Ch 13: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

Yu Xiang’an kept her lips tightly sealed, no matter how much Granny Chen pressed her for details. Feeling unappreciated in her “well-meaning” efforts, Granny Chen was about to give up when she suddenly remembered Ding Minxiu. Her eyes lit up with excitement. “Where’s your little sister? Haven’t seen her around lately. Did she also get into the factory?”

Yu Xiang’an’s demeanor cooled. “She went back to her father.”

Granny Chen was surprised. “Oh, she went to visit her dad? Why isn’t she in school anymore? Aren’t you two supposed to still be studying?”

Yu Xiang’an shook her head, using the opportunity to step aside. “I wouldn’t know, Granny Chen. I have to get home now; everyone’s waiting for me for dinner. Let’s talk another time.”

Scenes like this were exactly what Yu Xiang’an had anticipated when she first took the job. Having prepared herself mentally, she remained calm. However, her father, Yu Qingshan, and the rest of the family were less composed as rumors started spreading. Feeling increasingly cautious, Yu Qingshan reassured her, “Xiang’an, just ignore the gossip out there.”

Yu Xiang’an smiled faintly, unbothered. “Dad, do I look like I care? We knew people would talk, and it doesn’t bother me.”

The real uproar would come when the neighbors eventually learned that Ding Minxiu had married into the Zhou family.

Yu Qingshan sighed in relief, while Zhao Qiaoniang remained silent, clearly uneasy. The gossip surrounding Yu Xiang’an was inevitable, but Ding Minxiu’s marriage into the Zhou family would undoubtedly stir up much larger waves.

Even Yu Xiang’an’s younger brother and nephew weren’t spared from prying questions. Adults felt more at liberty to interrogate the children, assuming they didn’t understand much. Still, Yu Xiangju had been coached by the adults to stick to a script, and if pressed too hard, he simply ran away. After all, he was only six years old; no one could really fault him.

Most neighbors targeted Yu Qingshan and Zhao Qiaoniang with their questions. Yu Qingshan skillfully deflected, denying any formal engagement between the families and claiming it was all a misunderstanding. His composed demeanor led some to guess there had been a falling out, prompting others to drop their inquiries. The Yu family, after all, was well-regarded in the community.

For Zhao Qiaoniang, however, things were different. As a stepmother, she was an easy target for malicious speculation. Some neighbors even accused her of being complicit in the perceived drama.

The gossip extended beyond their neighborhood. At the textile factory, where Zhao Qiaoniang worked as a temporary laborer, her colleagues also pried into the matter.

Liu Ju, one of her coworkers, started, “I heard some rumors about your family. You have two daughters, right? I heard the older one found a job. How did she get it? Was there some kind of insider tip? My son’s graduating soon, and if you could help him find a job, we’d be forever grateful.”

Zhao Qiaoniang forced a bitter smile. “Sister Liu, you overestimate me. I have no connections. If I did, my older kids wouldn’t have been sent to the countryside. This time, it was just a stroke of luck.”

Liu Ju sighed. “I suppose that’s true. I keep telling myself, I just don’t want my son to leave me.”

This sentiment resonated deeply with the others. Every family in the area understood the pain of having their children sent to the countryside. Families with ten or more children often ended up with only one or two managing to stay in the city. Without formal job placements, most children had no choice but to leave.

Though some parents tried to retire early to secure jobs for their children, it often meant sacrificing higher wages and better benefits. With multiple children, deciding who got the job could also spark family conflicts.

In the textile factory, Zhao Qiaoniang had worked as a temporary laborer for several years. When the factory needed extra hands, they prioritized hiring experienced workers like her. Over time, she had grown familiar with her coworkers, who all knew her background. They were well aware she was in her second marriage, with her first husband being unreliable and her maiden family offering little support. Now, married to Yu Qingshan, her life was considered relatively stable and comfortable.

Qian Laidi couldn’t hold back and asked, “Didn’t you say your daughter was going to get married? Have you set a date yet? Recently, I’ve heard rumors that the marriage plans have fallen through. Is it true?”

Zhao Qiaoniang was thankful they didn’t know which daughter was originally mentioned, so she lowered her head and deflected. “That was just a joke back then. Don’t take it seriously. The child is still young, and her father can’t bear to see her marry so early. We weren’t careful about what we said in the past, but now that the child is older, we need to be more cautious. Please don’t spread this anymore.”

Qian Laidi chuckled mockingly. “Oh, stop hiding things from us. Is there something you’re not telling? I heard your eldest daughter—your first one—isn’t she the one who took over her future mother-in-law’s job? Otherwise, how would she have gotten a position at the factory out of nowhere? Did that family do something to wrong you?”

Clearly picking up only fragments of the truth, Qian Laidi was fishing for details. Zhao Qiaoniang denied everything firmly, shaking her head. “You’ve got it all wrong. She passed the exam to get in. Don’t spread nonsense. It’s just a coincidence that she works at the same factory.”

Qian Laidi was skeptical. “Really? She passed an exam? How come we never heard about any recruitment?”

“It wasn’t openly announced; they were only hiring one person.”

Liu Ju chimed in, “Must’ve been some inside connection. Otherwise, how would your family even know about it?”

“It was her uncle’s side that told us. I don’t know the details,” Zhao Qiaoniang replied vaguely.

Qian Laidi raised an eyebrow. “So it’s about the older one, right? What about your younger one? What’s her situation?”

Zhao Qiaoniang continued to work on the fabric in her hands, her heart feeling like it was soaked in bitter water. What about her younger one? She wished she knew what to do.

Even though her husband claimed to trust she had no prior knowledge of the situation, things had become awkward at home. The old matriarch constantly scolded her, and her husband was more guarded than ever, keeping a tighter grip on money and ration tickets. She knew he was worried she’d secretly support Minxiu. The only one who treated her the same as before was Yu Xiangju. Was she upset? Of course, but there was nothing she could do except wait for the matter to blow over with time.

Meanwhile, on her daughter’s side, it was impossible to hide her pregnancy. Not long ago, she had quietly attended Ding Minxiu’s wedding at the Zhou family’s home.

The wedding was simple. Only the Zhou family and a few relatives attended. They offered peanuts and candies to neighbors and recited quotations from the Chairman’s portrait as part of the ceremony. That was it. This was their so-called joyous occasion.

It all happened so abruptly.

Even at the wedding, she overheard whispers about how hastily the Zhou family handled the event. There had been no prior notice, no colleagues from the factory to act as witnesses or officiants, and no dowry from the bride. Ding Minxiu had no job, no possessions, and no real support. Zhao Qiaoniang was the only one from her side of the family present, standing silently as an awkward figurehead.

This was her daughter’s lifelong event, but what could she do? Even the new clothes her daughter wore for the ceremony were paid for by the Zhou family. The only thing Zhao Qiaoniang could give was the small amount of money she had saved as her daughter’s dowry, just in case. As for the lack of family presence, what could she expect? The Yu family wouldn’t help, and it wasn’t like she could bring her daughter’s biological father into the picture.

They didn’t dare tell him the truth and could only rush to arrange everything while it was still early in the pregnancy. When the baby was born, they could claim it was premature and muddle through. If he found out, he would never let the opportunity slip, and he would surely demand a hefty sum from the Zhou family.

Whenever Zhao Qiaoniang thought of this, she felt a sliver of relief. Since her daughter wasn’t of legal age yet, they couldn’t register the marriage. By the time she was old enough, the baby would already be born, and the situation would be irreversible. Even if he was dissatisfied, it would be too late to ask for a bride price. However, transferring her daughter’s household registration later on would undoubtedly be a hassle.

“Qiaoniang, Qiaoniang, what are you thinking about? I’ve been calling you for ages, and you didn’t respond,” Liu Ju said, raising her voice after several failed attempts to get her attention.

Zhao Qiaoniang snapped out of her thoughts. “What did you say? Sorry, I was just thinking about what to cook for dinner and got distracted.”

Qian Laidi snorted. “I was asking about your biological daughter. The Yu family wouldn’t favor one over the other, would they? The stepdaughter got a job—what about your daughter?”

Zhao Qiaoniang forced a faint smile. “She got married.”

Qian Laidi looked surprised. “Married? To whom?”

“Someone in our county.”

“Does he have a job? How many people are in his family? What do they do?” The two women pressed her with curiosity. “Such a big event, and you didn’t tell us? Do you even consider us friends? We didn’t even get to give her a wedding gift!”

“It was a simple affair,” Zhao Qiaoniang said. “We didn’t do anything fancy—just a family meal, no invitations…”

After managing to deflect their questions, Zhao Qiaoniang felt utterly drained. If they found out that Yu Xiang’an’s previous engagement was also with someone surnamed Zhou, they’d surely draw connections. Some of the more astute neighbors had already started suspecting something. She could only continue denying it. As long as she didn’t admit to anything, they had no evidence, and there was little they could do.

Her thoughts turned to Ding Minxiu again. A woman without her maiden family’s backing would face a hard life. Before, the Yu family had been her support and treated both mother and daughter well, ensuring they had security. Zhao Qiaoniang couldn’t understand why her daughter would do something so reckless.

Even if the Zhou boy had pursued her first, didn’t she know what lines shouldn’t be crossed?

At this point, all she could hope for was that this pregnancy would result in a son. Life was too hard for women. When she had given birth to Minxiu, her own health had already suffered, but at least her parents had still been alive, providing her some support and deterring the Ding family from being too harsh. Even so, her life had been difficult. Now, with her daughter entering the Zhou family under such unfavorable circumstances, if she failed to produce a male heir, she’d spend the rest of her life with her head bowed in front of the Zhou family.

🌱🌿 🫧🍃