Ch 120: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

Yu Xianghai acted immediately. As soon as he hung up the phone, he packed a few things and came to the Special Zone. These days, they often traveled between several places. Baishi County was their base, all three children were in Yangcheng, and they also went to the Special Zone, where their father lived. Everywhere was familiar territory.

Yu Xiang’an also took the time to comfort Li Dazhu properly. Fortunately, things were still manageable. If something like this had happened in an era of smartphones, people would have been filming videos and posting them everywhere. If that somehow reached his blind date, he might have been misunderstood. For now, though, it likely would not spread back to Baishi County.

Besides, he was innocent to begin with.

On Ding Minxiu’s side, her injuries were not too serious. Once Zhou Boyang calmed down, he stopped hitting her, and she immediately found people to protect her. Zhao Qiaoniang, however, suffered more. She had to stay in the hospital for about a month. At her age, recovery was slow.

Ding Minxiu did not hesitate to spend money on Zhao Qiaoniang’s treatment. She had quite a bit of money now, so covering the medical expenses was not a problem.

She did not expect Zhou Boyang to pay for any of it. After everything that had happened, there was no way he would.

When she got back, she heard from neighbors that Zhou Boyang had come looking for her. It frightened her badly. She began planning to move. This place was no longer safe.

She hurriedly packed up important belongings and hid them away. The situation made her uneasy. How had they found her? Would he beat her again?

She could not have someone protecting her forever.

Ding Minxiu proposed a divorce.

Divorce, so she could be with that other man?

Zhou Boyang refused. “You think you can dump me and climb to a higher branch? Keep dreaming. I won’t let you have your way.”

She wanted to seek help from Chen Wen, but she could not reach him. When she tried to inquire, she learned that his original wife from his hometown had come with their son. They were fighting over control of his factory. He had no time to care about her or the child.

Left with no choice, Ding Minxiu, under protection, asked Zhou Boyang, “What will it take for you to agree to a divorce?” She feared being beaten to death.

Zhou Boyang stared at her darkly. “Give up that thought. No matter what, I will never help you and that bastard be together.”

…

Yu Qingshan had left quickly that day, but once Yu Xianghai and Ye Qijia arrived, they immediately started asking around in a roundabout way.

Through various channels, Yu Xiang’an eventually learned more. They had gone to inquire around Ding Minxiu’s neighborhood, near properties connected to Yu Xiang’an.

Chen Wen’s original wife had also appeared. The apartment had already been registered under Ding Minxiu’s name. Chen Wen had handled things carefully. The money used to buy it was not directly his, so his wife could not reclaim the property. But she did not let Ding Minxiu off. She smashed up the apartment, causing a huge scene.

For now, there was no resolution. Yu Xiang’an shook her head and said to Yu Xianghai and Ye Qijia, “Let me know when there’s a final outcome.”

She had no interest in hearing bits and pieces. She just wanted to know how it all ended. If the original host were still alive, she would probably want to know too.

Yu Xianghai chuckled. “Alright, I’ll tell you when it’s settled. You’re busy, no need to worry about it.”

They tacitly agreed not to tell Yu Xiangju. Ding Minxiu was not important. Zhao Qiaoniang was. Since she was already in the hospital and Ding Minxiu had paid the bills, there was no need for Yu Xiangju to get involved.

In Yu Xianghai’s view, Zhao Qiaoniang being in the hospital was unfortunate, but it also kept her out of the turmoil. Otherwise, she might have been dragged deeper into it.

The only one truly pitiful was the child.

He understood nothing, yet had already become an illegitimate child.

Back in Baishi County, people did not know the full story. Visit HololoNovels .com to read more. Since Zhou Boyang and Zhou Tianyou had gone to the Special Zone without sending any news back, everyone could only speculate, imagining dramatic confrontations and scenes of vengeance.

Such messy situations were not uncommon anymore. Money had a way of eroding principles. For the sake of a better life, people abandoned things they once would have held onto. Especially those who had suffered hardship, their desire for a better life burned stronger. If they could not achieve it themselves, they hoped someone else would.

Yu Xiang’an had seen many such cases. This was just one of them.

Yu Mansheng did not say much when he heard about it. These days he was working hands-on at construction sites again, but even before, he had seen plenty of similar situations.

Men who left home for work, living alone. How many of them truly took care of themselves?

Most construction sites were filled with men, but there were women too. Some had husbands far away. Some had husbands nearby but rarely together.

Some even had families back home while forming another family elsewhere, having children in both places.

Yu Mansheng could not interfere.

Those were personal choices. Mutual consent.

Yu Xiang’an did not dwell on Ding Minxiu’s situation either. She had her own projects to focus on.

The land she had purchased was large, with a hill and a lake. She planned to develop upscale apartments at the foot of the hill and luxury villas further up. She intended to keep several units for herself. The location was excellent, with greenery, transportation, and geography all in its favor. In the future, properties like this would be hard to come by.

The design was especially important. She hired a well-known designer, a classmate of Yu Yegui’s. The design fees alone were substantial.

There was no shortage of work.

Meanwhile, on Lin Chuanbai’s side, his cousin Lin Nanxing and her husband came to Yangcheng to visit.

Lin Chuanqiong and their uncle Lin Jiqing both worked at the leading pharmaceutical factory in Baishi County, but Lin Nanxing and her husband did not.

Their factory had been performing worse and worse, and Lin Nanxing had taken early layoff compensation.

As she put it, if she left now, she would at least get a payout. If she waited until the factory had no money left, she might get nothing.

So she took the money and left.

She remained optimistic because she believed she had other options. Bringing gifts, she came to Lin Chuanbai.

“Brother, could you help us arrange jobs?”

For Lin Chuanbai, that was not difficult. And Lin Nanxing had not brought Xu Haili along. That aunt’s personality made him unwilling to deal with her. There had been friction before. Perhaps that was why Lin Nanxing came with just her husband.

Lin Chuanbai asked, “What kind of work are you looking for? Do you want to stay in Baishi County or go elsewhere?”

If the request was reasonable, he would help. If not, he would not indulge her.

Their relationship was not that close.

Lin Nanxing hesitated. “Brother… do you think we could start a small business ourselves? If not, then maybe arrange a stable job.” She wanted to try.

Lin Chuanbai considered it. “What kind of business?”

Lin Nanxing brightened. “I want to sell children’s clothing. Clothes and shoes for kids. But we haven’t saved much…” she admitted, a bit embarrassed.

Most of their earnings had been spent on daily living and enjoyment. They had not saved much. Their housing was basically free, living in a small two-story building owned by Lin Guangbai. With steady income, after covering family expenses, they spent the rest freely.

As a result, both of them had grown rather well-fed and comfortable.

She explained that clearly. “Before coming, we checked our savings. We don’t have much startup capital, so we wanted to ask for your advice.”

Lin Chuanbai’s expression remained neutral. “That’s fine. Pay a small deposit, take some goods on credit, and try selling them. If they sell, you settle the payment. If not, return the clothes and we’ll refund your deposit. You can manage one or two hundred yuan, right?”

Back when Yu Xiang’an had given Ye Qijia clothing, there had been no deposit at all. She had simply taken the goods and paid later after selling. Here, Lin Chuanbai still wasn’t charging upfront for the merchandise, but he required a modest deposit as a safeguard.

It was a small amount they could definitely afford. Even without savings, they had just received layoff compensation.

Two hundred yuan could get them goods worth a thousand. One hundred could get five hundred worth.

Enough to last them for a while.

“Thank you so much, brother.” Lin Nanxing beamed.

“I’ll let your sister-in-law know. When do you want to pick up the goods?”

They were currently unemployed, so Lin Nanxing answered without hesitation, “The sooner the better.”

It was no big matter. Once Yu Xiang’an heard about it, she approved it immediately and had someone take them to choose clothes.

Neither she nor Lin Chuanbai asked about their business plan. They assumed the couple had things figured out.

In reality, it did not require much preparation.

They planned to start simple, just setting up a street stall.

But things went wrong. They took the cheapest clothes and sold them at mid-range prices.

The quality did not match the price. The clothes wore out quickly. Visit HololoNovels .com to read more. They would not harm anyone, but they were clearly low quality, priced cheaply for a reason.

Now they were selling something worth one yuan for ten.

Customers were unhappy and demanded compensation.

When Lin Chuanqiong called awkwardly to say there had been a dispute, and even a fight, Lin Chuanbai was speechless.

What could he even say?

“The customers who bought the clothes all came back to return them. I refunded everything,” Lin Chuanqiong added.

So not only had they made no money, they also had to cover medical expenses.

Lin Chuanbai fell silent again.

What were they even trying to do? Selling clothes required reputation. People compared prices and quality. Once trust was broken, how could they continue?

Lin Chuanqiong sighed, clearly exhausted. “She can’t keep doing business like this. I thought it was a waste to just leave those clothes, so I used my free time to set up stalls elsewhere and sold off the entire batch.”

Lin Chuanbai had no words.

This situation was ridiculous.

Lin Chuanqiong felt a headache coming on. His only sister had promised to follow his advice, but turned around and ignored it completely.

“Does she still want to keep selling clothes?”

“Yes. But now my wife and I are joining her. My wife will keep an eye on things so Nanxing doesn’t mess it up again.”

His wife was sensible. Even if conflicts arose, she would not let things escalate. They planned to work together. The brother-in-law would handle sourcing goods, while his wife managed sales.

His wife’s job had also been declining, so after seeing the small profits from selling the clothes, he decided she might as well quit and focus on this business full-time.

“Brother, we still want to do this. When would it be convenient to get more stock? I’ll also bring payment for this batch.”

“Just let me know when you’re coming. Anytime works.”

Lin Chuanbai did not mind. As long as they had discussed it properly.

But what Lin Nanxing had done was still frustrating. She wanted this as a long-term livelihood, yet nearly ruined her own prospects.

Luckily, she had a capable brother.

Lin Chuanqiong did not mention that when the trouble happened, their mother had scolded Lin Chuanbai harshly, accusing him of bad intentions. He was too ashamed to repeat those words.

Lin Chuanbai had meant well. Yet they had caused trouble and even blamed him. Lin Chuanqiong was determined not to let his mother’s words spread. Otherwise, what kind of situation would that become?

Turning goodwill into resentment.

After hanging up, Lin Chuanbai went to the cafeteria. On the way, he ran into Ye Chen, who was muttering to himself.

They greeted each other and went to eat together.

Lin Chuanbai asked about Ye Jingjing, who was close with Lin Yining. “She’s not eating here at noon anymore?”

“No, she eats at school now. Saves time,” Ye Chen replied. With the pressure of high school, it was more convenient.

Ye Jingjing had been disappointed at first. She had wanted to keep eating here, but Ye Chen refused.

Why?

Because the cafeteria food here was simply too good. The school cafeteria could not compare.

That was no surprise. The chefs here were trained in Yu Xiang’an’s program. She had established a training school in Yangcheng. Before graduating, trainees would rotate here for internships, each bringing at least one specialty dish.

Every new batch meant new dishes.

And since they rotated every few months, the menu kept changing. It was hard to get tired of it.

Qian San felt especially lucky about the cafeteria. Employees were provided three meals a day.

Most dishes were free. Only special stir-fries required extra payment, which he rarely ordered since the free options were already abundant.

He brought lunch boxes daily. Except for breakfast, he packed food for both lunch and dinner to take home, so his whole family could eat from it.

He was extremely satisfied with life at the factory.

At first, he had been anxious about working under a private employer. But now, compared to before, he had a stable salary and excellent benefits.

The future might be uncertain, but their current financial situation had improved significantly.

And in a private company, people dared not slack off anymore.

Before, many workers would waste time. Now, afraid of being fired, they worked diligently.

He had even been promoted, with higher pay.

While lining up for food, he spotted Lin Chuanbai and Ye Chen in the distance. He knew who they were. Lin Chuanbai was the head of research and also the boss. Ye Chen was a capable researcher.

Qian San hoped his children could become people like that one day. Educated, working in offices, handling instruments, earning high salaries with ease.

More and more factories were failing. He knew some former colleagues who had left now deeply regretted it, wanting to come back, but it was too late.

Even if they envied the待遇 here, there was nothing they could do.

One former coworker had even come to borrow money from him, ashamed and waiting until dark to ask.

Qian San understood that kind of pressure. The burden of supporting a family left no room for pride.

He filled his lunch boxes. Today’s dishes were tomato scrambled eggs, dry pot mushrooms with sliced meat, and stir-fried tofu with meat.

He had two containers. One was for soup.

Today’s soup was kelp and soybean.

Soup was self-serve, but someone stood nearby to make sure no one took too much.

When he got home, his wife was waiting.

The tomato eggs were sweet, so they left them untouched. The meat dishes were picked out and combined with what they already had at home, stretching the flavor further.

Although their finances had improved, they still could not afford to relax.

They needed to save money. A daughter would need a dowry, a son would need a bride price. Every bit counted.

Even so, the food he brought home every day was already far better than before. Today was a good day. In the dry pot meat dish, there were three slices of meat. One was a thick piece of fatty pork. His wife reworked it, slicing it into thin strips so everyone could get a taste.

She was smiling the whole time.

He knew why. They had just been paid two days ago. With his recent promotion, his salary had increased quite a bit. Life at home was more comfortable now.

Working for a private boss was not all bad. As long as he worked hard, the待遇 was good. Much better than before, when things had been stagnant and uncertain.

After eating, Lin Chuanbai did not return to the lab. Instead, he went to the office to find Yu Xiang’an, who was reviewing documents.

When he arrived, Wang Xiaoya was coming out holding a stack of files. She greeted him with a smile.

He returned the greeting and went inside.

Yu Xiang’an was seated at her dark wooden desk, focused on a document. Hearing him enter, she looked up and smiled. “You’re here.”

Without realizing it, Lin Chuanbai smiled back.

The pharmaceutical factory had a deputy director managing daily operations, but some decisions still required Yu Xiang’an, the true person in charge. She spent most of her time in the Special Zone, but coming here was convenient.

“What’s the situation this time?” Lin Chuanbai asked.

He stayed mostly at the factory but did not involve himself in business operations. He focused only on his research department.

Yu Xiang’an smiled again. “Sales are doing very well. We’re preparing to expand production.” The factory might not be large, but it was like a hen that laid golden eggs.

Lin Chuanbai narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of pride in his tone. “It’ll only make more and more money from here on.”

He had also heard about Ding Minxiu’s situation, though not in detail. Now he suddenly remembered. “Is there a result? It’s been a while.”

“There is.”

“What happened?”

“Ding Minxiu and Zhou Boyang divorced. They’ve become enemies. Zhou Boyang probably took a good amount of money. The Zhou family has moved, no one knows where. Ding Minxiu got her divorce, but that man is still with his original wife. I heard Ding Minxiu was dealt with quite harshly. She’s still just the other woman. She moved as well, location unknown. She probably won’t return to Baishi County.”

Lin Chuanbai shook his head. The Zhou family and her son were unreliable, but there had been many possible paths she could have taken.

She had a job. Even setting up a small street stall could have earned her a decent living. She might not have become wealthy, but she could have lived comfortably.

Instead, she chose this road.

Character shapes destiny.

“What about Zhao Qiaoniang?” he asked.

Yu Xiang’an set down her pen and exhaled. “After being discharged, she was taken away by Ding Minxiu.”

“She probably still needs her to help take care of the child.”

Yu Xiang’an sighed. “She’s spent her whole life being controlled by her daughter.”

One person’s sweetness is another’s poison.

“She chooses it,” Lin Chuanbai said.

Yu Xiang’an sighed again. “When I saw how things ended for them, I felt a moment of satisfaction. But afterward… something felt off. Tell me, if we hadn’t come here, if they had gotten through that time and survived, what do you think would have happened?”

She searched through the original host’s memories. Back then, discovering Zhou Boyang and her stepsister Ding Minxiu together had been a huge blow. Combined with the fear of being sent to the countryside, she had not endured it.

If she had endured it, unwilling to accept such humiliation, she would likely have exposed them, sending both of them to prison for “hooliganism,” and then been forced to go to the countryside herself.

Life there would have been difficult. After what happened in Baishi County, she probably would not have wanted to return. She might have found someone in the countryside to share the burden.

When the educated youth were allowed to return to the city, she might have come back with a family of her own.

As for the college entrance exam, her grades had been decent. If she had not abandoned her studies, she might have been admitted.

Lin Chuanbai thought about his own counterpart.

The original version of him had been determined to attend a worker-peasant-soldier university. Lin Houpu had once asked him before the exams were reinstated, but he had refused.

That path had been his original wish, to get far away from home. He could not face Lin Houpu and Wu Zheng after their divorce. He would have chosen a distant place, working, starting a family, living a quiet life.

Yu Xiang’an continued, “And if we hadn’t come here, if we hadn’t died under that billboard… what would have happened to us?”

Lin Chuanbai replied, “The child’s parents were there. We would have been commended… and then lived ordinary lives. Work, routine, nothing too different from anyone else.”

The only difference might have been that he would have remained more reserved.

Yu Xiang’an smiled faintly. “After leaving the hospital, I would have gone back to running my private kitchen. It had just opened, so I would have worked hard to build it up. You liked my cooking, so you would come often. With my personality, I would have talked to you, tried to learn your preferences, cooked dishes you liked, made you more satisfied. We would have crossed paths again…”

Compared to their current life, the beginning had been difficult. But they adapted, gained the advantage of the space, built a thriving life, and then discovered each other, two people from the same world, meeting here and walking together.

Lin Chuanbai’s expression softened at the thought that, even in another life, they might still have ended up together. “Do you regret rushing out to save that little girl?”

“I don’t.”

“Neither do I.”

They looked at each other and smiled.

Wang Xiaoya had just reached the door and saw the scene through the window. She quietly turned and left.

This was a moment no one else could step into. She would come back later.

🌱🌿 🫧🍃