Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

Mr. Zhang Sr.’s words were pointedly obvious.

An Ning turned her head and looked at Li Chengze. ”Do you have a problem?” she asked.

Although Li Chengze was skeptical, he still had his manners. But before he could speak, An Ning spoke again.

”I don’t have time to answer your questions right now. You’ll have to wait.”

Without even glancing at Li Chengze’s sour expression, An Ning turned to Director Jin. ”Just give me the materials. In the time we’ve been talking, I could have shucked a lot of corn.”

Director Jin was amused by An Ning’s bluntness. She was the one being doubted, yet she didn’t seem to have a care in the world.

Still, he cooperatively handed over a large bag.

”Here are all the materials we’ve collected. If you need to inspect the farmland, you can come find me directly in the county.”

An Ning took it. ”Got it.”

Bag in hand, An Ning prepared to leave.

Watching her get ready to leave, Li Chengze quickly called out from behind, ”Wait a moment.”

An Ning stopped, and the look in her eyes revealed her displeasure.

”I really don’t have time to teach you.”

Li Chengze felt a vein about to pop in his forehead.

”That’s not what I meant. You’ve misunderstood. I’m here to verify whether you’re qualified.”

”An Ning, I’ve never doubted you for a second. They just have nothing better to do!”

Mr. Zhang Sr. stepped out from among the men with an imposing air and stood firmly by An Ning’s side.

Director Jin felt a headache coming on. ’Who asked you to pick a side?’

”An Ning, don’t misunderstand. It’s not that we don’t trust you. It’s just to confirm your design. A mutual learning opportunity, a mutual learning opportunity.”

Director Jin stood in the middle, unable to offend either party. As the director, he always had to play the mediator.

The few people present all looked at An Ning, waiting for her reaction.

”So, in other words, you’re not confident in my blueprints, and he’s here to inspect them.”

”Fine. You can inspect them after I’m done drawing. You may leave now.”

An Ning’s composure was unexpected.

Director Jin immediately piped up, ”See? Our An Ning is magnanimous! She gets things done so decisively. It’s no problem to let them take a look. Our skills are top-notch; we have nothing to fear.”

Having said that, Director Jin turned to Li Chengze and tried to console him. ”Mr. Li, don’t get the wrong idea. I wasn’t implying that you aren’t magnanimous, or that you’re not capable. That’s not what I meant at all.”

Li Chengze didn’t even know how he was supposed to react.

He hadn’t been overthinking it, but now he was starting to.

”Comrade An Ning, I came here today also hoping to discuss some matters of mechanics with you.”

In reality, Li Chengze wanted to test An Ning. If she wasn’t up to par, there would be no need for her to even look at that bag of materials.

Li Chengze’s words instantly triggered Mr. Zhang Sr.’s protective instincts.

”Discuss my ass!”

Mr. Zhang Sr. all but pointed at Li Chengze’s nose as he spoke, letting out a cold snort.

”You’re full of stinking habits! Your blueprints are so great, are they? Each one is like a page of hieroglyphics that none of us workers can understand.”

”I’ve no idea who you’re even drawing them for.”

Li Chengze, on the receiving end of the tirade, felt like he’d been hit by a stray bullet.

”Master Zhang, we do everything according to international standards.”

Mr. Zhang Sr. was about to retort, but An Ning tugged on his arm.

She took a step forward, her clear, dark eyes fixing on Li Chengze.

”I don’t need international standards. I am the standard.”

”As for your ’discussion,’ if you don’t mind having it while we shuck corn, then I’m fine with it.”

An Ning saw right through him. This man didn’t trust her.

She could understand why.

After all, the An Ning they knew had never been to school, so a healthy dose of skepticism was understandable.

’But I’m not going to play by their rules. They can test me, but it’ll be on my terms.’

”Fine, I agree.”

Li Chengze agreed at once. As of yet, he had no idea what ”shucking corn” truly entailed.

He even figured that one or two questions would be enough to conclude this ”discussion.”

So far, he hadn’t seen a single thing about An Ning that suggested she was a designer.

Director Jin, the mediator, had intended to dissuade them, but Mr. Zhang Sr. kept shooting him meaningful glances. He took a furtive look at Li Chengze, who clearly had no idea what he was getting into.

’A little fieldwork would do him good.’

The four of them reached an agreement, and three followed An Ning out to the fields.

Mr. Zhang Sr. and Director Jin had both done farm work before. And although it had been many years, there was still a world of difference between knowing how and not knowing at all.

Li Chengze had never worked in a field a single day in his life.

During the most difficult years, he had been abroad.

After the Reform and Opening-Up, his family pulled some strings to ensure his successful return to the country. His status as an overseas returnee, combined with his academic qualifications, allowed him to be parachuted into a designer position at the City Mechanical Factory.

Li Chengze, dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt, cluelessly followed An Ning and began to shuck corn.

”Snap off the corn ear, husk it, but don’t throw the leaves away. Put them in a pile.”

An Ning demonstrated once. Li Chengze said he understood and got to work.

”What is a worm gear used for?”

”A drive gear.”

An Ning didn’t need even a second to think. The answer came casually as her hands continued to shuck corn without pause.

Li Chengze hadn’t even managed to snap off a single ear of corn yet. He was momentarily stunned by the speed of her reply.

However, that question was just an appetizer. Far too simple.

Li Chengze prepared to ask his second question, but the ear of corn in his hands got in the way.

No matter how hard he pulled, he couldn’t snap off the ear he was working on.

He nearly yanked the entire stalk over, but the ear of corn refused to budge.

His embarrassing struggle was witnessed by Master Zhang, who was working nearby. It was painful to watch.

”Honestly... you can’t just yank it. Give it a twist, and it’ll snap right off.”

After giving the advice, Master Zhang returned to his own rows. Li Chengze looked at the ear of corn he had finally managed to break off.

”That’s not how she showed me.”

Up ahead, An Ning heard Li Chengze’s muttering, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

’She had, in fact, not taught him that way.’

’Someone had come all this way to challenge me; I could hardly be expected to serve up my own face for slapping.’

’Besides, she hadn’t taught him incorrectly. She truly didn’t need to twist it; a gentle tug was all it took for her.’

Li Chengze, still behind, wanted to ask his second question. But by the time he finally snapped off that single ear of corn, An Ning was nowhere in sight.

”Where is she?”

”Way up ahead. If you work faster, you might catch up,” someone nearby pointed out to Li Chengze. Li Chengze gave a polite thank you and began his long, arduous journey of shucking corn.

From somewhere behind, Jiang Xia, who had appeared at some point, pulled down the kerchief covering their face and darted into an untouched patch of corn, also starting to shuck.

’Heh. As if you’re worthy of doubting my rival.’

And with that, Jiang Xia vanished into the corn.

An Ning simply continued working at her usual pace.

Meanwhile, Li Chengze felt as if he were lost in a corn forest, with no way out.

After shucking for some time, Li Chengze finally understood An Ning’s intentions.

’She’s just messing with me, isn’t she?!’