Ch 28: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

“That’s not important. Why didn’t you tell the family what you were going through? Were you afraid we wouldn’t care about you?”

Yu Xiangqing shook her head, her voice lowering. “No, I know you wouldn’t abandon me. I just… I didn’t know how to say it.”

She sighed. “I didn’t know how to bring it up. It’s my fault, Dad. You warned me, but I insisted on following him here. It was my decision, and now I’m facing the consequences. I was afraid you’d be disappointed in me.”

“What are you saying? You’re my daughter. No matter how disappointed I might be, what could I possibly do to you?” Yu Qingshan’s expression darkened, and under his stern gaze, Yu Xiangqing laughed sheepishly and quickly admitted her mistake. “Since you already know, I won’t dwell on it anymore. Dad, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me.”

With his daughter acknowledging her mistake, what could he do? Of course, he forgave her.

Seeing that she was still lively and full of energy, Yu Qingshan felt relieved. “Alright, just be more cautious in the future. Now, can you tell me exactly what happened?”

Yu Xiangqing spread her hands, her tone calm. “It’s pretty simple. During that time, Grandpa fell ill, so there was no package sent to me. Someone said my family wouldn’t support me anymore, and he probably thought the same. Maybe he’d been suppressing his feelings for a while and finally used this as an excuse to cut ties. He took the opportunity to climb up by getting close to the commune leader’s only daughter. He’s now working as a temporary laborer in the commune.”

Yu Xiang’an nodded. “Cutting your losses early is a good thing.”

“It would’ve been worse to realize his character after marriage. Do people know you were dating him?”

Yu Xiangqing burst into laughter. “Little sister, you’re absolutely right—better to find out now than later. No, people didn’t know. They just assumed we were from the same hometown and got along well. I was foolish. He said not to make it public, and I didn’t think much of it.”

“I thought we were dating, but to him, we were just friends.” She shrugged. “Being friends is fine too. It doesn’t stop me from finding someone else.”

Hearing her self-deprecating tone, Yu Qingshan could barely suppress his anger. “Where is he now?”

His expression turned so grim that Yu Xiangqing worried he might actually track Liang Yong down and give him a beating.

She grabbed his arm. “Dad, don’t get mad. He’s at the commune, and I have nothing to do with him anymore. Everyone knows we’re not involved. That’s enough. He’ll face his karma sooner or later. The girl he’s with isn’t in good health, and I’ve heard she had a failed engagement before. There’s definitely more to the story, so his life won’t be easy.”

Though enraged, Yu Qingshan kept his composure. If he impulsively confronted Liang Yong, it might only tarnish his daughter’s reputation. But if he were to find him in secret and teach him a lesson… that was another story.

For now, he drank several bowls of water to calm himself before asking, “What are your plans moving forward?”

Yu Xiangqing pressed her lips together. “One step at a time. I don’t have many options. I’ve already been assigned here, so I’ll focus on farm work and earning work points. Dad, I’ve gotten pretty good at farm work now. People even compliment me on how neatly I plant seedlings, as if I’ve measured them with a ruler.”

“And I’ve memorized all the crops. I used to pull seedlings thinking they were weeds, but not anymore.”

“There’s a local specialty here called cloud mushrooms. I love them, and I think you will too. It’s past their season, but I’ve got some dried ones. They’re not as good as fresh ones but still tasty. I’ll cook some for you tonight.”

Since it was already 2 p.m. by the time they arrived and they had eaten lunch earlier, dinner preparation was next.

Yu Xiang’an volunteered. “Fourth Sister, I’ve gotten pretty good at cooking recently. Let me show you what I can do.”

She found herself liking this resilient and carefree older sister. Despite everything, she remained strong—something many couldn’t manage.

Yu Qingshan felt comforted by her open-mindedness. Hearing Yu Xiang’an’s offer, he nodded. “Your sister’s cooking skills have improved a lot lately. It’s like something clicked for her suddenly. The dishes she makes now are delicious. Let her cook for you tonight, and you’ll see.”

Yu Xiangqing was skeptical. It had only been a year—could her sister have improved that much? Their cooking skills had been about the same before.

“Alright, Little Sister, I’ll look forward to tasting your cooking tonight. By the way, how’s everything at the food factory? Is it going well?”

Yu Xiang’an smiled. “It’s going great. Sister, you don’t need to worry about me. What about you? What do you do for leisure here?”

Yu Xiangqing blinked playfully. “I get up early in the morning to work in the fields, come back at dusk, eat, bathe, and by then, it’s completely dark. Since I have a high school education, I occasionally help other educated youths teach literacy classes to the villagers. We read Chairman Mao’s quotes and essays to them. As long as the weather is good, there’s always work to do.” After all, without work points, there wouldn’t be enough food rations.

Yu Xiang’an tilted her head. “Do you still read books, Sister? Have you ever thought about submitting articles for publication? I remember your essays were often praised by teachers. If I can get published by a newspaper, you definitely can too. Postage isn’t expensive, and if your article gets accepted, the payout will be hundreds of times the cost of postage. While working, you can gather material for deeper, more meaningful stories. Just be mindful of sensitive topics, and I think you’ve got a good chance.”

Yu Qingshan nodded in agreement. “That’s a great idea. Give it a try—it’s worth the effort. If it works, it could change your situation.”

He genuinely hoped his daughter wouldn’t spend all her time just farming. Learning something new would be ideal. He didn’t want his children stuck in the same muddy cycle he had worked so hard to escape. Though there were no job openings in the city right now, writing and publishing didn’t require one. If she succeeded, it might open doors for her to return to the city.

Yu Xiangqing pondered the suggestion. Submitting articles? She had never considered it. Could she do it?

“Maybe… I should give it a shot. How did you submit your articles?”

“I researched which newspapers accept submissions and studied their style. Then I targeted those with similar themes.”

Yu Xiang’an explained the process in detail, while mentally planning to help her sister. Once she returned, she could send over some books and excerpts from newspapers to give her a head start.

They arrived the day before Mid-Autumn Festival. With their return trip scheduled for midday the next day, they had just enough time to celebrate the holiday together.

They had brought plenty of food, including mooncakes, meat, candies, canned goods, and various sauces that Yu Xiang’an had made herself. There was more than enough to last Yu Xiangqing for a while.

After chatting for a while, it started to get late. Yu Xiang’an rolled up her sleeves, prepared the meat, and set aside a portion for Granny Chen and her family. The three of them celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival early.

Yu Xiangqing was delighted to be celebrating together with her father and younger sister, along with the mooncakes from home. Having her family by her side felt truly wonderful.

Her happiness was evident as she spoke about her older brother, grandmother, and grandfather who weren’t present and recounted all the small and big events that had occurred at home over the past year while she had been away.

That night, they stayed up later than usual but slept soundly afterward.

The next day was bright and sunny. Granny Chen and her two grandchildren finished breakfast early and went out. Yu Xiangqing planned to take her father and sister on a walk around Niu Jiao Village, but Mo Wenwen appeared at their doorstep.

Seeing her, Yu Xiangqing’s face instantly darkened. “What are you doing here? Didn’t I make it clear? Don’t come looking for me, and I won’t come looking for you. Let’s stay out of each other’s way.”

“Xiaoqing, why are you so heartless? We’ve shared such a long friendship, and you’re dismissing it because of a few words from others? I’ve already repaid my debts to you. We still have a long time to coexist here.”

Mo Wenwen’s voice sounded innocent, but no matter how she pleaded, Yu Xiangqing maintained the same stance. “Are you done talking? If so, leave. You have work to do, and if you’re late, you’ll lose work points. Don’t blame me for not reminding you.”

This was the roommate Yu Xiangqing despised so much that she had moved out to avoid her. She looked sweet and harmless, with no obvious scheming nature—an appearance that belied her true colors. It turned out the quietest dog bites the hardest.

When Mo Wenwen saw that Yu Xiangqing was unmoved, she turned to Yu Xiang’an. “You must be Xiaoqing’s sister. I’m her friend, but we’ve had some misunderstandings. Could you help me—”

“I can’t!” Yu Xiang’an cut her off bluntly.

She spoke her mind without hesitation. “You’re quite strange. This is my sister, so of course, I believe her. She’s made herself very clear. Can’t you understand? Being so thick-skinned isn’t innocent—it feels suspicious.”

Mo Wenwen’s face flushed red. “How can you say that? I just don’t want to lose a friend.”

“But my sister doesn’t want you as a friend,” Yu Xiang’an retorted. “Friendship isn’t one-sided. If it is, that’s just being clingy and shameless.”

Seeing Mo Wenwen flee in embarrassment, Yu Xiangqing felt elated. She couldn’t understand why she ever thought Mo Wenwen was a good person—a friend she had once valued after arriving here.

Only after her family stopped sending supplies did she realize how opportunistic Mo Wenwen was. As long as there were benefits, everything was fine. Once the benefits stopped, she would mock you behind your back.

And now, after they hadn’t interacted for a while, Mo Wenwen came running as soon as she heard Yu Xiangqing’s family was visiting. Clearly, she thought there was something to gain.

Yu Qingshan walked over slowly, watching Mo Wenwen’s retreating figure. “It’s okay. Just learn to keep your eyes open when judging people in the future.” After all, everyone has moments of poor judgment in their youth.

“Come on, take us around the village,” he continued. “And by the way, where would your village leader typically be around this time? I want to have a word with him.”

With his daughter stationed here, there would inevitably be times when she needed the village leader’s help. Given the leader’s generosity in lending them the ox cart yesterday, Yu Qingshan wanted to personally thank him and also ask for additional care for his fourth daughter.

Her personality still worried him. And there was Liang Yong—though he was currently a temporary worker at the commune, his household registration was still tied to the village. If he wanted to transfer it out in the future, the village leader’s approval would be essential.

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