Ch 1: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

Thingyan: A new genre I’ve never translated before. Hope you like it 🥰🥰🥰

…

Yu Xiang’an realized she was dreaming. In the dream, she couldn’t see herself and was hiding nearby, anger burning in her chest. The voices from just behind a wall echoed in her ears.

A familiar female voice said, “Brother Boyang, I didn’t change my sheets on time this month. I must be pregnant with your child. What should we do?”

The male voice, first surprised, then delighted, responded, “If you’re pregnant, we’ll have the baby.”

The female voice grew hesitant. “But our parents are already discussing the dowry and bride price for you and my sister. How can we have the baby?”

The male voice carried a smile. “Don’t worry. I’ve thought it through. You’re about to graduate, right? I have a relative in charge of assigning people to rural areas. I’ll ask him to send her far away. If she has to move to the countryside, the marriage won’t work out. Then I’ll tell my parents I want to marry you instead. When the baby is born, we’ll say it’s premature. No one will know.”

The female voice laughed happily. “Brother Boyang, you’re amazing.”

From just these few sentences, and the heartfelt anger and sorrow “she” felt, Yu Xiang’an had already pieced together the key details—she must be the “sister” they were talking about.

Yu Xiang’an spat in disgust.
“Scumbag! Slut!
What kind of dream is this?!”

The dream continued. “She” wandered home in a daze. It began to rain heavily, but she didn’t dodge or take cover, simply letting the rain soak her as she walked.

The “home” she returned to was dilapidated: mud-brick walls, gray tiles, and full of the atmosphere of an older era.

When “she” got back, her family reminded her to change clothes. She absentmindedly complied, then lay down on the bed, only to develop a high fever.

She tossed and turned, her consciousness muddled. During the fever, the painful images replayed endlessly in her mind.

Someone seemed to notice her fever, gave her medicine, and temporarily brought down the temperature. But soon, the fever surged again.

In the midst of her delirium, Yu Xiang’an “dreamed” of this sister’s life over the past decade—betrayed by her fiancé and her younger stepsister.

Then Yu Xiang’an woke up. She raised her hand and stared at her dry, rough fingers. Her blood ran cold as she asked herself three questions:
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing?

Her mind was blank. Wasn’t she dreaming? How had the dream turned into reality?

Yu Xiang’an collected her thoughts. She had graduated from university and opened a small restaurant. It had only been open for less than a month. One day, while returning from the market with fresh ingredients, she happened to look up at a suffocating scene at a corner ahead—a little girl with pigtails squatting on the ground, playing with a Barbie doll, directly beneath a heavy, swaying billboard that was about to fall.

Without thinking, Yu Xiang’an sprinted at full speed, intending to snatch the girl out of harm’s way before the billboard fell.

But she hadn’t noticed someone else at the opposite corner witnessing the same scene and making the same decision—leading to disaster.

Had the other person not been there, either one of them might have escaped the danger in time. But because of the blind spot at the corner, they hadn’t noticed each other and collided head-on, delaying them for just a split second.

And in that split second, the billboard came crashing down, trapping them underneath.

At that moment, Yu Xiang’an only felt a sharp pain in her head before everything went black, and she lost consciousness.

When she touched her head now, there was no pain, only the heavy, unsteady sensation that comes after a high fever. A thought crept into her mind: she must have died back then, and now, through some inexplicable twist of fate, she had taken over the body of another Yu Xiang’an, living in the 1970s.

She wondered if someone had called an ambulance that day. Likely, it wouldn’t have mattered—she was beyond saving. But what about the child and the young man?

Sighing, she mused, Wasn’t I just trying to help? Could this be an example of good deeds being rewarded?
Losing her life to save someone, only to be granted a second chance at life in this miraculous way.

As for the young man who had also rushed to help, she couldn’t help but worry. He seemed about her age. If something happened to him, it would be such a shame. The only consolation was that the little girl they had protected probably came out unscathed.

These thoughts flashed by in an instant, and then her stomach loudly declared its presence.

“Gurgle…”

The rumbling was fierce. She was starving—so hungry it felt like it was clawing at her insides.
The mere thought of food made her salivate uncontrollably.

Rice, chicken drumsticks, braised pork, stewed duck, roasted chicken…

The more she thought about it, the hungrier she felt.

Her face fell as her eyes darted around the room. The original owner’s memories came to her, making the surroundings both familiar and strange.

The room was small, with mud-brick walls plastered with old newspapers. The furnishings were sparse: just a bed, a worn-out cabinet, and a low stool.

Inside the cabinet, one side held her schoolbooks, topped with a little red book of quotations—helpful to memorize in certain situations. The other side stored her clothes. No food to be found. Not even a snack to stave off hunger. Maybe she could go to the kitchen?

She vaguely remembered that there were still some sweet potatoes in a corner of the kitchen.

But… this body had likely succumbed to the high fever. Though the fever had broken after her arrival, she still felt utterly weak—so weak she couldn’t even muster the strength to get out of bed.

As her stomach growled louder, Yu Xiang’an couldn’t tell if her weakness was from the fever or sheer hunger.

Just then, she heard approaching footsteps.

“Fifth Sister, are you feeling better?” A small boy, about six years old, ran in with a bowl of water in hand.

“Mm.” Yu Xiang’an exhaled softly and sat up. The movement made her dizzy, and her vision swam with colors. After steadying herself, she looked at the boy. He was the youngest brother of the original Yu Xiang’an, Yu Xiangju.

He had a round, boyish face, tanned from playing outside. Mischief sparkled in his eyes. If nothing unexpected happened, this would now be her little brother.

She took the bowl and sipped the water. It was warm, soothing her empty stomach a little. Slowly, she finished the bowl. Though her fever had subsided, there was no telling if it might return. The medical conditions in this era… just thinking about it made her anxious.

In a hoarse voice, she asked, “Xiao Ju, is there anything to eat?”

“Fifth Sister, wait a bit! There’s some food saved for you. I’ll bring it over!” Yu Xiangju took the bowl and ran off.

Not long after, he returned holding a single piece of candy.
“This is the candy I saved from my birthday, Fifth Sister. Eat it—it’ll make you better.”

It was a hard candy, the cheapest kind. She wouldn’t have touched it in her old life. But now, Yu Xiang’an’s mouth watered at the sight.
“…Thank you, Xiao Ju.”

“Fifth Sister, you eat that first. The food’s gone cold, so I’ll heat it up on the stove. It won’t take long.” He spoke like a little adult, trying to hide his reluctance as he avoided looking at the candy. Then, he quickly ran off.

Candy was precious in these times. He had received a few pieces for his birthday and saved the last one for months, unable to bear eating it. Yet now, he had given it to her.

Yu Xiang’an felt a pang of emotion as she unwrapped the candy and placed it in her mouth. The sweetness spread, instantly giving her a small boost of energy.

She touched her forehead again. The temperature seemed stable, and she sighed in relief. Her eyes drifted to the wooden beams above her.

She never imagined a day would come when she’d be so hungry—so hungry it felt like her stomach was screaming in protest. If this went on, she feared she’d fall ill just from hunger.

One chicken, two chickens, three chickens… Finally, Yu Xiang’an saw Yu Xiangju coming over. To her, his voice was like a heavenly melody: “Fifth Sister, come eat! I’ve already reheated it.”

Yu Xiang’an didn’t have time to say much. She grabbed the bowl and began devouring the food ravenously.

Yu Xiangju was startled by her intensity. “Fifth Sister, slow down! Be careful not to choke.”
Their family didn’t have much food left, but there were still plenty of sweet potatoes. While they didn’t have farmland in the county, their grandfather and uncle worked with the production team and had their own private plots. Sweet potatoes, with their high yield, were their primary crop.

Yu Xiang’an was eating sweet potato stew with wild vegetables. There was barely a hint of salt, and it tasted awful. But no matter how bad it tasted, she didn’t have the luxury to complain—filling her stomach was all that mattered now.

She finished everything in the bowl, yet was only half full. Thankfully, it was almost time for dinner.

Yu Xiangju asked, “Fifth Sister, are you feeling better now?”

Yu Xiang’an nodded. “Yes, much better.”

Her fever had subsided, her stomach was no longer empty, and her body was gradually regaining strength.

Yu Xiangju nodded like a little adult. “That’s good. You need to get well quickly.”

Yu Xiang’an couldn’t help but smile at his serious demeanor.

Before long, Ding Minxiu came home from school. She set down her book bag and immediately came to check on Yu Xiang’an. Her tone was full of concern: “Are you feeling better now? The teacher said if you’re still unwell tomorrow, you don’t have to go to school.”

The moment she spoke, Yu Xiang’an’s body stiffened for a second. It was her! The very sister who had secretly gotten involved with her future fiancé and ended up pregnant!

Ding Minxiu, unaware that Yu Xiang’an had overheard her conversation with Zhou Boyang the previous day, looked calm and composed.

Yu Xiang’an studied her closely. This younger sister had fair skin and wore two braids that hung over her shoulders, giving her an innocent and harmless appearance. There was no hint of the secret affair or the pregnancy she was hiding with her sister’s fiancé.

If the original Yu Xiang’an hadn’t overheard the conversation, she wouldn’t have known what was happening until the names for rural assignments were announced.

“Yes, much better.” A surge of anger welled up in Yu Xiang’an’s chest, fast and intense—clearly the original owner’s emotions.

Hearing this, Ding Minxiu sighed in relief and put on a caring act. “That’s good. But your voice is still hoarse, so you should take care. I’ll go make dinner now. You should rest.”

Yu Xiang’an nodded with a mix of complicated emotions. The original Yu Xiang’an was eighteen this year, and Ding Minxiu, only a few months younger, was also eighteen. At eighteen, she had already managed to pull off such a “feat.” What had Yu Xiang’an been doing at eighteen?

She thought back to her own life. At eighteen, she’d been in her rebellious phase, arguing with her parents about skipping college to study culinary arts. Meanwhile, Ding Minxiu, at the same age, had already perfected her act as a pure and innocent “white lotus.”

What should she do now?

One thing was clear: Zhou Boyang, the heartless fiancé, was not worth keeping. But she couldn’t afford to delay dealing with the rural assignment list. If her name was added, she’d be sent to the countryside!

She’d never worked the land before. She had to find a way to stay in the city. According to the current policies, only one child per family was allowed to stay in the city. Their eldest brother had already secured his spot. The younger siblings would have to find their own way once they reached the right age. Only by landing a formal job could she remain in the city.

A formal job in this era was highly coveted—a “iron rice bowl” position that could be passed down from parent to child and grandchild. Such jobs were so valuable that families wouldn’t even consider passing them to outsiders.

How could she secure a formal job for herself?

🌱🌿 🫧🍃