Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

The small courtyard was cool in the early morning.

An Ning, who was washing her face, got goosebumps when she heard the big man call out ”Second Brother An.”

An Guoming came out of the house and greeted the big man familiarly.

”Da Zhuang, you bought so much good food.”

The big man, looking a bit shy, replied, ”It’s nothing special, just something to fill the stomach.”

An Guoming immediately disagreed. ”What more could you want? I’m telling you, this is way better than what I ate back in the village.”

An Ning looked at the table covered in steamed buns, shumai, fried dough sticks, soy milk, soft tofu pudding, steamed bread, pickled vegetables, and white congee...

It seemed the big man had prepared everything one could possibly have for breakfast.

An Ning was called over to sit down. She picked up a fried dough stick and took a bite, then froze.

”Second Brother An, have some congee.”

”Second Brother An, eat a shumai.”

”Second Brother An, here’s a bowl of soy milk.”

”Second Brother An, this one’s delicious.”

”Second Brother An, let me!”

The man, who should have been fierce and aggressive, had turned into a gentle little lamb overnight.

An Ning was impressed by An Guoming’s methods.

After breakfast, the big man started clearing the bowls and chopsticks like the most diligent little wife.

An Ning didn’t ask what had happened. It wasn’t a convenient time.

Once the big man finished cleaning up, the three of them left together for the property transaction office.

With all the procedures, documents, and funds in order, everything was settled in one go.

When the three of them came out, the big man’s wallet was thicker. Not by three thousand, nor by five thousand, but by four thousand.

An Guoming had chosen the middle ground, giving face to both the big man and An Ning.

Of course, An Ning didn’t care about this at all. If her second brother did it this way, he surely had his reasons.

After they came out, An Guoming said to the big man, ”Da Zhuang, I’m going to visit some other cities first. It’ll take ten days to half a month.”

”Here’s my phone number and address. Contact me if you need anything. You can stay in the house for now; I don’t need it yet.”

”Okay, okay, Second Brother An. I’ll do as you say.”

Da Zhuang was extremely obedient.

An Ning thought it was strange. ’He’s a bit like one of those massive interstellar mechanical beasts that only obey their masters.’

Only after An Guoming finished his conversation with the big man did he lead An Ning away.

They walked a long, long way, and could still see the figure of the big man standing behind them.

”Second Brother, what kind of magic potion did you give him last night?”

”Me?”

An Guoming pointed a finger at himself and shook his head. ”Wasn’t it a certain someone who scared the daylights out of him?”

”You knew?”

An Ning stared at An Guoming in disbelief. She really had knocked him out.

An Guoming gave An Ning a surprisingly strong flick on the forehead.

”I’m discovering that you’re getting bolder and bolder. You even dared to knock me out?”

”Besides, do I really need to have seen it?”

”That guy is huge, but he acts like a mouse that’s seen a cat whenever he sees you. And then there’s that stuck-up Boss Jin, who looks like he wants to stay a mile away from you.”

The more An Guoming spoke, the angrier he got. He glared at An Ning, his pointing finger trembling with rage.

”What am I supposed to say to you? I know you’re capable, and I’m happy you’re capable, but you can’t just knock me out!”

”Two heads are better than one, don’t you know that?”

An Ning was too intimidated by the scolding to argue back. Only after An Guoming fell silent did she raise her head and sneak a glance at him.

”Second Brother, are you done?”

Seeing An Ning like this, An Guoming found his anger deflating. He understood why she had done it. Wasn’t it because he, her second brother, wasn’t strong enough?

”I’m done!”

Those two sulky words were An Guoming’s last stand of stubbornness.

An Ning gave an ingratiating smile and poked An Guoming’s arm with a finger.

”Second Brother, I was wrong. I won’t knock you out next time.”

It wasn’t that she had to knock An Guoming out, but she knew him too well. If he had seen her drinking like that, he would have stopped her at all costs.

”Oh, you!”

An Guoming tapped An Ning’s forehead with his index finger and smiled.

When An Guoming smiled, An Ning smiled too, asking cheekily, ”So, Second Brother, what exactly happened with you and Da Zhuang?”

”What else could have happened? You left him for me to deal with, so I told him a few things. He was impressed and wanted to work with me.”

”Besides, I happen to need a partner who can hold his liquor.”

An Guoming knew his own shortcomings and had always wanted to find someone like that. Da Zhuang’s appearance was perfectly timed. If he didn’t seize this opportunity, the chance An Ning had created for him would go to waste.

Walking alongside him, An Ning admired An Guoming’s ability to seize an opportunity so precisely. They talked as they walked, then took a bus to the train station.

Over the following days, the two of them traveled to several other cities.

Every city they visited was one where An Guoming had already picked out a prime location.

The storefronts for the An family, as well as the shops for their older and younger brothers, were all purchased. An Ning and An Guoming also each bought several storefronts for themselves.

Eventually, their travels brought them to the provincial capital.

This was their last stop in the province. After the provincial capital, they would head toward Beijing.

Upon arriving in the provincial capital, the two found a guesthouse to stay in.

Since they had arrived a bit late, the siblings decided to go out and handle their business matters the next day.

With nothing to do that evening, the two went out for a stroll.

The provincial capital was just as bustling at night.

An Guoming took An Ning to the movie theater, and the area around it was even more lively and festive.

Street vendors of all kinds had set up their stalls. The scents of sunflower seeds, sodas, orange-flavored water, roasted chestnuts, baked sweet potatoes, and fried peanuts wafted through the air.

Seeing so many things, An Ning’s taste buds were tantalized. She wanted to try a bit of everything, but she knew she couldn’t eat that much.

Her eyes scanned the stalls, trying to figure out which one was the most delicious.

The aroma of the baked sweet potatoes was simply overpowering; An Ning was tempted to buy one.

”Little sis, what do you want to buy?”

”I don’t know. The baked sweet potatoes smell amazing, but I don’t know if they taste any good.”

”So ask.”

”Huh? Isn’t it weird to ask the vendor? Would he even tell the truth?”

An Ning couldn’t follow An Guoming’s train of thought. She just saw him walk up to a guy and ask, ”How are the baked sweet potatoes?”

The man was incredibly generous, holding out his sweet potato and saying, ”Have a taste. Pinch a piece from that side; I haven’t bitten it over there.”

An Guoming actually went ahead and did it, pinching off a small piece, skin and all. ”Thanks, man,” he said to the guy.

”No big deal.”

The straightforward and generous nature of the North was on full display between the two of them.

An Guoming handed the piece of sweet potato to An Ning. ”Go on, try it.”

An Ning took it mechanically and put it in her mouth.

”How is it?”

”It’s delicious.”

At that one word, ”delicious,” An Guoming went to buy a sweet potato.

But he only bought one.

An Guoming gave the baked sweet potato to An Ning, saying, ”Don’t eat too much. I just tried some peanuts from that lady over there, and they’re pretty good. I’ll buy you some in a bit.”

”And the chestnuts that guy was holding were really tasty too.”

An Ning held the sweet potato and asked, confused, ”Second Brother, you’ve tried them all?”

”I have.”

An Guoming saw An Ning’s expression and understood what she was thinking. He explained:

”What’s the big deal? Back in our Northeast, if you ask like that, eighty percent of people will let you have a taste.”

”It’s just local custom. You’ll get used to it the more you travel.”