After finishing the bowl of thin porridge, Lin Yan finally had the strength to get out of bed.
The moment his feet touched the ground, a wave of dizziness hit him. This body was weaker than he'd imagined—malnutrition, overwork, and years of barely scraping by.
"Don't go out," his mother said worriedly. "Rest another day."
Lin Yan shook his head. "I'll just take a look at the fields."
The Lin family's land lay at the eastern edge of Qingshui Village, far from the river. Three mu in total—dry, hard soil, scattered with stones. It was the kind of land that barely produced grain even in a good year.
As Lin Yan stepped onto the field, the system panel flickered again.
Detected usable space
Would you like to designate this area as system land?
Yes / No
He chose Yes.
The world seemed to blur for an instant.
Nothing dramatic happened—no glowing light, no thunder from the heavens. But when Lin Yan knelt and scooped up a handful of dirt, he felt it immediately.
The soil was different.
Still dry, still rough—but no longer lifeless.
System Land Activated: 1 mu (Barren)
Soil Fertility: Low
Recommended Crops: Sweet Potato, Millet, Soybean
Lin Yan's heart raced.
Sweet potatoes.
In a grain-tax society like Great Zhou, rice and wheat were precious—but sweet potatoes could save lives. They yielded high, grew fast, and survived poor soil.
Perfect for a poor farming family.
New Item Available:
Sweet Potato Seeds (Beginner Pack)
Yield bonus: +10%
He didn't hesitate.
Lin Yan rolled up his sleeves and began clearing stones, loosening soil, and planting the seeds row by row. His movements were clumsy, but his mind was calm.
This wasn't some overpowered cheat.
This was farming.
Halfway through, footsteps approached from the field path.
"Yan'er?"
Lin Yan looked up.
A girl stood there holding a bamboo basket. She wore plain clothes, clean but faded. Her hair was tied simply, her face fresh and quiet, with clear eyes that carried a hint of worry.
Shen Qinghe.
The daughter of Old Shen, the village butcher.
According to the memories, she often helped Lin Yan's family—sometimes lending salt, sometimes vegetables. People in the village quietly said she was "too kind."
"I heard you fainted," she said softly. "My father asked me to bring you some radishes."
She noticed the freshly turned soil and paused. "You're… planting?"
Lin Yan stood up, wiping sweat from his brow. "Trying something new."
She hesitated, then said carefully, "Uncle Zhang passed by earlier. He said your family still owes grain from last autumn."
Lin Yan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Uncle Zhang.
One of the village elders, managing grain records and mediating disputes. In reality, he favored families with more land and influence. Poor households like the Lin family were always pressed hardest.
"Did he say anything else?" Lin Yan asked.
Shen Qinghe lowered her voice. "He said… if the debt isn't paid by summer, he might report it to the yamen."
That was no small threat.
Once officials got involved, fines would follow. Worse, land could be confiscated.
Village politics were never fair.
Lin Yan nodded. "Thank you for telling me."
She placed the basket down. "These are for Auntie. And… don't work too hard."
Their eyes met briefly.
There was no romance in that moment—just quiet understanding between two people who knew how hard life could be.
After she left, Lin Yan exhaled slowly.
"So that's how it is," he murmured.
This wasn't just about planting crops. It was about survival within a system—economic, social, and political.
The system panel updated again.
Crop Planted: Sweet Potato
Estimated Growth Time: 25 days
Condition Bonus: +10% yield
Twenty-five days.
Long, but not impossible.
Hidden Condition Triggered:
First crop planted by host's own labor
Reward: Soil Improvement (Minor)
Lin Yan watched as the soil darkened slightly, becoming softer.
A smile tugged at his lips.
"Step by step," he said quietly. "I'll grow enough food first. Then… I'll enter the market."
In Qingshui Village, vegetables were traded weekly at the small roadside market. Meat came from Shen's butcher stall. Grain prices fluctuated wildly depending on harvests and taxes.
If Lin Yan could produce surplus food—
He wouldn't just pay off debt.
He'd gain bargaining power.
And once people noticed?
Village elders like Uncle Zhang would think twice before pushing his family around.
As the sun dipped low, Lin Yan returned home, hands aching but heart steady.
For the first time since arriving in this world, hunger didn't feel hopeless.
It felt temporary.