Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

An Ning left the car factory without mentioning the electric car for now.

She asked Director Hu about the seeds, and with the help of the All-Purpose Secret Book, An Ning obtained the contact information for a seed bank.

Director Hu contacted them by phone.

Now, all An Ning had to do was return to the provincial capital, go to the seed bank, find the seeds she needed, and purchase them through the proper channels.

An Ning took the train again, and Director Hu had specially arranged a soft-sleeper berth for her.

When An Ning entered the soft-sleeper compartment, her pupils constricted slightly.

’An acquaintance. Though, not a very familiar one.’

There were four berths in the soft-sleeper compartment.

An Ning’s was the top-left one.

On the bottom-left berth sat a man in a traditional long gown. His entire aura seemed out of place in the soft-sleeper, and indeed, in the entire train car.

On the bottom bunk opposite them sat a man and a woman, who were fumbling with a bag, their hands and feet moving awkwardly.

In the time since An Ning had entered, the two of them had already taken a lunch box out of their bag and put it back in three times.

”Hello.”

The man in the long gown smiled, his demeanor refined and courteous, and gave An Ning a nod.

”Hello.”

An Ning nodded back, placed her bag on her bunk, and took off her shoes. Looking at the lower bunk, which was covered in a sheet of some unknown material, she hesitated for the first time, unsure where to step.

”Please.”

As if anticipating this, the man in the long gown lifted a corner of his bedsheet, revealing a space for An Ning to place her foot and climb up.

”Okay. Sorry for the trouble.”

An Ning nimbly climbed onto the top bunk and sat there, perfectly still.

’Is this man going to find Jiang Xia?’

’The last time was also in Jin City. The two of them seemed to have reached some kind of agreement. It was this man who transformed Da Huang, allowing him to become Housekeeper Huang.’

’An Ning felt a pang of guilt, as if she were one of the accomplices.’

’This Mr. Tang, or Master Tang, on the bunk below... what exactly is his story?’

Being around him always made An Ning feel a bit tense.

’An Ning thought to herself that she would stay on this top bunk until the end of time; she didn’t even want to come down for meals.’

An Ning wasn’t the only one in the compartment who felt this way; the young newlywed couple did too.

Whenever they faced Master Tang, they had the distinct impression of being young pupils facing their strictest tutor from childhood.

It felt as if they needed to report and get permission for every single breath they took.

As for Mr. Tang, he was perfectly at ease.

He was leaning against a pillow, holding an ancient, string-bound book—the kind with vertical text.

On the top bunk, An Ning collected her thoughts and took a notebook and a pen from her bag.

Just as she was about to start writing and sketching, a wave of nausea washed over her, and a sharp, cramping pain seized her lower abdomen.

’What’s happening?’

’Why does it hurt so much?’

Her stomach was churning violently, and it felt like her intestines were being wrung out like a wet cloth.

’It’s not my period,’ she thought. ’I specifically planned the trip to avoid it.’

”Ah—”

A cry escaped An Ning’s lips, and a second later, she leaped down from the top bunk.

”Ah!”

”Ahhh—”

The young newlywed couple below screamed their lungs out, startled by An Ning. They both thought they might never be able to take a sleeper train again.

’Our cabin mate is too unpredictable!’

An Ning didn’t even have time to put on her shoes before she bolted out of the compartment.

But she was a step too late.

”BLECH—”

”Ugh, that’s disgusting.”

”How annoying.”

”For heaven’s sake.”

The people around them muttered their disapproval at the vomiting An Ning.

An Ning was mortified. She had truly done her best to hold it in, but she just couldn’t.

”I’m sorry, I’m sorry—”

An Ning apologized profusely.

”BLECH—”

Another wave of vomit came up.

A train attendant had already arrived. She looked disgusted, but a job was a job.

She brought over some sawdust, poured it over An Ning’s vomit, and began to clean it up with practiced skill.

”Thank you, I’m so sorry, I really couldn’t hold it in.”

The attendant had been disgusted at first, but seeing this shoeless young woman apologizing so sincerely, her anger subsided.

”It’s alright. Things like this happen all the time on the train, let me tell you. See how practiced I am?”

”How are you?”

Just as the attendant asked, a figure appeared behind them.

”Your shoes.”

It was Master Tang.

The man who seemed so out of place set a pair of shoes on the floor. His presence somehow made even the simple shoes look elegant.

An Ning braced herself against a small table in the train corridor with one hand and waved dismissively with the other.

”I’m fi— BLECH—”

It happened again!

This time, a tiny bit even splattered onto Master Tang’s shoes.

Seeing it on that pair of exquisite, handmade cloth shoes made An Ning’s guilt surge.

”Sor—”

”Don’t speak. Head to the lavatory.”

Master Tang pointed, and An Ning shuffled over, steadying herself against the wall of the train car.

Once inside the lavatory, An Ning couldn’t stop vomiting. Eventually, nothing was left but sour bile.

She vomited until she was on the verge of collapse. But it wasn’t over; the pain in her abdomen intensified.

A piercing pain and an urgent, unstoppable sensation tied An Ning to the toilet.

The moment she squatted down, An Ning had only one thought.

’Thank god I have toilet paper in my space!’

An Ning was alone in there, vomiting and suffering from diarrhea. By the time only liquid was coming out from both ends, she was too weak to even stand.

For the first time in her life, she truly understood what it meant to be utterly drained.

’I’ll never make fun of Second Brother again!’

An Ning’s legs felt like wet noodles; she couldn’t straighten them at all.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

”Young lady, are you alright?”

The attendant outside kept knocking, checking on An Ning’s condition.

”Nngh—”

An Ning managed a weak grunt, fumbled with the lavatory door, and with a CLICK, it slid open. She stumbled out, unable to keep her balance.

”Whoa, whoa, stay on your feet.”

The attendant caught An Ning and supported her weight. Leaning heavily on the attendant, An Ning was half-dragged back to the soft-sleeper compartment.

”Let her stay here.”

Master Tang offered up his own berth.

The attendant helped An Ning onto Master Tang’s berth. His personal belongings had already been cleared away.

”Thank you.”

An Ning thanked him weakly. The whole world was spinning, and she was even finding it difficult to breathe.

”She’s extremely weak right now. She needs to replenish her electrolytes.”

Master Tang’s words made everyone in the compartment stare at him in astonishment.

It wasn’t his kindness that surprised them, but that foreign-sounding word: ”electrolytes.”

He gave off the impression that he was a young nobleman from ancient times.

”Rice congee water would also work, with a little salt added. Do you have any on the train?”

”Yes! We definitely have that. I’ll go get a bowl for her.”

The attendant went out.

Inside the compartment, Master Tang took out a clean handkerchief and handed it to the wife from the newlywed couple.

”Please wipe the sweat from her brow.”

Master Tang turned his back, and the husband of the young couple subconsciously did the same.

The young wife took the handkerchief and gently wiped An Ning’s face a few times.

The clammy feeling subsided slightly, and An Ning did feel a little more comfortable.

”Thank you all. My name is An Ning.”