Ch 87: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

When Yang Huili learned about it, her feelings were… complicated.

Although she hadn’t expected her youngest daughter-in-law to be this sort of dazzling, eye-catching woman, she still wondered — were the two of them really a good match?

As for minding the fact she’d been married before — well, of course there was a little something in her heart. In the village, it was usually second marriages with second marriages; if someone in a first marriage married a divorcée, it usually meant something was wrong with the first marriage. And being a stepmother was hard, same as being a stepfather.

But finally getting a match for her youngest son, Yang Huili had no intention of objecting. With his temperament, if she opposed it, he might end up a lifelong bachelor.

So she agreed. Aside from that one detail about the woman having been married, they actually looked quite well-matched, and now she no longer had to worry about her younger son’s finances — both of them could make money.

The man’s side had no objections, and neither did the woman’s. She was a career woman, and her family had long since stopped interfering in her decisions.

The couple moved quickly. Since the families didn’t object, they soon renovated a house and got their marriage license.

The next year, they had a daughter, whom they both doted on endlessly.

Yu Mansheng was a few years younger than Yu Xiang’an — by the time her two kids were already eleven, his child had just been born. How could they possibly care about whether it was a boy or girl?

They hired a maternity nanny and a regular nanny. The new parents didn’t know how to care for a baby, so they brought Yang Huili over. After the confinement period ended, whenever they went out, they weren’t willing to leave the baby entirely in the hands of outsiders — having the child’s own grandmother watch over her was reassuring.

Yang Huili was delighted to come and help take care of the baby — she’d been waiting for this day. She’d already been able to hand off her duties with Yuman-chang’s family. Now she could finally help her “problem case” younger son raise a child, and she couldn’t be happier.

But once she came, there were things she couldn’t help but find fault with.

First was the waste.

If she was here to look after the child, why not let the nanny go? The pricey maternity nanny during confinement she could accept — that period was important, and if they wanted to pay for peace of mind, fine. But once the month was over and the nanny gone, wasn’t she there to take over?

Why keep a regular nanny?

It didn’t sit right with her.

This was the kind of thing only old landlords could afford.

She didn’t have to cook or clean; all she had to do was watch the child. With both her and the nanny, it was easy work — but just thinking about paying that salary every month made her heart ache.

Couldn’t she manage on her own? Wouldn’t it be better to save that money for meat, instead of handing it out?

Then there was the waste with food. The mother needed to eat well for breastfeeding, of course, but instead she was off doing postpartum recovery workouts, barely touching all the chicken, fish, and pork trotters. It was her son doing most of the eating — he was getting plumper, while the daughter-in-law was actually getting thinner. The scale told the truth about where all those supplements were going.

If the mother wasn’t eating well, where would the milk come from? Now the baby wasn’t getting full and they had to buy formula — tiny cans that were shockingly expensive.

And the clothes. Her daughter-in-law had a whole walk-in closet full of clothes, shoes, and handbags, and was still buying new ones from time to time. The cupboards at home could barely hold them.

Why buy so many? A few nice outfits were enough; everyday clothes didn’t need to be so fancy. And her figure was still changing — wouldn’t it be better to buy more once it stabilized?

She didn’t want to say this directly to her daughter-in-law, so she told Yu Mansheng instead.

Yu Mansheng: “Mom, that’s just the way she’s always lived. When she married me, we agreed our life would be at least as good as before — not worse. Otherwise, why would she marry me?”

Yang Huili: “It’s different now — before she didn’t have a child! Back then, she could spend whatever she earned, but now she should be saving for the baby. You think raising a child is easy? Look at this imported formula you’re drinking every day — how much does a can cost? Later there’s school fees, a dowry if it’s a girl, and what if you have two more kids? Have you thought about how much that’ll cost?”

Yu Mansheng: “Mom, we’re both working hard to earn money. Don’t worry — money’s not just saved, it’s made. You have to open new sources of income, not just cut back.”

It was simply a difference in spending philosophy. He’d grown up poor too, but after years in the Special Zone, he’d learned to be more accepting — live the way that makes you comfortable. And his wife didn’t just buy for herself; she bought for him and for his mother, too. But his mother, though pleased to receive them, would tuck them away unused, still wearing her old clothes and saying the nice ones were “too good to wear unless there’s an occasion.”

On that point, Yu Qingshan could sympathize — he too often thought Yu Xiang’an spent too freely, but after enough “heart attacks” over it, he’d gotten used to the fact that as long as the money was in her hands and she kept earning, there was nothing he could do.

As for the nanny, Lu Anran was never going to fire her. Aside from giving them someone to swap off with so neither got too tired, the other reason was simple: Yang Huili’s cooking just wasn’t good. She was too frugal — her dishes were low oil and low salt, and really not tasty. Even Yu Mansheng, after years of eating well outside, found it bland. A few meals like that was “home cooking,” but long-term, it was just dull.

For the clothes, Lu Anran understood her mother-in-law’s frugal mindset and didn’t want to upset her, so she simply sent the bulk of her new purchases to another residence she kept. Out of sight, out of mind — and out of nagging range.

Seeing how well things were going for them, Yu Xiang’an found herself missing Lin Chuanbai and the children.

Before, both of them had been alone here; now she was still by herself, but he was part of a family of three.

Yu Mansheng just laughed: “Sister Xiao’an, isn’t your brother-in-law coming soon? Then you won’t have to envy me anymore.”

He was thoroughly pleased with his life — mother, wife, and daughter all together. Perfect.

Yu Xiang’an: “Before, when it wasn’t certain he could come, I didn’t feel much. But now that it’s close, I’m restless and looking forward to it.”

Yu Mansheng: “Normal. Won’t be long now.”

Lin Chuanbai had accepted an invitation from Yangcheng University and joined a university lab there. He really liked the environment of an academic laboratory.

Yu Xiangju and Yu Mingjie were delighted. Even though they weren’t at the same university, it wasn’t far — much easier to visit. And while their schools weren’t top-tier, they were still a very good start for ordinary students.

With Lin Chuanbai in the city, the children could also transfer to the affiliated elementary and middle schools — no more worries about schooling.

Now, every weekend, Lin Chuanbai could drive or take the train to see Yu Xiang’an. And although the twins were reluctant to leave their old classmates, they wanted even more to be with their parents. If their mom couldn’t come home on weekends, they could still go spend it with her and their grandfather.

If the mountain won’t come to me, then I’ll go to the mountain.

If Dad isn’t too busy, the whole family could reunite every week — how great would that be.

Lin Chuanbai was assigned housing, but it was too small.

The whole family staying there would be cramped.

But Yu Xiang’an had already bought a place ahead of time — three bedrooms. The exterior was a bit old, but the interior could be renovated, and it would be fine.

That way, even if Yu Qingshan came, there’d still be space for him.

The twins could share a bunk bed and be set.

Normally, they’d each have their own room.

After transferring schools, the twins discovered a coincidence — in their class, they met an acquaintance: Wang Lijun’s younger brother, Wang Lipan.

Lin Yining had seen a photo of the three siblings at Wang Lijun’s place before. Since the three of them resembled each other and were all strikingly good-looking, Lin Yining had remembered them at a glance. So when she saw him now, she recognized him immediately.

Transfer students weren’t common. The teacher brought them up front to introduce themselves, and as soon as they said their names, he recognized them too — his sister had mentioned them before. It was quite the coincidence.

During the break, Lin Yining enthusiastically went up to Wang Lipan to chat, and Lin Yihong silently facepalmed.

That habit of hers — incurable.

Lin Yining asked, “We’re going again this summer vacation. Will you come too? We could keep each other company.”

Wang Lipan shook his head. “My sister’s place is too far. I’m not going.”

Lin Yining blinked, then understood — “too far” meant he wasn’t going, not that he wouldn’t go to training. Judging from his build, he clearly had a military background.

There seemed to be a garrison here as well. And where there’s a garrison, there are inevitably military dependents.

So yes, no need to travel all the way north.

Wang Lipan asked, “You guys just moved here?”

Lin Yining: “Yeah. My dad got transferred here, so we came along.”

Wang Lipan got it.

He himself had transferred here before for the same reason — following a parent’s work relocation.

Wang Lipan’s deskmate, a chubby boy, looked the two of them over as they chatted. “Hey, you two knew each other before?”

Lin Yining giggled. “Nope, this is our first time meeting, but I know his sister.”

The chubby boy “oh-oh’d” a couple of times. “Hey, since you guys are from the capital, can you tell us what it’s like there? When I grow up, I want to go see it too.”

Over at Lin Yihong’s side, he was surrounded as well.

From north to south — the capital’s status was undeniable. Almost everyone longed to see it. Two good-looking twins from the capital showing up was rare, and since they weren’t aloof or cliquish, classmates happily crowded around to talk and laugh with them.

They quickly blended into their new environment and made friends.

When Lin Chuanbai heard about this coincidence, he nodded, then took out some nougat Yu Xiang’an had made. “This box is for you to share with your classmates. This one’s for your teachers. Tell them your mom made it herself and would like them to try.”

Homemade treats wouldn’t cause any awkwardness and could be given freely.

Perfect.

When Lin Chuanbai arrived here, Yu Xiang’an stayed over for a week.

The twins had also been observing to see whether they’d have trouble adjusting to their new environment. The nougat had been made in advance with the plan of letting them bring a little to school each day to share — making friends through snacks.

But clearly, they didn’t need it — they were making friends just fine without.

Other things still needed attention, though — like extracurricular activities.

Neither Lin Chuanbai nor Yu Xiang’an forced them to learn anything in particular. They could try whatever they wanted, and quit if they lost interest, but the hope was that they’d each find at least one hobby they truly liked and would stick with long-term.

Lin Yihong had chosen painting, abacus, and soccer, and had tried learning an instrument. Now, influenced by movies and TV, he was obsessed with kung fu and wanted to be a martial arts hero. They’d have to see if there was a martial arts school nearby.

Lin Yining had chosen dance, singing, and playing the erhu and flute. She’d tried many hobbies, some abandoned after just three lessons when she lost interest. The only ones she’d stuck with were erhu and dance.

Those would be easy enough to find classes for.

Yu Xiang’an asked, “Want to try something else?”

Kids weren’t fully formed yet — there was still time to redefine their interests.

Lin Yining thought for a moment. “The actresses in movies are so pretty. What can I learn to make myself prettier — besides dance?”

Dance could shape the body and improve poise, but was there something else?

She liked good-looking people, and of course wanted to become even better-looking herself.

Since she’d been dancing for a long time and would likely keep at it, Yu Xiang’an suggested, “Want to switch instruments? Not that erhu is bad, but…”

Lin Yining shook her head. “Nah, I’ll see later. I’m busy now.” She wanted to bond with new friends first; hobbies could wait.

Since they’d made their choices — martial arts for one, erhu and dance for the other — Yu Xiang’an didn’t push further.

Seeing her daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren reunited made Yu Qingshan deeply content.

Finally, they were together again — long-term separation was too risky. Now he could stop worrying.

Another benefit of Lin Chuanbai being here was that Yu Xiangju and Yu Mingjie often hitched rides to visit. As students, they had weekends free, no real financial pressures, and support from both school subsidies and family.

Still with a bit of childishness, they often took the twins out. They knew the area well, but usually stuck to safe places like zoos and amusement parks — never to newer spots like video halls or karaoke bars, worried the kids might pick up bad habits.

After a while here, the twins were practically reluctant to leave — playing with friends at school during the week, going out with uncles and cousins on weekends.

Everything was fresh and exciting.

While Lin Chuanbai and Yu Xiang’an didn’t go on business calls together, having him around meant they could discuss things and make more well-rounded decisions.

Now, Wu Wei Restaurant had expanded into Yangcheng, training staff in the Special Zone before sending them to new branches and recruiting locally.

The Special Zone was the headquarters, slowly expanding outward to other cities.

Several years into Reform and Opening, especially here near the Special Zone, the changes were dramatic compared to inland areas — living standards had generally improved.

With more disposable income, people naturally wanted to upgrade their clothing, food, housing, and transportation.

Right now, housing still wasn’t something most thought of buying — people were used to relying on work-unit allocation, and housing stock was limited. Even if there was something for sale, it wasn’t cheap relative to workers’ wages.

As for travel, introduction letters were still needed — you couldn’t just wander at will.

Food and clothing were the basics. With better conditions, it was only natural to dress and eat better, especially with the one-child policy — every family’s child was a little treasure, and few parents could resist when their kid wanted something tasty.

Yu Xiang’an was now gradually shifting her focus back to the domestic market. With such a huge population and market, it would be foolish to ignore it.

The production line now had plenty of capacity, and there was space too — so why not expand into this market?

Once the production line was enlarged, many of the more capable old-timers were promoted.

Chen Xiaoyang became a team leader, now managing several people. Her base salary went up a grade, and her monthly bonus increased too. Altogether, she could make fifty to sixty yuan a month.

As she brought more and more money home, her say in the household grew.

Before, her mother had the final word on everything — her father was silent and reserved, never offering opinions, just burying himself in work. Big or small, all decisions were her mother’s to make.

Now, whatever it was, her mother would first ask her opinion.

The family’s savings were all thanks to her.

Even her sister-in-law, who used to look down on her as the “little sister-in-law,” now greeted her with nothing but smiles.

The change was stark.

When she went back to the village on break and met her old childhood playmates, they all felt like they were from different worlds.

They looked several years older than her, often with children in tow.

They were married, living with their in-laws, doing farm work, raising children, and managing the household — everything.

So much worry aged them quickly.

Sometimes, seeing them made Chen Xiaoyang shiver. If she hadn’t gone for that factory recruitment and been chosen, she would be just like them now. The thought alone was chilling.

That kind of life — you could see the end of it at a glance.

Sometimes she would try to persuade these old friends to look for jobs outside. There were more and more opportunities now — no matter the work, you could make a few dozen yuan a month.

Wasn’t that better than scraping in the fields?

But they had many reasons to refuse.

“The kids are still young — I can’t leave.”
“If I go, my man and the kids will starve.”
“What if I get scammed?”
“If I leave, who will take care of the land?”

Every time, she was left speechless. If they truly wanted to go out, they could find solutions — but they seemed resistant.

They didn’t want to break out of their comfortable routines.

How could she persuade them?

If she tried to convince them to learn to read and do arithmetic, she’d get an even bigger pushback.

“At our age, you expect us to go to school?”

Chen Xiaoyang: “…”

When she didn’t have to work overtime in the evenings, she would go to the cafeteria to chat. Sometimes people would be writing or reading newspapers, and she’d go over, shamelessly asking questions. Now she knew quite a few characters — without this, she wouldn’t have been promoted to team leader.

She had tasted the benefits of education.

With knowledge, you could earn more money.

If her own children grew up illiterate, who would hire them?

Schooling wasn’t free — tuition, books, miscellaneous fees, twice a year.

If you wanted to send a child to university, the costs were crushing.

She wasn’t in a hurry to find a husband yet, but she had already decided: no matter who she married, she would never let him stop her from working outside. She had to earn money to put her kids through school — even university.

How valuable was education?

Their deputy factory director was a university graduate. Before college, he’d already worked and gained experience. When he came, the factory director allocated him a three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment, with the agreement that after five years of good work, the deed would be in his name.

Such a big place could be remodeled into four or even five bedrooms — enough for three generations to live in!

What a tempting deal.

When she learned of it, her heart pounded — she wished she could take that spot herself, but she didn’t have the qualifications.

Still, she had a chance at her own house thanks to a new rule this year:

If you worked continuously in the factory or stores for fifteen years, with two “Excellent” performance ratings and no mistakes, you could be allocated your own home — the smallest a one-bedroom, one-living-room, the largest three bedrooms and two living rooms!

Another path was to earn “Excellent” for three consecutive years and sign a ten-year no-resignation contract — then you’d also get a home, at least two bedrooms and one living room.

When she heard about it, she decided: she would keep studying, earn two “Excellents,” and get a house!

Gu Nanfeng was just as motivated — he’d already earned one “Excellent,” which came with a generous bonus.

He needed two more, and in the next two years, his chances were high. Then he could sign the contract and get the house.

He was now the general manager of Wu Wei Restaurant in the Special Zone, overseeing all related operations there.

He knew exactly where the factory housing would be built — right behind the plant. It looked a bit remote now, but once the buildings were up and people moved in, it wouldn’t be. He’d seen the plans — everything was well laid out.

He was confident he’d be one of the first residents.

When Yu Qingshan heard about this decision, it felt like another heart attack.

“You’re so wasteful! Do you know how much it costs to build a house? If you just rented it out later, even if your kids turned out useless, you’d never worry about food!”

Wasteful indeed!

Yu Xiang’an explained patiently:

“Dad, don’t get worked up. This is about giving people a sense of belonging. With that, they’ll work harder. You know how some people keep hopping between jobs for better pay? Do we have that problem?”

Yu Qingshan had to admit — no, they didn’t.

Their base pay was average, but the bonuses were high. Total income beat many outside jobs, and the benefits were good. Now there was even the possibility of getting a home — not just to live in, but deeded to their name and inheritable.

If it were him, he wouldn’t want to leave either.

Yu Xiang’an crunched the numbers for him:

“And the ‘Excellent’ awards are limited. The contributions those people make more than cover the property’s value. The more they get, the more money they make for me — I’m not losing out.”

As business boomed, people inevitably tried to learn her recipes.

Her domestically sold instant packaged braised snacks were hot sellers — just open, plate, steam, and serve. Convenient, tasty, and the orders never stopped.

In stark contrast, some collective enterprises were now struggling.

Before, they controlled production materials — there was never unsold stock, only shortages.

Take the meat processing plants, for example. In the past, working there gave you bragging rights, with plenty begging for offal or pig’s blood and bones.

Now, with private pig farming allowed, many rural households raised pigs, selling directly at markets — no ration coupons, no connections needed, first come, first served.

That hit their business hard.

Worse still was the supply and marketing cooperative.

Ye Qijia now had little to do — customers no longer liked buying there.

They preferred private shops — more variety, lower prices, better service. Who liked being treated poorly?

Even Ye Qijia herself preferred shopping in those places.

But if things kept on like this, what would happen?

Yes, it was an iron rice bowl — but even iron rice bowls could be reassigned. And once reassigned, would her pay and benefits drop?

Ye Qijia thought of her uncle, Qin Fengmao.
He used to work in a state-owned restaurant, but later retired and set up his own food stall.

Life couldn’t be better for him now — the new house he built might not be the best, but it was certainly among the top ones in the area.

She began wondering whether she and her husband should also think about another path.

Once that idea took hold, she couldn’t push it away.

She decided to go to her son’s father-in-law and sister-in-law for advice — they lived in a big city and had seen the world.

Yu Xianghai: “…Are you sure about this? That job of yours is steady no matter what happens.”

Ye Qijia: “I’m not sure, that’s why I’m going to ask. You know how idle we are now — right across from our supply and marketing cooperative, a shop opened, and business there is incredible. Their styles are much better too. Even I buy things there. Tell me, if this keeps going, can we really say our job will always be secure?”

Yu Xianghai’s situation at the hardware factory was still decent. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Then wait for me. I’ll ask for some time off and we’ll go together.”

Meanwhile, the Zhou family was under a cloud of worry.

Both Zhou Boyang and his father, Zhou Duosun, worked at the meat processing plant. They had just been notified that Zhou Duosun would have to retire early.

There would still be income after retirement, but it certainly wouldn’t be as much as now.

Their only son, Zhou Tianyou, didn’t care: “Grandpa was going to retire in a few years anyway. If it’s now, then so be it.”

Fang Rong lightly patted him: “With less income, what about when you’re still repeating school this year, and then going to university, and getting married later? All of that costs money. Once he retires, there’ll be less money!”

Zhou Tianyou’s eyes darted: “If we need money, we can find other work. Isn’t that what Mom and Grandma did — go earn money elsewhere?” He grinned and snuggled up: “If I repeat one more year, I’m sure I can get into university! Once I’m in, Grandpa, Grandma, you should come live with me. I know you’ve suffered a lot for me. Later, you won’t have to do anything — just enjoy life.”

Fang Rong couldn’t stop smiling: “You’re such a thoughtful child. Grandma knows. Don’t worry — just study hard, and leave the money worries to us!”

Not long after, Zhou Duosun and Zhou Boyang boarded a southbound train to the Special Economic Zone to look for Ding Minxiu and Zhao Qiaoniang.

When they exited the station, they ran straight into Yu Qingshan, who was about to enter the station to take a train to Yangcheng.

Yu Qingshan’s clothes didn’t have a single patch. Nothing was expensive, but it was obvious from his appearance that life was treating him well.

Zhou Duosun, on the other hand, had deliberately chosen old, shabby clothes. Zhou Boyang’s weren’t much better. They squeezed through the crowd looking disheveled.

Zhou Duosun reacted quickly — his neck shrank, his head lowered, and he hurriedly pulled Zhou Boyang away.

Standing behind Yu Qingshan, Yu Xiang’an saw him stop and asked, “Dad, what’s wrong?”

Yu Qingshan, in high spirits, said, “Nothing. I just saw someone I’d had a falling out with. Looked like he wasn’t doing too well. Made me feel good.”

🌱🌿 🫧🍃