Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

The provincial capital. A movie theater.

An Ning learned a new piece of information from An Guoming.

The brother and sister bought tickets, grabbed their snacks, and followed the crowd into the theater.

It was pitch-black inside, with only dim lights.

An Ning and An Guoming sat in the middle section, in what were practically the best seats for viewing.

An Ning asked doubtfully, ”Second Brother, why is everyone else walking toward the back?”

An Guoming glanced at a young couple heading to the back rows and replied with complete nonsense, ”Their eyesight must be bad.”

”Huh?”

”It’s starting. Hurry up and sit down.”

An Guoming pulled An Ning into her seat. It was An Ning’s first time watching a movie.

Well, not her *first* time, but her first time watching a movie with such primitive equipment.

In the interstellar era, all movies offered effects so realistic they were like living the experience yourself.

An Ning’s interest waned a little, and she lowered her head to eat her sweet potato.

Before the movie even started, she had finished the sweet potato and was already shelling peanuts.

The CRUNCH, CRUNCH sounds became even clearer as the theater lights went out.

The movie’s title appeared on the screen: *Mommy, Love Me One More Time*.

The story began to unfold.

A single mother was raising her child, their bond deep and loving.

Unfortunately, the husband’s family came knocking, insisting the child acknowledge his ancestors and return to the clan. They were the ones who had forcefully broken up the couple, yet now it was all treated as the mother’s fault.

The child refused, running away and hiding.

It was so difficult for the mother and son to even see each other.

An Ning’s hand, holding the peanuts, had stopped moving at some point.

It was a black-and-white screen showing the simplest of plots, yet she couldn’t bear to miss a single second.

When the mother finally slipped and fell, An Ning’s heart clenched with hers.

Tears had started streaming down her face without her realizing it. She wiped them away forcefully, not wanting them to obstruct her view of the movie.

Finally, the theme song, ”Only Mother is Good in this World,” began to play, bringing the plot to its emotional climax.

Her tears soaked the front of her shirt. So ”tears soaking one’s collar” wasn’t just a figure of speech.

An Ning sniffled as she followed An Guoming out of the theater.

The first thing she said after leaving the theater was directed at An Guoming.

”Second Brother, you must never treat a girl like that, you hear me? I won’t be able to stop myself from breaking your legs.”

An Guoming didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

”Little Sister, shouldn’t you be telling me to treat our mom well? Your takeaway from the movie is a bit... unconventional.”

An Ning sniffled, huffed coldly, and said, ”I’m just seeing the root of the problem. Besides, would you dare treat our mom poorly?”

An Guoming was stumped by the question. Finally, he answered honestly, ”I wouldn’t dare.”

”See? So my point is more important. If that man hadn’t been so spineless, his mother wouldn’t have been able to break them up. And if she hadn’t broken them up, there wouldn’t be such a tragic story.”

An Guoming couldn’t win an argument against An Ning, so he could only agree. ”You’re right, you’re right.”

”Of course I’m right.”

Their discussion, carried on as if no one else was around, created some minor ripples.

A couple had come to see a romantic arthouse film. They had found a perfect spot, but the boy hadn’t even managed to hold the girl’s hand.

The girl with him happened to hear what An Ning said, and it instantly made her think of her own situation.

Weren’t she and the man beside her being vehemently opposed by a future mother-in-law?

And wasn’t the man by her side just as spineless?

In that moment, the girl had an epiphany. Right then and there, she broke up with the boy she had snuck out to the movies with.

The dumped boy didn’t look for fault in himself. Instead, he directed all his anger at An Ning.

”Do you even know how to talk? If not, go eat shit!”

An Ning never expected it. She was just standing at the entrance when trouble fell from the sky.

”Your tastes are so peculiar. You’d rather eat excrement than human food? No wonder that young lady broke up with you. Your mouth must stink.”

An Ning’s wit was so sharp she didn’t need An Guoming’s help at all. This was something she had learned from Jiang Xia.

An Guoming stood behind An Ning, a proud look on his face.

’His little sister is so amazing.’

The pair’s attitude infuriated the young man even more.

”You—you shameless couple!”

”’Second Brother’? My ass! Some brother!”

He was slinging mud at An Ning and An Guoming.

There was no point reasoning with someone so dishonorable.

”You shit-for-brains, how dare you say that about my little sister!”

An Guoming threw a punch. An Ning was a little worried at first, but the other guy was even weaker than her second brother.

’It’s not easy. It’s rare to run into one of these.’

An Ning’s expression immediately changed as she shouted encouragement from the sidelines. ”Go, Second Brother!”

”Second Brother, bend back, straighten up, and kick him low!”

”Block with your left arm, right fist to the stomach!”

An Guoming already trusted An Ning completely, and when it came to fighting, his faith was absolute.

An Ning shouted, and he moved.

For a moment, the siblings’ coordination was flawless. An Guoming landed one hit after another, giving him the illusion that he wasn’t so weak after all.

Just as An Guoming was starting to get a little smug, the young man’s friends rushed over. They looked like people An Guoming definitely couldn’t beat.

The rush of superiority An Guoming had been feeling vanished without a trace.

Not only did it vanish, but he also made a quick judgment and took a large step back.

”Little Sister, you’re up!”

An Guoming, feeling not the least bit ashamed, hid behind An Ning and made a childish face at the three guys rushing toward them.

”Can’t get me!”

”If you’ve got the guts, fight my little sister.”

Standing in front, An Ning didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at An Guoming’s antics. Still, she politely said to the three guys, ”My second brother is right. If you’ve got the guts, fight me. What kind of skill is it to bully a grown man like him!”

Behind her, An Guoming straightened up with a pained expression. ”Little Sister, I think you said that backward.”

”Did I?”

The question stunned everyone present.

An Ning looked at the four men across from them, ready to use words before fists.

”As a man, he has no sense of responsibility. He flies into a rage out of embarrassment and spews filth. Are you sure you want to help him?”

The three men on the other side did indeed pause.

’She’s got a point!’

’Besides, we’re not that close with him anyway.’

The young man who had taken several of An Guoming’s punches was clutching his mouth, only to be met with this scene.

”Are you guys even human!”

That one sentence helped the three of them make their decision.

They left.

The beaten man watched his backup leave without a second thought. Across from him, An Guoming was acting smug again, raising a fist, eager for another go.

The man started to lose his nerve.

’He couldn’t even beat one of them. And that girl... she looks genuinely tough.’

”You just wait!”

He ran away.

An Ning didn’t chase after him. They had come out on top.

The siblings had watched a movie. An Ning had gained a lot from it, and An Guoming had even gained the joy of winning a fight. Their evening had been quite eventful.

The two returned to the guest house to wash up and rest.

Sometime after midnight, there was a knock on An Guoming’s door.

He got up but didn’t open the door.

”Who is it?”

”Brother.”

Hearing the word ”Brother,” An Guoming knew it wasn’t An Ning. His voice turned several degrees colder as he said, ”Get lost!”