Ch 99: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

Zhao Qiaoniang had no idea what Ding Minxiu was currently thinking. She, too, had been keeping track of Yu Xiangju’s movements, intending to ask him for some money to make her own life a little easier.

This New Year, she didn’t even have the money to give her grandchildren red envelopes.

Since she hadn’t been able to find him, there was nothing she could do for now. As for her daughter’s suggestion to go to the Special Zone to look for him later, Zhao Qiaoniang felt it was not feasible. Even putting aside how big the Special Zone was, even if they did happen to find him there once, it didn’t mean they could always find him there in the future.

One thing was certain: Yu Xiangju was not working in the Special Zone anymore. He had been transferred — to another province.

And even if they went, it wouldn’t just be to see Yu Xiangju. The entire Yu family was there. Looking for Yu Xiangju alone was one thing, but with so many people, the two of them would definitely get nothing good out of it.

Zhao Qiaoniang didn’t know what Ding Minxiu was really planning, and Yu Xiangju was even less aware.

After his transfer, those troublesome matters disappeared. The oppressive weight he had been under was gone, and all he needed to do now was focus on his work.

With more work experience, he had grown noticeably more steady.

When Yu Xiangyan saw him, he patted him on the shoulder. “Looks like you’ve grown up. Do you have a girl you like? If you do, you should seize the opportunity.”

Yu Xiangju looked a little embarrassed. “Not yet.” He wasn’t in a hurry. His colleagues, on the other hand, were quite enthusiastic about this. For someone like him, a fresh university graduate and highly sought after, there were plenty of people in the workplace eager to introduce their daughters, nieces, or cousins to him.

But he wasn’t ready to start a family yet. He wanted to adapt for another year or two and then think about it.

He didn’t feel mature enough. He hadn’t even resolved matters with Zhao Qiaoniang yet — once in a relationship, and especially with children, the responsibilities would be heavier. He wasn’t confident he could manage it all.

Yu Xiangyan asked, “Any difficulties at work? If you run into any problems, don’t hide them. We may not have perfect solutions, but three heads are better than one. We might give you some ideas.”

Yu Xianghai nodded in agreement. “Right. We’re older than you and started working earlier. If you run into trouble, don’t shoulder it alone.”

Yu Xiangju smiled, eyes crinkling. “I know. Everyone at work has been great to me.” His eyes had the warmth of sincerity — it didn’t look like an act.

Ye Qijia chimed in, “If you haven’t run into problems yet, you should still start looking for someone soon. Don’t wait too long. The years slip by, and youth doesn’t last forever.”

Yu Xiangju felt a bit awkward — it sounded like something people said to unmarried women.

Yu Xianghai asked, “Any chance you could transfer closer to home?”

Yu Xiangqing perked up at that; she was more concerned about it than anything else. Her youngest brother was alone out there without any relatives nearby — too lonely.

Yu Xiangju shook his head. “I haven’t been there long. It won’t happen so soon.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be closer to home, but proximity would bring trouble. If Zhao Qiaoniang and Ding Minxiu came to cause a scene, he’d be at a disadvantage. They could be shameless without consequence, but as a public servant, such disturbances were risky.

If he didn’t handle it properly, it would hurt his reputation — and not just his, but potentially others’ as well.

He didn’t want to drag anyone down.

When his father and Zhao Qiaoniang separated, he was old enough to remember. Back then, Zhao Qiaoniang had genuinely treated him well — giving him the best food, sneaking him bites of meat when she cooked. If he fell ill, she stayed by his side.

Later, that affection faded, but it had once existed, and he couldn’t erase it completely.

He knew she’d hoped to rely on him for her old age, but at least she had never harmed him.

The Yu family owed her nothing — in fact, she owed them, especially his fifth sister — but personally, he had been cared for by her.

If Ding Minxiu refused to support her in the future, he couldn’t just stand by. His conscience wouldn’t allow it.

From what he knew of Ding Minxiu, if Zhao Qiaoniang lost the ability to work, it was unlikely she’d be properly cared for. Some heartless people even abandoned their elderly relatives to beg on the streets — he suspected the reality might not be much better.

Ding Minxiu was selfish — her affair with Zhou Boyang had already proven her shamelessness. She was also smooth-tongued, which was why Zhao Qiaoniang’s heart had gradually shifted to her, even taking things from Fifth Sister to give to her grandson.

Of course, Zhao Qiaoniang herself was to blame as well.

Perhaps it was because that grandson was male — she had a fixation on sons. She had no son of her own, but her daughter did.

Over time, her affection shifted to him.

Now, as she grew older and approached the loss of her earning ability, Yu Xiangju felt certain Ding Minxiu would try to make him bear some responsibility.

He couldn’t return home.

If he did, the gossip would start again, and he didn’t want to drag his family — especially his fifth sister, who had suffered the most — into it.

Staying far away, where they couldn’t find him, was best. If necessary, he could just send some money.

Yu Xiangan had nearly forgotten about those two people. When Yu Xiangqing brought it up, she remembered why Yu Xiangju had gone elsewhere in the first place. She frowned; she had no desire to get involved. Yu Xiangju might be soft-hearted, but he still had his boundaries. She changed the subject. “When is Mingjie’s wedding going to be set?”

At that, Yu Xianghai and Ye Qijia perked up. “I had someone check the calendar — the sixteenth day of the first lunar month is a good date. It’s a bit rushed, though. The next options are in March or June. We’re leaning toward the first lunar month, since preparations are basically done.”

Yu Mingjie disagreed. “That’s too soon — we didn’t agree on that beforehand.” Less than a month away felt too close.

Ye Qijia wasn’t discouraged. “Then pick a date and we’ll have both families meet. We can’t delay this too long.” She was leaning toward the March date.

“Both families meeting? Sure. I’ll ask Yuhong and set it up.” Yu Mingjie was eager to move forward, so he quickly made the call and came back with, “How about the sixth day of the first month? We can meet in Yangcheng, have a meal, and talk through the details.” He grinned.

Yu Xianghai laughed. “Sixth day it is! We’ll be there.”

Yu Qingshan smiled too. The younger generation was starting families, and soon there would be another generation — great-grandchildren — making them four generations under one roof. If he lived long enough, maybe even five.

Yu Xiangan, also in good spirits, asked, “Has the bride’s family made any requests? Bride price, dowry, anything like that?”

Yu Mingjie looked a bit shy. “The power plant has already allocated us a place to live. When we combine resources, we can trade up for a three-bedroom. As for buying furniture, my salary will be enough.”

Hearing this, Ye Qijia waved her hand grandly. “Don’t worry about other things like televisions or tape recorders — you’ve got me and your father.” She felt well-off and confident; these were no problem at all.

Everything that should be there would naturally be there. With money in hand now, their son’s wedding was a big event that needed to be done perfectly.

Yu Xiangqing asked, “Mingjie, you’ve met Yuhong’s parents — what are they like? Are they easy to get along with?”

Scratching the back of his head and grinning widely, Yu Mingjie replied, “Auntie, they’re easy to get along with. They didn’t make any demands, just told me to treat her well in the future.”

“That’s as it should be,” Ye Qijia said. “If you do anything wrong, never mind your in-laws — even we won’t sit back and ignore it.”

…

On New Year’s Eve, they didn’t eat out or hire help. Everyone cooked together.

One person made one or two signature dishes, another did the same, and even the half-grown kids weren’t idle — they all helped wrap dumplings.

There wasn’t a custom of eating dumplings here for the New Year, but if the children wanted them, they made them.

They used fine white flour for everything. Because there were so many people, the amount of flour they went through was no small figure.

Looking at the pile of white flour, Yu Qingshan felt a little dazed.

Now they had white flour and polished rice at every meal — no mixed-grain flour, no coarse grain porridge.

In the past, they couldn’t even eat their fill. Now they could eat until they were stuffed, and having meat and fish wasn’t a dream.

If someone had told him ten years ago that he would live like this, he would have thought they were joking, just trying to humor him. Who would have thought it would become reality?

Everyone’s standard of living was getting better. Many things no longer needed ration coupons to buy. Grain and meat were regulated by the market.

Prices were higher than before, but there was no longer the problem of not being able to buy them, nor the sight of people lining up at night outside the food stores.

This was the power of reform. It was good policy — people now had hope and motivation to work.

The twins were also making dumplings. Lin Yihong worked quickly, wrapping them without tearing the skins or making uneven sizes. Lin Yining was the opposite — her dumplings looked fine at first, but once boiled, they easily split open.

Yu Xiyi couldn’t bear to watch and told her to roll dumpling skins instead. Lin Yining obediently switched, knowing her dumplings weren’t much to look at.

Glancing between the twins, Yu Xiyi thought: they were both twins, with Lin Yihong as the older brother, yet the girl wasn’t better in the kitchen than her brother. Usually, girls had the advantage in cooking — especially with an aunt so skilled in the kitchen — but both of them were just average, with no inherited knack for it.

“Hurry up,” Lin Yihong urged. “After these, there’s still a tray of beef filling to wrap.”

Yu Xiangqing came out of the kitchen with a plate of fish filling. “Besides beef, there’s this fish filling too. Don’t slack off — pick up the pace.”

With so many young people helping, they’d have everything wrapped quickly.

As evening fell and the dishes were done, the kids all took turns bathing and changing into new clothes. Then it was time to eat.

There were so many people that they split into two tables.

Once seated, Yu Xiangqing looked over the dishes and was taken aback. Helping in the kitchen, she hadn’t realized how much there was. Now that it was all laid out, it was hard not to marvel.

Besides the dumplings, there were lobster, squid, beef, lamb, and even rare treats like donkey meat and venison.

Yu Qingshan placed slices of braised pork in front of the children — some fatty, some lean — but one after another, they asked for the lean cuts instead.

Yu Xianghai shook his head. “This is what happens when times get good — you get picky. Back then, having meat at all was a blessing. Fatty meat was the best, full of oil. Lean meat was what you bought only if nothing else was left. You had to get up early or know the butcher to get fatty meat. Things have really changed.”

Ye Qijia agreed. “True. Now I see fatty meat at the market all the time. Back then, it was the first thing to sell out.”

Yu Mingjie, having known hardship, remembered how much he’d craved meat — any meat, fatty or lean. The younger ones hadn’t suffered like that.

Yu Xiangyan said, “It’s because life in our country keeps getting better that the kids can afford to be picky. We should be glad.”

Yes, glad indeed.

Yu Xiangqing ruffled Yan Ming’s hair — he also preferred lean meat for its flavor.

The hardships they had endured, their children wouldn’t have to face. And with the one-child policy, every child was the family’s treasure. With only one, they got the best of everything.

Yu Qingshan poured himself some rice wine. It was mild and sweet — even those who couldn’t drink could have it.

Looking at the crowded house, he felt a wave of nostalgia. When was the last time they had a full family gathering?

Aside from funerals, it had been a long time — back to their days as educated youth.

Since riding the wave of the reinstated college entrance exams and getting into university, it had been hard to gather everyone. These moments would remain rare — the younger daughter was still nearby, but the second son lived far away in the capital and would return on the second day of the New Year.

The third daughter’s in-laws were also not nearby. And the youngest son had work — he’d leave just a day after the second son.

By the end of the meal, everyone was stuffed.

Afterward, Yu Xiang’an said, “Tomorrow morning, we’re going to the photo studio to take a family portrait.”

They had specially asked the photographer to work on the first day of the New Year, so a generous red envelope was expected.

The kids were excited, thinking about what they would wear.

Then came their favorite part — getting New Year’s money.

As the eldest, Yu Qingshan went into the room and returned with a thick stack of red envelopes.

At the sight, the children swarmed forward.

“Grandpa, Happy New Year! Stay forever young!”
“May we have this day every year, and this moment every age.”
“Wishing you abundance year after year, a happy New Year, and good health!”
“Happy New Spring, always smiling, and all the best!”

One blessing after another, no repeats.

Watching this, Yu Xianghai leaned toward Yu Xiang’an. “No wonder we send kids to school. In our time, we couldn’t come up with so many different greetings.”

Yu Qingshan beamed. “And I wish you all progress in your studies, good health, and success at work!”

That last one was clearly meant for Yu Mingjie — he was the only grandchild already working.

With better incomes now, Yu Qingshan was more generous, giving each grandchild ten yuan, boys and girls alike.

Ten yuan was already quite a lot — many people with an iron rice bowl job only made a few dozen yuan a month. The twins were very happy to get their New Year’s money. Starting this year, since they were now in junior high, their parents no longer took their money away, but they still had to show it to them first, because giving New Year’s money also meant giving it back to other people’s children. Their parents also made it clear they weren’t allowed to spend recklessly. If they did, the money would still be confiscated and they’d have no say in it. For big expenses, they had to report it first.

Reporting wasn’t a problem at all.

After Yu Qingshan gave each child their New Year’s money, Yu Xianghai also gave each one ten yuan. Money wasn’t tight for them now. These kids together got ninety yuan. Even Yu Xiangju, who wasn’t married, gave New Year’s money, making it ten recipients total — one hundred yuan in all. That was a sum most people could still manage.

Yu Xiangyan also gave each one ten yuan. Children weren’t allowed to open their red envelopes on the spot to check the amount, but they were delighted all the same — no matter what was inside, it was pure gain.

When it came to Yu Xiangqing, she complained she was at a loss. “You all either have three or two kids, but I got the short end of the stick — only one. Ah, I should have had another back then.”

Since she gave the same amount per child, with only one child she really did lose out. Yu Xianghai laughed at her. “Then you’d better have had them earlier. In a couple of years, you’ll be giving red envelopes to your nephews’ kids too. By the time your Yan Ming has a child to receive them, I’ll have been raking them in for years.”

Yu Xiangqing clutched her chest. “Eldest brother, why would you remind me of that? If you didn’t, I wouldn’t even have thought of it.”

Yu Xiangan laughed and pulled out a red envelope. “Then I’ll give you double to make up for it.”

Everyone knew Yu Xiangan was well-off, so naturally his red envelopes were bigger — fifty yuan each.

The children went back to their rooms to open their envelopes, laughing with delight, only to have them promptly confiscated by the adults, always with the same excuses:

“Mom will hold onto it for you so you don’t lose it.”

“Come ask me for it when you need it.”

But when the time came, it rarely made its way back to them.

“Your school fees, food, and notebooks already cost plenty. Want money? Go, go.”

This year Lin Yihong and Lin Yining were allowed to keep their own red envelopes, instantly making them the wealthy ones.

Yu Xiyi was envious — she was older, yet her parents still tightly controlled her spending. They never gave her any sign they fully trusted her. Lin Yining said she understood. “Xiyi-jie, you’re so pretty, of course Uncle and Auntie are afraid some bad boy will lead you astray.”

Yu Mingyao snorted with laughter. Yu Xiyi blushed and reached over to tickle Lin Yining. “What are you talking about? Don’t spout nonsense.”

Lin Yining dodged behind someone. “But it’s true. If I were as pretty as you, I wouldn’t trust myself either.”

Yu Xiyi was looking more and more like her uncle Wen Yizhen, and her looks even surpassed Wen Ruzhen’s.

It was only natural Wen Ruzhen and her husband didn’t feel at ease.

Lin Yining sighed. “If I were a boy, when I looked for a wife in the future, I’d want someone just like you.”

Yu Xiyi blushed even more. “Alright, are you ever going to stop?”

Lin Yihong nodded in agreement. “I think Xiyi-jie is great too.”

Lin Yining’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You don’t mean that I’m not, right?”

Lin Yihong said, “Don’t overthink it…”

The adults stayed up to keep watch through the night, while the kids who could handle it watched the Spring Festival Gala with them; those who couldn’t went to bed early and got up the next day full of energy.

The first day of the lunar new year was for paying New Year’s visits. Yu Xiangan and Lin Chuanbai also went visiting, though she had fewer places to go — more people came to her house to pay respects. They just sat briefly, left a small gift, and went on their way.

With so many children in the house now, they all expected red envelopes. Yu Mingfeng and Yu Mingyao got more than in past years.

And no one was stingy — the amounts were in whole yuan, never a few mao or fen.

Yu Xiangan told them to take them without worry — she’d return similar red envelopes in kind. It was just the usual social exchange.

Seeing the constant stream of visitors, Yu Xiangyan was experiencing it for the first time and gave her younger sister a thumbs-up. “Little sis, you’re good at this.”

Yu Xiangan smiled. “It’s nothing. If I couldn’t, all my years of effort would have been for nothing…”

The next day, they went to the photo studio.

Wen Ruzhen was intrigued by the array of clothing — no woman, no matter her age, could resist beautiful garments.

Yu Qingshan, now experienced, led his son to the armor section. “I tried this suit of armor last time.” He patted Yu Xianghai. “Want to try it? I remember you like it too.”

Yu Xianghai was tempted. “Dad, I saw that photo of you in armor. You looked impressive.”

“Come on, let’s all try.”

When Yu Xiangan saw Wen Ruzhen and Yu Xiyi come out in their outfits, they looked more like sisters than mother and daughter. Yu Xiangyan was grinning ear to ear.

Yu Qingshan, also smiling, patted Yu Xiangyan’s shoulder. “In a few years, you’ll be spoiled for choice picking a son-in-law.”

Yu Xiangyan’s face immediately fell. “Dad, what are you saying? She’s still young — what’s the rush to get married? No hurry.”

Yu Qingshan chuckled. “In a few years, if nothing’s happened yet, you’ll be anxious enough. Forget it, you’ll see when the time comes.”

Being a father wasn’t easy.

Yu Xianghai, also with a daughter nearly grown, felt a twinge in his teeth. No rush — let Mingyao finish her studies and university, then find someone. He’d prepare a generous dowry and have her brothers back her up so she’d never be bullied no matter where she married.

The photographer’s shots were professional, making everyone look even better.

Later, Yu Qingshan was especially pleased with the group portrait taken at the seaside. He planned to enlarge it and hang it on a photo wall at home — he’d seen that in movies and thought it was a great idea, so that the moment you walked in, you saw your family’s pictures.

On the sixth day of the new year, Yu Qingshan went with Yu Xianghai to Guangzhou to meet the in-laws. Yu Xiangan didn’t go, but Lin Chuanbai did. When they came back, he reported, “They seem cultured and reasonable, easy to talk to. They didn’t make any excessive demands, and what they did bring up was all for the young couple’s future. Looks good.”

Yu Xiangan smiled. “That’s good.” That was all she’d want in future in-laws — not family background or status, just good people who treated her child well.

Lin Chuanbai added, “The wedding date’s set — March.”

Yu Xiangyan and Yu Xiangqing had already gone back home, leaving the children behind until school started. The winter holiday wasn’t over, and they weren’t eager to leave — they still wanted to keep attending their extracurricular classes.

…

And just like that, the year turned to 1988.

In 1988, an important thing happened — the country allowed government bonds to be freely traded. Yu Xiangan had been keeping a close eye on the news and newspapers, watching policy changes closely, since they were deeply relevant.

She and Lin Chuanbai were indeed from a later era, but there was a lot they didn’t know, and because this was a parallel timeline, the years didn’t match exactly. Most of what they knew came from elders’ recollections or history lectures.

If you don’t pay attention, you’ll miss a lot.

Before, treasury bonds couldn’t be bought or sold freely. Once they could circulate, the market became completely different.

When banks bought them back, no one knew whether they were acquired from somewhere else or at a locally adjusted price. This created a price gap.

Some state-owned enterprises were assigned quotas, forcing employees to purchase a certain amount. They bought them, but since the bonds couldn’t be traded, to them it was like exchanging cash for scrap paper.

If someone was willing to take them, they wanted to sell in exchange for real cash.

Many people actually made their first fortune by reselling treasury bonds.

Because they couldn’t circulate across regions, people often didn’t know the buyback price elsewhere. Some sellers needed money urgently and couldn’t wait. Well-informed people could buy in one place and sell in another, profiting from the difference.

For example, in Location A, the bank might sell a 100-yuan bond at a 92% discount—92 yuan. In Location B, the bank might buy them for 102 yuan. Buying in A for 92 yuan and selling in B for 102 yuan nets 10 yuan profit per bond.

If you had capital, 920 yuan could earn 100 yuan.
9,200 yuan could earn 1,000 yuan.

In some rural places, where news was even slower to spread, bonds could be found for 80% or even 70% of face value.

Yu Xiangan told Yu Xianghai and Yu Xianyuan about this.

If they were traveling on business, they could make such a deal on the side—pure profit.

When Yu Xiangqing heard about this from her younger sister, she immediately took out all the family’s savings and had Yan Peng go purchase bonds. Yan Peng often traveled to rural towns, so when he returned from business trips, he could bring back a few bonds—sometimes worth hundreds, sometimes over a thousand.

At the time, pork was just over one yuan per jin, and Yan Peng’s monthly salary was seventy or eighty yuan. A single side trip could earn him several months’ wages.

After tasting success twice, Yu Xiangqing gritted her teeth and told Yan Peng, “Go borrow some money from your colleagues, and I’ll borrow some from mine. Opportunities like this don’t come often. If we miss it, it’ll be such a waste!”

The two of them earned fixed salaries. Life was comfortable enough, but it wasn’t particularly good.

During the New Year in the Special Economic Zone, they had been deeply shocked—there were so many wealthy people there. The government openly encouraged the idea that some people could get rich first.

Now, while riding this favorable wave, they could earn more money—just as Xiao An had said.

Their current house was fine for their own living, but what about when Yan Ming grew up and got married?

If they saved now and solved the housing issue, everything else would be easy to manage.

Yan Peng understood this perfectly well. He remembered that last time in the countryside, he had come across bonds selling at 85% of face value, but his funds were limited, so he could only buy a portion. Thinking back on it, he made up his mind: “Alright! I’ll borrow some money from my colleagues too!”

If he missed this chance, he knew he’d regret it.

🌱🌿 🫧🍃