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

Chapter 32. Another stroke of good luck!
Chen Weihong, sitting in the corner of the kitchen, was completely dumbfounded. She didn't even notice that the half-washed vegetables in her hand had fallen back into the basin. Her gaze lingered on the shiny ham, which symbolized unimaginable wealth and grease, and her eyes were filled with pure, huge, almost overflowing envy.

On the three-story pavilion's drying platform, He Caiyun, who was hanging clothes to dry, suddenly froze, as if she had been frozen in place.

She instinctively leaned half her body over the balcony railing, her neck stretched out, her eyes fixed on the things in Yang Guangming's hands, especially the huge ham!
Her expression twisted as if struck by lightning, a mixture of extreme shock, naked greed, and... an uncontrollable, almost scorching jealousy that threatened to erode her reason!
That look in his eyes was truly like poison, almost dripping with blood!
She subconsciously swallowed hard, making a soft "gulp" sound in her throat, which sounded particularly clear and jarring in the suddenly silent courtyard.

"Mingming! You little rascal!"

Zhang Xiuying's voice trembled violently, a tremor of overwhelming joy that nearly made her faint.

She took a few steps forward, reaching out to take the heavy ham, then withdrew it as if afraid of breaking it. She vigorously wiped it on her faded apron, her voice urgent and flustered:
"This... so many things! What happened? Where did you get them?"

Amidst the overwhelming joy, a mother's instinctive worry for her son's safety erupted instantly.

Everyone's ears perked up, and they held their breath; the entire courtyard was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Yang Guangming took a deep breath, his face displaying a perfectly composed expression that suggested a long story, and his voice was clear and steady as he began to recount the story he had already meticulously crafted in his mind countless times:
"Mom, don't worry. Listen to me."

This morning, after meeting up with my classmates, on my way back, I was strolling along a quiet side street near the back gate of the park when I saw an old man, probably in his seventies, suddenly collapse on the ground. No one was there to help him, and it looked really scary.

I didn't have time to think much and rushed over. He was still breathing, but his face was deathly pale and his lips were purple.

I don't know anything about medicine, so I didn't dare to move him. I quickly carried him on my back and ran all the way to the nearest hospital emergency room.

Thankfully, they were brought in in time! The doctor said it was... acute angina? If they had been brought in any later, it would have been truly dangerous!

I paid his registration fee of one yuan and waited outside the emergency room until he calmed down a bit and was able to say the phone number inside the room, albeit intermittently.

I quickly helped him contact the people inside the house.

Guess what happened?

Yang Guangming paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping steadily over the faces that were listening intently and full of expectation. "The one who came to pick him up is his eldest son!"
They arrived in a shiny black sedan! A secretary wearing a four-pocket Zhongshan suit and carrying a briefcase followed beside them!

He's obviously a top-ranking official!

A suppressed, gasping sound echoed from the courtyard.

Cars! High-ranking officials! Secretaries! These words, when combined, strike like a heavy hammer on everyone's heart, with unparalleled impact.

"That cadre was so polite. He held my hand tightly and thanked me profusely, saying that I was his father's savior! He insisted on giving me a hundred yuan, but how could I accept it?"

After he kept making excuses, seeing that I really wouldn't accept the money, he said...

Yang Guangming raised his hand at the opportune moment, showing off the salted duck and the Jinhua ham that had amazed everyone:
He said that these things were local products that his old comrades from out of town had just sent over. They couldn't finish them all at once, and it would be a waste to leave them there. He insisted that I take them back so that the people in the house could have a taste and show my appreciation.

He added that his father had other children who all worked in other cities, and that they would definitely thank him again when they returned and found out! He lowered his voice at the end, with a solemn and serious tone:
"That cadre also specifically told me that his identity was confidential and that I should never reveal his name or unit to outsiders to avoid causing unnecessary trouble. Of course, I agreed to his request immediately."

After the story was finished, a brief silence fell over the courtyard. Everyone was digesting the dramatic, almost legendary plot.

Zhang Xiuying clutched her chest, her face glowing with immense joy and a sense of honor, her voice trembling:
"Oh my! Oh my! So you did such a great deed! You saved someone's old father's life! This is a great act of virtue!"

It's only right that the cadres thank us! It's exactly what we should do!

Looking at the ham and salted duck, her eyes completely changed from initial worry to supreme pride, and she straightened her back a bit.

Li Guihua was so excited that her face turned red, and her voice was loud and clear, full of pride, as if she had earned this honor herself.
"Mingming, you really are lucky! You're even luckier! You can run into such a wonderful thing! And you even met such a reasonable and kind-hearted senior official!"

This ham...

"In all my years, this is the first time I've ever seen a whole one in person! It's incredibly valuable! Even gold couldn't buy it!"

Grandma Chen nodded repeatedly, her hands clasped together as if chanting Buddhist prayers.

"Yes, yes, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Clearly, good people are rewarded!"

This ham smells amazing... just smell it, the freshness seems to emanate from every bone!

Mrs. Feng, Lin Fengjiao, also praised him sincerely, her eyes filled with admiration: "Mingming is truly remarkable! He has courage, kindness, and can be relied upon in crucial moments. Xiuying, you are so lucky to have raised such an outstanding son."

On the balcony, He Caiyun's face flushed red and then turned pale. The jealousy that had been so intense just moments before was now completely replaced by a profound sense of loss and indescribable bitterness.

A whole Jinhua ham!

How much would that be worth? How many meat coupons? How long would that be enough for her family to eat meat?
She stared intently at the massive, dark red, oily object that symbolized immense wealth, her fingers unconsciously gripping the rough bamboo pole of the drying platform until her knuckles turned white.

She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't dare to say anything sarcastic or sarcastic as usual. However, her gaze remained like a rusty iron hook, firmly fixed on the ham, almost piercing it through.

This enormous, seven-pound, pipa-shaped, dark red, and glossy creature was carefully "invited" by Zhang Xiuying and Li Guihua as if they were welcoming a sacred object to the top of the most conspicuous five-drawer chest in the front building of the Yang family home—the cleanest, most respectable, and most inviolable spot in the house.

The moment it was placed there, it instantly became the undisputed focal point of the entire Shikumen (stone gate) community.

The domineering yet rich, savory aroma of meat permeated every nook and cranny, as if coating the entire space with a layer of precious luster, making even the air seem "valuable".

Neighbors came and went, slowing their pace intentionally or unintentionally, their eyes always glancing at the open door of the Yang family, their hushed exclamations and whispers rising and falling.

(End of this chapter)