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

Chapter 81, Section 80: The Hidden Path
Li Guihua suddenly remembered the lesson of "walls have ears" from last time and her father-in-law's stern gaze. She quickly lowered her voice even further and glanced warily at the tightly closed doors and windows.
"This matter must be kept absolutely secret! Your mouth must be sealed tight! You can't even tell your own parents!"

Yang Guangming opportunely stepped in, and his thinking completely shifted to this new path:

“What my sister-in-law said makes sense. Sending physical items through the post office is too risky; this route is blocked completely.”

The only way now is to get our hands on these in-demand items in Shanghai..."

He pointed to the rice noodles and honey on the table, "We need to find a way to safely exchange them for national grain coupons, and then find a way to safely deliver the grain coupons to our brothers and sisters."

As he analyzed, his points became clearer: "My 'channels' mean that even though the goods can't be shipped out, they're highly sought-after in Shanghai! They're like hot commodities!"
Rice noodles like these cost 35 cents a pound, which is more than half the price of those at the ghost market! Honey is an even rarer commodity, and red and white sugar are also in extremely high demand.

Our family eats some rice noodles ourselves, and the grain coupons we save can be exchanged for national grain coupons.

Furthermore, things like honey, brown and white sugar, and even other good things that might come along in the future, can be quietly exchanged among relatives, friends, neighbors, and close acquaintances in small circles to exchange for real national food coupons!

His gaze shifted to Li Guihua, his eyes carrying a questioning look, but also a clear sense of entrustment and approval:
"Sister-in-law, you know a lot of people, you're resourceful, and you have a silver tongue..."

He paused, glanced at Li Guihua's instantly straightened back and bright eyes, and said, "Now you know what's important and what's not."

It's easier for you to handle these private matters of adjusting, finding connections, and exchanging food coupons than for us men to do it, and it's also less likely to attract attention.

As long as you have this kind of solid, high-quality stuff in your hands, you won't have to worry about not being able to exchange it for national grain coupons.

You agree, don't you?

Upon hearing this, Li Guihua felt as if she had received a shot of adrenaline, and her spirits lifted considerably!

This job was practically tailor-made for her!
She doesn't have to spend her own money, yet she can fully utilize her strengths in shrewdness, social skills, and resourcefulness.

More importantly, this is directly related to improving their own family's life and fulfilling the mission of supporting Northeast China entrusted to them by their parents-in-law.

This is an amazing opportunity that has fallen from the sky, a perfect chance to prove her worth and elevate her status at home!

She jumped to her feet, her face radiating an excited glow of "who else but me?" Her chest thumped loudly, and her voice, though low, was full of undeniable drive and confidence.
"Don't worry! Leave this to me! I'm not bragging! I guarantee I'll handle it perfectly, without anyone knowing!"

Her eyes darted around, and faces flashed through her mind in an instant: "My mothers and sisters from my maternal family, a few aunties in the alley who are tight-lipped and quick-witted, and a few good old masters from Ahui's factory who are resourceful... I know them all by heart!"

As long as the goods are of good quality and the price is fair, exchanging them for some national grain coupons shouldn't be a problem!

My mouth..."

She made a sewing motion, her words resolute: "It's sewn even tighter and stronger than the stitches from a sewing machine! It absolutely won't cause the slightest trouble in the house! You can rest assured!"

She paused, then added confidently, her tone laced with shrewd calculation:

"If you can just guarantee that you'll have some of this really good stuff coming back every now and then, I can turn it into solid national food stamps! I reckon..."

She quickly did the mental calculations, "With the grain coupons saved from eating rice noodles at home, plus those obtained by exchanging for scarce goods like honey and sugar, our two families working together can squeeze out ten catties of national grain coupons every month, no problem at all!" "Ten catties!"

Zhang Xiuying's eyes lit up instantly, as if she had finally seen a ray of dawn in the long night. Although the light was faint, it was enough to ignite hope.

"Ten catties of national grain coupons every month... Yaoyao and Meimei each get five catties. If they are frugal, and with the little food rations they get from the educated youth settlement, at least... at least they can eat their fill for a few more days!"
"Only with food in your belly can you have the strength to get through the winter..."

Her gaze toward Li Guihua was filled with unprecedented gratitude and a new, weighty trust. "Guihua, this matter... it all depends on you! Thank you for your hard work!"

Yang Yongkang's tense expression finally eased slightly, and his furrowed brows relaxed a little.

He took a deep look at his eldest daughter-in-law, who seemed to have been reborn and become reliable in an instant, and then looked at his youngest son, who was calm, collected, and able to change his mindset in time.

He nodded slowly, his voice still low, but less aggressive: "Yes. Let's do it that way."

He made the final decision: "We won't send cotton anymore. Instead, we'll send cleaned and disassembled old quilts and coats, with as much extra thickness inside as possible."

National grain coupons... Osmanthus, please put in a lot of effort.

He reiterated, his gaze sweeping sharply over everyone, "Remember, safety first! Keep a low profile! Keep a low profile! Keep a low profile!"

"Anything should be kept to yourself and kept quiet inside!"

His gaze finally settled on Yang Guangming, carrying a deeper entrustment: "Mingming, your channels are the source, so you must be stable! Don't be too conspicuous, keep it steady and long-term."

“I understand, Father. Don’t worry,” Yang Guangming replied in a deep voice.

Although this result was completely contrary to his initial idea of ​​"sending supplies directly", the supplies in the refrigerator finally found a relatively safe, hidden and sustainable "outlet".

They subsidized the family's food, saved local food coupons, and then used the surplus scarce goods to exchange for more national food coupons to support their older siblings. A hidden, survival-in-the-crack cycle was painstakingly constructed under the pressure of enormous risks.

The most sensitive and socially-intensive part of the process was handed over to Li Guihua, the eldest sister-in-law, who was more skilled in this area and whose identity was less likely to attract attention.

The huge weight that weighed on the hearts of the whole family, known as "children of Northeast China," did not disappear after the harrowing experience at the post office, but it seemed that a narrow but relatively safe crack had been pried open.

This hope, like a blade of grass struggling to survive in a crack in the rock, sprouts a faint but tenacious green again under the utmost care and the combined protection of the whole family.

Sunlight brightened as his gaze fell on the table.

The two small jars of honey, bathed in the last rays of the setting sun, shimmered with an increasingly thick and alluring amber luster.

They were no longer a hot potato that couldn't be sent out, but became the first key to unlocking this secret path of survival.

The road ahead is long and fraught with risks, but at least the direction has been found.

(End of this chapter)