Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

An Ercheng and Du Guijuan naturally had no objections. Although they felt a little uncomfortable, the moment they saw An Ning, they subconsciously suppressed their feelings—and did so willingly.

”Very good. Sign it and add your thumbprints.”

An Ning handed the agreement to them and smoothly produced a pen and an ink pad.

An Ercheng and Du Guijuan obediently signed and added their thumbprints. An Ercheng then handed the agreement back to An Ning with both hands.

”See? We can get along harmoniously.”

”This is what’s best for you, for me, and for everyone.”

There was that tone again. Although she spoke in a light and understated manner, the couple heard a storm of blades in her words, feeling as if their heads were next on the chopping block.

An Ning tucked the agreement away, feeling not a shred of guilt for intimidating An Ercheng and his wife.

’As long as they behave and don’t cause too much trouble, it really is for the best for everyone.’

After that, things were much simpler.

An Ning found a broker, went to the real estate transaction office, bought the house, transferred the deed, and paid the commission.

By the afternoon, the house had a new owner.

An Ning gave An Ercheng and Du Guijuan a glimpse of the property deed before putting it in her satchel along with the agreement from before.

”You can live in the house; decide for yourselves when you want to move. Oh, by the way, I only got you one day off from work.”

After she finished, An Ning called them into the newly purchased courtyard house.

The moment they stepped through the gate, An Guoming, who was waiting inside, greeted them.

”Little Sis, I brought the stuff over.”

”Thank you for your trouble, Second Brother.”

An Guoming shot An Ning an indulgent glare. ”You’re always teasing me. You know full well I can’t move heavy things.”

An Guoming walked over to An Ning. Behind him lay a pile of things, leaving An Ercheng and Du Guijuan standing bewildered at the entrance.

”When you move, it’s a big deal. Back in the village, we have a custom where relatives and friends bring gifts to help you get settled.”

An Ning walked over to the pile of things in the courtyard and began to explain, ”This fifty-kilogram bag of rice is from my dad. This fifty-kilogram bag of flour is from my eldest uncle. These tables, chairs, stools, and these two beds are from us siblings.”

”Our gifts are modest, but at the very least, you’ll be able to eat your fill and sleep soundly. From now on, please work hard and focus on paying back the money.”

An Ning offered a carrot, but before An Ercheng and his wife could get happy, she brought out the stick. ”If you don’t make a payment for three consecutive months, I will repossess the house.”

There was that tone again—that bone-chilling tone.

An Ercheng and Du Guijuan nodded repeatedly, promising, ”We won’t, we won’t.”

An Ning simply gave a small smile, said nothing more, and left with An Guoming.

They would leave the rest to them.

As she reached the gate, however, An Ning couldn’t resist turning back to say to Du Guijuan, ”You need to keep An Jing in line. An Xiaoming is a good kid by nature; don’t let him be led astray.”

’What she left unsaid was that when An Ercheng and his wife were truly old, they would never be able to rely on An Jing.’

’An Xiaoming would likely be their only support.’

’Then again, rumor had it they also had an older son, but he had eloped with some girl four or five years ago and hadn’t been heard from since. He wasn’t someone they could count on either.’

The warning finally seemed to register with Du Guijuan, who for the first time took someone’s advice about An Jing to heart. An Ning’s subtle use of spiritual power hadn’t been in vain.

”I will.”

An Ning stepped out of the gate. For now, the matter of An Ercheng’s family was settled.

’That should keep them quiet for a good long while.’

The brother and sister left the small courtyard and headed directly for another house they had bought—the one where the mother and daughter lived.

When they arrived, they found the house had been completely transformed.

The original street-facing side room had been converted into a small storefront with large glass windows, a design An Ning had based on some interstellar shops.

Through the central main door and bright glass windows, the counters inside were clearly visible.

Every time An Guoming saw those huge panes of glass, his heart fluttered nervously. ’What if someone smashes them?’

He took out his keys, unlocked the double doors in the center, and the two siblings went inside to look around.

Inside the main entrance, paths led to the left and right, both lined with counters.

An Ning had already planned the layout: a produce section, a fruit section, a section for staples like rice, flour, grain, and oil, a section for meat, poultry, and fish, and even sections for household goods and snacks. Each area was clearly demarcated.

The sections were all interconnected, forming a large circle. The central island was also a counter, which would eventually be stocked with goods as well.

”Little Sis, this design is amazing! Once we get this place established, I’ll use the same layout for our other locations.”

”Don’t be hasty, Second Brother. Every location is different. We need to adapt our plans to suit the local environment.”

Hearing this, An Guoming immediately agreed, praising, ”You’re still the brilliant one, Little Sis.”

”Of course,” An Ning replied, not bothering with false modesty.

”By the way, Second Brother, we’ll start hiring tomorrow. Once we have our staff, we’ll conduct some basic training, and after that, we can start stocking the shelves.”

”No problem. I’ve already posted the hiring notices. People should start showing up tomorrow.”

After inspecting the premises, the brother and sister locked the front door and left through the back.

Behind the main building were several more rooms, two-thirds of which had been converted into storage. There was even a walk-in freezer.

To get that freezer, An Ning had offered a complete set of refrigeration schematics. A refrigerator factory bought the technology from her and, in return, built the walk-in freezer for her at a massive discount—it was practically free.

Not only that, but for future transport needs, An Ning had also combined refrigeration technology with vehicle design, leading to an unexpected collaboration between the Jin City auto plant and the refrigerator factory.

In addition to the storage rooms, they had also kept one room at the back as a break room.

Someone would eventually be hired to stand guard here, and they would need a place to sleep.

That night, An Ning and An Guoming slept in the back building.

The room had two bunk beds. The siblings each took one and made do for the night.

Early the next morning, An Ning went out for a run and picked up some breakfast on her way back.

When she returned with steamed buns and soy milk, she saw a line of dozens of people already formed at the shop’s entrance.

Carrying her breakfast, she walked straight to the front of the line, right up to the door.

”Hey, get in line! Everyone else is waiting.”

A young woman righteously blocked An Ning’s path. Just as An Ning was about to explain, another girl beside the first one tugged her arm. ”It’s fine, it’s not a big deal.”

”How can it be fine? We’re all waiting in line. You have to follow the rules.”

The young woman pulled her hand away, clearly disagreeing. She turned to An Ning and said, ”We’re all here for the hiring event. If you want a spot, you should go to the back of the line. There aren’t too many people yet, so everyone will get a chance.”

The girl’s attitude wasn’t aggressive, so An Ning just smiled and nodded at her. ”You’re right. Everyone will have their chance.”

”However, I still need to go inside.”

”Because I’m the owner.”