Ch 83: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

Update – 15 Aug 2025: Since I couldn’t find a proofreader, all chapters from this point onward will be unedited. Some names or terms may be inconsistent. Please read at your own discretion.

xxx

When the twins entered the army, Yu Xiang’an couldn’t help feeling worried. The two of them had never really suffered any hardships before.

Seeing how anxious she was, Yu Qingshan comforted her:
“That’s their biological grandfather — he wouldn’t harm them. A little hardship when they’re young isn’t a bad thing.”

Yu Xiang’an gave a wry smile.
“I know you’re right, I understand that in my head… but I just can’t stop worrying.”

Well, that was true.
Parents can’t be that carefree.

On the third day, Xiao An got a call from Yining. On the other end, she was sobbing:
“Mom, I want to come back. They’re so mean. I’m so tired, I want to rest, but they won’t let me rest. Uncle is here too, but when I told him, he wouldn’t help me. Mommy, please tell Grandpa I want to go home…”

Was Yu Xiang’an distressed?
Yes.

But at times like this, all she could do was listen carefully and ask what had happened.

It turned out they were doing things like running laps, holding horse stances, frog jumps — basic training. The intensity, from what Yu Xiang’an heard, was no joke. For a child, had it pushed her past her limits? Maybe not, but such monotonous, grueling drills — how many people could enjoy them?

For a girl who had never suffered before, crying to go home wasn’t surprising.

Lin Houp’u had warned her about this earlier. Yu Xiang’an didn’t give in:
“Do you remember what you said before? You told me you’d stick it out till the end. Mommy remembers your words. Baby, just hang on for a few more days, okay? Climbing mountains is hard, isn’t it? But once you get used to it, it won’t be so tiring.”

Lin Yining’s tears dripped down the phone:
“But Mommy, I’m so tired. I want to go home. I want Daddy. I want you.”

Yu Xiang’an clenched her fist, her voice softening despite herself:
“Mommy misses you too. Mommy’s heart aches for you. I’ll talk to Grandpa and ask if they can adjust the training a bit, okay?”

She hadn’t agreed to take her home, but her words gave Yining hope.
“Mommy, hurry and ask,” she hiccuped loudly.

She was too embarrassed to call Grandpa herself.

She’d spoken so confidently before, and now, just a few days in, she was already backing down.

“Where’s your brother?”
“Someone in his group fell behind, so he’s still running.”
“Alright. Go get some rest. Mommy will call you later.”

After hanging up, Yu Xiang’an called Lin Houp’u, getting straight to the point:
“Is the training too much? Are the kids unable to handle it?”

Lin Houp’u reassured her:
“Don’t worry. Someone’s watching them closely — nothing like that will happen. They cried to you, didn’t they?” He guessed right. “It’s always like this at the start. The hardest part is the beginning. Give it a few more days, and they’ll adjust.”

Hearing that, Yu Xiang’an relaxed.
“As long as the intensity isn’t excessive. I just don’t want them hurt.”
“It won’t be. I’ve checked.”

“It was Yining who called you, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Yining’s a girl — Yihong can endure more.”

…

Yu Xiang’an gently encouraged Lin Yining to hang in there. Yining swallowed her grievance and agreed. Every couple of days, she would call to complain — until suddenly, she called again saying she wanted to go home. The shift was abrupt.

Then, a few days passed with no calls from her. Yu Xiang’an phoned instead, and it was Lin Yihong who answered.

“Why hasn’t your sister called me?”
“She doesn’t want to go home anymore. The person training us changed — she really likes her now and won’t leave.”

Yu Xiang’an: “…Is she good-looking? Male or female?”

Lin Yihong sighed, rubbing his forehead:
“Yeah, she’s very good-looking. She’s a female military doctor, very skilled and agile.”

He found the training tough too, but he’d never once said he wanted to leave early. He didn’t want to go back on his word. If he said now that he couldn’t take it, it would be humiliating. His pride wouldn’t let him run away.

His sister, on the other hand, had no such pride. She cried with a few other girls after just three days, telling him she wanted to go home.

Now she’d stopped saying that — his ears were finally at peace. But the reason for that peace… well, that was frustrating.

Looking long term, he thought gloomily, just how handsome would his future brother-in-law have to be to keep her interested?

Yu Xiang’an: “…How good-looking?”
“Like a movie star.”

Lin Yining was a textbook “face fan” — she liked attractive people, regardless of gender. Yu Xiang’an had warned her about this. Liking beautiful people wasn’t wrong; in fact, everyone did it to some extent. Was judging by appearances really so rare?

Even in ancient times, officials were judged partly on looks — if you weren’t good-looking, you might never get the chance to serve.

Yining’s desire to get close to good-looking people was innocent enough — she just wanted to talk to them, be friends, and steal a few extra glances. That was fine, but she still needed to keep her guard up. What if she ran into a good-looking con artist?

Caution was still necessary.

In this case, the female military doctor clearly wasn’t a con artist. If getting close to her made Yining willing to stay, then everyone was happy.

Lin Yihong: “Mom, Uncle’s here training too. I think he came just to laugh at us.”

He’d endured the pain, only crying quietly at night when his feet hurt — no one knew.
“He’s watching us from the side. He’s older, so he’s not training with us.”

Speaking of which, Lin Yihong’s voice took on a note of excitement. He’d even gone to ask someone about it. Sure enough, from a gossip-lover’s mouth, he learned about his uncle’s embarrassing past.

He laughed himself silly, then felt a rush of relief — thank goodness he’d held out and not cried in public. Otherwise, that would’ve become his embarrassing history.

After that, no matter how hard or exhausting it got, he gritted his teeth. Let Uncle watch?
No way!

When Wang Lijun came out of the shower, towel in hand, she saw someone walking toward her — sure enough, it was Lin Yining.

She couldn’t help but laugh, then asked:
“Finished your training?”
Lin Yining lifted her still-trembling arms:
“Sister Wang, I finished. I didn’t slack off.”
“That’s good.”

Wang Lijun had been away on other matters, so someone else had been supervising. She’d just gotten back and hadn’t yet gone to the training grounds.

This was the army’s family area — lots of families here, even a school and hospital. Many parents were willing to let their children join in training. The instructors were often people who had some free time from regular duties.

Wang Lijun had been assigned the group of kids after she’d been slightly injured during a mission.

And then, Lin Yining had started sticking to her like glue. It was the first time Wang Lijun realized she was this popular.

“Tired? Come, I’ll give you a massage.”
Lin Yining beamed.
“Thanks, Sister Wang! You work so hard. My mom sent these chocolates for you — here.”

Part of the reason Yining liked sticking to her — besides her looks — was that she gave massages. Just a few presses made her body feel much better.

As for the chocolates, well, it didn’t feel right to take without giving something back.

When Lin Yihong also got a massage, he started hovering around Wang Lijun too.

Lin Tiandong: “…”

Now both kids were sticking to someone else. And him? He hadn’t even been noticed.

Worse, he felt a bit bitter — he’d only gotten to witness his niece’s embarrassing moments, not his nephew’s. A niece’s tears were understandable; she was a girl, after all. But his nephew? The boy refused to shed a single tear, so there was no blackmail material — and now his own embarrassing history had been dug up instead.

But this also made him look at his nephew in a new light.

A pretty tough kid, not willing to admit defeat.

Lin Tiandong’s admission notice was sent to the family compound of the machinery factory. He only found out it had arrived when Li Yujiao called him.

When he got the call, he literally jumped up: “That’s great!”

People nearby who overheard also joined in: “That’s wonderful news — you’re going to be a college student now.”

“This kid’s going places.”

“The Lin family is really something — four kids, and three of them are in college!”

Aside from the daughter, Lin Yunling, they were all college students.

Even that daughter was an intellectual — becoming a doctor isn’t something just anyone can do.

How could people not be impressed?

Lin Houp’u had lived here for many years, with plenty of relatives and old friends. As soon as they heard the news, they gathered together.

Lin Tiandong went to his dorm and brought out a jar of candy to share the joy — he’d prepared it especially.

Any household with children got two pieces, hoping their own kids might absorb a little luck and become college students too.

Lin Yihong and Lin Yining also helped hand out the candy.

Even in the army, not everyone was nice — there were always a few jealous eyes.

Another prestigious university student.

What kind of dumb luck had the Lin family stumbled into?

Back when the couple had their falling out, everyone said their home would be full of trouble afterward. And yet, here they were, perfectly fine.

Heaven must be blind.

Seeing the twins laughing, someone came over to stir the pot: “How can you two be so naïve? If he does well, won’t your grandpa’s heart favor him? You don’t even have the same grandmother!”

“You’d better be careful — that step-grandma of yours isn’t simple. She’s a fox spirit!”

“There are some things you should go tell your dad. If he plays favorites with the other woman’s children, that’s not fair.”

Lin Yihong and Lin Yining kept their composure.

Since they were little, people had whispered such things to them. Back then, they didn’t understand, but their parents taught them never to express an opinion in front of outsiders. They were still young — just pretend not to understand.

Speaking out would do no good.

If there were internal family conflicts, they would resolve them themselves. Talking about it outside only gave others more gossip.

These people didn’t have good intentions, and they couldn’t be allowed to succeed.

As for whether their grandfather was biased — nothing was as reliable as what you had for yourself.

If you only kept your eyes on what the elders had, you wouldn’t get far in life.

Heart answers to heart — they knew for themselves how their grandfather treated them. As for whether he’d wronged their grandmother, even their parents didn’t know.

But in her letters, Grandma never mentioned it.

One year, before New Year’s, Lin Yining had quietly asked if Grandpa had made a mistake.

Grandma was silent for a long time, then shook her head and said no.

She wouldn’t say more.

That alone was enough to put her at ease.

When Yining heard these provocative remarks, she pretended not to understand, while Yihong — as the boy — became the main target of the instigation.

He’d heard it too many times and was fed up, so he “innocently” asked:
“Auntie, I don’t get what you mean. Is my grandpa biased? I’ll call him and ask.”

“Auntie, who are you calling a fox spirit? I’ll go ask Uncle.”

If those words were repeated, it would cause real trouble.

The crowd quickly dispersed.

Only then did Yihong get some peace and quiet.

…

Lin Tiandong got his admission notice, and Yan Jin received hers too. Funny enough, he was headed to Qingmu University and she to Capital University.

They were close in distance, and if fate played along, there might be other connections in the future.

While the twins were training over summer break, Yu Mingjie and Yu Xiangju came from Yangcheng to the Special Zone.

After arriving, they ate and drank well, but they didn’t just laze around — Yu Xiang’an hired them as temporary workers, paying them monthly wages, which they happily earned.

They were both grown young men now, tall and lean, and good-looking.

When the restaurant was short-staffed, a female customer even slipped a note with her name and contact info into Mingjie’s pants pocket.

When he found the note, his face flushed red, and Xiangju laughed so hard he nearly fell over.

It embarrassed him to death.

When Yu Qingshan found out, he was pleased — if they weren’t in school, this would be the right age to be thinking about life partners. Now, of course, studies came first. Once they graduated and were assigned jobs, then they could think about that.

But if a good girl appeared now, don’t drag your feet — strike while the iron’s hot. That made both young men blush furiously.

Yu Xiang’an told them to think early about the paths they wanted to take. Knowing their goal meant they could start preparing.

These days, college students weren’t as rare as before, but they were still valuable.

If they already had career interests, they could start learning more about those areas. Jobs might be assigned, but it wasn’t entirely inflexible. Whether you got work you liked would determine how comfortable your future life would be.

Sometimes Yu Xiang’an would take them along when she went out, to broaden their horizons. Having Yu Qingshan nearby to keep them grounded ensured they didn’t get too full of themselves.

They soon realized their sister/aunt wasn’t just someone who could wield a spatula in the kitchen or bury her head in books — she could also command a room at the negotiation table with confidence and authority.

It was a side of her they hadn’t known before.

Yu Mansheng also took time to show them around. His world was different — 99% men, many of them young guys who’d been working since their teens.

Here, Yu Mansheng was a boss everyone greeted with respect — nothing like his old self in the village. Now he had over a hundred men working under him.

More than a hundred people depended on him for their livelihood, and his business kept growing.

He was currently building a multi-story building to sell. It wasn’t even finished yet, and people were already inquiring.

Yu Xiang’an had invested in it too. Aside from spending on her factory and equipment, she had a steady income. Most large expenses were covered by bank loans, so she still had cash flow.

Construction was different — the other party often withheld part of the wages until completion, sometimes delaying payment intentionally. Partnering up helped share the risk.

This building project was mostly Yu Mansheng’s, but alongside Yu Xiang’an, there were two other partners — four people in total.

Besides that, Yu Xiang’an had other investments, with varying shares. Her main moneymaker now was the Five Flavors Restaurant. Business was booming, and in another two years, she aimed to have branches all over the Special Zone.

With more capital in hand, her first step when opening a restaurant was to buy the property, then renovate and expand it. A large enough space in a bustling area would become a valuable asset in itself.

She offered both dine-in and takeout for customers who didn’t want to wait — quick and convenient.

Her goal was to replace the future KFC and McDonald’s — with such a huge market, why shouldn’t she take it herself?

Fried chicken? Of course she knew how to make it.

She wanted to make her brand famous, dominate the Special Zone market, and then expand outward.

As for who would handle expansion, her current employees — motivated by the promise of promotions and raises — would surely have plenty willing to pioneer new markets.

This summer, Yu Xiang’an’s car arrived.

Yu Yegui helped with it.

She had already gotten her driver’s license before, so she could get on the road right away.

Yu Xiangju and the others watched with envy. In their spare time, Yu Xiang’an taught them how to drive, and Yu Qingshan joined in as well. He was still in good health and not yet sixty.

Yu Qingshan declined twice at first, but then stopped refusing. When it came time to get in the car, he was just as excited.

How many men don’t love cars? He certainly wasn’t one of them.

Because of that enthusiasm, they picked it up quickly. On empty roads, they dared to drive, but to get on the road officially, they would still need to get a license.

Yu Xiang’an signed Yu Qingshan up for the test there. Yu Xiangju and Yu Mingjie decided not to take it yet — there wasn’t enough time, and they wouldn’t have the chance to drive. They’d wait until next summer.

…

Many of those investing in the Special Zone were overseas Chinese returning home, contributing their efforts. Among them, some were here for the market, but more returned out of a deep love for this land.

This was their homeland, their roots.

They had left in the past out of necessity. Now that the land needed them, they came back.

Fu Ziyu’s family had been one of those forced to leave. They were a family of national capitalists, with scholarly roots.

With such a background, staying in the country back then would have been hard.

Now, after so many years, she thought she’d mostly forgotten, but upon returning, memories flooded back.

Fu Ziyu was such an overseas Chinese. Her English name was Jenny, but after returning, she used her original Chinese name again.

Back then, her whole extended family went abroad together. Over the years, they built up a business overseas.

When reform and opening began, they weren’t sure if coming back would lead to “settling accounts later,” so they observed for a few years and made preparations. Later, after discussions, they decided Fu Ziyu would take the lead.

Although she was a woman, her abilities were outstanding, no less than a man’s. She had helped build part of their overseas business herself.

In the end, returning went smoothly.

Government staff were friendly, and tried to meet their needs as much as possible.

Their hotel was now almost finished. She wanted to build a five-star hotel, and was constructing and hiring to that standard.

In this, she and Yu Xiang’an had a lot to talk about. Yu Xiang’an was always recruiting too, due to her restaurant expansion.

Because of that, they interacted often. As they had more contact, their friendship grew. When they later became joint investors in Kelaite’s garment factory, they also became business partners.

Kelaite had bought a production line for clothing, bed sheets, and so on, supplying their supermarkets.

Seeing how hot the clothing market was, Yu Xiang’an and Fu Ziyu both thought it was a good idea, so they invested together.

With shared interests, they worked together more and helped make connections.

For example, if someone wanted to build something, Yu Xiang’an would tell Yu Mansheng. If he was too busy, he knew other foremen.

If someone needed contacts in packaging, Yu Xiang’an had her own network. They exchanged resources for mutual benefit.

She was busy, but when summer break ended, she took time to pick up the two kids and bring them back to the capital.

It had been so long — she didn’t know how they’d been over there.

Hearing their voices wasn’t enough to set her mind at ease.

Yu Qingshan went with her. He didn’t say it aloud, but he must have been worried too. Anyway, once Yu Xiang’an mentioned it, he agreed to go.

When they saw the kids, their once fair skin had turned a deep bronze. From that change alone, you could tell how much sun they’d gotten.

The darker skin made their teeth look especially white.

But their spirits were high, and their skinny arms and legs had grown stronger.

Yu Qingshan looked at their height with satisfaction — the kids were growing up. In the blink of an eye, it would be their turn to take the college entrance exam.

The two of them were delighted to see their mom and grandpa.
“Mom, why didn’t you tell us ahead of time? I thought Dad would come pick us up.”

“Your dad’s busy now and can’t get away.”

“What about you, Mom? You’re not busy anymore?”

“I can be away for a while — I’ve got everything arranged. Don’t worry.”

On the way to switch cars back to the capital, Yu Qingshan was holding back his excitement.

It was his first time going to the capital, and the closer they got, the more nervous he became.

This was the capital, after all.

He was going to pay his respects at Tiananmen!

Knowing their grandpa was curious about the capital, the twins started chattering nonstop all the way.

They’d grown up there and had been to many places. Back when Yu Xiang’an and Lin Chuanbai were in university, they’d take the twins out on weekends and holidays. When Yu Xiang’an was working — back before she was allowed to run a business — she’d still take the family to new places whenever she had time off.

Now, they described all the fun spots and delicious foods in detail.

Yu Qingshan listened with great interest, occasionally praising them, which made the twins even more eager to talk.

After arriving in the capital, Yu Xiang’an didn’t just sit idle. Two or three hundred meters from their home, a three-story food court had just finished renovations and was in its final stage. She went to take a look.

Seeing the building, and knowing it belonged entirely to his daughter and son-in-law, Yu Qingshan was speechless.

He really had an extraordinary daughter. When her mother was pregnant, she surely hadn’t dreamed of the God of Wealth — so how had she grown up to be this capable?

🌱🌿 🫧🍃