Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

An Ning’s ”I dare” startled everyone, but it earned her Yu the Elder’s enthusiastic support.

Yu the Elder lifted his long robe, revealing the black silk trousers underneath. He slapped his thigh and said, ”Go on, go on! Don’t hold back!”

”Alright!”

An Ning reached out and pinched Yu the Elder’s thigh, truly putting some force into it.

”Ow, ow—that’s great!”

Yu the Elder slapped his own thigh in return. As he looked at An Ning, who had already withdrawn her hand and now stood there poised and clever, his eyes filled with fondness.

”Child, tell Grandpa, what’s your name?”

”Are you hungry? Goodness, you’ve been here all this time and haven’t even had a sip of water.”

”Son, go buy a bottle of soda!”

After roaring at the middle-aged man, Yu the Elder’s expression changed in a flash. He turned to An Ning and said gently, ”Or maybe you don’t like soda? Tell Grandpa what you like to drink, and Grandpa will get it for you.”

”Oh, right! You want this house, don’t you? Grandpa will give it to you. You don’t have to pay!”

Yu the Elder didn’t give An Ning a single chance to speak. If he’d had any gold or jewels on him, he would have already taken them off to give to her.

An Ning didn’t understand Yu the Elder’s excitement, but she lived by a firm principle: no reward without merit. The law of exchange was something she always upheld.

’To gain something, one must first give something in return.’

’Things gotten for nothing are too insubstantial. She didn’t like that.’

”Yu the Elder, my own grandfather has passed away, but I can’t just accept another one. My father and my uncle would never agree.”

”Besides, I can afford the house. A normal transaction would be best.”

An Ning’s words were like a bucket of cold water, dousing the flames of Yu the Elder’s enthusiasm.

Yu the Elder finally cooled his head a little. He first addressed the people in the courtyard, ”The house has been claimed. I feel a connection with this young friend, so I hope you all will understand.”

After he said that, the other prospective buyers couldn’t really say much more.

For one, Yu the Elder’s status was undeniable. For another, he was the seller, so it was his call to make.

The other prospective buyers gradually left Yu the Elder’s house.

Yu the Elder’s son, who had actually gone out to buy soda, saw the people leaving just as he returned.

They exchanged a few pleasantries, and soon the crowd was gone, leaving only the four of them in the courtyard.

”Son, go arrange for a meal.”

Yu the Elder stopped An Ning before she could speak, pretending to glare as he said, ”It’s customary to share a meal when a deal is made.”

An Ning glanced at An Guoming, who chimed in at the right moment, ”It’s true, that’s the custom.”

An Ning nodded and said to Yu the Elder, ”A meal is fine, but no alcohol.”

”Hahahahaha! No problem. No alcohol.”

Yu the Elder sent his son to arrange the meal. An Guoming, reading the situation, went along with him. There was no need for him to stay behind.

In the courtyard, only the old man and the young woman were left.

An Ning was in no rush, and Yu the Elder had enough life experience to be patient as well.

After a few minutes of silence, Yu the Elder couldn’t resist any longer.

”I’m getting old, getting old. I really can’t keep up with you youngsters anymore.”

Conceding his age, Yu the Elder sat down and picked up the piece of paper that had so shocked him.

”I still don’t know your name.”

”I’m An Ning, and my second brother is An Guoming.”

”An Ning...”

Yu the Elder repeated the name to himself, then asked, ”You said this problem was simple?”

An Ning nodded.

”You’ve done harder ones?”

An Ning nodded again.

”You’re very good at math?”

An Ning nodded emphatically. ”It’s the foundation.”

”Well said!”

Yu the Elder strongly agreed with An Ning’s point. His palm-leaf fan began to flutter again as he said, ”If you want a career in any kind of scientific research, mathematics is the foundation.”

Yu the Elder held the paper, opening his mouth several times, but seemed too embarrassed to ask his question.

An Ning understood, however. Li Chengze was the same way when he first started wrestling with a problem.

”I can explain it to you.”

”You don’t mind?”

”Why would I mind?” An Ning retorted. ”Knowledge is meant to be shared and passed on.”

Yu the Elder was stunned by An Ning’s magnanimity, feeling even more acutely that he couldn’t compare.

”I really am old.”

”Don’t worry. You may be getting on in years, but you’re still in excellent health.”

An Ning didn’t grasp the depth of Yu the Elder’s sentiment. She took back the paper she had written on and began to explain her thought process for the solution.

Writing out the solution had only taken An Ning five minutes, but explaining it took a full two hours.

Whenever the explanation touched upon a new concept, An Ning would explain it from the very beginning, doing her best to make Yu the Elder understand the methods and theories she was using.

Yu the Elder was shocked into silence by the casual ease with which she commanded such complete and flexible knowledge.

He wanted to praise her, but he felt as if he had lost the right to do so.

His initial thought of taking her on as a disciple had long since been shattered to pieces and vanished.

As he listened to An Ning’s voice, an entirely different idea began to form in Yu the Elder’s mind.

When the explanation was nearly finished, Yu the Elder remained in his seat, unable to snap out of his reverie for a long time.

It had been a long time since he’d felt this kind of exhilarating, thorough satisfaction.

For a long time, Yu the Elder had felt that he had reached his peak.

But now, before An Ning, he realized he was still at the foot of the mountain.

”Do you understand? I might not have explained it in enough detail.”

”An Ning, do you take disciples?”

The two completely unrelated sentences were spoken at the same time.

An Ning looked at Yu the Elder and nodded. ”I have one disciple...”

The light in Yu the Elder’s eyes slowly faded.

”...but he isn’t studying mathematics.”

An Ning’s next words rekindled the hope in Yu the Elder’s eyes.

He stood up very formally and introduced himself to An Ning.

”My name is Yu Zhendong. I am sixty-one years old, my health is still sound, and I expect to live for another ten or twenty years. My family is well-off, and I am currently employed in Beijing.”

”No, that’s not quite right. I’ve received an invitation from Beijing University to teach, but I don’t have to accept it.”

”I just... I just want to learn mathematics from you. I am willing to perform the most formal discipleship ceremony to take you as my master.”

Yu the Elder spoke with great solemnity, his tone deeply respectful.

A teacher is not defined by age, but by mastery.

Yu the Elder had a very clear understanding of this point. Most importantly, An Ning’s reservoir of knowledge far surpassed his own.

And his love for mathematics was truly from the bottom of his heart.

An Ning didn’t say yes or no. She was just a bit dizzy from this sudden request for her to become his master.

”You... want to take me as your master?”

”Yes!”

Yu the Elder’s reply was firm.

’It’s not out of the question, I suppose,’ An Ning thought.

’There were precedents for this in the interstellar era. Quite a few, in fact.’

”I’m actually tempted to take you as a disciple,” she said. ”Not for any other reason, but because I truly enjoyed explaining things to you just now. It was very satisfying.”

”However, you’ll have to wait. Didn’t I mention I already have a disciple?”

An Ning gestured for Yu the Elder to sit down and continued to explain, ”He’s more of a prospective disciple. I want to formally accept him first, and then you.”

Yu the Elder understood immediately and was remarkably accepting. ”Of course, of course. He would be the senior disciple. It is only right.”

”How about this? I’ll go back with you, Teacher. After you’ve accepted the senior disciple, you can accept me?”

The hopeful look in Yu the Elder’s eyes showed he was terrified An Ning would slip away.