Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

The speed An Ning was driving at made An Guoping’s head spin. The food in his stomach churned, rising up only to be jolted back down.

The sensation was so awful, ’he’d rather someone just put him out of his misery with a knife.’

”Sis—slow down! I’m... I’m gonna die!”

An Guoping really couldn’t take it anymore.

”Almost there.”

Sure enough, a minute later, An Ning pulled over on the busiest street in town.

An Guoping scrambled off the tricycle, hunched over by the side of the road, and started to throw up.

”BLEGH—”

”BLEGH—”

After heaving a few times, An Guoping finally felt a little better.

He walked over weakly and looked at An Ning. ”Sis, you’re driving a tricycle, not a plane!”

”I’d love to fly a plane, but the distance doesn’t really call for it.”

An Guoping looked at his increasingly sharp-tongued sister, sighed, and stepped forward to resignedly grab their things.

”Sis, how have you been feeling lately?”

”Pretty good. Look how well my vegetables turned out.”

An Ning pointed at the baskets of greens, looking more and more pleased the longer she stared at them.

”As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”

An Guoping didn’t dare say anything more. Lately, his homework was endless. He was burning the midnight oil every single day, and to make matters worse, the assignments were getting harder and harder. ’He had no idea what had gotten into his sister.’

She was just impossibly strict. Li Chengze next door had even secretly cried twice.

’It was truly a tough life for a student.’

In Li Chengze’s own words: ”I want to get them right, but I just can’t! I really, really can’t!”

The brother and sister duo carried out a total of ten small baskets of green vegetables, arranged them in a row, and with one person guarding each side, began to sell them.

An Ning took out a large megaphone, switched it on, gave it a professional ”Testing, testing,” and started her sales pitch.

”Vegetables! Fresh vegetables for sale!”

”Crisp, succulent vegetables! Come one, come all, don’t miss out! Get your delicious vegetables here!”

A string of professional-sounding phrases poured from An Ning’s mouth.

In that moment, you couldn’t see a single trace of her interstellar origins.

Soon enough, a customer approached.

An old lady stared at the baskets of vegetables and rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

”Where did these vegetables come from?”

”We grew them ourselves. Here, have a taste. If you like it, buy some. If not, feel free to walk away. I won’t stop you.”

An Ning picked up a baby bok choy, broke off a leaf for the old lady, and even used a water bottle she’d brought to rinse it off.

This gesture pleased the old lady.

She took the bok choy leaf, popped it in her mouth, and after just one bite, she said, ”I’ll take two pounds of this baby bok choy.”

Only after she said it did the old lady realize she hadn’t asked the price.

”How much is it per pound?”

”Fifty cents a pound. It’s a little pricey, but you’ve tasted the quality. Besides, you really can’t find these anywhere right now, can you?”

The old lady hesitated. Fifty cents was too expensive. For another twenty cents, she could buy meat.

But rarity commands a high price, and that flavor... The old lady took another bite of the bok choy leaf.

”Weigh it out! Two pounds.”

She was buying it.

As someone with a pension, she could certainly afford some baby bok choy.

Next, the old lady tried some spinach, rapeseed greens, and chives.

The result was that she bought a pound of each.

After paying, the old lady was a bit bewildered. ’What was she going to do with so many vegetables?’

”Here you go, Ma’am. These vegetables will stay fresh for a couple of days even if you don’t eat them right away.”

”Oh—good, that’s good.”

The old lady headed home, carrying her vegetables.

After that, many more people came over, but most were scared off by the price. Still, there were some who weren’t short on cash, or who decided to just buy a little.

In any case, very few people who tasted the vegetables walked away without buying anything.

These vegetables were just that delicious.

More and more people gathered around the small, temporary vegetable stall.

People are naturally drawn to a crowd. When passersby saw how many people were gathered, they wanted to come see what was going on.

The result was that the stall was completely swamped with people.

In the end, An Ning had to pick up her megaphone and shout, ”We’re sold out for today! We’ll be back tomorrow, so if you want to buy some, please come early!”

After she repeated it several times, the crowd gradually dispersed.

The baskets were so clean there wasn’t even a single leaf left.

As An Ning was bent over, tidying up the baskets, she saw a pair of shoes and said casually, ”Sold out. Come back tomorrow.”

”What if I want to eat some today?”

The familiar voice made An Ning stop what she was doing and slowly straighten up.

A familiar face, a roguish smile, and that arrogant little gaze that just begged to be punched.

Jiang Xia.

”Eat all you want. There’s plenty at home.”

An Ning smiled, a smile that was tinged with the urge to cry.

Jiang Xia was also emotional. He had been on his way when he heard her voice through the megaphone and knew it was An Ning.

He had practically bolted from the car, but when he saw the person he’d been longing for, his steps slowed.

A month apart wasn’t a long time, but it had been enough for him to be sure of his feelings.

He was absolutely, one hundred percent certain: the person standing before him was the one he wanted.

Jiang Xia gazed at An Ning. When he saw the moisture welling in her eyes, his heart leaped. ’She missed him too, right?’

”Jiang Xia, I’m sorry.”

All of An Ning’s guilt was condensed into four words.

Before Jiang Xia could react, An Ning spoke again. ”I haven’t been a good friend, but I’ll try harder in the future. I’ll definitely become your best friend.”

Those words were like a sharp blade plunging straight into Jiang Xia’s heart.

”Great!”

Jiang Xia had no idea how he managed to force a smile as he said that one word.

But then he thought, ’At least he was already very close, right?’

Jiang Xia collected himself and started talking with An Ning.

”Is everyone at home doing well?”

An Ning began to tell Jiang Xia everything that had happened in the village: the love-hate saga of Master Tang and Da Huang, the planting on the barren mountain, the success of the greenhouse, and even the ancestor worship ceremony.

As An Ning talked, Jiang Xia’s heart gradually settled.

While An Ning was talking, An Guoping had been busy working off to the side. As soon as everything was packed up, he leaped into the driver’s seat of the tricycle.

”Sis, I’ll drive back.”

”Alright.”

An Ning agreed so readily that An Guoping was stunned.

’Just yesterday, she’d physically dragged him out of the driver’s seat. Why the sudden change of heart today?’

An Guoping, just as clueless as An Ning, didn’t even consider Jiang Xia might be the reason. He just seized this golden opportunity, slammed on the accelerator, and took off, terrified she would change her mind.

”Hey—I’m not on yet!”

An Ning yelled after him, but An Guoping, lost in the thrill of escaping his sister’s driving, just sped farther and farther away.

Jiang Xia found this hilarious. Reverting to his usual self, he asked, ”What on earth did you do to him?”

”Did I do something? I don’t think I drive that fast.”

Jiang Xia was amused by her baffled expression. He pointed to a black sedan on the other side of the street and said, ”Come with us. My grandpa is in there too.”

”Okay.”

An Ning looked at the car. ”Did you buy another one? You already have one at home.”

”It’s not mine. It belongs to my childhood friend. You’ve met him.”

”Oh—your hand?”

An Ning’s gaze shifted to Jiang Xia’s hand.