Ch 84: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

Yu Xiangyan learned that Yu Qingshan had arrived and immediately brought the children over.

He invited Yu Qingshan to stay and eat at his place. Originally, he had been assigned a two-bedroom apartment, but last year he negotiated with the family next door, bought their place, and knocked down the wall, turning it into a four-bedroom.

He had three children, planning for each to have their own room in the future. Now that Yu Qingshan had come, he could have one room, and the two daughters could share a room — just right.

Yu Xiang’an wasn’t pleased.
“Second Brother, that’s not fair. Dad just got here, hasn’t even spent a day at my place, and you already want to take him away? That’s not happening — there’s such a thing as first come, first served.”

Yu Xiangyan said, “I’m older than you. You understand the order of seniority, don’t you?”

“I don’t. Ever heard of ‘ladies first’?”

The siblings refused to back down, both wanting Yu Qingshan to stay with them.

Yu Qingshan chuckled happily.

His children cared about him — of course he was pleased. In the end, they agreed that he would stay with Yu Xiang’an for two days first, then spend a few days at Yu Xiangyan’s.

The twins joined in the fun.
“Grandpa, we’ll go with you.”

Yu Xiangyan waved grandly.
“No problem, come along! Don’t worry about not having beds.”

Kids could squeeze in together — enough room for three.

Yu Xiyi looked at her parents.
“Then we’ll stay at Auntie’s for these two days too.”

At Yu Xiang’an’s, three more guests weren’t a problem.

Yu Xiangyan was now especially glad he had bought the next-door apartment — otherwise, with his father visiting so rarely, there would have been no room for him to stay.

As for the money for the apartment, part came from savings and part from investments. But buying it had pretty much drained him; most of what he and his wife earned was fixed salaries.

So it was settled — Yu Xiyi and her siblings would stay there.

With both his grandchildren and great-grandchildren around, Yu Qingshan was delighted.

The second son’s family hadn’t come back for New Year’s, so they’d rarely seen each other. Now he could see them, and looking at his second son’s appearance, he couldn’t help but feel proud.

His son had made something of himself, matching his beautiful, still-elegant wife. In the past, Yu Qingshan had worried that once her family’s reputation was restored, she might leave his son. His son must have feared the same — that was why he studied, took the college entrance exam, and, luckily, passed.

Now one worked in government, the other taught at a university — what a good life.

Their three children were all born before the one-child policy, a mix of boys and girls, all raised well. In time, they would marry and have children, and life would go on like this.

Wen Ruzhen asked about her father, Wen Yanjun. He was now working in the neighboring county to Baishi County, living alone, eating and staying at the canteen and dorm. She sometimes sent things to him, wrote letters, and called, but it had been quite a while since they’d met.

Yu Qingshan said, “Your father-in-law came back for New Year’s. We had a drink together — he’s doing well, so don’t worry.”

“We even talked about your younger brother. Your dad’s worried he still isn’t married.”

At this, Wen Ruzhen smiled.
“It should be soon.”

Yu Qingshan’s face lit up.
“What kind of good girl? How old is she?”

“A few years younger than him, also a university graduate, from the capital, works in the health system.”

Yu Qingshan nodded in approval.
“That’s a perfect match — like-minded, with plenty to talk about in the future. Once they marry and have children, your dad probably won’t want to work anymore and will just want to come back to look after the grandkids.”

Wen Ruzhen’s smile deepened.
“Whatever the case, it’s good he’s finally ready to start a family.”

She only had this one younger brother, and her father had been longing for a grandchild for years. Once the baby was born, it was hard to say whether he’d retire to help raise the child.

Her thoughts drifted to her youngest sister, taken away by their mother. She sighed inwardly. By now, her sister would be grown, perhaps even married — she didn’t know how she was doing. Their father had tried to find out, but the people involved had long since been transferred, leaving no way to track her down.

They had wanted to find the sisters, to know if they were living well.

If they weren’t, they could help. Their mother had divorced out of necessity — to protect herself and the children. That had been the best choice at the time. Her younger sister had been too young to understand, and the thought of her still left a knot in the heart.

Lin Chuanbai said, “I remember your brother got a promotion — he’s a county magistrate now.”

“Yes, he’s been promoted.” Wen Ruzhen’s smile widened.

Yu Qingshan hadn’t known.
“He’s a county magistrate now? That’s impressive, really impressive.”

“It’s nothing — just serving the people as usual,” Wen Ruzhen said modestly.

Yu Qingshan shook his head.
“At his age, to already hold that position — and you say it’s nothing? That’s humility. He must have real ability. The people’s eyes are sharp — if he weren’t outstanding, why would the higher-ups trust him with such a post? And how would those under him accept his leadership?”

Looking at his daughter-in-law’s radiant face, Yu Qingshan thought of the days before their political rehabilitation. The contrast made him sigh.

Back then, to avoid being recognized, the siblings stayed inside all day, afraid of being shunned for their family background. Now there was no such issue, and they all had jobs — it felt like another lifetime.

Both his second son and second nephew had fallen for women considered “out of their league,” but their outcomes were different.

His son had been with his wife even in their hardest days; they’d had children, and in the end, he’d caught up to her, and their life was harmonious.

The nephew’s story was different. For the sake of a sent-down educated youth, a man with only a primary school education had swallowed his pride, picked up his books, and shamelessly sought help from others — all to be worthy of her. He studied with the desperation of someone preparing for the college entrance exam.

When the exam came, she flew back home, and he didn’t pass. After a few days of depression, he kept going, spending a year studying, leaving all farm work to his older brother. If his brother hadn’t been able to support the family, how could he have been so willful?

He eventually got into a college in Shanghai — the same city as the educated youth. Being in the same place should have led to something, but whenever asked if they were together, he would mumble and avoid giving a clear answer.

It didn’t take much to guess she hadn’t agreed.

Perhaps she’d found someone else in that year before she left. But no — even after he graduated, there was still no answer. That was clearly stringing him along.

It wasn’t until last year that he finally married — to a fellow teacher. This year, their child would be born.

There had been twists and turns, but if not for that woman, the nephew might never have worked so hard to get into college. Now he was a teacher.

“My older brother called with good news too,” Lin Chuanbai said. Lin Guangbai, his eldest brother, was also in Shanghai.

Lin Guangbai had dealings with Yu Manwu; in Shanghai, Yu Manwu was his only relative worth mentioning — his sister-in-law’s maternal cousin, a fairly close connection.

Yu Xiang’an didn’t know about this yet.
“What good news?”

Lin Chuanbai said, “My brother’s been promoted too — he’s now the Party Secretary of a development zone in Yancheng. From there to here is much closer.”

Yu Xiang’an recognized the name. By train, it was about four hours from there to here.

With the distance shortened, visits would be much easier.

Yu Qingshan burst out laughing. “That’s another piece of good news!”

“It is.”

Yu Qingshan asked, “And your sister-in-law?”

“She’s still in Shanghai. She has her own job, and the two kids have school.” His sister-in-law also worked in the public sector. It would be better for the whole family to be together, but transferring a job wasn’t something that could be done at will.

Yu Qingshan said meaningfully, “Being separated like that for the long term really isn’t ideal.”

Yu Xiang’an nodded seriously. “It’s just temporary.” She meant more than one thing by that.

Yu Qingshan gave her a sidelong glance.

Yu Xiang’an turned her head away.

Yu Qingshan then shifted his gaze back to Lin Chuanbai. “How old are your eldest brother’s children?”

“Two years older than mine, I think. My eldest sister’s child is the oldest.”

“You mean your sister who’s a doctor in the city?”

“That’s right.”

“I remember your sister only has one child.”

“Yes. He’s going to take the college entrance exam next year. My sister’s debating whether he should study medicine or become a teacher.”

Yu Qingshan waved a hand. “Either is fine. Both are good choices. Just ask the child what he wants to do, see where his interests lie…”

While the adults talked, the children gathered on the other side. Lin Yihong brought out a tank made from bullet casings and a wooden carved pistol, and Lin Yining showed off a set of military clothes tailored to fit her.

Seeing this, Yu Xiyi and her siblings were excited. “Can I borrow your pistol to play with?”

Lin Yihong was generous. “Sure, but be careful not to break it.”

“Here, you take the gun, I’ll take the tank, let’s play war.”

The twins treasured these things, and only because they played with them often would they be willing to let others touch them. Normally they wouldn’t.

Lin Yining also brought out photos taken at the army base.

Nothing inappropriate was in the pictures, but the olive-green background alone gave them a special feel.

The twins’ energy and spirit in the photos were completely different from before.

The adults heard the commotion too. Yu Xiangyan came over for a look, then glanced at Yu Xiang’an. “You’re really willing, letting the kids get this tanned. Look, they even have scrapes on their hands in the photo — they’ve suffered plenty.”

Yu Xiang’an looked at the twins. “Do they look miserable to you? They seem pretty happy.”

Lin Chuanbai sighed. “I’m actually surprised they managed to stick it out.”

Yu Xiang’an said, “Whether they want to go again in the future is up to them.”

Lin Chuanbai didn’t reply. The children’s grandfather still hoped they’d keep going for more of that kind of training, and from the looks of it, the kids themselves seemed willing. In that case, they’d probably go again next summer.

Lin Chuanbai: “…”

He felt a twinge of heartache.

He knew it was for the kids’ own good, to toughen them up, and he shouldn’t object — but he just couldn’t feel at ease.

Their mother wanted them to keep at it too. Given how things were developing, their family’s business would only keep growing, meaning the children’s chances of enduring hardship in the future would only shrink. While they were still young and not yet set in their ways, a bit of hardship now was no bad thing. Lin Chuanbai understood that perfectly well.

But in the two months the kids were away, he couldn’t even focus on his experiments.

It was different from when they were with their mother. Back then, even if they weren’t with him, he knew they were safe with her, so he didn’t worry. But in a military camp, no one would go out of their way to indulge them. He simply couldn’t set his mind at ease.

Maybe it was because he’d grown up alone, with only the old Taoist who raised him as family. Now that he was here, with a wife and children, there were more family ties, and more things to worry about.

With Yu Xiang’an, he didn’t worry as much — unless some disaster struck, she had her space ability, so if there was danger, she could hide inside and be safe. But the two children were different — still small, not yet adults. If they were bullied, they might not even realize it.

How could he not worry?

Even so, while his emotions wouldn’t settle, his rational mind knew the camp was safe. So he kept those feelings bottled up.

Yu Xiang’an went over and patted his hand.

She understood.

But the kids weren’t that little anymore.

So sooner or later, they’d have to grow up and live somewhere else.

…

Yu Xiang’an wasn’t going back to the Special Zone anytime soon, because she needed to handle matters with the food court here.

The food court had over 600 square meters of floor space. For housing, that would be big, but for a mall, it wasn’t huge. Still, for now, it was enough. With shop units ranging from a bit over 10 square meters to over 20, the first floor alone had 38 shops.

Counting the second floor, there were 76 in total.

Before renovations were even finished, Yu Xiang’an had people hang up “For Lease” signs outside, easy for passersby to spot.

Zhong Jianqiang was the first to inquire about rent.

Yu Xiang’an’s rent was mid-range — slightly higher than nearby rates, but with good reason.

The shops were brand new. Plus, having different types of merchants together would create a clustering effect. And she had staff responsible for public-area cleaning, so tenants didn’t need to worry about hygiene in shared spaces.

The first floor was easy to rent. The second floor’s rent was lower, but it was further inside, and no one had taken any yet.

Yu Xiang’an wasn’t in a rush — things had to be taken step by step.

Once she returned, she inspected the place, paid the final bill, and officially opened for leasing.

Plenty of people came to ask, though not all were serious about renting. Still, with enough traffic, she rented out more than half of the first floor quickly.

This was a university area, so foot traffic was guaranteed. College students generally had some disposable income, and food was a necessity — even those who ate at the cafeteria daily might splurge on an occasional better meal.

In the whole group, the number who ate out wasn’t small.

Zhong Jianqiang rented two units — one to sell skewers, and another to sell food ingredients.

The vegetables, eggs, and pork they sourced from the countryside were displayed there, mainly serving nearby restaurants.

A restaurant used a lot of ingredients, so with a storefront here, they could let people know these things were available. Some, wanting convenience, would come by.

Zhong Jianqiang planned to try it for a few months. If it didn’t work, he’d pull out — covering a few months’ rent wasn’t hard. If it did work, they were already buying supplies, so increasing the quantity would be easy, and they could earn some quick cash.

Yu Xiang’an also opened a shop here, transferring Qi Xiaohui to manage it. She moved the original Five Flavors Restaurant to the prime corner location here, merging the old site with the hot pot place to make it part of that business.

Qi Xiaohui had already been running Five Flavors, so now, besides managing it here, she would also handle issues for other tenants when Yu Xiang’an wasn’t around. She was promoted, with a 50% pay raise.

Qi Xiaohui felt secure and motivated, agreeing eagerly and diving into work.

Besides that, there were shops selling cold dishes, dumplings and flatbreads, breakfasts, noodles…

If there was a type of food the court didn’t yet have, Yu Xiang’an preferred to bring it in, so every category would be covered.

Once rented, shops still needed renovations and furniture.

Tenants moved fast — the sooner they got set up, the sooner they could open and earn money.

Yu Xiang’an had already painted the interior white, so for those not picky, adding some tables and chairs, fixing up the kitchen and utensils, was enough to get started.

Chen Long also rented a shop here, about a dozen square meters.

He had gotten into this business fairly early. Not long after the restaurants here first opened, he came to buy wholesale, then took the goods back to the factory’s family compound to sell door-to-door. It was embarrassing, yes, but he still made money.

The family could afford grain again.

After that, he came here early every morning to buy wholesale. His capital was limited at first, so he could only buy some vegetables and leftover cuts of meat.

These scraps were the favorite of the men in the compound — buy a plate, pair it with a small glass of liquor, and life felt like heaven.

Running back and forth every day, he gradually saved more money. His parents began to smile again — as long as they could make a living, things were fine.

When you can barely survive, fussing over dignity means nothing.

People would talk about what he did, but their gossip didn’t cause real harm. If he didn’t work, going hungry would be a very real harm.

He earned more and more.

Although he couldn’t stand straight before others, only his family knew exactly how much he made. They might have lost some face, but they gained practical benefit.

As his savings grew, he bought more and more wholesale goods, even roping in an old childhood friend to do the same. When you’re struggling to get by, there’s no room for being picky.

They each carved out their own territory, earning what they could from it.

Chen Long worked hard to expand his reach. As his earnings grew, his home gradually had everything it needed.

His grandmother’s illness was cured, and the family was reunited.

It was the Five Flavors Restaurant that had helped him.

When he saw the shop-for-rent notice, he was tempted.

His grandmother’s braised rice wasn’t anything special, but she had one true specialty — the steamed buns she made were the best in the factory.

She wasn’t that old yet, and she couldn’t stand being idle. After her illness, she also understood that money was a good thing. When Chen Long suggested it, she readily agreed, quickly picking a shop to rent.

Since it was just starting out, they even got half a month’s rent free.

Half a month was enough time to get the shop up and running.

After that, he could keep wholesaling as usual to bring home for his mother to retail, while helping his grandmother at the shop.

…

Things at Qi Xiaohui’s place were in full swing, and the excitement there made others restless. Amid this restlessness, Wei Funi and Lu Xiao were promoted.

They were veterans, among the first to follow Yu Xiang’an. As the boss’s business grew, their positions naturally rose as well.

Wei Funi became the manager of the hot pot restaurant, and Lu Xiao became the manager of another Five Flavors Restaurant.

Managers’ monthly bonuses were tied to profits.

When business was good, bonuses could far exceed the fixed monthly salary.

With that kind of carrot dangling ahead — and being young and newly promoted — he worked with even greater dedication.

Elsewhere, he could never get treatment like this.

…

Yu Xiang’an handled all the leasing matters here. There were countless small details that needed her decision, and since it was nearby, whenever Qi Xiaohui had a problem she could come to her, so Yu Xiang’an didn’t have to be on-site constantly.

Wen Ruzhen watched the steady stream of people coming to find her and felt a little envious.

What a lively life — and she glanced at Lin Chuanbai. For her to be this busy and not at home, yet her husband had no complaints and fully supported her — that was rare.

Even though people say “women hold up half the sky” and everyone has their own career, in reality, even with dual-income households, it’s usually the woman who makes more concessions to the man.

Long separations not only risk fading feelings but also create chances for others to take advantage.

Her brother-in-law was popular with female students at the university; her sister, on the other hand, met all kinds of people in her work, still youthful and well-maintained, looking like she was in her twenties. Were there men who’d want to take a shortcut to her money?

Definitely.

But the two of them trusted each other completely, showing no hint of suspicion.

That kind of relationship was truly enviable.

Yu Qingshan was already used to Yu Xiang’an’s busy life. Seeing how familiar he was with it, Yu Xiangyan knew their father must have helped her plenty when he visited the Special Zone.

He was used to it by now.

Yu Xiang’an had to manage things here while also keeping up with the business in the Special Zone, and she still maintained her relationships.

Liu Mingyue and Wang Haiwen came after getting her call. When they saw her, Liu Mingyue clapped her on the shoulder. “You’ve been living it up — half a year away! Did you put down roots over there?”

Yu Xiang’an gave a wry smile. “Once you get busy, there’s no helping it.”

Liu Mingyue shook her head. “More and more people are going into business now. Before, you could count them on one hand — now, especially those leaving state-owned enterprises, the number has doubled.”

Yu Xiang’an laughed. “Doubling isn’t that many, considering the base was small.”

The peak of people leaving their “iron rice bowls” was still a few years away. Once those who seized the early opportunities became wealthy and others saw the profits, more would decide to take the leap.

Yu Xiang’an looked at her. “What, are you tempted?”

Liu Mingyue waved her hand. “I just think about it. In reality, it’s impossible — if I quit, the apartment gets taken back. Where would the kids live? In that tiny dorm their dad’s assigned? No way. I can’t send them back to my hometown either — I have to keep them with me. The schooling there isn’t as good as here. In the countryside, having a primary school teacher who’s even graduated middle school is considered good. Middle school’s a bit better, but there are still middle school graduates teaching middle school. How much can they really teach?”

As for Wang Haiwen, “I’m not considering it. Just don’t forget us when you make it big.”

Yu Xiang’an didn’t agree. “Don’t be so polite — I’ll have plenty of times when I need your help.”

They joked, and Yu Xiang’an took out the gifts she’d brought them.

It was much easier to buy electronics in the Special Zone than here, and you didn’t need ration coupons there. Big-ticket items here still mostly required them.

She’d brought them two Hong Kong-made watches.

Liu Mingyue took the ladies’ watch meant for her, playing with it fondly. “Yes — just like in the movies. I love it. You can’t find these in the capital.” Then she looked up at Yu Xiang’an. “I’m scheduled to go on a business trip to the Special Zone next month. When I go, I’m going to bring back a color TV.”

Yu Xiang’an asked Wang Haiwen, “What about you? Are you going too?”

“I’m not.”

Liu Mingyue said, “When I get there, you’ll be like half a host. Don’t you have some special plans for me?”

Yu Xiang’an patted her chest. “Of course I do. How about I take you out to sea?”

Never having been to the seaside, Liu Mingyue’s eyes lit up. “Deal!”

“By the way, did you know? Lots of people have been contacting our class teacher, wanting to hire him as a consultant.”

Yu Xiang’an nodded.

This kind of thing would only become more common in this era.

Outside the Special Zone, if you wanted to do business, you still needed to fly a banner of some kind — only then would the road be smooth.

“If you go to the Special Zone and have time, I’ll take you to the clothing wholesale market. Clothes there are six yuan a piece, but here they go for ten to twenty. Buy a bunch and you won’t need to shop for years.”

“Radios are good there too.”

…

After being apart so long, they had plenty to talk about. Yu Xiang’an told them about the situation in the Special Zone; they told her the latest news here, changes among teachers and classmates. Everyone got something out of it.

Then, the shops in the food court opened. Yu Xiang’an had flyers printed and delivered to nearby schools.

The opening line was attention-grabbing:

“Spend fifty cents and get three raffle entries — top prize is a watch worth 156 yuan!”

Same formula, same flavor.

🌱🌿 🫧🍃