Ch 12: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

Aside from rice and meat, this time’s haul included vermicelli, eggs, soap, brown sugar, and other essentials, nearly exhausting Yu Qingshan and Zhao Qiaoniang’s monthly wages. However, seeing their household supplies replenished, the cost felt worthwhile. Life in this era was no easy feat—money alone wasn’t enough; you also needed coupons. And even with coupons, you couldn’t always secure what you wanted due to supply shortages. Possessing resources was true power in these times.

The next day, on her way to the factory, Yu Xiang’an was greeted by familiar faces who exchanged small talk, asking what her family had managed to grab. Hearing they had scored meat and fish, Yan Yuzhen slapped her thigh in regret. “I heard about it too late and couldn’t line up early enough. By the time it was my turn, all I could get was a pig’s trotter with barely any meat. It felt like such a waste, but not buying wasn’t an option—our meat coupons were about to expire, and the family hasn’t had meat in ages.”

Back at the office, Sun Qingchun was even more upset. “At least your family got something. Mine didn’t get anything—everything was gone.”

Yan Yuzhen sighed, “You went later than me. Did you manage to get fish at least? Those fish were good—big ones.”

Sun Qingchun nodded, “We got the last one.” His expression was gloomy.

Yan Yuzhen tried to comfort him. “It’s fine. We’re in the south—there’s plenty of water here. Pork may be rare, but fish is still relatively easy to find.”

This was true. Their region had abundant rivers and lakes, and the county itself had a river running through it. Although the section near them wasn’t great for fishing, both upstream and downstream were ideal spots, yielding a decent catch annually.

Sun Qingchun sighed again, “At least the oil supply this time was sufficient. Our oil jar finally has a bit of stock now.” His words reflected the struggle of the times.

Yu Xiang’an thought of the soybeans in her farm—perfect for pressing oil.

Throughout the morning, this topic dominated conversations. Even during lunch, the chatter in the cafeteria revolved around it. For some, missing out on these goods would be a source of regret for months.

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Meat didn’t last long in this weather. After a few meals, the pork was gone. With only two pounds purchased—some used for rendering fat and some as bones—there wasn’t much actual meat to go around. They managed to stretch it over several meals by being frugal.

The two fish they had bought remained untouched, kept alive for future guests. However, as Yu Xiang’an entered her farm and looked at the fish and plump ducks inside, she couldn’t help but salivate.

The apples in her farm had been harvested, yielding over 200 pounds from a single tree—a satisfactory amount, though she had no comparison. She regretted the farm had only one tree per fruit type. After harvesting, the apple tree was left bare with just its green leaves. The chestnut tree beside it was now flowering, and Yu Xiang’an concentrated her daily accelerated water droplets on it to speed up its growth. Chestnuts were highly versatile and a valuable addition to her resources.

After her routine watering and weeding, she checked on the ducklings, which had grown significantly. She also continued her fish-feeding experiment, though it pained her to use food she couldn’t eat herself on animals. She decided this month would be her last for experiments.

Near the warehouse, not far from the stream, a half-built stove awaited completion. Cooking certain dishes wasn’t always convenient in the real world, so she planned to finish the stove and buy an iron pot using her collected coupons. The task ahead was daunting but promising.

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Yu Xiang’an felt her farm was progressing well, and her factory work had also become smoother. Following Yan Yuzhen around, she had gained a good understanding of the operations and improved her efficiency. Yan Yuzhen was pleased with her progress and often took her along, offering tips and guidance.

This left Sun Qingchun feeling a bit resentful. He didn’t receive such dedicated mentoring when he first started, but he couldn’t say anything—Yan Yuzhen, as the head of accounting, was well within her rights to train newcomer Yu Xiang’an so diligently. No one could fault her for it.

Sun Qingchun could accept it, but the cashier, Deng Xiaohong, was much harder to tolerate. At first, Yu Xiang’an thought she was imagining things when Deng seemed to target her subtly. Later, others explained that Deng’s daughter, a middle school graduate struggling to find a job, had her eyes on this position. Deng had been working her connections, only for Yu Xiang’an to land the role.

Yu Xiang’an: “…”

It sounded like, without her, this job was guaranteed to be Deng’s daughter’s.

Seeing her daughter lose the opportunity made Deng Xiaohong bitter toward Yu Xiang’an. She often made snide remarks and became increasingly jealous as Yu Xiang’an, under Yan Yuzhen’s mentorship, gained recognition and had the chance to shine in front of higher-ups. Deng’s frustration peaked as her daughter, now facing the prospect of being sent to the countryside, cried constantly at home. Angry and desperate, Deng altered a few figures on the paperwork meant for Yu Xiang’an to process.

Her plan was simple: when Yu Xiang’an discovered discrepancies, it would create a headache for her.

However, Yu Xiang’an’s background made her more than capable of spotting such issues. While discrepancies in numbers could be troublesome, they were always traceable. After triple-checking and going through the records line by line, she found evidence of tampering on one document. The changes were subtle—turning a “1” into a “7” or a “1” into a “4.” Though the discrepancies weren’t drastic, the other side maintained backup records. A quick cross-check and inquiry revealed Deng Xiaohong as the culprit.

Yu Xiang’an wasn’t one to let things slide. Once she identified the perpetrator, she reported it to Yan Yuzhen. While usually easygoing, Yan Yuzhen had no tolerance for such misconduct.

She approached Wang Yunlai, the head of the cashier department, to address the matter. “Xiang’an is a newcomer and hasn’t made such mistakes, yet Xiaohong, with years of experience, caused this? If Xiang’an hadn’t caught it in time, who would’ve been held accountable when the higher-ups questioned us? This isn’t the place for personal vendettas.” Though she didn’t outright accuse Deng of intentional sabotage, her implication was clear.

Wang Yunlai’s face darkened. “Understood. I’ll speak to her seriously.”

Yu Xiang’an didn’t press further, leaving the matter to the department leadership to handle appropriately. Shortly after, she heard Sun Qingchun mention that Deng Xiaohong had been reprimanded. She was warned that if she wasn’t committed to her job, she’d be reassigned elsewhere to avoid dragging others down.

While outright dismissal wasn’t an option—formal employees were nearly impossible to fire in this era—being transferred to another department was a significant demotion. Deng Xiaohong dreaded the idea of losing her office role, which was comfortable, prestigious, and respected. With no other choice, she begrudgingly started behaving herself.

At the factory, Yu Xiang’an could handle Deng Xiaohong’s troublemaking with ease, making her work life relatively smooth. However, near her home, things were more complicated. News spreads quickly in close-knit neighborhoods, and the earlier engagement talks between the Yu and Zhou families were no secret. At the time, it had been treated as a celebratory affair, so no one had been particularly discreet.

Initially, when Yu Xiang’an was leaving early and coming back late, the neighbors assumed she was still attending school. However, when someone discovered she hadn’t been to school in a while, they asked around and learned that Yu Xiang’an was now working at the food factory.

Naturally, questions arose about how she had secured her job. Those with relatives at the factory found out that Yang Xizhi had recently retired and that Yu Xiang’an had taken over her position. This led to speculation that the engagement between the two families must be approaching.

One day, Aunt Tian ran into Yu Xiang’an as she was returning home and called out to her, “Xiang’an, when are you and that boy from the Zhou family planning to tie the knot? Have you picked a date yet? If you need help with anything, don’t hesitate to ask me.”

Yu Xiang’an shook her head. “No, Aunt Tian, I’m not seeing anyone right now. Marriage is still a long way off.”

Aunt Tian was surprised. “What? You’re not seeing the Zhou boy?”

Yu Xiang’an denied it. “That was just a casual agreement between the families. It wasn’t serious, Aunt Tian, so don’t take it seriously either.”

It took Aunt Tian a moment to process this. “…Oh, I see. Well, how did you land your job at the food factory then?”

Yu Xiang’an replied confidently, “I got in through an exam. An old accountant retired, and since I graduated high school and met the requirements, I applied, took the test, and got in based on my performance.”

Aunt Tian was shocked. “The food factory was hiring?”

Yu Xiang’an clarified, “Not openly. They were just looking for one person.”

Aunt Tian pressed further. “Is it a formal position?”

Yu Xiang’an nodded, earning a look of admiration. “Well, you’re set now. No need to worry anymore.”

The envy in Aunt Tian’s tone overshadowed her curiosity about the engagement. However, some people were more interested in gossip, like Granny Chen. She intercepted Yu Xiang’an and directly probed, “Xiang’an, I heard there’s some trouble between you and the Zhou family. That’s not true, is it? When are you handing out wedding candy?”

Internally, Yu Xiang’an felt annoyed, but she maintained a polite smile. “I’m not seeing anyone, Granny Chen, so there won’t be any wedding candy.”

Granny Chen exaggerated her reaction with a loud “Oh my! Weren’t you and that Zhou boy betrothed since childhood? I heard you two broke it off—is that true? Was it because of the dowry? Or did you find someone else? That can’t be right—you’ve already taken over his position. How could the Zhou family agree to that?”

Yu Xiang’an responded with a bitter smile, “Granny Chen, you’ve misunderstood. Where did you hear such things? We don’t live in an age of arranged marriages anymore. That talk was all in jest. My job isn’t related to the Zhou family. I’m working as an accountant at the food factory. I got in through a proper exam.”

Granny Chen was skeptical. “You landed such a great job without any help from the Zhou family? That’s hard to believe. Come on, tell Granny what’s really going on. If something’s up, let me know—I’ll stand up for you.” Her tone was filled with nosy excitement, clearly enjoying the drama more than any genuine concern.

🌱🌿 🫧🍃