, looked at the simple chopstick holder and vinegar bottle on it, and sighed deeply:
"I never imagined that I, an old woman, who has lived to such an old age and is half buried in the earth, would have a day like this, eating in such a big and bright restaurant in Kyoto... This, this feels like a dream, I don't even dare to move too much, afraid that I will wake up from the dream."

Tian Yufen was also filled with excitement and wonder, as if she had become several years younger. She leaned closer to her son, lowered her voice, and whispered with a hint of trepidation and heartache:
"Guangming, this restaurant is really grand. Eating here must cost a lot of money and food coupons, right?"

Having grown accustomed to hardship, she subconsciously began to calculate costs.

"Mom, today is a joyous day. Being happy is the most important thing. Spending a little money is worth it."

"From now on, you'll have a fixed monthly salary, and our family's life will get better and better. Eating out occasionally won't bankrupt us," Yang Guangming reassured him with a smile, his tone relaxed yet confident. "Just enjoy this meal; it's what you deserve."

Yang Shanshan sat obediently on the stool, her legs dangling in the air, swinging gently. With her big, bright, curious eyes, she looked at the tempting dishes on the table next to her. Her small nose twitched slightly, and she swallowed hard. Her little face was full of pure anticipation and joy.

As the dishes were brought to the table one after another by the waiters, the fragrant braised fish with its rich sauce, the golden and glistening Mu Shu pork with tender slices, the vibrant green stir-fried vegetables, and the steaming egg drop soup filled the small table. Tian Yufen and the old lady felt as if they were in a dream, unable to believe that this sumptuous meal was for them.

Looking at the "luxurious" meal in front of her, a meal she could only imagine during the Chinese New Year for the past eight years, and thinking about the dramatic change in her identity and the promising new life ahead, Tian Yufen thought about it.

Overwhelmed with emotion, a mix of sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty flavors surged into my heart, and my eyes involuntarily welled up with tears again, blurring the image of the delicious food before me.
"Guangming, my heart is in turmoil... I can't quite describe the feeling."

If it weren't for your insistence on going to the city, if it weren't for your father's efforts to help arrange things, your mother would probably have spent her whole life toiling in that yellow earth, and never dared to imagine that she would be where she is today..."

Yang Guangming understood his mother's complicated feelings at that moment. He picked up his chopsticks, placed a piece of tender fish in his mother's bowl, and said gently:
"Mother, those bitter days and difficulties are all in the past, let's turn the page."

From now on, you can focus on your work at the Women's Federation and take good care of Grandma and Shanshan. Once I transfer my household registration here and all the formalities are completed, Shanshan will be able to attend a good school in the city and receive a good education.

Once I graduate and get a job, our family's life will definitely become even more prosperous and better. The good times are just beginning!

The old lady nodded repeatedly, wiped her eyes with the back of her rough hands, and a broad and hopeful smile bloomed on her face:
"Yes, yes, my eldest grandson is right! Look ahead! Our good days are yet to come! Yufen, you are a state cadre now, a member of the organization, so you must show your spirit, work hard, and bring honor to the organization. You can't bring shame to our Yang family, and you can't let down the organization's trust!"

Tian Yufen nodded vigorously, as if making a solemn promise.

She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, took a deep breath, picked up her chopsticks, and a firm yet hopeful smile appeared on her face—a farewell to the past and an embrace of the future: "Yes! Mother, Guangming, don't worry! I will definitely do my best!" (End of Chapter)