Ch 100: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

Ye Qijia had been feeling a bit smug, since she had made a lot of money selling clothes and working as an agent, but now she was back down to earth.

Her son’s wedding was held once in Baishi County, inviting all the childhood friends and relatives they were close to. They also held another wedding banquet in Yangcheng, mainly for the bride’s relatives. The bride’s side didn’t have that many people, and the scale wasn’t as big as in their hometown, but it was held in a prestigious restaurant there, so it was still quite good. She even furnished the couple’s new home with a complete set of appliances—television, refrigerator, electric fan, washing machine, tape recorder, and so on—buying all that was no strain on her finances. Most families would be anxious about such a big occasion.

She wasn’t.

But recently, a new commercial housing development had opened in Yangcheng, and her brother-in-law Lin Chuanbai bought an apartment there.

The first and second floors were connected, with plenty of rooms, a spacious layout, a small garden, and it was already renovated. At 1,800 yuan per square meter, it cost more than 200,000 yuan in total!

The self-satisfied Ye Qijia suddenly became very grounded, realizing she was still just an ordinary person. She went to look at the 130-plus square meter apartment and indeed found it very nice—she was tempted.

The location was close to several famous schools and not far from a hospital. She thought it would be perfect—when her grandchildren were born, it would be very convenient for them to attend school here.

Not long after buying it, Lin Chuanbai moved in. Their old place was fine for just themselves, but cramped when guests visited. The new place felt spacious.

Yu Xianghai knew Ye Qijia was tempted to buy a place there, and when he asked about the price, he fell silent. It was no small sum. In Baishi County, they could buy land and build a house for far less, but the schools there… were indeed enticing.

During winter break, Mingfeng and Mingyao had gone to their aunt’s place for a whole winter’s worth of extracurricular classes. When the two of them talked now, they sometimes used words their parents couldn’t understand. These were rare experiences in their small county—exposure that only came from a broader, more developed environment.

Yu Xianghai thought it over and finally gritted his teeth in agreement.

But they would have to wait until the current batch of treasury bonds was sold off. Right now, he was buying bonds from the factory and selling them in higher-priced areas. Once this wave was finished, they’d have more cash on hand.

When the bonds were sold, Yu Xianghai and Ye Qijia bought two adjoining units—one for each of their sons in the future.

Meng Yuhong was shocked when she saw the place.

Was her husband’s family really this wealthy? They could afford such an expensive apartment—and bought two at once!

She and her husband together made less than 200 yuan a month. At 1,800 yuan per square meter, it would take them who knows how many years to buy one.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiangqing and her husband were secretly borrowing money from relatives and friends to flip for a profit.

They kept it quiet. They claimed they were just doing someone a favor when buying. Yu Xiangqing didn’t borrow from her own siblings, and Yan Peng didn’t borrow from his parents or brothers—if they borrowed from everyone and something went wrong, they wouldn’t be able to survive.

Even so, they had borrowed quite a bit, but just enough to keep under control.

The more they earned, the stronger their capital became, and the greater the profits they could make.

For the sake of this lucrative business, Yan Peng threw himself into his work with renewed energy. He loved going on business trips—if someone didn’t want to go, he’d volunteer.

Yu Xiangan also bought at low prices. She had plenty of cash, and when her subordinates went to exchange bonds at the bank, the manager would personally come out to handle it. Even though the transactions were split into smaller lots of several tens of thousands, in that economic climate the amounts were still eye-catching.

The profit came from the timing gap, and it was time-limited. Once prices evened out, there’d be no money to make.

But as long as they acted in time, the profits were substantial.

Yu Xiangan had large cash inflows not just from sales but also from her expanding Five Flavors Restaurant, which alone brought her tens of thousands in income every day.

*

After Lin Yining was given her red envelope money to manage herself, her spending grew. She happily bought things she liked—celebrity posters, merchandise, pretty clothes, and jewelry. None of it was very expensive individually, but she bought so much that she lost track. Within a few months, all the money was gone.

Lin Yihong was the opposite—he didn’t want much, so he saved his money and spent just as before.

When Lin Yining realized she was out of money, she noticed her parents hadn’t given her pocket money. She went to Lin Chuanbai, who was surprised. “I already gave you your pocket money.”

“When?” she asked, puzzled. “I never got it.”

“Your New Year’s money is your pocket money for the year—I gave it to you all at once,” he said.

She was dumbfounded. “Dad, you never said that before!”

Looking innocent, Lin Chuanbai replied, “I didn’t tell you? Maybe I forgot. But think about it—if we gave you more on top of that, imagine how much you’d be spending.”

This was intentional. They wanted to teach their children financial management. In primary school, they’d given very little and kept a tight rein. Now that the kids were older in middle school, they should start learning to budget—so they tried this approach.

Their son was unchanged, with little desire to spend. Their daughter, however, had burned through almost a thousand yuan in just a few months—a sum equal to more than a year’s wages for an ordinary worker.

“Where did it all go?” Lin Chuanbai asked.

Thinking of the many new things in her room, she was speechless. Finally, she frowned miserably. “So what do I do now?”

“How did you get by before when your pocket money ran out?” he asked.

How? By waiting until the next month’s allowance.

But now she’d have to wait more than half a year!

She pouted pitifully. “Dad, I just want to buy some stickers—they’re only a few cents.”

“But your pocket money is already gone,” he said.

“Dad~” she whined, dragging out the word.

He picked up the newspaper and focused on reading. “Not having pocket money won’t affect your daily life. If you really want something, think of another way.”

Their school meals were prepaid, clothes were taken care of, and notebooks and pens were stocked at home. Many families couldn’t afford to give pocket money at all, and life still went on.

No matter how much she pleaded, Lin Chuanbai didn’t budge. Lin Yining gave up and went to find Lin Yihong.

He laughed heartily. “Ha! That’s what you get for spending so happily.”

She scowled. “I’ll definitely save some next time.”

The feeling of having not a single coin wasn’t something she wanted to experience again.

“Good,” he said smugly.

“Brother… I don’t have money now. You still have some, right?” she asked.

He pulled out a five-yuan note. “Going completely broke isn’t good. I’ll lend you this—you pay me back next year.”

Having even a little was better than nothing—if someone treated her, she wouldn’t look bad. And five yuan could last quite a while.

Lin Yihong emphasized, “Don’t keep borrowing money from me. My money doesn’t grow on trees.” He intended to save it for a purpose.

Lin Yining quietly accepted the five yuan.

Five yuan was indeed a lot; just one cent could buy a popsicle. But having once had so much money to spend freely, and now having none, she clutched her chest and felt regret all over again.

Why hadn’t she thought about the future when she was spending before?

Seeing his sister looking so dejected, Lin Yihong didn’t say more and went to find Lin Chuanbai. “Dad, are you really not going to give my sister some pocket money?”

Lin Chuanbai said, “You know how she’s been spending without restraint lately. She needs to reflect. Don’t help her — you can help for a while, but you can’t help her for a lifetime.”
He had been paying attention to Lin Yining’s spending. He knew roughly how much she had gone through but hadn’t stepped in to interfere. After all, while this money would be a lot for an average family, it wasn’t much for theirs.
If it could teach her to think and learn financial management, then so be it.

Lin Chuanbai looked at Lin Yihong. “Aren’t you planning to do something with your money?”

Lin Yihong shook his head. “I’ll just save for now.”
For a student, it was a sizable sum, but in reality, it wasn’t enough to buy anything particularly expensive.

Altogether, he had already saved up one thousand yuan — a fortune among students. But for adults, it wouldn’t be too hard for a household to put that together.

Lin Yihong thought aloud, “Dad, if I wanted to make money, what could I do with this amount?”

Lin Chuanbai straightened up. “You want to make money? Why?”

He put down his newspaper. “Have you thought about what you want to do in the future? Making money — I don’t object. If you can earn, it means you at least have the basic means to support yourself. But at your age, studying is the most important thing.”

Lin Yihong looked at him seriously. “Dad, can I do anything I want in the future?”

Lin Chuanbai replied, “As long as it’s not immoral or harmful, I won’t interfere. Your mother and I have built up enough for you both to have the capital for freedom. But you also need to understand that even if we earned a fortune, if you don’t have the ability to keep it, by the next generation it might be gone.”

Lin Yihong still hadn’t decided what he wanted to do, so he stayed silent.

Lin Chuanbai continued, “As long as the industry you choose is legitimate, and you don’t just laze around at home, anything else is fine. If you haven’t decided yet, don’t rush — you’re still in junior high. You can decide by the time you take the college entrance exam. Of course, if you decide earlier, you can prepare ahead of time and avoid detours.”

He had considered what paths his two children might take. They both spent summers training with the army; their performance wasn’t outstanding, but it wasn’t bad either. In terms of both physical fitness and academics, the twins were above average. As long as they didn’t go astray, he wasn’t worried.

“Do you want to join the army?” Lin Chuanbai asked.

Lin Yihong took a deep breath. “I don’t mind the army, but I don’t like being in that kind of environment all the time.”

“How about joining the civil service like your grandfather and uncle, going into business like your mother, or doing research at a school like me? You have plenty of time to think.”

Lin Yihong nodded. “I’ll think about it carefully, Dad.”

Lin Chuanbai smiled. “Alright, go on.”

Between the twins, Lin Yining was the more lively and outgoing, but when it came to maturity and thoughtfulness, it was her brother.

After learning her lesson, Lin Yining spent her five yuan much more carefully. She even exchanged it for smaller change, setting a limit on how much she could spend in a month, trying her best to stretch it as long as possible.

The feeling of having no money — restricted and uncomfortable — meant that when she went with classmates to buy drinks or ice cream, she now calculated her spending.

After comparing options, she thought of a good way to save money: acting cute with her mother to get her to make homemade ice cream.

Her mother’s ice cream tasted even better than store-bought and cost nothing.

That way, she could save a little.

Yu Qingshan later found out about this, but because of Yu Xiang’an’s words, he didn’t give Lin Yining any more pocket money either. He agreed that Lin Yining was careless with money and needed to be taught.

In the past, her monthly allowance wasn’t much, so spending it all wasn’t a big deal. But now, she had gone through a large sum — thankfully without wasting it on anything improper.

Lin Houpǔ called Lin Chuanbai’s office, asking him to go check on someone. An old subordinate had come to see him, and in the course of reminiscing, he learned that one of his former soldiers had been living badly since leaving the service.

After returning home, the man farmed in his hometown. Now, because of issues with his son’s bride price and housing, he had approached that old subordinate for help. Lin Houpǔ remembered this soldier well — he had never once asked for help in all these years — so he was a bit angry and asked Lin Chuanbai to check on him.

If there was any way to help, he should.

After getting the call, Lin Chuanbai followed the address given.

It wasn’t far away, and when the twins heard where he was going, they both tagged along. Lin Chuanbai drove — about two hours’ trip.

Shangliu Village.

At the Tian family home, Tian Mao’s mother, Sun Guihua, was crying loudly in the yard, smacking her second son on the back. “You’re drinking our blood and eating our flesh, just to marry a wife!”

Her second son, Tian Mao, just let her hit him. He squatted there holding his head, staying silent no matter how much she hit or scolded him, his eyes full of confusion.

His newly married sister-in-law leaned against the doorway, watching the drama with relish.

Tian Mao closed his eyes in pain. Had he done something wrong?

He just wanted to marry Li Liu-jin, no one else.

Sun Guihua hit harder. “Why won’t you say anything? Speak! Do you want to drive me to my grave?”

Tian Mao couldn’t help asking, “Why could big brother spend so much to marry sister-in-law, but I can’t?”

Sun Guihua froze for a moment, then wailed even louder.

His sister-in-law gave a mocking laugh. “That’s simple. Your brother’s the eldest son. If the elder brother doesn’t get married, how can the younger marry first? And the parents will live with us in the future. Given your brother’s situation, only I was willing to take him, and my family’s conditions are decent. Most of the bride price your family gave, I brought back. But that Liu-jin you like is different — her family had six daughters before a son. Her older sisters all want to marry well, as if each were a gold mine. If you give her family this money, you won’t get it back.”

Sun Guihua pleaded, “Son, give up on this. There are plenty of girls your age. Why insist on her? The family really can’t afford it. Besides you, there are two younger brothers — your father and I don’t have that much money…”

The noise drew the neighbors, who clustered at the gate to watch.

Seeing Sun Guihua so distressed, they began to chime in. “Tian Mao, you’re not young. Be considerate to your parents. That girl’s asking for three hundred yuan in bride price, plus a bicycle and a television. Even city folks can’t always manage that. And clearly, that’s her family preparing for her brother’s marriage — you won’t get it back. What’s the point? That’s over a thousand yuan in total.”

Who could afford that?

Tian Mao just stayed squatting, saying nothing, stubborn and unwilling to change his mind.

Someone kept trying to persuade him. “Your family just married your elder sister-in-law and built houses for you brothers. Where would you get so much money? With a new house like that, you’re not going to have trouble finding a good match. You’re putting pressure on your parents—you really can’t be so thoughtless.”

Tian Mao still said nothing, so someone changed tack. “Tian’s wife, why not bring out the bicycle you prepared for your eldest? Then you’d only have to get a television, and you could negotiate the bride price later.”

“Yeah, you’ve got a bicycle at home.”

But his sister-in-law wasn’t having it. She put her hands on her hips. “Hey, that’s mine! Who takes something from a sister-in-law’s dowry to marry off a younger brother-in-law? Have you no shame?”

One neighbor shot back, “That bicycle came out of the Tian family’s pocket.”

The sister-in-law snorted. “Do you know what a bride price is? The bride price is for the bride’s side of the family—how could you take it back? And don’t think just because I’ve married in that you can dispose of my things at will. I’m telling you, if you really try that, you can find yourselves another wife for him!” She flung the door shut.

Seeing that reaction, Sun Guihua let out another wail. “Why is my life so bitter?”

Voices rose around her. “Isn’t Second Tian a soldier? Doesn’t he have comrades? This house and that bicycle you have now came from a comrade’s help—have him ask again.”

Someone else argued back. “A second time? There are two younger sons yet—do you expect him to ask his comrades every time? Their money doesn’t grow on trees.”

“That’s right, a comrade doesn’t owe him anything. You can only eat from as big a bowl as you can hold. The Li family’s ‘golden flower’ isn’t so easy to marry.”

“The sixth golden flower is prettier than her sisters and closest in age to her younger brother. Her father isn’t about to give her up without squeezing for everything.”

“She’s good-looking and capable—just wasn’t born to a good father.”

“What a pity.”

No matter what was said or how loud the fuss got in the courtyard, the burly man sitting by the window inside sat like a carved stone, motionless.

He knew they wanted him to come out and take responsibility, but what could he do? Go ask a comrade again? He didn’t have the face for that.

If the second insisted on marrying her, there was nothing for it—the Tian family couldn’t afford Li Liu-jin. If he wanted to stay single, then so be it.

Just then there was a cry of surprise outside. The sound was different, and he went out to see. People had surged toward the gate. At the gate was a crowd—adults and children—and more and more were gathering.

Because there was a four-wheeled automobile.

Who in the village knew such a big shot who drove a car? Around here, cars were rare, only occasionally passing through.

Now one was stopped right here. Who had it come for? Second Tian?

The children were curious, but none dared touch it. The adults had warned them—this was worth more than they could ever repay, even if they sold themselves.

Then the car door opened. There were people in the driver’s seat and the back—three in all: a young man driving, and in back a boy and a girl in their early teens.

The young man smiled at the gathered crowd. “Uncles, aunties—this is the home of Tian Erzhuang, right?”

Sun Guihua wiped her face and nodded quickly. “Yes, yes, this is Tian Erzhuang’s home, you are…?”

Just then Tian Erzhuang came out. “I’m Tian Erzhuang.”

Lin Chuanbai extended his hand. “Uncle Tian, hello. My father also came out of the army. He heard something about you, and since I’m not far from here, I’ve taken the liberty of calling unannounced. I hope I’m not intruding.”

Sun Guihua was flustered. “N-no, not at all.”

“Come in, come in,” Tian Erzhuang said.

Lin Chuanbai opened the trunk and took things out. Lin Yihong and Lin Yining followed to help.

Seeing that, Tian Erzhuang waved his hands. “No, no, take those back.”

Lin Chuanbai smiled. “One doesn’t come empty-handed. It’s just some fruit.”

Sun Guihua’s face lifted into an involuntary smile at the sight.

Plenty of onlookers wanted to know who this was and what their relationship to Tian Erzhuang was, but the car cowed them, and they didn’t have the nerve to follow in.

So Tian Erzhuang shut the gate.

Inside, Lin Chuanbai took in the courtyard—big, fenced in with their vegetable plots. The house was a single-story with four or five rooms, not big but plenty.

It was new, and remembering Lin Houpu’s words, it was likely the house had been built with borrowed money as a wedding house for his son.

He wouldn’t have had to borrow from a comrade, but first his parents fell seriously ill, then his elder son fell from a mountain while collecting herbs, leaving him with a limp. The bride’s family had agreed not to break off the match, but had raised the bride price. Under those circumstances, Tian Erzhuang had no choice but to go to his comrades.

Inside, the house was new, but sparsely furnished. What was there was old and mismatched.

The central room doubled as living and dining room. Hearing movement, everyone at home came out: the elder son and daughter-in-law, the second son coming in from the yard, the two younger sons who’d been hiding in their room, and the youngest daughter. All of them stared curiously at these three visitors who were obviously not from around here.

Sun Guihua poured tea, a bit ill at ease. “This is flower tea I dried myself last year—it’s quite nice, try it.” They didn’t buy tea leaves if they could help it.

All three accepted the cups with both hands and took a sip.

Only then did Tian Erzhuang ask, “Your father is…?”

“My father is Lin Houpu.”

Tian Erzhuang almost blurted out “Old—” before catching himself. He swallowed. “How did your father know? Was it Old Qi?”

Lin Chuanbai nodded. “My father was a bit angry—if Uncle Qi hadn’t mentioned it, he wouldn’t have known. He asked why you never told him. He said he still remembers what he told you when you retired from the army. He asked me to pass on a message: have you forgotten him?”

Tian Erzhuang gave a wry smile. “How could I? Is your father well?”

“He’s well. Uncle Qi came by, and since I’m closer, he asked me to come see how you’re doing. My father also said if you need help, don’t stand on ceremony.”

Tian Erzhuang smiled at once. “I’m fine. Everything at home is fine.”

Sun Guihua tugged at his sleeve. Fine? In debt and unable to marry off their second son?

Tian Erzhuang shot her a warning look. She stopped fidgeting.

Lin Chuanbai noticed. “Uncle Tian, are you farming the land you were allocated?”

“That’s right.”

“I heard from my father that back in the army you were very brave—the first to rush forward in any difficulty.”

Tian Erzhuang gave a modest smile. “I’ve only got strength in my arms.”

As he reminisced about life in the army, he smiled more and more, his eyes almost glowing. Now he looked like any other farmer, but the straight line of his back still bore the stamp of his service.

Lin Chuanbai sighed inwardly. What Tian Erzhuang needed now was a job that brought in cash. Working the fields kept food on the table and clothes on their backs, but it didn’t make it easy to reach for more.

It wasn’t that one couldn’t make a living from the fields, but those ventures also required investment and time.

Lin Chuanbai felt a twinge of regret. The fact that Lin Houpu still remembered this man meant that his performance back then must have been outstanding. But after being discharged, the skills he had learned had no place to be put to use, and now he simply toiled in the fields, facing the dirt with his back to the sky.

What a pity.

“Uncle Tian, would it be convenient for the two of us to talk in private?”

Tian Erzhuang led him to the back of the house.

Lin Chuanbai said, “Uncle Tian, my father says he still remembers what you told him when you were discharged—that if you had any difficulties, you should reach out to everyone. You spoke with Uncle Qi and the others before, so why suddenly forget him? You all went through life-and-death together. If you hit a rough patch but didn’t contact him, is it because he did something wrong?”

Tian Erzhuang lowered his head in dejection. “It’s not that. I just felt embarrassed to trouble the old regimental commander over such small matters at home. It’s my own uselessness—I can’t even manage the affairs of my own family properly.”

Lin Chuanbai sighed inwardly. “Uncle Tian, I wonder if you’d be willing to help me with something.”

Tian Erzhuang’s eyes lit up. “What is it?” If it was within his ability, he would definitely help.

Lin Chuanbai said, “I have a shipment I plan to send to Hong Kong, but things over there aren’t very stable. From time to time there are people blocking roads and robbing travelers. My father told me you once won second place in a hand-to-hand combat competition. I’d like to ask you to help keep things under control.”

In other words, security. Lin Chuanbai had already discussed it with Yu Xiangan—they thought they could set up a company like this staffed by professional veterans. If there wasn’t enough start-up capital, they could invest themselves. That way, there would be another way for these veterans to make a living, and clients in need of such services would have a reliable choice.

For example, their own “Meiyan” business did well in Hong Kong, but since the region hadn’t yet returned, while it was certainly prosperous, many areas still hid much darkness. A moment’s carelessness could lead to heavy losses.

Tian Erzhuang’s expression eased, and he smiled with confidence. “That’s no problem. I haven’t had a proper fight in years, but my skills haven’t deteriorated much. Dealing with a few petty thugs won’t be an issue.”

Lin Chuanbai looked relieved and grateful. “That’s wonderful. The people I’d found before were too busy, and we were short-staffed. If you’re willing to make the trip for me, it would be a great help. I’ll cover all food, lodging, and travel expenses, and you’ll be paid the same as the others. Uncle Tian, don’t be in a hurry to refuse—this is the going rate. If you turn it down, I’ll have to ask someone else, and I might not be able to trust them as much. The last people I hired were actually colluding with local gangs over there, and we almost lost the shipment.”

At that, Tian Erzhuang could no longer refuse.

🌱🌿 🫧🍃