Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

”Yes, come in, An Ning.”

Her sister-in-law was very touched by An Ning’s consideration.

In fact, she took to heart all the kindness her family had shown her.

Throughout her postpartum confinement, Lin Cuihua took meticulous care of her. Even for things like nighttime feedings, An Guoqing would help out, so she wasn’t left to do it all alone.

Among the others in the family, only An Ning visited more frequently. She always knocked, so there were never any surprise visitors while she was breastfeeding.

As for An Sancheng and the other men of the house, they stayed away if they could. Even when they wanted to see the baby, Lin Cuihua would be the one to bring him out for them to see.

”Sister-in-law, you were looking for me?”

An Ning pushed the door open and came in. Dropping the polite and distant air she used with outsiders, she casually sat on the edge of the kang bed and looked down at the sleeping little Hei Dan’er.

”Yes. Take these things back with you.”

Her sister-in-law pushed a small, red cloth bundle toward her. An Ning opened it, then immediately pushed it back.

”Sister-in-law, this is a one-month-old gift for little Hei Dan’er. I can’t take it back.”

Her sister-in-law, Zhou Guifen, had expected this. She said, ”An Ning, giving gifts is a reciprocal thing.”

”They gave gifts today, which means you’ll have to give gifts back to them in the future.”

”It’s not right for me to receive the gifts while you’re the one who has to return the favor. Take them back. There’s a list inside, so you’ll know what’s appropriate when you get an invitation from one of them.”

Her sister-in-law pushed it over again.

”Sister-in-law, I have no use for any of this. Let Hei Dan’er wear it.”

An Ning’s words made her sister-in-law laugh.

The sister-in-law took out a golden lock and said to An Ning, ”If Hei Dan’er actually wore this out, our family would really attract some jealousy.”

”He doesn’t need to wear anything. He’s perfectly fine as he is.”

”Listen to your sister-in-law. Take it back.”

Gao Guifen was very firm, but unfortunately, she was dealing with An Ning.

”I don’t want it. They didn’t give these gifts expecting me to return the favor. We have a business relationship. Just consider these a gift from me, his aunt, to Hei Dan’er.”

Having said her piece, An Ning pushed the bundle back again, stood up, opened the door, and left.

”Sister-in-law, you haven’t finished your postpartum confinement yet, so don’t get out of bed. Otherwise, Mom will get angry.”

And with that, she fled. Her sister-in-law, still on the kang, really couldn’t do anything about it.

Because Lin Cuihua really would scold her.

Her sister-in-law didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She picked up the small bundle, lost in thought.

’He can’t wear these things now, but if I change their form, he could, right?’

Having made a decision, her sister-in-law stopped fussing over it.

Meanwhile, An Ning, who had run out, bumped right into An Guoqing, who was lying in wait by the door.

”Big Brother, what are you doing squatting here?”

”Stopping you!”

An Guoqing stood up from his spot by the threshold, his eyes fixed on An Ning’s hands.

”How come your hands are empty? This won’t do. I’m not letting you leave.”

An Guoqing hadn’t actually thought of this himself, but his wife said the gifts had to be returned, so they had to be returned.

So the couple had been waiting for An Ning, one inside and one outside.

”Are you two trying to use the Thirty-Six Stratagems on me?”

An Ning looked up at An Guoqing and said, ”Big Brother, you can’t beat me.”

An Guoqing was at a loss for words. It was true, he couldn’t beat her.

”Mom! Big Brother’s bullying me!”

”I am not!”

An Guoqing instinctively spun around, but of course, Lin Cuihua wasn’t there.

But in the brief moment he was turned, An Ning bolted.

An Guoqing walked back into the room with his head hung low and said pitifully to Gao Guifen, ”Honey, I couldn’t stop her.”

Gao Guifen had known this would happen, but she comforted An Guoqing anyway.

After the couple had a private chat for a while, the sister-in-law gave all the gold to An Guoqing.

”When you have time, go into town and see if you can find a place that melts gold. We’ll have it melted down and made into a nice set of jewelry for our little sister.”

An Guoqing nodded, showing he understood.

The sister-in-law put the gold away safely, just as little Hei Dan woke up.

The day quickly turned to night, and everyone, tired from a busy day, went to bed early.

The next morning, An Ning was up early as usual, resuming her daily run and morning exercises.

The only difference today was that Da Huang and Jiang Xia—one man and one dog—seemed to be at odds with each other.

Jiang Xia was truly at his wit’s end with Da Huang.

After their morning run, Jiang Xia had to use three bones to earn Da Huang’s forgiveness.

”Hey, where are you going?”

Da Huang snatched a bone and ran off. Jiang Xia wasn’t worried, just curious.

But considering Da Huang had just been angry with him, he decided it was best not to follow.

”Sigh, even a dog has a right to privacy now.”

Jiang Xia was just musing aloud.

He was just about to go inside when he heard voices from next door—it sounded like people talking.

It sounded like a lot of people.

’Are there more people coming today?’

Just then, in the An family’s courtyard, many things were laid out, box after box.

”Guoming, what is this?”

”This stuff is called bubble gum. You put it in your mouth and chew it, and you can blow bubbles with it, but you can’t swallow it. It doesn’t dissolve.”

Uncle An’s son, An Guoyang, nodded in understanding. He didn’t open the package; it was enough just to know what it was.

”What about this one?”

”This is a small snack. It looks like an apricot and has a sweet and sour flavor.”

”This is Calabash Brothers candy, and this is ’Little Rascal’.”

”This is dried fig, it’s quite sour.”

An Guoming went through the boxes one by one, explaining the contents. Some were goods he had brought back from the south, while others had come from the county town.

This was all merchandise that An Guoyang was planning to sell in his new convenience store.

An Guoyang looked at all the boxes of snacks on the ground and asked, ”How come it’s all food?”

An Guoming pulled over a stool, sat down, and said, ”Brother Yang, if you sell a lightbulb, how long will it be before someone needs a new one? But if you sell food, how long will it be before they come back to buy more?”

The moment An Guoming said it, An Guoyang immediately understood.

Next, An Guoyang and An Guoming discussed what the convenience store should look like, how to decorate it, what to sell, and how to price everything.

”Brother Yang, we don’t need to set the prices too high for this stuff. In a few days, I’ll take you to see the supply channels. We just need to match the retail price of the town’s supply and marketing co-op.”

”Same price, and people here won’t have to leave the village. The villagers will be happy to buy from us.”

”So the supply channel is very important, but you must pay attention to quality. Otherwise, if people get burned once, they won’t come back.”

”Second Brother is right.”

Uncle An knocked his dry pipe against the sole of his shoe a couple of times. KLAK, KLAK.

”An Guoyang, if you dare bring shame upon me, I’ll break your legs! Do you hear me?”

An Guoyang nodded.

”Speak up!”

With a shout from Uncle An, An Guoyang shot to his feet and yelled, ”Dad, I heard you! I won’t bring shame upon you!”

Uncle An gave him a look but said nothing more. An Guoyang sat back down and continued his discussion with An Guoming.

When the two had discussed nearly everything, everyone picked up a box or two and headed toward the Big Willow Tree in the center of the village.

There was a house there that had belonged to an elderly person who had passed away. It was vacant, so Uncle An had taken the initiative to buy it, preparing to open the convenience store.

The house had been simply renovated a short while ago. It was clean and tidy, with bright windows and a freshly installed new one that allowed people to see inside from the street.

Along the way, people kept striking up conversations with them.

”What are you all up to?”

”Opening a small convenience store.”

”It’s like the supply and marketing co-op.”

”Same prices, and we won’t have to go so far anymore.”

The news spread.