Ch 27: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

Apart from some gossip, everything was going well for Yu Xiang’an. Meanwhile, Yu Xiangqing, who was at Niu Jiao Brigade in Dayu Commune, had completely cut ties with Liang Yong. She even moved out of the educated youth dormitory and began living with an elderly woman who was raising her young grandson and granddaughter, sharing meals and daily life with them.

Breaking things off with Liang Yong, Yu Xiangqing also didn’t want to live in the same space as Mo Wenwen anymore. Her patience had run thin. Seeing someone she disliked constantly in her space made her feel disgusted, and it was impossible to keep smiling and pretending. She openly expressed her attitude, freeing herself from the entanglement.

Her future was still long, and there was no need to waste time with people who annoyed her. She’d rather pay a bit of rent each month to live independently in the elderly woman’s home.

Here, surrounded by families, she felt safe. The elderly woman was reasonable and respected, with a son serving in the army, ensuring no one dared to cause trouble.

After moving out, everything seemed brighter—the mountains greener, the water clearer, and even the oppressive sun seemed less irritating.

Ding Minxiu, who had been keeping an eye on her, avoided meeting Yu Xiangqing in person. Pregnant and visibly showing, she didn’t want to risk being noticed or having rumors spread. Still, she quietly gathered information. In the close-knit community of educated youth, news traveled fast.

While many didn’t know about Yu Xiangqing’s situation, Liang Yong’s new relationship was no secret. Word had spread that an educated youth was dating the only daughter of a commune cadre and had been given a temporary job at the commune. Though the position couldn’t secure household registration, it made him half a city person. If they married, his future prospects seemed obvious.

Liang Yong had clearly climbed onto a promising path. Other male educated youths were envious and jealous, thinking they’d have gladly taken such an opportunity if it had come their way.

The better Liang Yong’s life became, the worse it made Yu Xiangqing’s situation seem. Ding Minxiu imagined her in pain from being betrayed, and this thought brought her a twisted sense of satisfaction. Seeing Yu Xiangqing suffer improved her mood, lifting some of her own frustration.

Whenever she thought about it, the gloom in her heart would ease.

Meanwhile, after using the private funds Zhou Boyang gave her, Hu Chunyu became more brazen about skimming from her meals. “Since you have money, you can buy better food yourself. Don’t act spoiled. When I was pregnant, I survived on wild vegetables and tree bark from the mountains. You’re lucky you even get eggs occasionally. Don’t pamper yourself too much—it’s not good for the baby.”

If it weren’t for the fear that Ding Minxiu might speak ill of her to her daughter, Fang Rong, she would’ve cut off the eggs entirely.

Ding Minxiu wasn’t an educated youth sent to the countryside, so she didn’t have to work in the fields. However, she was expected to pitch in with some household chores. She cleaned her room because she couldn’t stand the mess, though even that left her feeling drained.

She was immensely grateful that, despite her plans with Boyang being exposed earlier than expected, things had ultimately worked out.

She had no intention of becoming a rural laborer or leaving the city—absolutely not.

Now, she was merely staying temporarily, avoiding fieldwork. She already knew how grueling life as an educated youth could be and believed it would have destroyed her. Her choice had been the right one.

She was simply waiting until her pregnancy advanced further. By the time she returned, people would think her belly was just showing early and wouldn’t suspect anything else.

Rubbing her stomach, she silently prayed, Please, please let it be a boy. With a son, she could demand a proper job, securing her future.

When she heard that Yu Xiangqing had cut ties with Liang Yong, Ding Minxiu instinctively assumed her life must be in shambles. Why else would she move out of the educated youth dormitory? Educated youths relied on sticking together for support. Living alone meant there would be no one to stand up for her if she was bullied.

The thought made her laugh. She wrote a letter to Zhou Boyang, sharing the news, and enclosed another letter for Zhao Qiaoniang.

In her letter to Zhou Boyang, she shared the story to keep him informed. In her letter to Zhao Qiaoniang, she asked if she knew about Yu Xiangqing’s situation. If Zhao Qiaoniang didn’t know, it would mean Yu Xiangqing hadn’t told her family.

Ding Minxiu speculated that Yu Xiangqing likely kept it a secret out of fear of embarrassment.

Both sisters ended up facing similar troubles. Just thinking about it brought immense satisfaction to Ding Minxiu.

When Zhou Boyang read her letter, he was just as pleased. Seeing the Yu family suffer filled him with joy. Although he had no personal grudge against Yu Xiangqing, she was still a member of the Yu family, and he wished ill upon every one of them.

He noticed the second letter addressed to Zhao Qiaoniang and delivered it personally.

When Zhao Qiaoniang learned of the situation, she became restless. They truly had no idea—Yu Xiangqing’s letters home had mentioned that everything was fine. There was no word about Liang Yong climbing the social ladder or about their fallout.

She hadn’t said a thing.

What should she do now? Should she tell Yu Qingshan?

Zhao Qiaoniang was torn. If she revealed it, she’d have to admit she learned it through Minxiu. While Zhou Boyang hadn’t explicitly asked them to cut ties with Minxiu, it was clear Yu Qingshan wouldn’t be pleased to know they were still in close contact.

However, if this matter came to light later and it turned out she knew but hadn’t informed them, Yu Qingshan would be even angrier.

To make matters worse, Zhou Boyang already knew. If word slipped from the Zhou family, the news would spread further.

After two days of deliberation, she decided to tell him.

She explained that Zhou Boyang had delivered a letter from Minxiu, who had coincidentally heard news about Yu Xiangqing. Apparently, a fellow educated youth from Baishi County named Liang Yong had gotten close to the only daughter of a commune cadre. He had even moved to the town to work as a temporary laborer.

At the time, Yu Qingshan and Yu Xiang’an had been joyfully sorting out Mid-Autumn Festival benefits. Zhao Qiaoniang’s words poured cold water over the festive atmosphere.

Yu Qingshan clenched his fists, his face dark.

That boy! His daughter had chosen a closer placement specifically because of him, sacrificing other options. She was willing to endure hardships alongside him, yet he didn’t appreciate her at all!

After pondering for a moment, Yu Qingshan couldn’t shake his unease. “I’ll go visit her. Two days should be enough for the round trip.”

Yu Xiang’an chimed in, “Dad, I’ll go with you. I can comfort her better. Look, I’ve gotten through this; she can too.”

Yu Qingshan didn’t reject the idea immediately.

Encouraged, Yu Xiang’an pressed further, “There are things you might find hard to say, but I can handle them.”

This time, he didn’t oppose her as strongly as when she’d wanted to visit Yu Xiangyan. Perhaps it was because he was going as well, or perhaps he believed Xiang’an’s similar experiences would help her comfort her sister.

It was settled.

Since it was nearly Mid-Autumn Festival, they decided to leave early so they could spend the holiday together.

They coordinated their leave at the factory and started preparing the festival benefits to take with them. This year, the food factory’s perks included half a jin (250 grams) of oil—bartered from the oil factory during Yu Xiang’an’s trip with Deputy Factory Director Wang—along with a jin of five-nut mooncakes and a box of fruit.

At Yu Qingshan’s factory, employees received a box of fruit, two jin of rice, and four mooncakes as Mid-Autumn Festival benefits.

Yu Xianghai, being of a lower rank, received only half of that.

Ye Qijia’s benefits were also decent—besides mooncakes, she received a piece of fabric and a pair of towels.

Yu Manchang, though only a temporary worker, also got some festival perks, albeit much less than regular employees: one mooncake and half a jin of candy.

They packed some portable items and sent a telegram to Yu Xiangqing, then purchased tickets and boarded the train.

Yu Xiangqing had been in the countryside for over a year now. When she was sent down, she was already 18 years old. This was because Yu Qingshan had insisted on keeping them in high school for two more years to delay their rural assignment. If it were possible to repeat grades to avoid being sent down, he would have encouraged that too.

Yu Qingshan didn’t want his children to suffer like him, being illiterate and struggling to learn later in life. His hope was for all his children to at least graduate from elementary school—and, if possible, even attend college. But college became impossible, and they still had to go to the countryside.

Except for the eldest, Yu Xianghai, who left school after middle school to take over a job, all the others finished high school before being sent down. This meant they were older, more mature, and slightly more prepared for the challenges.

Yu Xiang’an was now 18, and Yu Xiangqing, a year older, was 19. Although an adult, she was still a child in Yu Qingshan’s eyes—one who had been betrayed and needed her family’s support.

They boarded the train with bags of supplies.

This was Yu Xiang’an’s first train ride. The original owner of her body had never traveled by such a means of transport.

The green train was slow and crowded. They hadn’t bought seats—partly because they weren’t available and partly because the trip was only four hours, so it seemed unnecessary.

Yu Qingshan had brought two newspapers to sit on if needed, but there wasn’t even any floor space for that. At best, they could rest by leaning on their luggage, which they kept a close eye on to avoid theft.

The train was a cacophony of dialects, with passengers from all over the country. Yu Xiang’an couldn’t understand most of what she heard, but Yu Qingshan could. He even explained to her where each accent came from.

“Dad, you know so much,” she said, impressed.

Yu Qingshan smiled modestly. “Back when I ran errands for others, I had to pick up a bit of everything. If I couldn’t understand, how could I deliver messages?”

They even tried a train meal, which didn’t require ration coupons, only money. Each person could buy only one portion.

Yu Qingshan bought a portion and shared it with his daughter. The serving was generous, enough for the two of them.

The four-hour journey was grueling.

At first, the novelty of the train ride made it bearable. But as the novelty wore off, the discomfort became apparent. The noise was tolerable, and the crowding was manageable, but the smell was the hardest part.

Yu Xiang’an was shielded by Yu Qingshan, avoiding direct contact with other passengers, but there was no escaping the odor. The hot weather made people sweat easily, and with soap being a luxury for many, the enclosed train carriage was overwhelmingly stuffy.

Yu Xiang’an: “…”

I was too naïve.

She realized her earlier confidence about taking the train alone to visit Yu Xiangyan had been misplaced. It wasn’t impossible to endure, but it would have been exhausting.

When they finally arrived at the station, Yu Xiang’an breathed in the fresh air outside with deep gratitude.

You only realize the value of something after losing it.

She decided she would definitely bring a mask for the return trip.

Outside the station, Yu Xiangqing was already waiting. She held up a cardboard sign with the character “Yu” written on it.

As soon as Yu Xiang’an exited the station, she spotted it.

“Dad, look, over there!”

Yu Qingshan followed her gaze and saw his fourth daughter.

She had tanned since leaving for the countryside and grown a little taller.

Taking a deep breath, Yu Qingshan called out, “Xiao Qing.”

Hearing his voice, Yu Xiangqing turned, her eyes reddening. “Dad, I’m here.” She ran over, saw the large bags they carried, and took one from Yu Xiang’an. She reached for one of Yu Qingshan’s bags, but he stopped her. “I don’t need help. Just help your sister.”

Yu Xiang’an asked, “How long have you been waiting?”

While asking, she couldn’t help feeling a bit curious. The two sisters shared some resemblance, about three or four points, and looking at her sister felt strangely familiar.

Yu Xiangqing smiled brightly. “Not long. The train wasn’t delayed. It’s been a while, Xiao An. You’ve grown taller and fairer. Look at me—how much darker I’ve gotten.”

Yu Xiang’an didn’t know how to respond. Seeing her reaction, Yu Xiangqing laughed. “What’s that look for? It’s not your fault I got sent to the countryside. And honestly, staying pale here would take being born with incredible looks.”

She seemed cheerful.

Yu Qingshan nodded approvingly, then glanced at the blazing sun outside. “Is it far from here to your brigade?”

“Not far. I borrowed an ox cart from the team. It’s just outside the station. Riding the cart, we’ll be there in no time.”

“You know how to drive an ox cart?”

Looking slightly embarrassed, Yu Xiangqing admitted, “I tried, but I couldn’t manage. I asked an older brother from the educated youth dorm to help.”

“Won’t he get impatient waiting for us? Let’s hurry,” Yu Qingshan said, frowning slightly. “You shouldn’t have borrowed the cart. We can carry these ourselves.”

“It’s fine,” Yu Xiangqing waved it off. “You’ve had a tiring train ride. Let’s go back and talk on the way.”

Outside the station, a young man stood by the ox cart, waiting. When he saw them, he smiled. “Hello, Uncle.”

Yu Xiangqing introduced him. “This is my dad and my sister. This is Brother Zheng Ke from our educated youth dormitory. He’s always been kind to us newcomers.”

Yu Qingshan nodded. “Thank you for looking after my daughter.”

“There’s no need to thank me, Uncle. I didn’t do much.”

“Let’s get on,” Yu Xiangqing said, motioning toward the cart. “No need to stand out here in the sun.”

They loaded their bags onto the cart and climbed aboard.

Yu Xiangqing was right—their destination, Niu Jiao Brigade, wasn’t far. The ox cart ride took about an hour. However, compared to the distance between Hongxing Brigade and the commune, this was about 50% farther. Observing the surrounding houses and the clothing of the people they passed, it was clear that living conditions here were worse than back home.

Neither Yu Qingshan nor Yu Xiang’an commented on her remark about it being “not far,” leaving Yu Xiangqing feeling a little guilty. She explained, “It really isn’t far. The brigades further down take much longer. The farthest one is half a day’s walk away.”

Upon arriving at Niu Jiao Brigade, they headed to the house Yu Xiangqing rented.

On the way, she explained, “Grandma Chen is very kind. Her son is stationed with the army far away, and her daughter-in-law passed away from complications during childbirth. The family is left with elderly and young members. They don’t lack food or clothing, but they need someone to help out. She hopes I can also teach her grandchildren to read and write. It works out well for both of us.”

She felt nervous, worried her father might think she had been too impulsive to move out of the dormitory.

In reality, Yu Qingshan didn’t think that at all. He carefully asked about the circumstances of her move and learned that her former roommate frequently took advantage of her. With no empty beds in the dormitory, she had no choice but to move.

“You did the right thing.”

Yu Xiangqing was surprised. “Dad, really? You think I wasn’t wrong?”

Yu Qingshan reaffirmed, “Yes, you weren’t wrong. If living there was uncomfortable, it’s better to move. Even the leader of your educated youth team didn’t object, right?”

Zheng Ke nodded in agreement. “That’s right. Everyone saw the situation. If you can’t get along, moving out is a good idea. She’s not the first to do so; other educated youths also live with local families.”

Learning that the household consisted only of an elderly woman and two grandchildren under ten, Yu Qingshan felt relieved. “What kind of families live nearby?”

Yu Xiangqing obediently answered every question, so much so that Zheng Ke found it amusing. He’d never seen her so well-behaved, like a student being disciplined by a teacher.

“To my left lives a large extended family with over ten members. Even their grandson is married, but they haven’t split up yet. They have plenty of strong laborers. About 100 meters to my right is a household where the village’s second most senior elder lives. The educated youth dormitory isn’t far either, only about 800 meters away.” Yu Xiangqing knew her father was concerned about her safety, so she detailed all the nearby households.

Truthfully, she felt guilty about keeping certain things from him.

Yu Qingshan listened without much change in expression. From what he heard, the situation seemed acceptable. The family’s son being in the military was a strong assurance—during this time, soldiers were held in high regard. Even in his absence, the family’s reputation would deter trouble. Additionally, military families received regular allowances, and with few members to support, their home was likely well-maintained.

After inspecting the house, Yu Qingshan finally nodded in approval.

With everyone settled, Zheng Ke said, “I’ll return the ox cart now.”

Yu Qingshan replied, “Thank you for all your help today.”

Yu Xiangqing added, “Thank you, Comrade Zheng!”

Grandma Chen, who already knew her guest’s family would arrive, came out to greet them. “Comrades, welcome.” Her two young grandchildren peeked curiously at the visitors.

Yu Qingshan and Yu Xiang’an greeted her warmly, smiling in return.

Yu Xiang’an: “…”

The local dialect was difficult to understand, and she barely caught anything.

However, Yu Qingshan managed to piece things together, responding in a halting yet effective manner.

Yu Xiang’an: “…”

Dad, you’re amazing!

Noticing her sister’s confusion, Yu Xiangqing leaned closer and whispered, “You can’t understand, right? It takes time to get used to. After a while, you’ll start picking it up.”

Their hometown wasn’t far from this place, still within the same province. Compared to those from other regions, who often couldn’t understand a word of the local language, they were relatively fortunate. Here, few people even spoke standard Mandarin.

The bags they brought were placed in Yu Xiangqing’s room. Immediately, Yu Qingshan unpacked some food items to give to Grandma Chen as thanks for taking care of his daughter.

Grandma Chen initially refused but eventually accepted after much insistence. She even offered for him to stay in her son’s room, which was currently vacant and ready for use.

This was an unexpected bonus—he wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor.

After the formalities, the family finally sat down for a proper conversation. Grandma Chen tactfully left, giving them privacy.

Pouring water for her family, Yu Xiangqing said, “You must be thirsty. Here, have some water.”

Yu Qingshan drank a mouthful and then asked, “Why were you the one to meet us? Where’s Liang Yong?”

At the mention of Liang Yong, Yu Xiangqing’s expression wavered, her eyes avoiding his. She hadn’t figured out how to explain the situation yet, and the sudden news of her father’s visit via telegram had caught her off guard.

“Are you still trying to hide it from me?” Yu Qingshan’s tone grew stern. “Speak up. What’s going on here?”

Shocked, Yu Xiangqing asked, “Dad, you know? How did you find out?”

🌱🌿 🫧🍃