Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

An Ning led An Xiaoming, an army of dogs trailing behind them. She had only walked a few meters before she stopped.

”Come on out.”

As An Ning spoke, a pile of rotten leaves and dead branches on the ground RUSTLED. A rear end poked out from beneath them, followed by a head.

Jiang Xia, his face covered in dirt, asked with a silly grin, ”When did you know I was here?”

”I knew the moment you arrived.”

An Ning reached out to pull Jiang Xia up, but he shook his head and refused, getting to his feet on his own. He brushed the dirt off himself and said, ”It’s nothing.”

”Are you okay?”

An Ning spread her hands. ”What do you think?”

”Yep. Just as I thought. Trouble really does last a thousand years.”

Unable to resist a bit of banter, Jiang Xia took off running as soon as he said it. Behind him, An Ning let out a chuckle, amused by his antics.

’He’s all talk.’

An Ning continued on her way, while Jiang Xia, after confirming she was unharmed, ran on ahead down the mountain by himself.

He had followed An Ning closely up the mountain, but his speed was still no match for hers. It was only when he heard the wolves howl that he could confirm her direction and give chase.

But by the time he arrived, the wolf pack had already surrounded An Ning.

Jiang Xia didn’t dare make a rash move, not wanting his arrival to provoke the pack into attacking.

Although he was worried, he still had faith in An Ning.

’Worst comes to worst,’ he thought, ’I’m still here as backup.’

In the end, Jiang Xia quietly hid in a mound of dirt, waiting for the right moment to make his move.

Covered in filth, Jiang Xia ran down the mountain. Before he even reached the bottom, he heard the sound of a crowd shouting and yelling drifting up from the foothills.

He looked down and saw the men of the village, young and old—every able-bodied man among them—armed with a motley assortment of clubs, shovels, cleavers, and large hoes, preparing to storm the mountain with menacing determination.

In the crowd, Hua Cheng had scrounged up a wooden club from somewhere to join the group, his fighting spirit soaring as he followed the others up the mountain.

It wasn’t that he’d never been in a fight, but he’d never been in a group brawl like this.

For a moment, a thrill of excitement coursed through him.

Seeing this, Jiang Xia quickened his pace down the mountain and met the villagers halfway up the slope.

”Uncle An! Village Chief! An Ning is coming down the mountain! The kid’s been found, they’re right behind me.”

Jiang Xia explained the situation clearly. After Uncle An and An Sancheng confirmed that everything was alright, they told the villagers to head back while they waited.

Fortunately, An Ning wasn’t moving too slowly. A few minutes later, she met up with the group that had been preparing to ascend.

An Ning let go of An Xiaoming’s wrist and thanked the villagers standing below.

”Thank you, uncles. The boy has been found. I’m sorry to have troubled you all.”

Seeing that An Ning was truly unharmed, the villagers began to head down the mountain in twos and threes.

To them, this was a small matter.

A village should be united when it matters most.

”Xiaoming—!”

Du Guijuan, who had been trailing at the back of the group, burst out from the crowd with her hair in disarray. She fell to her knees and threw her arms around An Xiaoming.

After checking him over, Du Guijuan’s heart finally settled. She gave An Xiaoming a firm slap on the bottom.

”You little brat! You scared me to death!”

”Who told you to go up the mountain by yourself!”

”You little troublemaker!”

Watching from the side, An Ning saw a genuine display of emotion from Du Guijuan for the first time. ’Children really are a parent’s weak spot,’ she thought.

’Still, as a parent whose behavior is a mirror for her child, she should try to set a better example.’

Only members of the An family remained on the mountain. Uncle An spoke up, telling everyone to head back before talking further.

Du Guijuan kept a death grip on An Xiaoming’s hand as she followed the An family back to their home.

Once they arrived at the An family home, An Ning didn’t hide anything and explained how she had found An Xiaoming.

”Say what? You ran into a wolf pack?”

Lin Cuihua shot over in a panic, circling An Ning and patting her all over.

An Ning quickly stopped Lin Cuihua’s hands, holding them tightly. ”Mom, I’m really okay. Don’t worry.”

Lin Cuihua was still unconvinced. Her heart, which had leaped into her throat, refused to slow down.

She even shot a resentful glare at Du Guijuan before plopping down on a stool in a huff. The fact that she didn’t start cursing was already a sign of her restraint.

After hearing An Ning’s story, Du Guijuan said nothing, her gaze fixed on An Xiaoming.

When Lin Cuihua saw this, she grew even more furious and couldn’t hold back. ”Stare, stare, what are you staring at!”

”So you don’t believe my daughter, is that it?!”

”Son of a bitch! Believe it or not, I don’t give a damn! If you don’t believe her, then get the hell out!”

After this outburst, An Ning tugged on her arm. Lin Cuihua spun around to face her.

”What are you pulling me for! I’m telling you, An Ning, if you ever do something so reckless again, just you watch what I—”

Lin Cuihua’s eyes scanned the room, searching for a suitable implement.

’The fire poker’s no good. A piece of wood won’t do. A bamboo strip isn’t right either.’

”Mom, here, use this.”

An Guoming cheekily slipped off one of his shoes and handed it to Lin Cuihua.

Lin Cuihua snatched it, then threw it back in disgust.

”Who wants your stinky shoe!”

Distracted by An Guoming’s antics, Lin Cuihua stopped her tirade and sat down again, still fuming.

An Xiaoming had been startled by Lin Cuihua, but he still obediently recounted many details to Du Guijuan.

An Xiaoming’s words confirmed what An Ning had said. In fact, the child’s descriptions were even more terrifying, his sensory details more direct, scaring Du Guijuan so much that she clutched him and wouldn’t let go.

After he finished, An Xiaoming fell silent for a moment before he started talking about his older sister, An Jing.

After listening, Du Guijuan was silent for the first time.

An Ercheng, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly shot to his feet, accidentally kicking over his stool.

”What are you talking about? Who said my older and younger brothers are bad people!”

”That wretched girl! Just wait till I get home and teach her a lesson!”

An Ercheng was genuinely angry. He was a complete fool for love, but he wasn’t a bad person to his family—he just didn’t use his head sometimes.

”Alright, sit down.”

It was Uncle An who spoke.

”Ercheng, as for the matter with your daughter An Jing, you can deal with educating her when you get back home.”

”Sometimes, you need to reflect on yourself as well.”

”The boy is fine, so just comfort him. If there’s nothing else, we’re all going back to work.”

Uncle An got up to leave, and his two sons, who were standing behind him, followed.

An Sancheng, who hadn’t said a word, called for An Guoqing, An Guoming, and An Guoping to leave with him.

In an instant, the only ones left in the room were An Ercheng’s family, An Ning, and Lin Cuihua.

The eldest sister-in-law had already taken Hei Dan’er out long ago.

”Mom, can you make me something to eat? I’m going out for a bit in Second Brother’s car later.”

”What do you want to eat?”

”Hmm... How about some steamed buns?”

”You and your cravings. Just wait.”

Lin Cuihua turned and left to get some vegetables to make the buns.

Inside the room, An Ning also stood up and walked over to Du Guijuan.

”Second Aunt, I’ve agreed to lend you the money, but it’s not because you’re so smart, or because your schemes are so clever.”

”I’m doing it purely because I don’t want to see Eldest Uncle and my dad upset.”

”I suggest you restrain yourself. While my second uncle still bears the An family name, you should cherish the life you have now.”

”At the very least, when your family faces an emergency or hardship, you still have the An family behind you.”

An Ning’s blunt words brought a flicker of panic to Du Guijuan’s eyes.

”Remember what I said. If I’m the one who says we won’t help, no one in the An family will lift a finger.”

”My bottom line is this: don’t cause trouble, and don’t play games.”