With an Encyclopedia in Hand, I Farm My Way to Riches in Lean Years

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Novel Info

Author:
九月流火
Status:Ongoing

Summary

Song Zhaodi, a modern woman who died saving a pregnant suicide victim, transmigrates into the body of a girl with the same name in a poor rural family. The original owner was nearly drowned after being pushed into a pond by her step-grandmother Sun Xiuhe, who wanted to destroy her reputation to force her into an engagement with a wealthy man. Upon waking, Song Zhaodi discovers she has a golden finger ability that allows her to identify plants, animals, and objects by touch, receiving detailed information including nutritional value, medicinal properties, and preparation methods.

The Song family is deeply impoverished and oppressed by the patriarch Song Dachuan and his second wife Sun Xiuhe. While Song Dachuan cares only about family reputation and face, Sun Xiuhe favors her own son Song Yaozu and mistreats Song Zhaodi and her two younger sisters. Song Zhaodi's father Song Yaodong is a kind but weak man who suffers from a broken leg that cannot be properly treated due to lack of money. Her mother Zhao Lanzhi is belittled for bearing only daughters.

Using her identification ability, Song Zhaodi discovers valuable wild plants like water celery and edible mushrooms that the villagers consider poisonous or useless. She begins harvesting and selling these items in town, generating income to pay for her father's medicine and improve her family's living conditions. She also catches fish and turtles from the river, preparing delicious meals that challenge the family's food hierarchy where the best parts were always reserved for the elders.

The core conflict centers on Song Zhaodi's resistance against Sun Xiuhe's abuse and the family's patriarchal oppression. When Sun Xiuhe tries to force her into the engagement to repay a debt, Song Zhaodi publicly confronts her, exposing the step-grandmother's hypocrisy and cruelty. She refuses to be a victim, using her wits and newfound abilities to turn the tables on her oppressors.

A key turning point occurs when Chen Che, a man with a fierce reputation who saved Song Zhaodi from drowning, appears again. He offers her a ride to town and shows interest in her, creating a potential romantic subplot. Meanwhile, Song Zhaodi successfully sells water celery to a tavern cook, establishing a business channel that could provide steady income.

The story direction follows Song Zhaodi's efforts to build a better life for herself and her immediate family. She plans to harvest more wild vegetables and mushrooms for profit, while navigating the complex family dynamics with her biased grandfather and scheming step-grandmother. Her relationship with Chen Che develops as she learns more about the man behind the rumors, and she begins to establish her independence from the oppressive family structure.

Novel Items

Ten taels of betrothal silver

Money

A sum of betrothal money given by the Lin family for Song Zhaodi's engagement to Lin Yong. The Lin family now wants to break off the engagement and reclaim the ten taels. The money had already been spent on Song Yaozu's tuition, making it impossible for the family to repay.

Purslane

Herb

An anti-inflammatory herb that grows everywhere in the tribe. Yu Yan drew a picture of it to ask sub-beastmen to find and pick the leaves for applying to Yin Qing's face to help with scarring.

Wild shepherd's purse

Plant

A plant used both as food and medicine identified by Song Zhaodi's golden finger. Medicinal effects include diuresis, stopping bleeding, clearing heat, and improving eyesight. Also an edible wild vegetable that can be stir-fried, made into cold dishes, or used as dumpling filling. Those with loose stools should eat with caution; people with weak digestion, menstruating women, and pregnant women should avoid it.

Grass carp

Animal

A large fish caught by Song Zhaodi in her basin at the river. Warm in nature, sweet in taste, and rich in nutrients. Can be prepared as braised grass carp chunks, steamed grass carp with scallions, boiled fish fillets, fish head with chopped chili, pickled cabbage fish, or grass carp and tofu soup. The original owner had only drunk thin brown rice porridge that morning and was very hungry.

Coarse cloth cross-collar short jacket

Clothing

A women's outerwear garment found in the doorless wardrobe by Song Zhaodi. It was identified by her golden finger ability when she touched it.

Turtle

Animal

A large turtle caught in the bamboo basket, weighing three catties and seven ounces. Sold to Wang Tiezhu for 185 coins at 50 coins per catty. Song Zhaodi considers it a blessing from her past life's karma.

Latest Release

Date	Group	Release
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c10
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c9
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c8
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c7
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c6
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c5
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c4
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c3
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c2
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c1

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Popular reviews

Aiden45 Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ June 12,2025

I keep thinking about the fish bones. Sun Xiuhe stuffs the whole fish tail into her mouth, gets bones stuck, and can't even spit out the meat because she's too greedy. Meanwhile, Song Zhaodi and her family eat several large mouthfuls in succession. The image of the grandmother choking on bones while watching others enjoy the meal is almost poetic. Food is the central symbol here, and it represents everything: power, control, survival, love, and betrayal. The grandmother controls the food distribution as a way to maintain authority. When Song Zhaodi redistributes the fish, she's not just sharing a meal—she's redistributing power within the family. The fish becomes a symbol of resistance. Water celery is another interesting symbol. It's wild, untamed, unfamiliar. Sun Xiuhe immediately suspects it's poisonous, referencing a death in the next village. But Song Dachuan tries it and loves it. The water celery represents the new—everything that Song Zhaodi brings into this family is unfamiliar and threatening to the old order, but ultimately nourishing. The broken leg is a symbol too. Song Yaodong can't walk, can't work as hard, can't protect his family the way he wants to. It's a physical manifestation of the family's vulnerability. And the medicine costing thirty coins a day for a hundred days? That's 3,000 coins total. The family is essentially being bled dry by illness and poverty, and the grandmother sees this as an inconvenience rather than a tragedy. But the deepest symbol might be the money pouch. Song Zhaodi clutching it at her waist as she approaches her parents' room—that small pouch represents her agency, her ability to provide, her secret power in a world where she has almost none. When she reveals 185 coins, it's not just money. It's proof that she can survive without the grandmother's permission, without the family's approval. She has something they don't: independence.

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Yipman007hH4 Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ September 20,2025

The dialogue in this section is absolutely vicious and I love it. Sun Xiuhe's line: "How could I have married such a poor wretch like you? If it were anyone else, I would have run away long ago. My life is so miserable." This woman is WIELDED her misery like a weapon. She doesn't just complain—she performs. She knows exactly how to make Song Dachuan feel guilty so he'll side with her. And it works every time. But Song Zhaodi's dialogue is where the real wit lives. Her response to Sun Xiuhe attacking the porridge: "There's only a small handful of brown rice left at home, not enough for the whole family. I had no choice but to put in some small fish and shrimp to make up the difference." She justifies everything with practicality. No defensiveness, no apology—just facts. And then she follows up with: "Oh dear, since my uncle can't eat it, we can't let it go to waste." The passive-aggressive perfection. She's basically saying 'your son is greedy and can't finish his share' without actually saying it. And the best part? She does this while maintaining a sweet, apologetic tone the entire time. Song Yaodong's dialogue with his wife is softer but no less revealing: "It's my fault for being incompetent, making you suffer and toil with me..." This man carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and he blames himself for everything. His dialogue shows a man who is drowning in responsibility but refuses to complain. And Zhao Lanzhi's practical response—rolling up her sleeves to sharpen a sickle, ready to borrow money from her brothers—her actions speak louder than any dialogue could. The author doesn't need fancy words here. The simplicity of "Let's get up early tomorrow morning and go to the market" tells us everything about this woman's character. The narrative voice itself is also worth noting. It's observant without being overbearing, slipping into Song Zhaodi's perspective with lines like "This was a bad sign" and "Thinking of this, Song Zhaodi quickly wiped her hands clean." The author trusts us to understand the subtext without spelling everything out.

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AbiLIonC6l Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ May 10,2026

Okay, I need to talk about this scene where Song Zhaodi sneezes on the fish. Like... what a MOVE. She literally fakes a cold-induced sneeze to claim the fish is ruined, then redistributes it to her own family while the grandmother is left holding the bag. This is peak strategic thinking and I am HERE for it. The whole meal sequence is basically a mini-battlefield. Sun Xiuhe tries to grab the water celery from Song Dachuan's mouth, then attacks the porridge, and Song Zhaodi just sits there eating calmly while her opponent is losing her mind. The tension is built so naturally—you're watching this grandmother try to control every bite of food while the granddaughter quietly undermines her authority at every turn. What I love is how the plot uses food as the central conflict vehicle. It's not some dramatic confrontation with shouting and drama—it's about WHO GETS TO EAT THE FISH. And yet it feels just as intense. When Song Zhaodi says 'I'm so sorry, I probably caught a cold after falling into the water today,' that fake apology with zero sincerity? Chef's kiss. But here's what keeps me hooked: the grandmother's reaction. She can't directly attack Song Zhaodi without looking like the villain, so she has to manipulate through Song Dachuan instead. And Song Dachuan? He's torn between his conscience (the food IS delicious) and his fear of his wife. This creates this delicious dramatic irony where we KNOW Song Zhaodi is right but we're waiting for the other shoe to drop. The setup for the next conflict is already in motion—Sun Xiuhe goes to sow discord with Song Dachuan right after, and we know this isn't over. The plot is building this slow-burn family war and I cannot look away.

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TOXICSKULLGAMING Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ January 1,2026

I need to talk about the stakes in this chapter because they are REAL and I am sweating for these people. Let's break it down. Song Yaodong has a broken leg AND a head injury with blood stasis. The medicine costs thirty coins a day. They can only afford three days' worth. That's it. Three days of medicine and then... what? His leg heals wrong? The head injury gets worse? This isn't just 'they're poor,' this is 'one bad day away from catastrophe.' And Song Zhaodi has 185 coins. Which buys maybe six more days of medicine. After that? She needs to figure out how to make money fast. Hence the water celery plan. But what if it doesn't work? What if the market is bad? What if the grandmother finds out and destroys her plan? The conflict with Sun Xiuhe isn't just petty family drama—it's survival. This woman nearly let her granddaughter drown. She stopped other people from helping. And she's still in power. The stakes aren't just about who gets the last piece of fish; they're about who controls the family's resources, who decides who eats and who doesn't, who lives and who suffers. The scene where Sun Xiuhe hides behind the door and then explodes about medicine costs? That's the moment the conflict escalates from passive aggression to open confrontation. She's not just withholding food anymore—she's questioning whether Song Yaodong deserves treatment at all. The fact that Song Zhaodi has to physically stop her father from going to confront the grandmother shows how dangerous this situation has become. If Song Yaodong goes there angry, he could be beaten, disciplined, or worse. And the suspense is maintained perfectly because we know Sun Xiuhe won't stop. She just went to sow discord with Song Dachuan. She's already planning her next move. The reader is left wondering: what will she do when she finds out about the 185 coins? What happens when Song Zhaodi tries to sell water celery? How far will this grandmother go to maintain control? The author doesn't let up. Every scene raises the stakes a little more, and by the end of this chapter, I'm genuinely worried about what comes next.

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PocketCat2 Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ December 23,2025

"Father, Mother, don't worry, I still have 185 coins here." This line hit me so hard. Like, right after all the drama at the dinner table, Song Zhaodi goes to her parents' room and pulls out money she earned herself. The contrast between the public performance at the meal and this private, tender moment with her real parents is everything. Let's talk about Song Yaodong and Zhao Lanzhi for a second. These two are the most genuinely loving parents I've encountered in this story. Even with a broken leg and no money for medicine, they're trying to protect their daughter from worry. They put on smiles when she walks in. Zhao Lanzhi is ready to borrow money from her own family—something that would humiliate Song Yaodong because he's already borrowed so much. The fact that they conceal their panic and stress the moment their daughter enters? That's love. That's parents who would rather starve than burden their child. And Song Zhaodi—she sees right through it. She notices their dim eyes lighting up when she reveals the money. She's not naive. She knows exactly what's happening and she's already planned her next move (selling water celery tomorrow). But the grandmother-granddaughter dynamic is where it gets messy. Sun Xiuhe literally watched Song Zhaodi fall into water and did nothing. She tried to stop others from helping. And yet Song Zhaodi still calls her "Grandma" and navigates around her cruelty with calculated politeness. The power imbalance is brutal—Song Zhaodi can't openly rebel because the family structure is stacked against her. Every small act of defiance (like redistributing the fish) is a tiny victory in a war she's been fighting her whole life. Song Dachuan is... complicated. He's not evil like his wife, but he's weak. He goes along with Sun Xiuhe's tyranny because he's easily swayed by her crying and tantrums. Yet he also appreciates good food and seems to have some sense of right and wrong. The scene where he silently puts away his chopsticks when Sun Xiuhe mentions Yaozu? That's a man who knows he's being manipulated but feels powerless to resist.

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