Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

The very moment the college entrance exams ended, Zhou Xiaoshan was ready to head back to Sanhe Town.

An Guoming was waiting outside with their luggage, Master Tang had a medium-sized pot strapped to his back, and Yu Zheng, their driver, had come to see them off with train tickets in hand.

This scene, which looked for all the world like they were moving house, made many of the other parents shake their heads. ’They must have failed the exam.’

’Selling everything they own to go find work?’

Zhou Xiaoshan completely ignored their stares. ’How could they possibly understand his happiness?’

He loved his life in Shili Gou. Although there was still no news of his father, An Ning’s family truly treated him as one of their own.

And Zhou Xiaoshan loved it.

”Let’s go! I’ve been wanting to go home for ages.”

”Oh, my precious veggies!”

An Guoming acted like a bandit king, while Master Tang just looked plain odd.

Zhou Xiaoshan didn’t hold back at all. ”Uncle An, is this a case of ’when the cat’s away, the mice will play’?”

”So what if it is? At least I get to be king for a day. Do you dare?”

With a cheeky grin, Zhou Xiaoshan said, ”I wouldn’t dare.”

An Guoming gave Zhou Xiaoshan a playful kick on the butt. The two of them were always roughhousing, looking just like a pair of brothers.

And that was indeed the case. Before An Guoming left, An Ning had given him one instruction: treat Zhou Xiaoshan the same way he treated An Guoping.

An Guoming wasn’t a fool; he naturally understood what An Ning meant.

After spending so much time together, their bond had grown significantly stronger.

As for Master Tang, he stood alone on the road with the pot on his back. His solitary figure made him look just like a great swordsman from the martial arts world.

Except this swordsman’s aura was a bit... oppressive.

”Hurry up! What are you dawdling for?”

Master Tang took the lead, hopping into Yu Zheng’s car. He plopped himself into the passenger seat and shot Yu Zheng a death glare, waiting for him to drive.

Yu Zheng, normally the steadiest of them all, actually did a little skip as he scurried into the car and quickly started the engine.

An Guoming and Zhou Xiaoshan scrambled in after him.

They couldn’t help it. This was the man in charge of their rations. After leaving Shili Gou, Master Tang had discovered a lack of quality ingredients. Although the food he cooked was still incredibly delicious, he himself was never satisfied with it.

The car sped off toward the train station, not wanting to waste a single second.

Just as the group in the city was anxious to return to Shili Gou, so too were An Ning and the others who had taken the exam in Sanhe Town.

After the last exam, Lin Cuihua’s attitude changed so fast that An Ning barely had time to register it.

When she first came out of the examination hall, she was still looking for Lin Cuihua, but only saw An Guoqing.

An Guoqing was very direct. ”Mom’s packing our bags. We’re going home.”

”She said it’s not comfortable living here. Our own home is better.”

When An Ning and An Guoqing returned to the small courtyard, a pile of things was already sitting in the center.

”Go sit over there and eat.”

Lin Cuihua, bustling in and out, pointed casually. Gone was the cautious anxiety from the exam period, which made An Ning feel much more relaxed.

”Mom, I much prefer you like this.”

”What? Are you saying I had a bad temper before?”

Lin Cuihua’s words made An Ning reflexively shake her head and explain, ”No, no, not at all! I just mean, this is what my real mom is like.”

An Ning, having mastered the art of placating Lin Cuihua, quickly stepped forward and hugged her arm. ”Mom, I just love you being your true self. We’re family; we don’t need all that formal stuff.”

An Ning’s sweet-talking immediately worked on Lin Cuihua. She poked An Ning’s forehead and said, ”Even food can’t keep that mouth of yours shut.”

An Ning chuckled and obediently sat down on a small stool in the courtyard. She ate a slice of watermelon that Lin Cuihua had chilled in the well, watching her mother’s figure bustle back and forth.

It was a busy moment, but An Ning was enjoying it to no end.

Not long after, Jiang Xia returned.

”Look at you, living the life!”

For his teasing remark, Jiang Xia only earned a look from An Ning.

He didn’t mind. He sat down on another small stool, grabbed a slice of watermelon, and started munching on it. CRUNCH, CRUNCH.

”Delicious. So sweet.”

”Right? My mom picked it out.”

An Ning said this with a touch of smugness, filled with genuine pride.

After they had eaten a few slices of watermelon, An Guoping and the other two returned.

”Watermelon?”

As soon as An Guoping saw the watermelon, he bolted over, grabbed a slice, and was overcome with bliss the moment he took a bite.

”Delicious! It’s so sweet! And it’s the sandy-textured kind!”

An Guoping chattered on and on, but no one minded.

Whether the college entrance exam had been difficult for them or not, they had all persevered for a long time to reach this point.

Even though they hadn’t attended a regular school, the number of pens they’d used up, the stacks of scratch paper they’d filled, and the practice tests they’d completed far exceeded those of many other students.

Were they tired?

The answer was a resounding yes.

Physical exhaustion is easy to recover from, but mental fatigue... that only truly began to melt away in this very moment—the moment the exams ended, the moment they took a bite of this long-awaited watermelon.

In the middle of the courtyard, the five of them sat on small stools. They didn’t speak or chat. Each just held a slice of watermelon, munching away. CRUNCH, CRUNCH.

Slice after slice, it was as if all their worries were being eaten away along with the watermelon.

Lin Cuihua had bought two large watermelons, and the group ate until they were full from the water alone.

There was no need for lunch. They would pack up first, head back to Shili Gou, and have a good meal that evening.

After finishing their watermelon, the group packed up the things in their rooms, followed Lin Cuihua’s lead, and climbed onto the truck headed back to Shili Gou.

As Yang Jianguo watched the main gate being locked, he sat in the back of the truck and said with a sigh, ”I hope I never have to come back to this room again.”

Everyone understood the sentiment behind his words.

However...

”What are you talking about?”

An Guoping nudged Yang Jianguo with his elbow. ”Are you saying you don’t have faith in my sister’s abilities?”

Yang Jianguo had only been sighing about not wanting to go through the college entrance exams again, but he had accidentally offended someone.

He stood up in a panic, about to apologize to An Ning.

”Sit down. The truck is moving.”

At An Ning’s single command, Yang Jianguo obediently sat back down, his hands placed on his knees.

”Don’t be nervous. I understand what you meant. This whole process really hasn’t been easy for you.”

An Ning’s style of comforting others was, as always, uniquely her own.

But Yang Jianguo was quick to accept it.

”Teacher An is right.”

The five of them sat in the back of the truck. They had opened the canvas cover, and now they watched the blue sky, felt the clouds roll by, and let the wind whip through their dark hair—so young and full of life.

In truth, at their age, they were all still just kids.

”Let’s sing!”

An Guoping stood up, leaning against the front of the truck bed. He struck a ’forward march’ pose and let out a howl to start them off.

”The East is Red, the sun is rising, from China comes a...”

An Guoping started the song, and the other four, still seated, willingly joined in. Their stirring, soaring voices poured out from the back of the truck.

”He strives for the people’s happiness, hu-er-hai-yo, he is the people’s great savior.”