Farming with a Dimensional Supermarket

Xia Daohua, a modern woman who died after drinking herself to death following the failure of her small supermarket business, transmigrates into the body of a seven-year-old peasant girl in the Great Chu Dynasty. She awakens in a rural household with a head injury that has caused partial memory loss, a detail that conveniently masks her true identity. The family, the Xia clan, is large and traditionally managed under a communal system controlled by the stern matriarch, Old Madam Zhou. The inciting incident occurs when Daohua’s medical treatment costs two taels of silver, depleting funds earmarked for her cousin Erlang’s marriage. This sparks a fierce confrontation led by the resentful Second Aunt, who accuses the elders of favoritism. The conflict escalates until the Second Aunt demands a family split, a proposal Old Madam Zhou accepts with unexpected decisiveness.

The household divides into six branches, with assets and land distributed fairly but firmly. The fourth branch, to which Daohua belongs, receives a modest share of land and silver. While the Second Aunt views this as a loss, the division actually liberates the family branches from the matriarch’s tight control, allowing them to manage their own resources. Daohua discovers that her modern supermarket has transmigrated with her, existing as a portable space with a storage area and a retail section. The supermarket’s inventory refreshes every twenty-four hours, and Daohua possesses a balance of Supermarket Coins equivalent to her former bank account. She can exchange real-world items for coins and purchase goods, providing her with a critical advantage in this impoverished era. She uses this secret to supplement her family’s diet with modern foods like roast chicken and braised pork, hiding her consumption to protect her only asset.

As the family adjusts to their new independence, internal dynamics shift. The fourth branch, led by Daohua’s parents Xia Youtian and Jiang-shi, enjoys a warmer, more cooperative atmosphere compared to the contentious relationships that existed under the communal roof. Daohua observes the harsh realities of their life, including the brutal cold and the constant threat of Northern Barbarian invasions that periodically harass the region. She resolves to use her modern knowledge and the supermarket’s resources to improve her family’s livelihood and potentially guide them to safer lands, though she must proceed cautiously to avoid suspicion. Her head injury allows her to act differently without immediate scrutiny, as the family attributes her changed behavior to her recovery.

The narrative introduces further complications through family secrets. Daohua accidentally witnesses her youngest aunt, Xia Yujiao, meeting with a suspicious bearded man in an abandoned house. The man is already married and pressures Yujiao to break her engagement to a sickly man, threatening her reputation. Daohua hides within her supermarket space, discovering that she can observe the outside world through a mirror, a feature that provides both surveillance and safety. She confronts her aunt with vague questions about the man, noting Yujiao’s nervous reaction, which suggests a deeper scandal that could destabilize the family if revealed.

During the New Year preparations, the family slaughters pigs, a significant event that highlights the economic benefits of their split household. The fourth branch retains all the meat, unlike previous years when the matriarch sold portions for cash. This abundance boosts morale, though tensions remain with the Second and Third branches, who feel shortchanged by the equal distribution. Daohua’s eldest sister, Lihua, and brother, Wulang, prove to be capable and supportive, helping Daohua navigate her new role. The chapter concludes with the arrival of the main branch from town, revealing the eldest uncle’s wealth and hypocrisy. He presents gifts to the elders while secretly using the occasion to transport his own family’s belongings, exposing the fragile alliances and underlying greed within the extended family. Daohua watches these interactions, recognizing that her family’s stability depends on maintaining their independence while managing the complex web of relatives and external threats.