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

As Yang Guangming walked out of the courtyard, the cold wind was still biting. By the time he returned to the east wing, it was already completely dark.

In the small courtyard, a dim yellow light shone through the windows of the main house. It wasn't bright, but it was enough to dispel the darkness and bring a sense of peace.

Chu Yuanjun was busy in the kitchen, the firelight from the stove illuminating her thin profile.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up and saw her son return. A smile immediately appeared on her face, a smile that contained both concern and reassurance.

She quickly scooped a bowl of hot water from the pot and handed it to her. The bowl was made of coarse porcelain and had a small chip on the rim, but it was clean. "Quickly, have some hot water to warm yourself up. It must be cold outside."

"Fortunately."

Yang Guangming took the bowl, and the water's warmth seeped through the rough porcelain walls to his palms, spreading from his hands all the way to his heart.

He sipped the hot water, which flowed down his throat, dispelling the chill from his body.

Yang Huai-ren also came out of the main room and asked with concern, "Have you gone to see your grandfather? Are they alright?"

"I've seen it." Yang Guangming slowly drank the hot water in his bowl and walked into the main room with his parents.

An oil lamp was lit in the main room, its wick twisted just right, the flame flickering steadily. Jingwan and Jingyi were practicing calligraphy at a small table in the inner room.

Although the two did not formally attend school, Chu Yuanjun insisted that they learn to recognize and write characters every day, and he was very strict about this.

Hearing that their brother had returned, the two little girls ran out and surrounded Yang Guangming, asking him all sorts of questions.

"Brother, how is Grandpa?"

"Brother, is it cold outside today?"

"Brother, did you bring me candy?"

Their chirping, like two cheerful little birds, added a touch of life to the chilly winter night.

Yang Guangming patted his two younger sisters on the head and took out two peanut candies from his pocket. Their eyes lit up immediately, and they cheered as they took them, carefully unwrapping the wrappers and licking them little by little, reluctant to finish them all at once.

Chu Yuanjun smiled and scolded, "You're wasting money again." But her eyes were gentle.

The family sat around the eight-immortal table in the main room, and Yang Guangming recounted in detail his visit to his grandfather's house that day, as well as his second uncle's plan to move south.

He spoke calmly, without embellishment, simply stating the facts.

After listening to their son's account, Yang Huai-ren and Chu Yuan-jun remained silent for a moment.

The oil lamp flame flickered, producing a small burst of light. The two men appeared calm, neither showing much surprise.

These days, news of people moving south has been circulating among the neighbors. Families with decent means have all considered this issue, regardless of whether they actually intend to move.

“Huaiyi is leaving…” Yang Huai Ren murmured, his tone filled with reluctance and understanding.

"It's better that he's gone. Perhaps he'll be safer now." He paused, his voice low. "Now that he's gone, who knows when we'll meet again? When we were little, the three of us brothers..."

His gaze drifted to the window, as if traveling through time to see his distant childhood.

Back then, the three Yang brothers were carefree, catching crickets in the yard in the summer and building snowmen in the winter.

Now, my father is old, and my brothers are about to be separated.

In chaotic times, the joys and sorrows of ordinary people seem so insignificant, yet so unforgettable.

Chu Yuanjun sighed softly, "I don't know if I'll ever see you again in this lifetime. With war and chaos..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone understood what she meant.

She recalled when she first married into the Yang family, her second and third brothers were still just kids, calling her "sister-in-law" all the time. Now they were all married, had their own families and children, but they had to leave their hometown and start over in a strange place. As the eldest sister-in-law, she felt a mix of emotions.

She looked at Yang Guangming, her eyes filled with worry: "Guangming, your grandfather... really intends to stay?"

Yang Guangming nodded and repeated his grandfather's words: "Grandpa said that it's hard to leave one's homeland. My second uncle tried to persuade him, but Grandpa was quite determined. He said he was old and couldn't take any more trouble, so he just wanted to stay in Beiping and protect the place where his ancestors lived."

He paused, then added, "Grandpa said, 'A person is worthless when they leave their hometown.'"

Yang Huai-ren immediately said, "If Father isn't leaving, then bring him here and we'll take care of him. If Father weren't unwilling to come, we would have brought him here long ago!"

He looked at his wife with a firm gaze, "Yuanjun, what do you think? Father is getting old, and I can't leave him alone in this tenement. I'm even more worried about him going on this bumpy journey to the south."

Chu Yuanjun nodded in agreement without the slightest hesitation: "Yes, take them! We can still manage now. Having one more person to eat will just mean the porridge is a little thinner and the dishes are a little saltier. We can't let the old man go on a bumpy journey to the south."

She might have had some complaints about her stepmother-in-law—the old lady favored her own son and was never particularly close to Yang Huai-ren, her son from her previous marriage—but she always respected her father-in-law, Yang Han-zhang.

Her father-in-law was a reasonable man who never took sides and always treated her with respect. Besides, it was her husband's decision, so she naturally supported it.

Yang Guangming said, "That's what I told Grandpa too. Grandpa said we'd discuss it with my second and third uncles first. I reckon Grandpa will eventually agree to come here."

After my second and third uncles left, the courtyard became empty, and Grandpa lived alone in loneliness. Although our place is small, the whole family is together, lively and cheerful, which makes Grandpa feel at peace.

Yang Huai-ren breathed a sigh of relief, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out a bit: "That's good, that's good."

He looked at his son, his expression becoming serious, with a father's worry, "Guangming, your second uncle is urging us to leave. What... what are you thinking? War is dangerous and perilous. Although I personally don't want to leave, staying is indeed quite dangerous."

Yang Guangming met his father's gaze and said in a steady tone, "Dad, Mom, I personally think it would be better for us to stay."

He explained his reasons to his parents again, this time in more detail, emphasizing that he still had a job and that moving south was also fraught with unknown risks.

"Staying in Beiping is certainly dangerous, but at least we are familiar with the environment and have some foothold."

Teacher Zhu is someone I can rely on. But once I'm in the South, I'm completely lost. If something happens to me, I'll truly be helpless.

Yang Guangming's tone was calm but firm, "Besides, our whole family is here, our roots are here. If we leave, we'll truly be rootless duckweed."

Yang Huai-ren listened to his son's analysis and nodded slowly.

Over the past few months, he has developed an almost blind trust in his son.

“You’re right, then we won’t leave.” Yang Huai-ren made the decision, his tone no longer hesitant. “I trust you. As a family, we can survive anywhere. Staying in Beiping is fine too.”

He looked at his wife, then at his two young daughters, and said, “The South may not be peaceful either. Let’s stay here and not go anywhere.”

Chu Yuanjun also said, "Your father is right. Let's stay here and not go anywhere. When your grandfather comes, the family will be reunited. The world is so chaotic now, who knows what the outcome will be if we travel all the way to the south?"

She pulled up her apron and wiped her hands. "Guangming, are you hungry? I'll go get the porridge, steam some cornbread, and chop some pickled vegetables." With that, she got up and headed to the kitchen.

Although Jingwan and Jingyi didn't quite understand the current situation the adults were talking about, they both smiled happily when they heard their brother and parents say that they wanted to stay and reunite with their grandfather.

For them, not having to leave their familiar home or their hometown is the best thing.

They nestled close to their father, whispering secrets and occasionally giggling. Those laughs sounded especially precious on the cold winter night.

After dinner, the family sat around the table, talking and planning for the future. The cold wind still howled outside, but inside it was warm and their hearts were at peace.

The next morning, the sky remained overcast, with leaden clouds hanging low as if they might collapse at any moment.

Yang Guangming and his father, Yang Huairen, went to the tenement again.

My third uncle, Yang Huaili, also didn't go to work today; he stayed home instead.

The atmosphere inside the main house was even more somber than yesterday.

Yang Huaiyi and Yang Huaili had clearly discussed it, and both of them had a determined look on their faces, a kind of resolute determination to burn their bridges.

Yang Hanzhang sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), his face ashen, and remained silent.

The old woman seemed somewhat anxious, pacing back and forth in the room with light steps, but an unease permeated the air. Her eyes frequently glanced at her two sons, then at her husband, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something but held back.

Upon seeing their elder brother and nephew enter, Yang Huaiyi and Yang Huaili quickly stood up to greet them.

Everyone sat down again, making the small main house feel even more crowded.

Yang Guangming placed a heavy little cloth bag on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) without opening it immediately.

“Brother, Guangming, you’ve arrived.” Yang Huaiyi spoke, his voice a little hoarse. “Yesterday I told Dad and Guangming that I… I’m planning to leave. Huaili discussed it with me, and he’s decided to come with me.”

After he finished speaking, he looked at his younger brother, gesturing for him to speak.

Yang Huai-ren looked at his two younger brothers, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He knew that after this parting, it might be a long time before they met again.

Yang Huaili nodded. He was a burly man, not one for many words, and at this moment he said in a low voice:
"Yeah, brother, I can't stay here any longer. There's less and less work at the docks, and they're not paying us."

Yesterday I went to collect my wages, and the foreman said there was no money in the account and I should wait a few days. Wait? Wait until when? Until a shell falls on our heads?

His tone was filled with resentment, but even more so with helplessness. "I heard there are more opportunities in the south, so I'll go and try my luck. It's better than starving to death here. At least I can avoid the war zone, and I'll feel more at ease."

"He spoke frankly, yet he revealed the most realistic dilemma."

Yang Huai-ren looked at his two younger brothers, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to persuade him to stay, but in the end it only turned into a heavy sigh:

"You...have you all thought this through? This journey won't be easy."

He knew he couldn't persuade them otherwise, so he could only offer words of concern.

“I’ve made up my mind, brother.” Yang Huaiyi said firmly, “It’s too dangerous to stay here once the fighting starts. We don’t even have any food left at home. If we leave, at least we’ll have a way to survive.”

Yang Huaili also said, "Brother, you, your sister-in-law, and Guangming, think about it again. Come with us, and you'll have someone to look after you on the way."

Yang Huai-ren shook his head, glanced at his son, and then said to his two younger brothers, "Your sister-in-law and I have discussed it. We... are not leaving."

He roughly repeated the reasons Yang Guangming had given him yesterday, and finally said, "Dad is getting old and doesn't want to leave. If you leave, Dad will come to live with me. Don't worry, as long as we have food to eat, Dad will never go hungry."

He spoke sincerely, without a trace of pretense.

Yang Huaiyi and Yang Huaili exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

There was worry about the older brother's family, relief that his father could rely on them, and a sense of guilt that he was about to leave and would not be able to fulfill his filial duties to his father.

The old tradition is that one should not travel far while one's parents are alive. But now they are leaving their elderly fathers to travel to distant places, and the mental hurdle is hard to overcome.

"Big brother..." Yang Huaiyi's voice choked up a little, "Father... I'm entrusting him to you and sister-in-law." These words were very heavy, they were a request and a trust.

“We’re brothers, why are you saying all this?” Yang Huai Ren waved his hand, his eyes also a little red. Yang Han Zhang then raised his head, looked at his three sons, and said slowly, “You don’t need to worry about my affairs. Huai Ren and Yuan Jun are filial and Guang Ming is capable. I’m fine living with them.”

He paused, his gaze lingering on the faces of his second and third sons. In his eyes were reluctance, concern, and a father's final words of advice.

"If you want to leave, I won't stop you. But be very careful on the road and look out for each other. Once you get there and settle down, try to send a message back to let them know you're safe."

The old woman asked in a shrill voice, "Since you're planning to leave, you'd better hurry up and make preparations. Have you raised enough money for your tickets and travel expenses? You don't want to be unable to leave later!"

What she cares about most are practical matters. In her view, sadness can't put food on the table; being able to move forward is the only real thing.

At this point, both Yang Huaiyi and Yang Huaili looked troubled.

The two brothers exchanged a glance, and Yang Huaiyi rubbed his hands together, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Dad, eldest brother, to be honest, we haven't raised enough money for the train tickets yet."

His fingers traced patterns on his knee. “The boss helped us get freight tickets, six silver dollars each. Our two families, plus my mother who’s going with us, ten people in total—five in my family and four in Huai Li’s family, that’s sixty silver dollars.”

He uttered an astonishing number.

His tone was bitter. "Sell everything in the house that can be sold: old furniture, clothes and bedding that are worth a little money, a pair of silver bracelets that my wife kept at the bottom of her trunk... Even if we piece it together, it will still be a little short, maybe eight or nine yuan short."

The situation is similar for Huai Li's family; even if they sell all their dowry chests, they probably still won't be able to raise enough money.

He looked at his younger brother, "Huai Li, how much more are you lacking?"

Yang Huaili lowered his head even further. "I'm still short five or six yuan."

He paused, then added, "This doesn't even include the travel expenses. The freight wagons keep stopping and starting, and we'll need to eat and drink along the way... I reckon that both of our families combined will need to prepare at least another twenty silver dollars."

After he finished speaking, the room fell into an even deeper silence.

For a family like theirs, sixty silver dollars for travel expenses was a huge sum of money.

Being able to scrape together most of it in such a short time was already a huge sacrifice, a complete waste of resources. But this final shortfall seemed like an insurmountable barrier.

Upon hearing this, the old woman turned pale, slapped her thigh, and cried out, "Oh dear! What are we going to do! We were just one step away from leaving! We can't... we can't be unable to leave because of this little bit of money!"

She looked anxiously at the old man, then at her eldest son and grandson, her eyes conveying a clear message—you have to help.

In her view, since her eldest son's family had decided to stay, they should be better off financially. Besides, her grandson was capable and could get food, so getting some money shouldn't be difficult for him.

Yang Hanzhang frowned. He still had some silver dollars that Yang Guangming had forced on him, and he had spent some of them over the past few days, totaling less than ten dollars.

Even if they took out all the money, it wouldn't be enough to cover the losses of their two sons. But at this time, survival was the priority.

His lips moved, and he reached into his robes, but before he could speak, Yang Guangming's voice rang out.

"Second Uncle, Third Uncle, there's not much I can do to help. I just borrowed some money from someone."

He reached for the small, dark blue cloth bag on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and untied it. The bag was tied very tightly, and it took him a few tries to open it.

Inside were shiny white silver dollars.

Sunshine Ming started counting money.

His movements were slow but steady as he counted the silver coins one by one, the coins clinking softly against each other. The sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet room, striking a chord in everyone's hearts.

He counted out twenty yuan, piled them up, and pushed them in front of Yang Huaiyi: "Second Uncle, please take these twenty yuan."

He counted out another twenty yuan, piled them into another stack, and pushed them in front of Yang Huaili: "Third Uncle, you can take these twenty yuan too."

The forty silver dollars were divided into two piles and placed on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) in front of the two men.

The room fell silent instantly.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the two small piles of silver dollars in disbelief, then looked at Yang Guangming, whose face remained calm.

The air seemed to freeze; even the sound of breathing disappeared.

Yang Huaiyi and Yang Huaili were even more stunned. Their mouths were slightly open, their eyes were wide open, and they were at a loss for words.

They had thought their older brother's family might help out a little, but they never expected it to be so much, so direct, so...shocking.

"Guangming, you... what are you doing..." Yang Huaiyi's voice trembled, and he reached out his hand, then withdrew it.

Yang Guangming smiled faintly, but his eyes were gentle.

He said in a relaxed tone, "Second Uncle, Third Uncle, a poor family should be rich on the road. Since we've decided to go, there will be plenty of expenses along the way."

Tickets, food and drinks on the road, settling down at your destination, renting a house, buying rice and flour—all of these cost money.

He paused, looked at his two uncles, and said sincerely, "This forty yuan, part of it will be used to cover the shortfall in the train tickets. I'll give you a little more so we can have some extra."

The rest is for my parents and me, as travel expenses for both families. Don't refuse, take it; it's just a small token of our appreciation.

Yang Guangming paused, looking at the shocked and complicated expressions on the two uncles' faces, and his tone became even more sincere:
"I don't know when we'll meet again after this departure." He spoke of this cruel possibility, and the atmosphere in the room became even heavier. "This money is a small token of my appreciation as your nephew. I hope that both your second and third uncles have a safe journey and that you settle down in the south soon and live a good life. When things are more peaceful, perhaps... we can reunite."

Yang Guangming's willingness to give was entirely selfless; for him, the only person he truly cared about was his grandfather. As long as his grandfather was willing to stay and he could take good care of him, he was willing to give even more.

However, it would be difficult to find a suitable reason to give too much money. With this amount of money, it should be enough for both families to arrive in Shanghai safely.

Yang Huai-ren was also taken aback by his son's extravagant gesture, but he quickly recovered and offered his support:
"Guangming is right! Huaiyi, Huaili, take this! Don't be shy! It'll make our journey easier! We'll feel at ease if you're all settled in!"

He looked at his two younger brothers, his eyes reddening, and said, "Take good care of yourself as you leave." All his unspoken words were condensed into this one sentence.

Yang Huaiyi and Yang Huaili looked at the silver dollars in front of them, and then at their elder brother and nephew's sincere faces, and their eyes also reddened.

Yang Huaiyi abruptly turned his head away, his shoulders trembling violently. He wiped his eyes forcefully, and when he turned back, his eyes were red and his voice was choked with emotion.
"Brother, Guangming... this... what can we say... we'll remember this kindness for the rest of our lives!"

He gripped his elder brother's hand tightly, "Wait for me... wait until I've established myself in the South, I will... I will definitely pay you back!"

He spoke incoherently, but his words were sincere.

Even Yang Huaili, this burly man, was unable to speak, his throat bobbing and his lips trembling.

Yang Huaili wiped his eyes and said, "Brother, Guangming, thank you so much! I will remember this kindness! I will never forget it in this lifetime!"

The old lady was overjoyed. Her eyes practically lit up as she looked at the silver dollars, and she exclaimed repeatedly, "Oh my! This is truly... truly a lifesaver! Guangming, you are truly... truly our family's savior! Grandma thanks you on behalf of your uncle!"

Yang Hanzhang watched this scene with a surge of emotions.

He was relieved that his two sons had managed to scrape together enough money for their journey south and were able to move smoothly. He was also deeply moved by the kindness of his eldest son's family and the competence and affection of his grandson.

At the same time, there is also a sense of sorrow at the impending disintegration of the family.

He looked at the silver dollars, at his sons' excited faces, and at his grandson's calm expression, and let out a long, complex sigh.

He said to the sunlight, "Guangming, you have a kind heart."

He looked at his grandson with pride in his eyes, but also with an indescribable emotion. This grandson was even more outstanding and loyal than he had imagined.

Yang Guangming shook his head, his tone sincere: "Grandpa, we're family, there's no need for formalities. It's only right."

He looked at his second and third uncles, "Second uncle, third uncle, keep the money safe and be careful on the road. When are you leaving? Let me know when you've decided on a date, and I'll come to see you off."

Yang Huaiyi nodded vigorously, carefully put away the twenty silver dollars in front of him, wrapped them in a handkerchief, and stuffed them into the innermost pocket of his robe. Yang Huaili did the same, his movements clumsy but careful. That heavy feeling was both hope and pressure.

The matter was settled.

Yang Huaiyi and Yang Huaili accepted the silver dollars and began to discuss the details of buying tickets and setting off.

We need to inform the boss in advance to buy tickets together, and the specific departure date will have to wait for the boss to confirm.

It's estimated to happen within the next few days, or at the latest within ten days.

The vehicle was a freight boxcar with no seats, so everyone had to bring their own bedding and squeeze together.

The car travels at irregular intervals, sometimes stopping and starting, sometimes during the day and sometimes at night, so you have to be ready at any time.

Yang Hanzhang officially decided not to go to the south. After his two sons left, he would move to his eldest son's house.

He said calmly, "I'll live with Huai Ren. You can go in peace, don't worry about me."

After much hesitation, the old lady looked at her two biological sons and then at her husband, and finally decided to go south with her sons.

She spoke somewhat hesitantly: "I...I have to go with Huaiyi and Huaili. They have families to take care of them on the road. How can they manage without an elderly person to look after them?"
I can't bear to part with my grandchildren... Besides, I can still help take care of the children, cook, and do laundry..."

She didn't finish speaking, but everyone understood that she mainly wanted to be with her biological son. She was also afraid that if she went to her eldest son's house, she would have to watch her stepson and daughter-in-law's expressions. It was more comfortable to stay with her biological son.

Yang Hanzhang didn't insist, he just nodded and said in a calm tone, "Alright, then you can go with them. It'll be good to look out for each other on the way."

His feelings for his wife were complicated. After decades of marriage, it would be a lie to say there were no feelings left, but it was also true that she favored her biological son and was harsh towards her eldest son's family.

Now that she's going to follow her own son, that's fine; may they both be well from now on.

After discussing the matter, we talked about some precautions for the journey—what luggage to bring, what to eat on the road, how to contact each other when we arrived in Shanghai, and so on.

Yang Guangming and his father sat for a while longer, then, seeing that it was getting late, they said goodbye and left.

Stepping out of the courtyard, the sky remained a somber, leaden gray.

A cold wind whipped up dust, blinding people. Yang Huai-ren turned and looked back at the familiar yet dilapidated courtyard, his feelings a complex mix.

He let out a long sigh, the sound of which drifted in the cold wind, carrying with it endless desolation.

"Dad, don't be too sad." Yang Guangming comforted him softly. He understood his father's feelings. "Second Uncle and Third Uncle are going to find a way to make a living, which is a good thing. We can take Grandpa to live with us and take good care of him. It's the same thing. When things calm down, Second Uncle and Third Uncle might come back."

Yang Huai-ren nodded and patted his son's shoulder. "Yes, Dad knows. Let's go home. Your mother must be getting impatient."

He took one last look at the courtyard, turned around, and his steps became somewhat unsteady.

The father and son walked side by side on the cold street, their figures gradually blending into the gray, chaotic, and unknown winter landscape.

The tide of the times rolls ever onward, and individual destinies are like duckweed adrift.

Some choose to flee, while others choose to stay.

Whether to stay or leave, it's all about grasping at that faint glimmer of hope called "survival" in this chaotic world. (End of Chapter)