Ch 122: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

In a university classroom, students were whispering among themselves while waiting for class to begin and for the teacher to arrive.

The center of their conversation was that teacher.

She was a well-known beauty on campus, with softly curled, intellectual-looking hair. Her clothes were nothing particularly special, yet on her, they made it hard to look away. Especially the female students, who were always curious about what brand she wore so they could buy the same.

This beautiful teacher looked young. She was an alumna from several generations before them, already had two daughters, and was also part of the calligraphy association, apprenticed under a famous master. One of her works could sell for hundreds of thousands. A few strokes of her brush could be worth tens of thousands, though she rarely sold them.

A teacher like this was naturally a hot topic among students.

They even knew that someone had once confessed to her, which became something of a joke. The student had never seen her husband appear, only later learning she was married to a soldier. Not only was he handsome, he could also fight. The boy who confessed retreated in embarrassment.

Interfering with a military marriage was illegal. And might get you beaten.

When she walked in, the students were momentarily stunned, then broke into cheers.

“Welcome, Teacher Lin!”

Some bold voices called out, “Teacher Lin, I like you!”

“Teacher Lin, I love you!”

Lin Yining could not help but smile. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Being around such students made it hard not to feel happy.

“Thank you for your support. Let me give a brief introduction. My surname is Lin, as in the character with two ‘woods’… Now let’s begin. Please take out your textbooks, turn to the table of contents. Today we’ll cover Section Two.”

Below, the students rustled as they flipped open their books.

…

After class, she was immediately surrounded.

“Teacher Lin, can I have your contact info? I have some questions I want to ask.”

“If you have questions, please contact the class monitor first. She’ll pass them on to me.”

She did not manage to leave until a minute before the next class began. Too many students had gathered around her.

Thinking about it, she shook her head. Every new class did the same thing. She had no idea how these rumors spread. Some things, if you knew they were about her, made sense. If you did not, you might think they were talking about someone else entirely.

Her teaching load was light. Once class ended, she could leave.

She walked to the parking lot, preparing to go home.

Outside the school gate, she paused at a small market nearby. Residents often sold goods there. The produce was fresh and cheap, attracting many customers.

She bought some vegetables before heading back.

When she returned to the siheyuan, she saw a chessboard set up under a tree in the courtyard. The rest of this chapter is on HololoNovels dot com. Lin Duzhong was playing chess with Shi Changtian.

Beside them was a small table with tea, fruit, and snacks. At their feet lay a black dog, sprawled lazily.

A life like this… even immortals would envy it.

“Great-grandfather, Teacher.”

The black dog lazily lifted its head to glance at her, then lay back down, tail swaying gently.

Completely at ease.

She placed the groceries in the kitchen, where the housekeeper took over.

“Teacher, take a look at this piece. Has my calligraphy improved compared to before?”

She brought out a piece she had written the night before.

Shi Changtian waved a hand. “Wait, wait, this is a critical moment. Give me a second.”

He frowned, eyes fixed on the chessboard. In contrast, Lin Duzhong looked relaxed and unhurried.

Clearly, her great-grandfather had the advantage.

Yining sat down nearby and popped a grape into her mouth.

Her teacher was excellent in everything except chess. A terrible player. Lin Duzhong was not particularly strong either, but against him, he always won.

Yet Shi Changtian insisted on playing every time.

True love, indeed.

Once the game ended, Shi Changtian finally took her calligraphy and examined it carefully.

Meanwhile, Lin Duzhong began gathering the pieces, speaking to her as he did.

“A classmate came looking for you today.”

“Who?”

Not many people knew her address. Those who did were close to her. If they came, they would usually inform her first. Was it something urgent?

Lin Duzhong blinked at her. “Someone named Gu Shi.”

Though old, he still remembered this man. Back then, he had even looked into him.

He had been her first love.

They had dated for a time. Then he went abroad and settled there, and naturally, they broke up.

So many years had passed. Her children were already this big, yet he came looking for her. Even Lin Duzhong found it strange.

Yining was taken aback. “Did he say what he wanted?”

“No. I told him you weren’t here. He said he’ll come again tomorrow. From how he looked, probably wants to catch up.”

Yining frowned. “Catch up? We haven’t been in contact for years. What is there to catch up about? Who gave him my address? How annoying.”

Lin Duzhong nodded in agreement. “Exactly. Annoying.”

His tone was indulgent, like he was still pampering a child.

Yining could not help but laugh. “Great-grandfather, I’m not a child anymore. Fine, I’ll wait for him tomorrow and see what he wants.”

Their past had not ended badly. They were no longer lovers, but not enemies either.

Still, showing up at her home unannounced left a bad impression.

Shi Changtian, who had been studying her calligraphy, cleared his throat. “No wonder you showed this to me. This piece… has some merit.”

He rarely praised anyone. “Some merit” was already high praise.

Yining beamed. “I think so too. Yesterday, while practicing, I suddenly got into the flow. It all came together in one go.”

Suddenly, the black dog by Lin Duzhong’s feet sprang up, ears alert. Then it ran to the gate and stood guard.

That posture meant its two little masters were coming home.

Wang Yushan and Wang Yuyan, her twin daughters.

Now in primary school.

Sure enough, not long after, an aunt returned with them.

Yining stood up with a smile. “You’re back. What did you learn today…”

The next day, Gu Shi arrived on time.

Yining received him in the courtyard. “What do you need?”

He looked at her, his expression complicated, with a hint of realization. “Nothing in particular. After being away so long, everything feels unfamiliar. I just wanted to see you. Have you been well all these years?”

“I’ve been very well.”

“I can see that. Are you married?”

“I am. I have children too. And you? Did you get the life you wanted overseas?”

She had no interest in idle conversation.

He was silent for a moment. “More or less.” He looked at his hands. “My surgeries are quite good. I’ve built a bit of a reputation. Received quite a few offers.” There was a trace of pride in his voice.

Yining understood.

He had come to show off.

“In my career, things are going well. But not in marriage. I married a foreign woman. We later divorced. She couldn’t understand some of my views. She took our son. Since then, I’ve remained single.”

Lin Yining: “…………”

Oh.

The conversation fell cold in an instant.

Gu Shi spoke up to salvage the atmosphere. “After all this time, seeing you again… isn’t there anything you want to say to me?” The corner of his lips lifted slightly, carrying a trace of how he used to be in college.

Yining shook her head. “Didn’t we already say everything back then? There’s nothing left to say.”

Gu Shi: “…Are you still blaming me?”

Yining: “Why would I blame you? We broke up because our values didn’t align. Plenty of couples break up. We even parted peacefully. Why would I blame you? At least you were honest and told me what you wanted. Some people go abroad and keep dragging someone along back home, doing long-distance while dating someone else overseas.”

That didn’t sit well with him. Was he really only comparable to people like that?

His character wasn’t that bad.

Yining said calmly, “Maybe not. But you showed up at my home without a word. How am I supposed to know what kind of person you’ve become now?”

Gu Shi frowned. “No matter how much time passes, I’m still the same person. My marriage didn’t work out, yes, but abroad I’ve learned far more than I could have here. Development there is better too. If I had to choose again, I’d make the same decision.”

Yining raised a hand to stop him. “You don’t need to tell me that.”

His voice lowered. “I just don’t want you to misunderstand me.”

She nodded casually. “Oh. So where did you get my address?”

That was what bothered her.

If a friend had given it to him without telling her, then that person was no longer her friend.

Gu Shi didn’t answer directly. “I overheard it by chance. When I heard your name, I thought it was someone else. Didn’t expect it to actually be you.”

Yining gave a dry laugh. “Well then, since you have nothing else, I have things to do.”

He looked at her, clearly unable to understand. “I’ve just returned after so many years. I only wanted to see an old acquaintance. You don’t have to be this cold.”

“I’m not being cold. This is how I treat people I’m not close to. If that gave you the wrong impression, I’m sorry.” Her words said sorry, but her expression did not.

He understood. Showing up unannounced had annoyed her.

This wasn’t the right moment to keep talking. He stood and handed her a card. “Since you’re busy, we’ll talk another time. This is my card.”

She accepted it politely.

“And yours?”

“I don’t have one with me.”

Gu Shi: “……”

Only after seeing him out did she glance at the card.

Oh. Vice director.

No wonder he carried himself that way.

She curled her lip slightly. She would never have a reason to rely on him anyway.

Her mother-in-law was a leading figure in the military medical system.

If something ever happened, she would go to her own people. Much more convenient.

Besides, she was in excellent health.

After leaving the Lin residence, Gu Shi’s brows remained tightly knit. A few young women who passed by saw such a refined, mature man looking troubled and approached to ask if he needed help.

He declined gently.

With his looks and bearing, he had never lacked women who approached him first.

Back then, when he brought up breaking up, he hadn’t expected Yining to agree immediately. After that, she cut off contact completely.

Even more decisively than he had.

He couldn’t understand how she could let go so quickly. Hadn’t she liked him?

He hadn’t even had the chance to persuade her to go abroad with him. The rest of this chapter is on HololoNovels dot com. With her grades, it would have been easy.

But she refused. And she cared deeply about that decision.

She was willing to give him up for it.

That had angered him for a long time.

It meant she hadn’t liked him that much after all.

And yet he had thought of persuading her. How foolish.

This time, when he received the invitation, he hesitated for a long while. But abroad, his chances of promotion were limited in the short term. And as he grew older, he found himself missing home more and more.

So he returned.

After coming back, he asked old classmates about Lin Yining.

There was no shortage of news.

She was doing very well.

She had stayed at her alma mater, earned her title, was well-liked and respected by students, and had a happy family.

It seemed that without him, her life was still thriving.

So he came to see for himself whether it was true.

The moment he saw her, he knew it was.

You could tell from a person’s expression whether they were living well.

And from what she wore.

Her clothes looked simple but suited her perfectly. The necklace at her neck was from a well-known luxury brand. The jade on her wrist was lustrous, clearly valuable.

Her family had been described as small business owners, not particularly wealthy.

So her husband’s family must be well-off.

Her job was respectable, but not high-paying.

Even though he had spent years abroad, he knew how valuable a courtyard house in the capital was.

After he left, Yining immediately took off the bracelet and set it aside. She didn’t like wearing jewelry when writing.

She had plenty of accessories, but rarely wore them like today.

For today’s appearance, she had been deliberate.

She couldn’t dress head-to-toe in luxury, that would look gaudy.

So her clothes were modest and appropriate, but one or two details had to signal refinement and value.

To show that she was living well now.

Back then, he chose to break up because he believed going abroad would give him a better life.

If he had come back to show off, she wouldn’t let herself fall behind.

Not for anything else.

Just to hold her ground.

The next day, she arrived at school refreshed and in a good mood. On the way, she overheard two people discussing a research topic about a well-known chain restaurant.

“Wuwei Restaurant hasn’t gone public, but it’s everywhere. Do you know how many locations they have?”

“I checked. They’ve spread across provinces, municipalities, and regions nationwide. Over ten thousand locations now. No exact number since they’re not listed.”

“Did you count overseas locations? There’s one in every Chinatown abroad. They’re even ranked among the world’s top brands.”

“No, just domestic. Without internal data, you can’t know overseas.”

Yining smiled as she listened.

But her good mood vanished the moment she entered the office building.

She ran into Gu Shi again.

He looked surprised too, then smiled. “What a coincidence.” He gestured to the person beside him. “My nephew just got admitted here this year. I came to ask about his situation at school.”

He wasn’t deliberately following her. Though he had thought about passing by during her class to see what she was like teaching.

Yining nodded with a polite smile. “I need to prepare for class. You carry on.”

Whether what he said was true or not, she didn’t want to see him.

Her good mood was gone.

Her relationship with Yu Xiang’an had never been made public.

Lin Chuanbai wasn’t very well known to the public, but Yu Xiang’an was different. During a major flood one year, she had made a very prominent appearance nationwide.

Hardly anyone at the university knew about this, but Gu Shi happened to.

One of the attending physicians at his hospital was also from their university. By chance, he saw a photo of Lin Yining and said he recognized her.

“She’s basically a princess. Not someone ordinary people can reach.”

Gu Shi frowned. “What do you mean, princess?”

“I don’t know all the details. I just overheard some professors talking about her once. Her family is very well-off. Supposedly, they’ve got serious backing.”

Gu Shi hesitated. “I remember her saying her family just ran a small business.”

The attending shook his head firmly. “Definitely not. I once overheard that she owns a villa in one of the capital’s richest districts. And abroad, there’s a vineyard, even a private helicopter. What kind of ‘small business’ family has that?”

The wealthy district he mentioned, Gu Shi knew well.

It wasn’t just that housing prices were sky-high, it was that you couldn’t even buy there. The newest development hadn’t even gone on the market before everything was taken internally.

There was no reason for the man to lie.

Which meant Lin Yining had hidden the truth back then.

Knowing only fragments made Gu Shi even more curious about her situation.

After their last encounter, he understood clearly that she did not welcome him anymore, so he reached out to former classmates who had known both of them.

Some were just acquaintances, others had stayed in touch.

Everyone was an adult now. Helping make a connection was easy enough. Besides, no one wanted to offend a doctor. No one could guarantee they’d never need one.

Soon, Lin Yining began to notice Gu Shi appearing around her from time to time.

Her irritation grew.

Lin Duzhong noticed. “You’ve had people chase after you before, shamelessly sticking around. You didn’t seem this annoyed back then.”

Yining took a sip of water. “That was different. Back then, I just mentioned I was married to someone in the military, and they all backed off. The ones who didn’t… Li Pan had a ‘friendly talk’ with them and they disappeared too. But this one… I don’t even know what he wants.”

In her mind, the best outcome was for them to remain strangers forever.

Instead, he kept showing up.

Then Gu Shi saw Yu Xiang’an entering the courtyard.

He hadn’t made the connection before. But now, comparing photos, the resemblance between mother and daughter was obvious.

A quick search online, or digging up past reports, easily revealed Yu Xiang’an’s identity.

A self-made legend.

Even featured in textbooks.

After years in capitalist countries, Gu Shi understood very well what wealth meant.

If she was Yu Xiang’an’s daughter, then everything made sense, the house, the jewelry.

If anything, she had been understated.

Which meant that back when they were dating, she had been hiding things. By that time, her mother was already successful.

“A small business,” he had thought.

If that counted as small, then what counted as big? State-owned conglomerates backed by the nation?

Realizing this, Gu Shi’s feelings became complicated.

She really could be called a “princess.”

Had he missed out on something significant?

Now that he had returned to the country, he was in high demand. Plenty of people wanted to introduce him to potential partners, many young and accomplished women.

But when he compared them one by one, none came close.

—

After Yu Xiang’an and Lin Chuanbai returned from traveling abroad, Lin Yining’s mood immediately brightened. She wrapped her arm around her mother and acted like a little girl again.

“Mom, you and Dad went traveling again without me.”

Yu Xiang’an smiled. “Aren’t you busy? No need to interrupt your work. When you retire, you can go anywhere you want.”

At this stage, Yu Xiang’an was essentially semi-retired. She had earned enough, accomplished what she wanted, and now it was time to enjoy life. Waiting until old age to start enjoying it would be meaningless.

Capable people managed her businesses. She only needed to decide the overall direction. Occasional small losses didn’t matter.

Major projects still required her approval.

She had even gained a reputation as an international gourmet, traveling the world to taste different cuisines.

Lin Chuanbai did the same, collaborating with overseas labs, exchanging knowledge.

This time, they had spent half a month on an island, then went to soak in hot springs in another country, then flew off to ski and watch squirrels.

After hearing about their trip, Lin Yining pouted. “Mom, I want to go too.”

Yu Xiang’an patted her. “Next time I’ll take you. We brought you gifts. Want them?”

“Of course!”

Among the gifts, expensive and simple alike, what Lin Yining loved most were a few Yuhua stones Lin Chuanbai had bought.

“Where did you pick these up?” she asked.

“They were from a trip. I just thought you’d like them. They look like landscape paintings.”

She held them fondly. “They really do. So pretty.”

Lin Chuanbai glanced around. “Where are my granddaughters? Haven’t they come back yet?”

“They’re at tutoring. They’ll be back later.”

Tutoring had become the norm.

Back when she and her brother studied, many classmates didn’t attend extra classes. Now, families who could afford it enrolled their children in everything, always afraid their kids might fall behind.

Lin Yining had even been asked by acquaintances to teach their children calligraphy, but she refused. She didn’t think she was ready to take students.

Yu Xiang’an smiled. “Times have changed.”

Lin Duzhong came out, smiling. “You’re back. Yining finally looks happy again.”

Yu Xiang’an looked at her. “What’s wrong? Were you unhappy before?”

Yining puffed her cheeks. “It’s nothing serious. I was just thinking about one of my students.” She sighed. “He went abroad to study. Everything was fine at first, but now he’s gone quiet. And when he does speak, he keeps belittling our country and praising the outside world. Another one dazzled by it all. It bothers me. I even wanted to recommend him to the calligraphy association.”

Yu Xiang’an gently stroked her hair, and Yining leaned against her.

“People choose their own paths. Even parents can’t control their children forever.”

Lin Duzhong nodded. “Going abroad isn’t wrong. Looking down on your own home is. That’s a character issue. You should be glad you saw it early. If you had recommended him and something happened later, it would reflect on you.”

That was true.

Yining felt her mood lift a little.

“Alright. You must be tired from traveling. Go rest.”

—

Across the street outside the gate, Gu Shi was still standing there, lost in thought.

🌱🌿 🫧🍃