Ch 7: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

Yu Xiang’an was almost moved to tears. She thought she was dreaming and pinched herself hard—ouch! The pain and the fruity aroma lingering in her nose made it clear: this was real! Such an unscientific existence truly existed!

But then again, if she could transmigrate, having a personal game-like farm wasn’t entirely impossible.

“Control panel,” she murmured softly. Instantly, a panel appeared before her, floating in mid-air. It had buttons for watering, pest control, planting, and harvesting. In the top-right corner, there was a small “Check-in” icon.

Yu Xiang’an tapped on the check-in button, and a watering can materialized, labeled with “Speed-Up Water Drops +5.”

As she stared at the familiar interface, she confirmed it—this was her Xixi Farm. The game had somehow turned into a tangible, magical reality.

Could she bring items out of it?

With a thought, she found herself holding a few blades of grass in her hand, now sitting back on her bed. She glanced at her feet and noticed a bit of grass debris stuck to her soles.

Testing further, she thought of the farm again. This time, she transported herself back, still clutching her blanket. The sweet aroma of apples surrounded her, and her stomach let out a loud growl, even louder than before.

But now, she wasn’t worried. A bright, relieved smile spread across her face.

By rough estimation, the farm spanned a few acres. With this as her safety net, she’d never have to worry about going hungry again. Soon, she could plant rice, vegetables, and even keep chickens. That would solve all her food concerns.

Wait! Could the farm’s produce actually be eaten?

Eager to test, Yu Xiang’an plucked a handful of edamame and tried feeding it to the ducks in the creek. The ducks didn’t eat it, but the large fish in the stream did.

She resolved to harvest some produce the next day to feed other animals outside and observe their reactions. If there were no adverse effects, she’d have a major lifeline in this resource-scarce era of the 1970s.

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Because of the farm’s sudden appearance, Yu Xiang’an was a little distracted at work the next day. Her coworkers assumed she was just excited about payday.

The factory had a fixed schedule for paying wages—always on the 20th of each month. That day, the atmosphere in the food factory was noticeably more lively than usual.

Every worker went to the accounting office to sign their name first, then took their payroll slip to the cashier to collect their wages. In addition to money, they also received various ration tickets.

Since Yu Xiang’an had just started working, she wouldn’t be paid until the following month. For now, she could only observe. Still, from what she saw, she could roughly estimate what she’d get next month: a base salary of 27.50 yuan, along with sugar, cloth, and other ration tickets.

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During lunch, after finishing their meal, Yan Yuzhen invited Yu Xiang’an to the supply and marketing cooperative.

Yu Xiang’an’s sister-in-law, Ye Qijia, worked there, so the family occasionally managed to buy slightly defective goods without needing ration tickets.

Learning about this connection made Yan Yuzhen even warmer toward Yu Xiang’an. While they weren’t close yet, Yan Yuzhen hoped to use this relationship someday to get some good deals. Even now, the notoriously aloof shop clerks didn’t treat her with disdain.

Although Yu Xiang’an didn’t buy anything, she borrowed two yuan from Yan Yuzhen, promising to pay it back after her first paycheck.

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After work that evening, Yu Xiang’an bought her dinner and headed to the black market. She had already scoped out the small county thoroughly.

The black market was small, with people coming and going quickly, rarely lingering. Yu Xiang’an was lucky that day—someone was selling baby poultry.

She bought three chicks and three ducklings. However, after the transaction, she was surprised when only the ducklings successfully entered her farm space.

No matter how hard she concentrated or issued commands, the three chicks stubbornly remained in her hands.

Yu Xiang’an: “…”

She was momentarily stumped but then glanced at the three ducklings by the creek and formed a hypothesis.

Next, she bought a live carp and a half-dead rabbit. The carp entered the farm space effortlessly, but the rabbit didn’t—until she slaughtered it. Once dead, the rabbit could be stored.

It seemed that only living animals already present in the farm, like ducks and fish, could be added. Perhaps bees would work too, as there was a beehive in the farm. For other items, only inanimate objects could be taken in without restriction. For example, she grabbed a handful of roadside grass, which entered the farm space without issue.

Unable to add the chicks or the live rabbit to the farm, Yu Xiang’an brought them home instead. The rabbit, weighing just over a pound, cost her 1.20 yuan, while the three chicks were much cheaper at 2.5 cents each.

Worried about prying eyes, she stored the rabbit in the farm space and carried the chicks herself, hurrying home.

At home, Yu Xiangju almost shouted in excitement upon seeing the chicks, but Yu Xiang’an stopped him just in time. She placed the chicks in a corner, surrounded them with firewood to keep them from escaping, and instructed him to stay quiet.

Yu Xiangju: “Are we raising them to eat chicken meat? No, no! Let’s keep them for eggs instead! Three eggs a day—how amazing would that be!” He was already daydreaming.

When Yu Qingshan returned and saw the chicks, he asked, “Why did you buy them?”

In the countryside, keeping chickens was regulated, and their family already owned one laying hen. Raising more could invite reports from nosy neighbors.

Yu Xiang’an sheepishly smiled. “I thought we could take them to Grandpa’s place when we visit. I didn’t think it through and just bought them on impulse.”

With some time before their visit to the countryside, she planned to secretly feed the chicks with produce from the farm and compare them to the ducklings inside the farm.

Yu Qingshan shook his head. “You probably bought them because they looked cute. Don’t waste money like this next time. If we bring them to the countryside, your grandma might secretly raise them, or we could give them away.”

He handed her 5 yuan. “You haven’t received your salary yet, have you? Use this for now.”

Yu Xiang’an hesitated but accepted the money. She had so little cash on hand that she could repay him after getting her salary—or use it to buy something for the household.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiangju enthusiastically took care of the chicks, picking fresh wild greens to feed them daily. Yu Xiang’an, however, fed them tender grass and apple pulp from the farm discreetly.

After a week of observation, she confirmed the farm was quite “rigid” in its mechanics. Only soybeans and the four types of fruit trees could be planted. The animals allowed were limited to fish, ducks, and bees. Thankfully, the grassy fields could be expanded for more planting. Both the chicks and ducklings grew well, but the farm space didn’t accelerate their growth.

The farm’s daily check-in rewarded her with “speed-up water drops,” which could hasten crop growth but had no effect on animals. After seven consecutive days of check-ins, she earned five drops of “spiritual spring water.” Testing it on soybeans, ducklings, and chicks, she found that while it significantly boosted plant growth, it had no growth-accelerating effect on animals. However, it did seem to improve their health.

She confirmed this when a weak chick she fed with spiritual spring water perked up soon after.

“Could this really be spiritual spring water like in cultivation novels?” she wondered. If so, she’d struck gold. She didn’t dream of cultivating immortality, but strong health alone would be invaluable, especially in an era with such limited medical care.

One day, she retrieved the rabbit from the farm’s warehouse. It had been stored there for days, yet it looked as fresh as when it first died. Yu Xiang’an was overjoyed—this warehouse had a preservation function! It was like having a massive freezer.

She carried the rabbit back home and waved mysteriously to the wide-eyed, excited Yu Xiangju, lowering her voice. “We’re having meat today! Go quietly and call Big Brother and Sister-in-law over.”

Yu Xiangju nodded eagerly and ran off at lightning speed.

Then Yu Xiang’an explained to Yu Qingshan, “Dad, I just happened to come across it. It’s been a while since we’ve had meat at home, so let’s all enjoy it together.”

Yu Qingshan nodded without much comment. It was true—they hadn’t had meat for some time. “Alright, let’s have a good meal today.”

Yu Xiang’an added with a grin, “Dad, I even asked around for the best way to cook rabbit. How about I handle it this time?”

Yu Qingshan raised an eyebrow. “Are you confident?”

“Absolutely! Even if it’s not amazing, it definitely won’t taste bad!”

“Alright then, it’s yours.”

While Zhao Qiaoniang heated water in the kitchen and Yu Qingshan sharpened the knife, Yu Xiang’an slipped out to buy more spices. The ones at home were too limited.

When Yu Xianghai and Ye Qijia arrived with Yu Mingjie, they brought their evening ration of grains, making it unnecessary to cook extra rice.

Yu Xiang’an planned to make a braised rabbit dish. Just imagining it made her mouth water. It had been far too long since she’d had a proper serving of meat.

After cleaning and skinning the rabbit, there was about 1.2 pounds of meat—enough to give each of the seven people a modest taste, enough to satisfy a craving.

Returning with the spices, she found that Yu Qingshan had already prepared the rabbit. As someone who used to run a private kitchen, Yu Xiang’an’s cooking skills were well-honed. Though she kept her abilities understated to match her “inexperienced” persona, today was her chance to showcase her talent, albeit subtly.

Feeling invigorated, she started by cutting the rabbit into chunks, washing them thoroughly, and blanching them in boiling water. Next, she heated oil in a wok, tossing in Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, dried chili, ginger, garlic, and scallions. The fragrance quickly filled the kitchen. Zhao Qiaoniang, watching from the side, winced at the generous amount of oil but said nothing—just this once, she told herself.

As the aroma deepened, Yu Xiang’an added the rabbit pieces, stir-frying them for a few minutes before seasoning with salt, soy sauce, and sugar. Each pinch of seasoning made Zhao Qiaoniang’s face twitch with restrained heartache. The smell was heavenly, no doubt, but the cost? Too much to think about.

After sautéing for a bit, she caramelized the rabbit and added water, covering it with a lid. Once the dish was ready and plated, Yu Xiang’an turned to see Yu Xiangju and Yu Mingjie staring at her with glistening eyes, gulping hard. Their expressions practically screamed, Can we eat it now?

At the kitchen door, Yu Xianghai and Ye Qijia mirrored the same longing looks, struggling to keep their composure. The enticing aroma was almost too much to bear—they had to fight the urge to visibly drool.

🌱🌿 🫧🍃