Ch 26: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

With her family’s approval, Yu Xiang’an was even more motivated. She threw herself into work with vigor, moving efficiently and energetically. After collecting all the statistics, it was decided that two buildings would be constructed this time.

Each building would have two floors: one mixed with three-bedroom and two-bedroom units, and the other with two-bedroom and one-bedroom units. This plan was finalized only after everyone submitted their housing choices and deposits.

Because of her involvement in this project, much of Yu Xiang’an’s accounting work was delayed.

It went without saying that those who chose three-bedroom units were either factory leaders or families with multiple earners—otherwise, they couldn’t afford it.

Two-bedroom units were mostly chosen by families with dependents, as they were sufficient for starting a family and raising children for at least the next 20 years.

One-bedroom units were typically selected as wedding homes or by families in less favorable financial conditions. If they had the means, who wouldn’t want a two-bedroom unit? But limited finances led them to choose one-bedroom units.

After submitting her payment, Yu Xiang’an faced some persuasion from Sun Qingchun, who felt that as an unmarried young woman, she didn’t need a two-bedroom unit.

Yan Yuzhen agreed, thinking a one-bedroom would suffice. By the time a one-bedroom became insufficient, the factory might be allocating houses again. She had faith in Xiao An and believed she would eventually qualify for a house.

However, since the decision was already made, Yan Yuzhen didn’t press further and occasionally brought back news from the factory.

For example, the leadership had deliberated for a long time over whether this plan was permissible or whether it violated regulations. The factory leaders even consulted with the county officials beforehand. Only after receiving their approval did they present the plan to the workers for a vote.

Once the project was approved, construction began swiftly, and news of it spread throughout the county.

Housing shortages weren’t unique to the food factory—every factory faced the same issue. The food factory’s initiative opened a door for others, revealing a new way to obtain housing.

Given the prices at the time, families with multiple workers had often saved a considerable amount of money. For example, a household with four workers could earn 100 yuan a month. If they spent 30 yuan on food and 10 yuan on other necessities, they could save 60 yuan a month—amounting to 720 yuan a year.

Families with high-ranking workers earning 50–60 yuan a month could save even more, especially with subsidies and benefits. With few opportunities to spend their savings, the chance to purchase housing was a perfect solution.

In this era, people had a deep attachment to housing and land. If there was no opportunity, they would accept it, but if one arose, they wouldn’t miss it.

Brick factory workers walked with pride these days as business boomed. Building houses couldn’t happen without them.

Originally, Yu Manchang was supposed to return to farming after covering for a few months at the pig farm. But when this wave of opportunity arose, he went to the brick factory as a temporary worker. The pay for manual labor there was 2 yuan more than at the pig farm because it was physically demanding.

Manual labor didn’t scare Yu Manchang; what worried him was not having an outlet for his strength.

Now, seeing this situation, he estimated he could work there for about half a year and earn a decent amount.

As the one who proposed the idea, Yu Xiang’an received praise, albeit only verbal. Still, she felt deeply satisfied—this was her contribution to changing the times.

When Yu Manchang joined the brick factory, Yu Xiang’an approached him with a suggestion: could he learn brickmaking from a master and later start his own brick factory?

Yu Manchang was stunned.

Yu Xiang’an explained her idea step by step.

If he learned the trade, the brigade already had materials and wouldn’t need to buy them. Would the villagers object?

Even if the bricks couldn’t be sold, they could be used by the brigade itself, with work points offsetting the costs. Would people agree to this?

If they could get bricks by simply working hard, wouldn’t they want them to build their homes?

And what about nearby villagers—would they really not want to buy bricks?

Private individuals weren’t allowed to trade, but collectives were permitted.

The Hongxing Brigade was a collective.

If things went well and the brigade established a brick factory, people could work as laborers right at their doorstep.

Yu Manchang was fired up by the idea.

Yu Qingshan, hearing about it, was equally excited. Although he no longer lived in his hometown, he still hoped to see the land that raised him thrive.

He sought out connections and eventually introduced a brickmaker who was willing to take Yu Manchang on as an apprentice. It cost some effort, but it was worth it to give Yu Manchang the opportunity to learn.

If only Yu Manwu wasn’t so young and underdeveloped, with a skinny frame and little strength, Yu Manchang would’ve brought him along too. Heavy labor during his growth phase might stunt his development, so it wasn’t suitable for him yet.

When Yu Manchang returned and shared where he was working, Yu Manwu was visibly dissatisfied. He glanced at his thin arms, then at his older brother’s, and felt dejected.

He wasn’t as strong as his big brother yet, but he still had some strength! He wanted to earn wages too, and he wanted to go to the county.

Yu Mansheng, even younger and smaller than Yu Manwu, felt even worse. If his second brother didn’t get the chance, he had even less of one.

Seeing their disappointment, Yu Manchang blurted out, “If you don’t have much work to do right now, why don’t you come to the county and stay for a couple of days?”

Yu Manwu’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Then he realized his brother didn’t have the final say and turned to their parents. “Can we?”

He looked at them eagerly. “I’ve only been there twice in my whole life.”

Xu Xiaojun, sitting quietly nearby, thought to herself, I’ve only ever been to the commune. I’ve never been to the county.

Yang Huili couldn’t bear to refuse and looked to her father-in-law. Yu Changyou stayed silent for a moment. The second son’s house had enough rooms—when space was tight, they had added two mud-brick rooms because he had five children, and every son would need a room of his own when they married. Even the daughters couldn’t all squeeze into one room.

Though the rooms were simple mud-brick constructions, the number was sufficient. Now, with two grandsons sent to the countryside and the eldest grandson living in factory housing, three rooms were available. One of the four original rooms had deteriorated too much and was now used for storing firewood, leaving three usable rooms.

Currently, Yu Manchang was using one, leaving two more. So Yu Changyou nodded. “Go ahead. Xiaojun can go too. You haven’t visited your second uncle’s house yet, have you? Get familiar with it. There isn’t much work at home right now, so go stay for a couple of days. You and your husband have been apart for so long—take this chance to spend some time together.”

He still wanted great-grandchildren, after all. If they were always apart, how could that happen?

“Letting the kids broaden their horizons is a good thing,” he added. With his approval, Yang Huili quickly agreed. “I’ll pack some grain for you, but don’t stay too long, or I’ll scold you! Also, your uncle recently brought some mountain goods for Xiao An. Take them to her.”

Yu Manwu and Yu Mansheng immediately stood to attention and saluted. “Mission accepted!”

Yang Huili couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t get into trouble when you’re there, alright? Be polite and diligent. If you see any work that needs doing, help out. And if anything comes up, talk to your second uncle.”

Yu Qingshan welcomed the idea of them staying for a short visit and said cheerfully, “Things aren’t busy at home, right? Then come and explore properly. Xiaojun, you know the area—take your two brothers around and show them a good time, okay?”

“Got it!”

Yu Xiangju puffed out his little chest. “Leave it to me!”

Yu Manchang felt a bit awkward for bringing guests without prior notice. “Uncle, these eggs are from Grandma. She asked me to bring them for my sister-in-law to nourish her body during pregnancy.”

Yu Manwu took out the mountain goods. “These are for Sister Xiao An. My mom asked us to deliver them to her.”

Yu Qingshan, aware of this, nodded. Yu Xiang’an opened the package to see what was inside. “Thank you for bringing these over. I’ll take them tomorrow and exchange them for supplies. I’ll give you what I get in return tomorrow. For now, enjoy yourselves. Or would you like to visit my workplace? I can show you around during my lunch break if you’re interested.”

“Yes, we want to go!” both Yu Manwu and Yu Mansheng exclaimed eagerly. Even Xu Xiaojun, who didn’t speak, had “interested” written all over her face.

Yu Xiang’an smiled. “It’s settled then. Come find me tomorrow at noon. Xiaoju, you know where I work, right? You can guide them there.”

With that, she didn’t plan to head home.

When they arrived at the factory, the gatekeeper saw it was Yu Xiang’an bringing in visitors. He had them register and reminded them not to enter the workshops, suggesting they only look around from the outside. Yu Xiang’an agreed and began showing them around.

“This is the production workshop…”

“This is the warehouse…”

“This is where the vehicles are parked. Look, here’s our truck. It’s not in use today.”

“Wow, this is a truck? It looks amazing!”

“So impressive!”

The old, worn-out truck elicited an unusually enthusiastic response from them. In this era, cars were as rare as airplanes in the future—perhaps even rarer. Private ownership of cars was unheard of, and even public vehicles were often retired from other uses. This truck, for example, was originally a military vehicle, passed down through several hands before ending up at the factory.

Next, Yu Xiang’an took them to see the newly allocated apartment building. It was still under renovation. Even after being distributed to individuals, the units couldn’t be immediately occupied. Each unit was just a large empty room with no partitions, only doors and windows. However, the floors and walls were smooth and clean, which was already satisfactory.

In this era, “renovation” wasn’t much of a concept—if it was usable, it was good enough.

Xu Xiaojun and Yu Manwu were visibly envious of the clean, white walls and neat space, touching them cautiously as if afraid to dirty them. When they learned that Yu Xiang’an would have such a place to live soon, they all looked at her with admiration.

Upon hearing that she had made the decision to buy the house without asking first, they were even more impressed.

Yu Manwu gave her a thumbs-up. “Sister Xiao An, you’re brave!”

“I wouldn’t dare,” he added.

Yu Xiang’an laughed. “When the house is ready, my dad and the family can move in too. Two rooms are more than enough for us. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Yu Manwu chuckled. “If I did something like that, my mom would probably beat me half to death.”

Yu Xiang’an: “…”

Yu Mansheng asked, “Will you all move here to live later?”

“That depends on my dad,” Yu Xiang’an replied.

She doubted Yu Qingshan would agree to move. First, he was deeply attached to his hometown and reluctant to leave. Second, the commute would be an issue. While this location was closer to her workplace, it was farther from the hardware factory where he worked. If they moved here, her commute would be convenient, but his wouldn’t.

Later, they visited the small building under construction. Many of the people helping weren’t wearing uniforms—they were voluntary workers with free time, all of whom had purchased a unit in the building. They were eager to see the houses completed and to move into spacious, well-lit new homes as soon as possible. Their contributions significantly sped up the progress.

While they couldn’t handle skilled labor, they helped carry bricks and pass materials, which was more than enough.

With these eager helpers watching over the construction, the workers couldn’t slack off and had to pick up the pace. As a result, the project progressed rapidly. In this era, there was no piling or reinforcement with steel—just layer upon layer of bricks glued together, steadily building upward.

The more technical tasks, like installing sewer pipes, required skilled workers.

Besides visiting the food factory, they also went to the brick factory, though there wasn’t much to see there. However, when they visited the meat processing plant and saw the numerous pigs, they were amazed. The sight of so many pigs, like moving mountains of meat, left them wide-eyed.

“So many pigs!”

Yu Mansheng swallowed hard. “So much meat!” Compared to their home, where they raised just one pig, this was overwhelming.

Yu Manchang explained that this was natural—how else could they supply meat to all the people in the county if there weren’t enough pigs?

Xu Xiaojun was envious. People in the city received ration coupons for half a jin (250 grams) of meat per month, allowing them to buy pork regularly.

“How nice! At home, we only get to eat pork during the New Year or holidays. Even a boiled egg is a luxury,” she sighed.

This was true, but not entirely accurate. Yu Xiangju shook his head regretfully and explained, “Having coupons doesn’t mean you’ll actually get meat. Every month, our family has to wake up early to line up. If you arrive late, you’ll miss out on the good stuff—there might not even be pork bones left. What’s the use of having coupons then?”

Xu Xiaojun: “…”

She had no response to that.

Later, when Yu Xiang’an went to the kitchen, Xu Xiaojun followed to help. A bit shy, she admitted she wanted to learn how to cook tastier dishes. While she considered herself a decent cook, after eating Yu Xiang’an’s meals, she realized she had a lot to improve on.

Yu Xiang’an generously agreed to teach her. But as Xu Xiaojun watched her cook, she quickly understood why her dishes didn’t taste as good. Yu Xiang’an used a lot of ingredients—plenty of oil, salt, and various seasonings Xu Xiaojun didn’t even recognize. With such generous seasoning, how could the food not taste good?

Realizing how much the ingredients must cost, Xu Xiaojun gave up quickly. She couldn’t bring herself to use so many resources. “Forget it,” she thought. “This cooking style isn’t for me. I can’t afford it.”

On the first day, they toured several factories. On the second day, Yu Xiangju and Yu Mingjie planned to take them to the supply and marketing cooperative.

Yu Manwu and Yu Mansheng were indifferent, but Xu Xiaojun came prepared with money and ration coupons. Her mother-in-law, Yang Huili, had given her some to buy things for the family. Since it was her first time visiting the county’s supply and marketing cooperative, she felt confident she could manage.

They woke up early and arrived at the cooperative, only to find a long line already formed.

The deputy food store was always crowded in the mornings, as it was the best time to buy fresh vegetables, fish, and meat.

Their family didn’t need vegetables this time; Yu Manchang had brought plenty back from the village, enough to last them for a while.

Xu Xiaojun’s main goal was to buy two bars of soap. Yang Huili had reminded her that the family was running low.

She also wanted to buy herself two hair ties, something Yu Manchang had specifically suggested. He admitted he wasn’t good at shopping and told her to choose what she liked, even giving her some “pocket money” for it.

In addition, Yang Huili had given her coupons and money to buy fabric. Some of the fabric coupons were from their own family, while others were exchanged with Xiao An’s coworkers. With these, they could make new clothes for themselves.

Buying fabric was a significant task. Entrusting her with this responsibility made Xu Xiaojun feel the weight of it. She didn’t want to let her mother-in-law down.

She was worried she might make a mistake.

That day, Yu Xiang’an and the others were busy with work, so Yu Xiangju and Yu Mingjie took charge of guiding their guests. Yu Mingjie had two cents, money he had painstakingly saved. Yu Xiangju had a bit more—five cents, also from long-term savings.

He announced proudly that he was going to spend his entire savings on candy. Feeling a strong sense of responsibility as the host, he believed that welcoming guests meant offering them something good. In his mind, there were only two truly good things: meat and candy. While meat was beyond his budget, candy was within reach.

The supply and marketing cooperative in the county was much larger than the one in the commune. Xu Xiaojun was dazzled by the variety of items displayed in glass cabinets. The county truly had more to offer!

She spotted a beautiful apron. The style was much more fashionable than anything at the commune’s cooperative, and the color was vibrant—even red! In this era, owning a piece of red clothing was something to be envied. If someone wore red out in public, they’d be the center of admiration for days.

Someone inquired about the price of the apron, and the sales clerk gave them a once-over, seemingly assessing their ability to afford it. After deciding they could, the clerk finally replied, “This apron costs sixteen.”

Xu Xiaojun was startled. So expensive!

No wonder it looked better than those in the commune—it was significantly pricier. If she bought it, it would cost more than half of her husband’s monthly salary. She quickly gave up on the idea and shifted her attention elsewhere.

Opportunities to visit the county were rare, and she intended to make the most of it. When she returned home, she would have plenty to boast about to her friends.

Ye Qijia worked at the cooperative, but she was very busy. With the crowd, even though she knew her relatives were coming, she couldn’t immediately find them. Thankfully, they knew which counter she was assigned to. When the rush subsided, Xu Xiaojun and the others went over to greet her, and she led them to the rest area.

Ye Qijia had already informed her coworkers about relatives visiting from the countryside and asked for a bit of leeway. After all, who didn’t have a few relatives from the countryside? Everyone understood and cooperated.

With a bright smile, Ye Qijia shared, “You’re lucky today. There’s a bolt of fabric that got damaged by insects, leaving small holes on one side. The other side is still good. This type of fabric doesn’t require ration coupons and is cheaper than regular fabric. Do you want it?”

Of course, they wanted it!

Who cared about a few small holes? The rest of the fabric was perfectly fine, and the holes could be avoided when cutting. For inner linings, it wouldn’t matter at all.

“This is the last piece. Don’t go around telling people,” Ye Qijia cautioned.

Xu Xiaojun nodded repeatedly. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.” With this fabric, they could save their ration coupons and a lot of money. When she returned home, her mother-in-law would definitely praise her.

On the way back, Xu Xiaojun couldn’t stop smiling, delighted with her purchase.

Aside from the cooperative, they also visited the school, hospital, state-run restaurant, government offices, and other notable locations in the county. They explored all the well-known spots, and Yu Xiangju and Yu Mingjie thoroughly enjoyed the outing. Being young, their family usually didn’t allow them to go far on their own.

But with Yu Manwu and Yu Mansheng, who were older boys, and Xu Xiaojun, a married adult, there was no worry about accidents. The children ran around freely, making the most of the opportunity.

After seeing them off, Ye Qijia finally sat down to rest. Ever since she became pregnant, she would sit on the stool behind the counter whenever she felt tired.

She didn’t want to overwork herself.

Having hoped for this pregnancy for a long time, she cherished it just as much as her first. She was determined to take every precaution.

With no customers at her counter, she could relax for a while.

The supply and marketing cooperative often had long lines, but it depended on the counter.

Counters selling large items like bicycles and sewing machines often went days without customers. Most visitors just inquired about prices, and purchases were rare. In contrast, counters for candy, cookies, and fabric were much busier.

Next to Ye Qijia’s counter was the cigarette counter, which was also relatively quiet. The clerk there noticed Ye Qijia sitting down and brought up the topic of housing.

“I really wish I could live in a new house too. My place is way too small. My sister-in-law hasn’t married yet, and when she does, my brother-in-law will probably need to bring in a bride. There’s no way we’ll all fit.”

“And of course, we didn’t get a house in this year’s allocation. I’d be happy to buy one if I could.”

Ye Qijia quickly gestured for her to lower her voice. The woman immediately stopped and corrected herself, “I mean, I’d love to purchase a unit under the workplace housing program.”

Yes, it was workplace housing, not private property.

“You’re so lucky to have your own space. Living alone as a couple must be great—no in-laws above, no meddling younger siblings below. If only I were as fortunate as you. But alas, I wasn’t so lucky.”

Many envied Ye Qijia’s situation. After getting married, she and her husband moved into a clean, private house. They lived independently, free from interference by in-laws or siblings. She managed her own household and didn’t have to answer to anyone.

Her current mother-in-law, who came into the family later, didn’t have the standing to control her. Life couldn’t be more comfortable. Although she hadn’t gotten pregnant for several years, she hadn’t been too anxious, as she already had a son. Now, with a second pregnancy, she was content. As long as she could conceive, she could always have more children in the future.

Ye Qijia smiled faintly but didn’t say much. Compared to others, her life was indeed better. At times like this, it was better not to say anything that might invite jealousy.

“Is your husband’s workplace doing something similar?” the woman asked.

Ye Qijia shook her head. “They’re still discussing it. No decision has been made yet.”

She didn’t mind either way. Whether or not it happened, she was fine with it. Their current home wasn’t large, but it was enough for a small family. By the time their child grew up, more than ten years would have passed, and there might be another housing allocation by then.

Since both she and her parents had houses, she wasn’t overly concerned about the matter.

While she could take it lightly, others couldn’t.

It would be difficult for the supply and marketing cooperative to organize a housing project since their workforce was smaller than the factory’s.

Of course, not everyone was happy about Ye Qijia’s good fortune. Seeing her pop a sour plum into her mouth, someone made a sarcastic comment. “Eating sour things—it must be a boy. Sour for boys, spicy for girls. But this pregnancy seems more restless than your first, doesn’t it? Maybe it’s a girl this time. If it is, don’t get upset. Remember, boys and girls are the same. Women hold up half the sky, right?”

Though phrased as advice, the words dripped with schadenfreude, poorly disguised.

Ye Qijia glanced at her coolly.

She didn’t get angry—what was there to be angry about? The woman clearly had issues, prone to making snide remarks whenever possible. Getting upset over her nonsense wasn’t worth the energy.

But her lack of reaction didn’t stop the woman. “Did you even hear me? Oh, it’s just a pregnancy. It’s not like others haven’t been pregnant before…”

Some people simply couldn’t stand to see others doing well. Deng Xiahong was one of them. Her family situation was similar to Yan Yuzhen’s, but she couldn’t afford to reserve a unit and missed out on this housing allocation. Who knew when the next opportunity would come?

She couldn’t afford that much money, but Yu Xiang’an could—and for a two-bedroom unit at that. Her envy burned so intensely that her eyes were practically bleeding.

She often spread rumors about Yu Xiang’an behind her back, and in a way, her persistence was admirable—just not directed toward anything productive.

No matter what she said, many people couldn’t help but feel envious. After all, who wouldn’t want their own house? If their finances allowed, they would want one too.

When Yu Xiang’an returned in the evening, she listened to them excitedly recount their purchases. Seeing the soap reminded her that she actually knew how to make it. Back in college, one of her dormmates was a craft enthusiast who loved watching DIY videos and trying things out. Yu Xiang’an had joined her a few times.

They had made moisturizing facial soaps, lipsticks, lip balms, hand creams, homemade face masks, wool felts, scarves, and even cross-stitch projects.

They once tried to replicate an elegant ancient-style invitation card inspired by noblewomen of the past. The goal was ambitious, but the final result was… well, a heartfelt attempt.

However, making simple paper was something she had genuinely mastered.

Thinking back, she realized she had learned quite a lot of skills that could be useful now. Unlike the modern era, where one could simply search online for tutorials, many techniques in this era were considered “trade secrets.”

This was a real opportunity to make money.

🌱🌿 🫧🍃