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

Chapter 31. The sensation caused by the whole ham!
Watching the children's figures disappear into the bushes, Yang Guangming, Chu Dahu, and Yan Juncai breathed a sigh of relief.

"Damn it, that scared me to death!" Chu Dahu patted his chest with lingering fear, then looked at himself, soaked and covered in mud, and grinned bitterly, "Looking like this, I can't go to the dock."

Yan Jun, still shaken, looked at his two equally disheveled childhood friends and said, "You...you should go back and change your clothes! Wearing wet clothes for too long will make you sick!"

Yang Guangming picked up his coat and net bag from the ground, shook the water droplets off his hair, and smiled nonchalantly: "It's alright, it's hot, it'll dry in the sun. Hu Tou, you should go back and change your clothes too, be careful not to catch a cold. Yan Jun, you should go to work, you're going to be late."

The three of them looked at each other, soaked to the bone, and couldn't help but laugh. The tension and fear from before dissipated considerably in the laughter.

"Okay! I'll be going now!" Yan Jun glanced at his pocket watch, realizing he was running out of time, and hurriedly said goodbye before running out of the park.

"I'm leaving too!" Chu Dahu picked up his worn-out shoes and carried them in his hand, stepping barefoot onto the scorching stone pavement. "Mingming, thanks! See you next time!"

“Okay, let’s get together next time!” Yang Guangming replied, carrying his wet net bag, and together with Chu Dahu, dragging their equally soaked and tired bodies, they left the small lakeside where they had just experienced a thrilling ordeal.

The early summer sun shone intensely on their soaked backs, causing a light mist to rise from them.

Yang Guangming and Chu Dahu parted ways at the park entrance. The early summer sun shone warmly on their bodies, their soaked clothes clung to their skin, sticky and heavy, and a gust of wind brought a chilly feeling.

He carried the same wet and empty net bag, determined the direction, and headed towards the tailor shop.

When you push open the door of the small shop filled with fabrics of all colors and permeated with the smell of old cotton thread, you will see the old master craftsman wearing reading glasses, his back hunched, stepping on the old Butterfly brand sewing machine.

The "da da da" sound, carrying a rhythmic quality reminiscent of bygone eras, echoed regularly in the confined space.

"Master, I've come to get the pants."

Yang Guangming stood at the door, soaking wet, water droplets dripping from his hair and spreading a small water stain on the floor, making him look somewhat disheveled.

The old tailor looked up at the sound, and behind his thick glasses, his worldly-wise eyes sized him up and down. A mischievous yet knowing smile immediately appeared on his lips:

"Oh dear! Little brother, did you...fall into the Huangpu River? Or were you doing a good deed like Lei Feng, helping the fire department put out a fire?"

He stopped, put down his work, slowly stood up, and walked behind the table to search, his movements displaying the composure characteristic of an old craftsman.

Yang Guangming grinned somewhat awkwardly: "No, no, I ran into something in the park. Be careful not to get wet."

"If you go to the factory looking like this, the boss will think you're a drowned rat!"

The old tailor joked as he precisely pulled out a pair of dark blue khaki trousers from a stack of neatly arranged new clothes. He deftly unfolded them, his fingertips expertly running over the creases and hem, inspecting them meticulously.

"Here, it's all set. See? Is the size right? I added an extra finger's width to the waistband as you told, so you'll be comfortable."

The trousers are solidly made, with stitches so fine they look like they've been measured with a ruler. The straight-leg style is the safest choice for this era, exuding a simple reliability.

Yang Guangming took it; the fabric felt stiff and thick to the touch, heavy, and carried the unique scent of new clothes.

"Very good, very good! Thank you, master craftsman. You're very quick and your skills are superb!"

He readily took out the money and paid the remaining wages.

He walked out of the tailor shop carrying his new trousers. The wet clothes clung to his body, and the wind made them even more uncomfortable. The early summer sun was scorching hot, so he deliberately slowed his pace. By the time he was almost home, his clothes were nearly dry.

He navigated the winding alleyway with practiced ease, slipping back into the quiet, deserted dead-end alley. Confirming that no one was around, he quickly focused his mind, immersing himself in the strange refrigerator space deep within his mind.

Almost as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he locked onto several items, and they appeared out of thin air in his hands:
A heavy salted duck, wrapped tightly in paper, exudes a unique salty and savory aroma that, mixed with the spiciness of Sichuan peppercorns, forcefully fills the nostrils.

A whole Jinhua ham, tightly bound with rough straw paper, shaped like a pipa, and with a dark red and glossy color!

It weighed at least seven or eight pounds, and when you held it in your hand, it felt heavy and slumped down.

The unique, rich, and intensely salty aroma of the ham burst forth instantly, carrying a mellow and domineering quality that immediately overwhelmed the damp and musty smell that permeated the alley.

Looking at these two treasures, which can be described as "hard currency", Yang Guangming couldn't help but smile.

The secret to refreshing the refrigerator's space every day at midnight was his greatest asset in this era of scarcity, enabling him to survive and even change his fate.

Since there is an inexhaustible supply of resources, it is only natural to let our parents and family members, who have worked hard all their lives, also enjoy this rare blessing.

He took a deep breath, calmed himself, and started thinking.

He needed to devise a perfectly plausible reason for these two unexpected delicacies, one that would silence any dissent.

When Yang Guangming, carrying the enormous Jinhua ham and salted duck wrapped in straw paper, stepped into the Shikumen courtyard again, the entire space seemed to be suddenly paused.

The rushing water stopped abruptly.

The knife used for chopping vegetables hangs in mid-air, its tip still trembling slightly.

The iron rod used to poke the coal stove remained frozen at the stove opening, even the sparks seemed to have forgotten to leap.

All eyes were fixed on him... no, fixed on the two deadly objects in his hands!
The air seemed to freeze, leaving only the overpowering aroma silently permeating the air.

"Oh my—my mother's winter vegetables!"

Grandma Chen was the first to cry out, her cloudy old eyes wide open, and the rag in her hand fell into the basin with a "plop," splashing water everywhere.

Her thin, withered fingers trembled as she pointed to the enormous, dark red, glistening object. "This...this is...ham? A whole one! Good heavens..."

"Salted duck! And ham! Whole hams!" Li Guihua's voice was shrill and bright, filled with an unbelievable ecstasy, and she almost dropped the enamel basin in her hand.

She was suddenly drawn in as if by an invisible magnet, rushing to Yang Guangming in a few steps. Her eyes widened like saucers, staring intently at the ham, thicker than her thigh. Her throat bobbed violently, and her voice trembled.
"Mingming! You...you...robbed the food company's warehouse?"

That look in his eyes was as if he had witnessed a myth descending.

Mrs. Feng, Lin Fengjiao, was also so shocked that she covered her mouth. She looked at the enormous amount of ham, then at Yang Guangming, who had a calm expression. Her eyes were filled with great shock and a silent question.

(End of this chapter)