Ch 108: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

Lin Duzhong came home grinning, carrying a slab of beef. He had come across it on the road — apparently someone’s cow had broken its leg and couldn’t survive, so it had been butchered for meat.

Beef was rare and fresh meat even rarer; when you saw it, you didn’t pass it up. He’d bought over two catties.

When he returned, Lin Houpou was already home. Seeing his father so cheerful, he couldn’t help feeling irritated.
“Dad, how can you be so calm about all this?”

Lin Duzhong blinked, handed the meat to the housekeeper, and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” Lin Houpou sighed. “How could that kid, Chuanbai, come up with such a big idea? He had a perfectly good job as a researcher — wasn’t he earning enough already? And now he’s quit to start a pharmaceutical company!”

Lin Duzhong didn’t see the problem. “He’s just changed where he works. He’s still doing research.”

“Yes, he’s still a researcher,” Lin Houpou muttered, “but everything else is run by his wife.” The thought made his chest tighten. “Tell me, why’s he so careless? He lets his wife handle everything—doesn’t he ever want to take charge himself? Once a woman gets a taste of power, it’s hard to go back. From the outside, it looks like she’s dominant and he’s weak. Isn’t that embarrassing to talk about?”

Lin Duzhong wasn’t concerned. “They live their own lives; they know what works for them. You can’t deny your son never liked managing that kind of thing anyway.”

That was true enough.

Still, Lin Houpou felt like he was on the verge of a heart attack. This son had never followed his plans.

He had wanted him to work at the machinery factory—where, thanks to his own influence, the boy wouldn’t have needed backdoor favors but would still have had a smooth career. But no, the boy refused and went to work at a hospital pharmacy instead, doing something ordinary.

At least, he’d later gotten into college—and not just him, his wife too. The two of them passing together made many people envious. That had finally eased Lin Houpou’s mind.

If he could make it to college, his future wouldn’t be bad. Even though he hadn’t followed his father’s path and instead studied medicine, Lin Houpou had accepted it.

Then he got into graduate school—an intellectual, a proper scholar. For a while, the perpetually stern Lin Houpou couldn’t help smiling whenever people praised his second son.

But the joy hadn’t lasted long. His daughter-in-law soon quit her respectable job to open a restaurant and become a self-employed businesswoman.

It was unthinkable!

Had he known in advance, he would’ve found a way to stop her. But the couple had done it first and informed him later, leaving him no chance to object. He had no choice but to swallow his frustration.

He’d been worried his second son would also quit his research job to join her—but thankfully, he hadn’t. And to be fair, that daughter-in-law was capable; without a cent of help from him, she had built a thriving business on her own.

He might not have had direct dealings with her, but through friends he still heard bits of news—how much tax she paid each year, what new ventures she started, how much foreign currency her businesses brought in.

By now, she was a notable figure in the Special Economic Zone, which left him with mixed feelings.

A woman with that kind of drive—it was impressive, he had to admit. Any family would be proud to have someone so capable. But when he looked back at his son—noble, yes, a respectable researcher—but that also meant he didn’t earn much. Socially, his son’s position was higher than his wife’s, and that had once comforted him. At least something about the man outshone her.

But now? He’d thrown even that advantage away.

Lin Houpou worried about their future. If things went on like this, could their marriage stay peaceful?

When the woman is stronger than the man, harmony rarely lasts.
Rarely.

At that moment, Li Yujiao came home carrying several shopping bags—she’d gone out and bought clothes for herself, her son, and Lin Houpou.

Now that they had a housekeeper, she didn’t have to bother with chores anymore. Seeing her husband’s sour face, she immediately guessed what was bothering him. Nothing major had happened recently except for Lin Chuanbai’s resignation.

She cleared her throat. “I heard people saying their health supplements are selling like crazy. That ginseng tonic wine and those ginseng vitality pills are completely sold out.”

“I’ve heard that too,” said Lin Duzhong. “Business is indeed booming.”

“They must be making a lot of money,” Li Yujiao said. “I heard they spent tens of thousands on advertising. I can’t even imagine what it’s like to spend that much just on ads.”

Then she added, “Father, since they’re doing so well, maybe they could help Tiandong? He’s working on investment promotion now—if they go over there, the government will give them the best policy incentives.”

Lin Duzhong stayed silent, staring at the table.
Lin Houpou coughed. “Your eldest brother is also working in an industrial development zone, also doing investment promotion, and they didn’t invest there either. They pick their locations carefully. They’re down south—too far away to be involved.”

Even the eldest son’s area, which was better developed, hadn’t gotten their investment; the youngest’s location couldn’t compare.

Li Yujiao’s expression darkened. “How do you know if you don’t try? Maybe his area happens to have something they need.”

Their son Lin Tiandong had been assigned to a city in the northwest after graduation. She’d always wanted him to transfer back to the capital so the whole family could be together.

She was also trying to arrange a marriage for him. The distance made things difficult—she had a job in the capital, could only visit occasionally, and he brushed off her suggestions every time.

She wanted to find him a wife from a good family, someone who could help his career. Her son was handsome and promising—why shouldn’t he have his pick of good women? But he just wouldn’t take the hint. He was already falling behind his peers.

If he didn’t get promoted soon, how could he compete with his elder brother later? Their father’s network and influence would eventually pass to someone—but who, wasn’t yet decided. If Tiandong married early, had a wife with a strong family, and gave them a grandson she could help raise in the capital, the boy would naturally become closer to his grandfather. Then surely, Lin Houpou would favor the younger son more.

Her anxiety wasn’t baseless. Her son had been born much later than the others. The children from Lin Guangbai’s family were already working now, and in just a few years, Lin Chuanbai’s kids would be entering college. One after another, they were catching up. Li Yujiao needed an ally—a natural one who would stand on her side.

Lin Houpou frowned. “Tell me, what could he possibly have in that barren place that his second brother’s company would need? Mud?”

Li Yujiao was furious.

How had their son ended up assigned to such a backwater?

Meanwhile, over at Lin Guangbai’s home, a large package arrived. Inside were several bottles of finely packaged ginseng tonic wine and ginseng vitality pills, along with some smaller items.

The two brothers had always been close, and their habit of mailing things to each other hadn’t changed. In the past, it had been mostly Guangbai sending items from Shanghai to his younger brother. But ever since Lin Chuanbai got married—and especially after he and his wife started college—the direction had flipped. Now, he received far more parcels than he sent. As the couple’s business grew, the contents of those packages became more and more valuable.

Occasionally, Guangbai would even ask his second brother to help him purchase or ship certain things on his behalf.

This time, part of the ginseng tonic wine that Lin Chuanbai sent over was kept for themselves, and part was given away as gifts—to friends and colleagues in leadership positions.

People in their line of work were often busy, sometimes working late into the night, and long hours inevitably took a toll on the body. Drinking the tonic didn’t bring immediate, miraculous effects, but after a couple of days, they could genuinely feel the difference.

Its only flaw was the price—expensive, but at their level, that wasn’t really a problem. A single bottle lasted quite a while, and it wasn’t beyond their means.

When Yun Jing saw what was in the package, she smiled brightly, feeling quite pleased. The delivery reminded her of the bold decision she had made years ago—to bite the bullet, empty her savings, and buy two commercial storefronts together with her second brother and sister-in-law.

Back then, she’d been anxious to the point of losing hair from the stress. But now, the rent had skyrocketed, already matching their mortgage payments. They no longer needed to take extra money out each month to pay off the loan, and at this rate, the rent would soon surpass the loan amount entirely.

Now, she had another idea in mind. Watching Lin Guangbai examine the elegant bottle of ginseng tonic, she said, “Your brother already mentioned it—he’ll lend us the money, and we can pay him back slowly.”

She looked at him earnestly. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful for our son to have a new apartment when he gets married? It’s from his own uncle, after all—not an outsider. We’ll sign an IOU and repay it over time. It won’t take long to pay it off.”

Previously, Lin Chuanbai had called to bring up the idea himself. He pointed out that judging by the rapid rise in their rental income, property prices would only keep climbing. His eldest nephew, Lin Qianjing, had just graduated and been assigned a job in Shanghai. Since he wouldn’t be transferred anytime soon, and might start a family there, why not buy him an apartment as a wedding home?

That way, they would have two homes in Shanghai—one for each sibling.

They lived comfortably on public-sector salaries but were far from wealthy. The purchase of those two commercial units had already drained their savings, and they’d even borrowed some money from Yun Jing’s family. Buying another home now was simply impossible.

So this was clearly Chuanbai’s way of helping his older brother. Lin Guangbai understood that—but his pride made it hard to accept.

Seeing that hesitation, Yun Jing pressed the point. “He’s your own brother. You’ve helped him plenty in the past! I still remember you spending several months’ salary to buy him a wristwatch back then. Now that he’s making good money, this might just be a month or two of his earnings. We’ll write an IOU, we will pay it back.

“Think about it—once our son gets married, with a new apartment, everything will be easier. But if he and his wife stay in our current place, there won’t be enough space once they have a baby. What then—make our daughter sleep in the living room? It’s not even big!”

Lin Guangbai stayed silent.

So she kept going, her voice quick and insistent: “It’s not like before, when college graduates were rare and automatically assigned housing. He’s new to the job; who knows when his turn will come up for an apartment…”

On and on she went, like a wheel turning endlessly. “And we wouldn’t owe them for long—we still have the commercial properties, right? The rent will keep rising. We’ll save for a few years and pay back as we can. If you don’t want to ask him yourself, let me do it. I’m not afraid of losing face.”

Finally, Lin Guangbai spoke. “What nonsense. Of course I’ll be the one to ask.” After all, they were brothers—it would be easier between them.

“Fine,” he sighed. “Let’s borrow it. We’ll both sign the IOU and repay it slowly.”

Yun Jing finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Chuanbai had phrased it as a loan precisely to spare his brother’s pride. Given how much care this older brother had shown him in the past, he wouldn’t have minded giving the money outright—but Guangbai would never accept that.

Now, with his nephew Lin Qianjing newly graduated, working, and already seeing someone seriously, the timing was perfect. If the housing was settled, as long as the boy didn’t fall into wasteful habits, he’d be financially stable for life.

And Shanghai property values only ever went up. Even if they dipped, it was never by much.

Soon, Lin Qianjing heard the news himself.

He was told to pick the apartment.

“…What?” he blinked. Buying a house—and they were letting him choose?

Did his parents even have that kind of money?

Then his mother called, explaining everything. The money was from his second uncle, though he was to confirm the final choice before signing.

The apartment was meant as his future marital home. Excited, he went house hunting right away. He was still living in a two-person dormitory and would sometimes go home on weekends to stay with his sister.

He was currently dating a young woman introduced by his supervisor; things were going smoothly, and marriage had already crossed his mind. Originally, he had planned to apply for a couple’s dorm after marriage—but now, having their own home was even better.

As for the IOU to his second uncle, he was happy to sign it and help repay it later.

It didn’t take long to choose—the housing market wasn’t yet as overwhelming as it would become years later, and since the place couldn’t be too far from his workplace, the options were simple.

Once the apartment was bought, word spread quickly: he was preparing to get engaged.

After the purchase, Lin Guangbai even filed an official report. Their salaries were modest, and such a large payment might raise eyebrows—he wanted to make clear that the money had been borrowed from his younger brother, not received as any sort of illicit benefit.

News of this eventually reached Li Yujiao’s ears, and her heart instantly soured.

Their current home was comfortable, yes, but it was government housing for active employees. Once Lin Houpou retired, it would be reassigned to his successor.

Then what? The two of them could move into a retirees’ compound—but what about their son? He’d still need a place of his own.

On that front, Lin Duzhong had already made plans. He had bought a small courtyard home in the capital for his youngest grandson and had it rebuilt into a two-story house.

When Lin Guangbai and Lin Chuanbai had married, they too had each received two-story houses. In fact, Tiandong’s new home was even more valuable—his brothers’ houses were in the small county of Baishi, while Tiandong’s was in the capital.

Now, Guangbai’s old two-story house in Baishi was rented out cheaply to a cousin’s family, and Chuanbai’s wedding house there sat empty.

To be fair, everyone was being treated equally—each grandson got one. For Tiandong, it would be enough for marriage and children.

The location wasn’t perfect, but it was still far better than a small-town property.

In the capital, property values only ever trended upward unless something truly extraordinary happened.

The new two-story home was already finished, built over the old courtyard lot. The surrounding neighborhood was still made up of traditional courtyard homes, but compared to the luxury apartments of Shanghai, it felt rustic.

The more Li Yujiao thought about it, the more bitter she felt. Her husband wasn’t the type to take bribes, and there was no way they could afford to buy such an expensive home themselves.

As for the claim that the money was just a “loan,” she didn’t believe it for a second. They could say they’d borrowed it, but who would be there to confirm repayment later?

Lin Duzhong understood her thoughts and could only shake his head helplessly.

Honestly—he had three sons, and the first two were already well established. The youngest was only just getting started; of course he would plan ahead for him.

There was still time before retirement, and even afterward, he wouldn’t be forgotten overnight.

His daughter-in-law’s worries about the youngest grandson’s housing were unnecessary—she simply couldn’t stand seeing Chuanbai “give” his older brother a home and was green with envy.

After all, a house wasn’t like any other purchase — it was a huge sum of more than two hundred thousand yuan.

Lin Chuanbai deliberately wanted to help his older brother improve his family’s financial situation. At his level, earning money wasn’t hard, but both he and his wife had strict principles. Their income was legitimate, transparent, and well-accounted for.

Buying a house for their child, however, was no small task — unless Lin Chuanbai stepped in.

His money came clean and honest.

And truthfully, Lin Chuanbai had planned it all out.

He didn’t want his older brother constantly feeling burdened by the loan or fretting about repayment. At this moment in history, making money was actually easy—if you knew where to look. For example, stocks.

Subscription certificates came in two types: registered and unregistered. The unregistered kind was much easier to trade. Lin Chuanbai used several tens of thousands of yuan to help his brother buy some.

In a year or two, when the market began soaring and daily limits of 0.05 increases lifted prices steadily, they could sell—not even at the peak, just somewhere mid-high—and easily make enough to repay the loan and even put a down payment on another property.

That was the advantage of knowing how the future would unfold—like having a prophet’s foresight, a golden finger of fate. Imagine knowing that a stock worth one yuan now would rise to one hundred yuan in a year. If you invested a hundred yuan, you’d have ten thousand in twelve months. Getting rich was simple when you knew where the tide was headed.

…

As word spread and reputation grew, business partners began seeking favors from Yu Xiangan—people like Lei Ming, Liang Yuan, and even Keleit.

After completing his last big deal, Lei Ming and his crew had truly washed their hands of their old black-market trade.

With that behind them, they bought large trucks and started a legitimate freight transport business.

He had once said he’d open a large wholesale market—and in a sense, he had. The profits were smaller than before, but the peace of mind was worth it. Their freight routes still ran north and south, but at least they no longer faced the same dangers from bandits and smugglers as they had on those international runs.

With this stable business, Lei Ming and his brothers brought their families to live with them—wives, children, and warm homes.

Their work was diverse, and they still did business with Yu Xiangan—large transactions, each one profitable. Naturally, when he wanted to buy her health products, she always saved stock for him.

Liang Yuan bought hers to give as gifts to her family elders.

Keleit, after tasting the ginseng tonic once, became fascinated. “My uncle needs this even more than I do. If he drinks it once, he’ll fall in love with it—it’s truly amazing! And it’s not even a drug? You’re sure you don’t need more investors?”

Yu Xiangan shook her head.

Keleit could only sigh regretfully. “That’s such a pity.”

He had seen how lucrative the business was, but for now, he couldn’t get a foot in the door.

“Yu, if you ever need a partner again, please contact me first.”

Yu Xiangan herself had fully tasted the sweetness of the health supplement market.

Beyond her premium ginseng line, she wanted to expand her product range. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as easy as just wanting to—it required formulas.

Developing them alone was too slow, so she offered high prices to buy proven recipes, waiting eagerly for something truly promising to surface.

…

While the health supplement industry was booming, Chen Xiaoyang felt none of that excitement. High-end health products were far removed from her world. Her days revolved around work at the Wuwei factory, and lately, she was feeling restless. Not because of her job—it was going fine—but because she had to go home tomorrow. And she really didn’t want to.

Her mother had already delivered an ultimatum: if she didn’t come home, there would be consequences. And if her mother showed up at the factory to make a scene, it would be humiliating beyond words.

To avoid that, Chen Xiaoyang had no choice but to go. She stopped by the market and bought some good food to bring home, hoping it would put her mother in a better mood.

When she arrived, her nieces and nephews surrounded her excitedly, calling, “Auntie! Auntie!”

Chen Xiaoyang knew exactly what they wanted—to eat the treats she brought. She didn’t disappoint them, dividing up the snacks among them. As they dug in, their sweet chatter filled the air.

Her mother, seeing this, rolled her eyes. “Honestly, what’s wrong with you? Look at these adorable children—don’t you want one of your own? You’ve grown wings now, haven’t you? You don’t listen to a word your parents say.”

Chen Xiaoyang’s face fell. Ever since she turned twenty, her mother had been on her case about finding a husband.

At first, her mother had wanted her to stay unmarried longer to help the family financially. But after her brother and sister-in-law started working outside the home, her contribution wasn’t as vital anymore. Even if their new jobs didn’t have her factory benefits, they earned a steady monthly income.

That shift had turned her mother’s attention fully toward marriage anxiety.

“You’re over twenty already—a leftover woman! You’ve got so many coworkers, so many men around you—just pick one! I’m not asking for an arranged marriage, just find someone decent. You can build a life together. Don’t tell me you’re planning to go back to the village and marry a farmer after all the trouble it took to get you out of the fields?”

Chen Xiaoyang sighed helplessly. Here came the same old speech again. “Mom, I am looking. I really am.”

Her mother’s tone went cold. “Oh, you’re looking, are you? You’ve been saying that for years! Have you brought home even one man for me to meet? No! Are you even trying? Keep this up and you’ll be an old maid before you know it!”

Chen Xiaoyang muttered, “A rich old maid. That’s different. There are plenty like me in the factory.”

Her mother scoffed. “Then there must be plenty of men too! Why can’t you bring me a son-in-law?”

The conversation was going in circles again.

“Mom,” Chen Xiaoyang suddenly said, seizing her chance, “I just remembered—I ran into an old classmate on the way. I’m going to catch up with her for a bit.”

Before her mother could reply, she slipped out the door. She really didn’t have the mental space for dating right now. Marriage took time and energy, and she was focused on getting a promotion.

A raise and a better position—now that was appealing. Once she had those, she could find a better man anyway.

Walking aimlessly down the road, she greeted familiar faces along the way.

“Xiaoyang, off work today?”
“Xiaoyang, the eggplants in your aunt’s garden are looking good. Take a few home—I remember you like them.”
“Xiaoyang, perfect timing! Are you coming back next week? If so, could you help me bring something over?”

One conversation after another, friendly and familiar.

Eventually, Chen Xiaoyang wandered to the foot of Bamboo Mountain. Looking at the groves swaying gently in the breeze, she thought of the Wuwei factory’s newest products—prepackaged sour bamboo shoots. They could be eaten cold or used in salads and stir-fries.

They’d also just launched a spicy-sour noodle cup featuring bamboo shoots. She had tried both and found them delicious.

On impulse, she decided to hike up the mountain and dig some bamboo shoots to take back. After walking for a while, she saw others already digging and smacked her forehead—how could she forget? She hadn’t brought any tools! Was she planning to dig them out with her bare hands?

She turned around, planning to go home for a hoe and basket.

Halfway back, she stopped suddenly and looked up at the mountain again.

Wait—the factory was buying bamboo shoots now. And her village had plenty!

The roads were accessible, transport wasn’t hard, and the village’s bamboo groves stretched across several hills. Every year, the locals came here to dig shoots for themselves.

This might be a golden opportunity.

Thinking of that, Chen Xiaoyang suddenly felt energized. If this deal worked out, her promotion would be practically guaranteed!

Excited, she started running, and as she passed her house, her mother caught sight of her sprinting off and shouted angrily, “You ungrateful girl! If you’re so capable, don’t bother coming back!”

Down in the county office, someone had reported a promising new location for sourcing bamboo. Yu Xiangan happened to be interested in inspecting it personally, so she came herself.

She still remembered Chen Xiaoyang—during every factory inspection, whenever she passed by Chen’s team, she’d always notice the young woman looking at her with those bright, admiring eyes. That look had never changed.

After Chen Xiaoyang learned that the boss herself would be coming to investigate, she immediately reported it to the village head and party secretary. Together, they quickly decided to restrict access to the bamboo hills—no one was allowed to go digging for shoots for the time being.

If the factory agreed to buy from them, the entire village would earn a share of the profits—and that share would be far more valuable than the few bamboo shoots they usually dug up to eat.

These days, no one was starving anyway. People dug bamboo shoots more for the taste than for survival. Things weren’t like the old days when hunger forced them into the hills.

When Yu Xiangan arrived in the village, the headman and several village officials were already waiting at the entrance. Such a welcoming scene was nothing new to her. She greeted them, shook hands, and without wasting time, went straight up the mountain.

The hills stretched endlessly, forming a sea of bamboo. When the breeze blew, the green waves rippled like the surface of an ocean. Standing at the peak and looking down, the view was breathtaking.

Seeing the abundance of bamboo, Yu Xiangan suddenly thought of something. She turned to Chen Xiaoyang and asked, “Do you have bamboo cicada flowers here? If you do, we’ll buy those too.”

That was a valuable commodity indeed.

🌱🌿 🫧🍃