Ch 101: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

🌸 Notice: Unedited Chapters 🌸

Originally, this novel was dropped because there were only a few readers. But thanks to the heartfelt requests from some of you, I couldn’t just leave it unfinished. 💕

So, I decided to continue uploading the unedited chapters from that point on. This means that since a few chapters back — and until the end of the novel — everything will remain unedited.

There might be small inconsistencies in names, terms, or locations, so please forgive me for that. 🙈

Thank you so much for your understanding and for still being here with me! 😊💖

….

Tian Erzhuang knew that the old commander was trying to help him out by sending his son to lend a hand. The old commander must have known about his situation. Tian owed several of his comrades money; if he relied on farming alone, he could pay them back eventually, but it would take a long time. On top of that, he still had three unmarried sons—more pressure on his shoulders.

Farming guaranteed food, yes, but it all depended on the weather. If heavy rain came during harvest season, the crops would shrink. If drought or flooding struck, there might be no harvest at all.

Tian Erzhuang made up his mind—this time, he would guard the goods properly and not fail his duty. He might lack confidence in other things, but his sturdy frame wasn’t for nothing.

He pulled himself together, packed some clothes, and handed the household chores over to Sun Guihua and their sons. The boys knew he was leaving for paid work, so they were all eager and reassured him that they would take good care of things at home.

Tian got in the truck and left. After that, people in Liucun had plenty to talk about.

“Soldiers really are different.”
“When they serve, they get stipends; when they’re discharged, they get resettlement money—and they have comrades.”
“If those comrades are dependable like Tian Erzhuang’s, then when things get rough, they can lend a hand. Now he’s got himself a job with wages.”

After the visitors left, Sun Guihua opened the things they’d brought. Nothing fancy—just a box of fruit, two bags of candy, and a pound of pastries. Pastries don’t keep long, so she took out a few and locked up the rest. Nobody was allowed to touch them.

Tian Mao tugged on her sleeve. “Mom, do you think Dad will make money out there?”
Sun Guihua snorted through her nose. “How should I know?”
Tian Mao crouched down and went quiet again.

*

On the truck, the two twins Lin Yihong and Lin Yining—who were usually quiet at home—were now chatting endlessly with him.
“Grandpa, you were once the runner-up in a boxing competition? That’s amazing!”

He was of the same generation as Lin Houping, so the twins had to call him grandpa.

Tian Erzhuang smiled bashfully. “Nothing much. There were many who were better than me…”

Lin Chuanbai drove straight to the special zone warehouse. When Tian arrived, he immediately recognized a familiar air—those uniformed men guarding the goods had the same military bearing.

They noticed it too; one came up and slapped Tian’s arm. “Hey, want to spar a little?”

A test of skill between brothers-in-arms.

Watching them exchange moves, Lin Yihong and Lin Yining exclaimed, “Wow! So cool!”

They clapped so much their hands turned red. Lin Yining even considered learning martial arts herself—it looked so impressive—but thinking about the pain and the rough hands, she gave up on the idea.

Lin Chuanbai had exaggerated a little earlier, but not entirely without truth. Beauty, skincare, and cosmetics were doing well in Hong Kong’s market, squeezing out older sellers’ shares. Hong Kong gangs were active—spend some money, and trouble would come your way. They wanted to sabotage shipments so that the business couldn’t deliver, damaging its reputation until the market shrank. Last time, they almost lost an entire batch; if not for timely help, those goods would have ended up in the sea.

Having learned from that close call, Yu Xiangan asked Lin Houping to introduce some reliable men.

That was why Lin Houping had been angry when Tian hid his situation. They had agreed: after discharge, if anyone ran into trouble, they must not keep it secret. Downsizing was beyond anyone’s control, and veterans often struggled to readjust to civilian life. Lin Houping always tried to help when he could.

When he was a factory director, he’d hired many veterans. Later, when his second daughter-in-law started a business and needed staff, he introduced people too. If jobs weren’t a fit, he’d send money or supplies to help them get through tough times. He always helped when he could, never turned his back.

So when Tian’s parents fell seriously ill and he faced hardship, but never said a word to his old commander—it stung. He used to be one of his men, under his wing, and now it felt like they were strangers.

People today might not understand that kind of bond. Take Qin Shenghua for example—he’d been comrades with Lan Wangshan’s son. When that man died, Qin treated Lan Wangshan like half a father, caring for him and his children ever since.

They’d made that vow long ago: on the battlefield, death had no eyes. Whoever died first, the survivors would treat his parents as their own and raise his children as their own.

It wasn’t uncommon.

Tian Erzhuang had received a resettlement payment back then—enough for a normal life—but poverty often followed tragedy. His parents’ illnesses had drained everything, and then his eldest son’s accident left him disabled. That forced him to borrow money from comrades just to get his eldest married.

When Lin Chuanbai learned all this, he decided to help. Before heading out, he discussed it with Yu Xiangan.

Yu said, “Bring him over first. Pay him a normal wage. I have an idea—let’s see how it goes.”

The guards they hired now were officially part of Wuwei Factory’s Security Department. Yu Xiangan was debating whether to spin it off into an independent security company.

It seemed a waste for trained veterans to go back to farming—after all the effort it took to build those skills. Security work had its risks, yes, but it paid far better than farming. And since the market was wide open, there was great potential.

Yu Xiangan felt tempted.

She had money; Lin Houping had connections. Starting up wouldn’t be hard.

At that point, it was just a rough plan with no finalized details—until something happened that sped everything up.

A factory owner in the special zone, who made radios, had his son kidnapped. The boy didn’t survive. The ransom alone cost nearly two hundred thousand in cash, plus a lost life.

It was a premeditated kidnapping.

Normally, families didn’t keep that much cash at home, but by coincidence, he’d just brought it back—and the kidnappers came right after.

The case caused an uproar in the special zone.

There were plenty of investors and wealthy people here, some quiet but making big money. If kidnappings like this kept happening, who would dare to invest? The government couldn’t just sit back; investor confidence was at stake.

But they were too late—the dead couldn’t be brought back.

Yu Xiangan was shaken. She had plenty of money too; what if kidnappers targeted her next? Would she be safe?

When Yu Qingshan heard the news, he stuck close to her and told Lin Chuanbai to watch over the twins carefully.

Yu Xiangan looked into the details: there were four kidnappers, three with criminal records—murderers among them. Two were shot dead, one captured, one escaped.

Yu Xiangan was horrified. What if that fugitive struck again in the special zone?

So she decided to move faster with her plan.

She called Lin Houping: “Dad, do you still know any trustworthy veterans? I want to start a proper security company. For the first batch, I’ll need thirty men.”

Lin Houping was surprised—but thirty? Even three hundred wouldn’t be a problem for him.

Too many soldiers had gone home to farm after being discharged.

Some military units kept only the top elite; the rest were disbanded.

After hearing Yu Xiangan’s idea, Lin Houping also named someone—Chen Jun—to join.

Yu Xiangan made some arrangements at home first. Her driver was fixed—Song Dong from the former security department—and she reassigned Zhao Shanhe to stay with Lin Chuanbai and the children, just in case.

When Tian Erzhuang and his crew delivered goods to Hong Kong, they got caught in a gang fight. Fists flew, and innocent bystanders got dragged in—but they knew the “bystanders” the gang was after were really them.

The enemy hit hard, but their side didn’t hit soft.

On one side were trained veterans; on the other, street thugs. It was clear who would win.

After the incident, Tian Erzhuang kept traveling for other deliveries—six or seven days out of ten on the road. In the middle of the next month, they settled accounts: 120 yuan for the month.

Everyone earned the same.

A coworker told him not to be surprised.

At first, Tian Erzhuang thought he was being given special treatment—120 yuan a month sounded too high—but when he learned everyone was paid that much, he relaxed.

He used to save only one or two hundred yuan in a whole year. Now he could make that in a month. No wonder everyone wanted to leave farming for work.

After working there for about two months, they were transferred to another location—more spacious, with room for drills—and suddenly many new people joined.

There, Tian Erzhuang ran into an old acquaintance: Chen Jun!

Chen Jun was in his thirties, short, with an unremarkable face—one of those people you could pass on the street and forget moments later.

He’d been a reconnaissance soldier. After discharge, he worked in a factory, but most of the time had nothing to do. When Lin Houping asked if he’d like a change, Chen Jun agreed immediately.

He didn’t want his life to stagnate.

Seeing so many new faces didn’t faze Yu Xiangan. She simply arranged dorms and handed the men over to Wang Yi, the former head of the security department.

As for Chen Jun, she wasn’t familiar with him yet. She’d watch and see—if he had real ability, he’d rise naturally.

While discussing business, Yu Xiangan also promoted her new security service.

Riding on the wave of public concern after the kidnapping case, business came quickly.

The line of work was risky, but Wang Yi and the others didn’t mind.

Ordinary stable jobs were safe but paid little. Here, they could use the skills they’d trained for—and earn well. Everyone was grinning.

Once Tian Erzhuang had settled in the special zone, he brought his son Tian Mao over too.

That boy had his heart set on marrying the Li family’s sixth daughter. But Tian, as his father, couldn’t afford the bride price—and even if he could, he refused to pay it.

If the boy wouldn’t give up, then he’d have to earn it himself.

“If he can make that much money, he can marry. If he can’t, he’ll stay single,” Tian said firmly.

When Sun Guihua learned about his new wages, she urged him once, “Why not agree to your second son’s marriage with the Li girl? You earn good money now. Save up, and you’ll have enough. The boy’s so stubborn.”

Tian refused outright. “I might be earning now, but I have to repay my comrades first. And don’t we have other children? Everyone should eat from the bowl they can hold. If he earns enough himself, fine, he can marry. If not, let him stay a bachelor.” He wouldn’t indulge the boy.

He made himself clear: “Soft-hearted mothers spoil sons. I’ve already found him a job—he should work hard. Don’t interfere. If you help him behind my back, don’t blame me for being harsh.”

There were too many expenses—debts to repay, and a new house to build.

The current house was too small. It barely fit one family. Once grandchildren came, there’d be no space.

Tian Mao couldn’t get into the security company—he was an ordinary man—so he found a menial job nearby, earning about thirty yuan a month. If he wanted to save a thousand yuan, it would take two or three years.

Tian Mao thought about it… Two or three years wasn’t that long. They were both young. He wrote a letter to Li Liujin, telling her to wait two or three years, then buried himself in work.

Facing his naïve son, Tian Erzhuang said nothing.

If the boy needed to hit a wall to learn, so be it. Only pain would teach him his limits.

Yu Qingshan, meanwhile, had a huge soft spot for soldiers—he admired them deeply. He often dropped by the security company to hang out for a few days, learning a few fighting moves. But at his age, it was already too late to master them.

Lin Yining, who had never practiced martial arts before, even signed herself up for a Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) class.

They had known the boy who was killed in the kidnapping. He’d been only two years younger than them, a sweet kid with dimples when he smiled.

When tragedy strikes someone you know, it feels completely different—you can feel life slipping away before your eyes.

Even Lin Chuanbai and Yu Xiangan started taking courses on self-defense and first aid for emergencies.

Yu Qingshan said, “If someone opened a training school for that, it’d probably do good business.”

Chen Jun happened to overhear and was intrigued. But having just come south, he decided to observe the scene first.

*

After attending the funeral, Lin Yihong and Lin Yining returned to school, both unusually quiet.

Wang Lipan and Fatty couldn’t understand it. Wang asked, “Didn’t you find an unused red envelope and get some pocket money? It’s been a while—don’t tell me you’re still upset about money?”

Lin Yining sighed sadly. “It’s not about that. You didn’t hear?”

Fatty and Wang looked at each other. “Hear what?”

Her voice dropped. “Someone I knew—his family was attacked by kidnappers. He was taken hostage. The kidnappers had already killed before. He didn’t make it out alive… He was two years younger than me. We’d eaten together before. I met his father later—his hair’s gone white now. It used to be all black.” Her eyes stung with tears.

Wang frowned. “Didn’t they catch them?”

Lin Yining gave a bitter smile. “Not all. My mom said one escaped. No one knows where he went—maybe Hong Kong.”

Wang grew worried. “Then you’d better be careful. Those people were after money. Your family’s pretty well-off.”

She’d never said exactly how wealthy her family was, but you could tell from her clothes and the way she talked.

Lin Yining sighed. “My mom hired us a bodyguard.”

Fatty’s eyes widened. “A bodyguard? Like in the movies? That’s wild!”

Lin Yining frowned. “My mom’s just scared something might happen. It’s fine at school, but outside we can’t go anywhere alone. He picks us up. If he, or my parents, can’t come, we’re not allowed to leave.”

“I even signed up for a Sanda class. Want to join me?”

Fatty pinched the soft fat on his arm and looked at Wang Lipan. Wang shook his head, then changed his mind and nodded. “I’ve already been taking classes.”

Fatty groaned. “So you’re both learning? I can’t be the only one left behind. Fine—I’ll join too. Is it expensive?”

Fatty thought about it—if the class was expensive, he wouldn’t be able to afford it even if he wanted to join.

Lin Yining said, “I don’t know how much it costs either. I’ll ask my dad when I get home.”

Zhuo Mingwei also asked Lin Yihong about it. When Yihong told him what had happened, his expression grew serious. “I looked into the kidnapping in detail. If that had happened to my family, I don’t think I could have escaped either. Those four men were trained fighters. What I’ve learned could handle regular people, but not men like that. If I were caught in a situation like that, how would I save myself? I can’t think of a way.”

As for trying to get the ransom money back—that thought never even crossed his mind. Life was the most important thing. Money could be earned again, but once life was gone, it was over.

Their parents had also warned them repeatedly: if something like that ever happened, do not resist unless you were certain you could get away. Some people simply had no conscience.

Adults had a natural advantage over children—kids were still developing and didn’t have the strength to fight back.

Zhuo Mingwei gave a wry smile. “So that’s what this is about. I know. My parents are scared to death too. Now when I come to school, one of them insists on picking me up personally. If they can’t, I’m not allowed to go home alone. They don’t have much money left either—they put most of it in the bank and then signed me up for three different classes: taekwondo, sanda, and martial arts. If I hadn’t stopped them in time, I’d have been split into three pieces.”

He rolled up his sleeve to show Yihong the bruises from training.

“I never did this stuff before. It really hurts.”

Yihong, who had experience, patted his shoulder comfortingly. “It’s fine. You’ll get used to the pain.”

Was that supposed to be comforting? Zhuo Mingwei felt suffocated.

The dismissal bell rang. Lin Yihong and Lin Yining packed up their things and walked to the school gate. They used to walk home by themselves, but ever since the kidnapping case, that wasn’t allowed anymore. Now, Uncle Zhao always came to pick them up and escorted them home.

If they had extracurricular classes, he would take them there first, then bring them home afterward.

Today there were no classes, so they went straight home.

Even before they reached the door, they smelled the rich aroma of food.

That smell…

Both of them sped up instinctively. When they opened the door, they saw their mother’s familiar smile. She was wearing an apron, holding a dish, and setting it on the table. “You’re home,” she said warmly.

Lin Yining ran over and hugged her arm. “Mom! You’re here! I thought you were busy with the hotel business?”

Yu Xiangan smiled. “It’s finished for now. I came to spend some time with you two.”

Lin Chuanbai had told her that the children were still down and hadn’t fully recovered from the kidnapping incident. So, once she wrapped up her work, she came to be with them.

After arriving, she went to the market, bought ingredients, and cooked a whole table of delicious food.

Zhao Shanhe glanced at his colleague Song Dong and greeted him with a smile. “When did you get here?”

Song Dong—Yu Xiangan’s driver—replied, “At noon.”

He’d gone with her to the market and then sat there, tormented by the mouthwatering smells coming from the kitchen.

When Yihong and Yining saw their favorite dishes, their eyes lit up. “Mom, this is amazing!”

Yu Xiangan said, “You two can sit and watch TV for a bit. I’ve got two more dishes to finish.”

Yining shook her head. “I’ll help you, Mom!”

Yihong said, “Me too.”

Yu Xiangan shook her head this time. “If you really want to help, set the table. Rinse the bowls and chopsticks with hot water.”

When Lin Chuanbai got home, the table was already full of dishes: sizzling beef tendon on an iron plate, salt and pepper spare ribs, stir-fried beef with green peppers, sweet-and-sour fish, and pork rib soup with tea tree mushrooms.

There were also desserts—mung bean paste, water chestnut cake, and lotus seed soup.

An entire feast—it was hard to decide where to start.

Yining’s eyes sparkled like stars. “Mom, you made so much! We can’t finish it all!”

There were only six of them, counting the two uncles—it was too much food.

Yu Xiangan said, “The mung bean paste, chestnut cake, and lotus seed soup are desserts. Whatever’s left, we’ll put in the fridge.”

Song Dong and Zhao Shanhe sat down with them to enjoy the meal.

Yining sighed happily. “I’m so lucky. Mom, you’ve been so busy—I haven’t had your cooking in ages.”

Yu Xiangan stroked her hair. “Then let me make it up to you now, okay?”

Yining squinted her eyes in delight. “Okay! But don’t go running off to work again!”

Yu Xiangan laughed. “Deal. I bought more ingredients—after dinner, do you two want to help me make nougat candy?”

Nougat candy! The twins looked at each other and shouted together, “Yes!” They’d never made it before.

After a satisfying meal, Lin Chuanbai sat on the sofa, scribbling in a notebook, while Zhao Shanhe and Song Dong watched the news.

Yu Xiangan brought the twins into the kitchen to make nougat candy.

They used marshmallows, peanuts, milk powder, dried cranberries, almonds, and butter.

Since they had an oven, everyone took a role—one roasted the peanuts, another melted the butter, then added marshmallows and milk powder, stirring it all together. When it was smooth, they mixed in the peanuts, flattened the mixture in a tray, let it cool, and cut it into pieces.

The process wasn’t hard, but the taste depended on skill.

Cutting the pieces was Yihong’s job, while Yining helped her mom bake egg tarts and bread. Making extras wasn’t a problem—they’d serve as breakfast or school snacks the next day.

For Yu Xiangan, cooking was a kind of therapy. Watching ingredients transform into fragrant food gave her a deep sense of satisfaction—and it made others happy too.

She stayed for a week. Every evening, she and the twins cooked something new.

Day 1: nougat, egg tarts, and bread.
Day 2: double-skin milk pudding, sandwiches, and fruit cheesecake.
Day 3: cookies and milk biscuits.
Day 4: thousand-layer cake and chestnut cake.
…

After a few days of this, the twins complained that they were going to get little bellies.

When Fatty heard their “complaint,” he pinched the fat on his stomach and laughed helplessly.

The bit of weight he’d lost had come right back.

With delicious food morning and afternoon, his weight was hopeless. Before every meal, he’d tell himself, Don’t eat, don’t eat. But when the food appeared in front of him—who could resist?

Every time it ended the same way: Forget it, I’ll start dieting tomorrow.

And then the next day: Tomorrow again.

At this rate, when would he ever lose his baby fat?

🌱🌿 🫧🍃