Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

Lin Cuihua was so frightened she could barely stand as she handed the phone to An Ning.

”Sweetheart... the president... school...”

”It’s fine. If I can enroll, I will. If not, we’ll just pick another school.”

The president on the other end heard An Ning’s voice and screamed himself hoarse, ”You can! You can! You can!”

An Ning held the phone slightly away from her ear. After the president finished shouting, she greeted him politely, ”Hello, this is An Ning.”

”Hello, I’m Wei Chengguo, the president of Beijing University.”

The two finally had their first official conversation, though they had yet to meet. The moment An Ning promised to attend Beijing University, the president could finally relax.

The president told An Ning about all the perks the university could offer. An Ning didn’t refuse, but she wasn’t as thrilled as he had imagined, either. She just said a simple ”thank you.”

When the president of Beijing University finally hung up, he said with a sense of relief, ”It’s a lock.”

”Really, President? You haven’t even met her.”

The director of admissions asked uncertainly. The president shook his head, looking as if to say ’you just don’t get it’, and said, ”An Ning won’t go back on her word.”

The director’s question went unanswered, leaving him even more confused. He pressed, ”How do you know? You don’t know her, do you?”

”One phone call is enough to get the basics. Her word is her bond.”

With his mind at ease, the president left with the other two.

Meanwhile, the sedan heading to Sanhe Town sped up again after its occupants saw the president of Beijing University. It soon arrived in Shili Gou.

Once again, a child led him to the An family’s home. When he inquired, however, he learned that four of the six people he was looking for were out, including the most important one. He also found out that all six had applied to Beijing University.

When he tried to persuade An Guoping and Zhou Xiaoshan to choose a different school, their answer was that they would go wherever An Ning went.

The university administrator once again realized how important An Ning was. But since she was nowhere to be found, he tried to persuade the two boys by discussing academic majors.

When he asked Zhou Xiaoshan what he wanted to study, Zhou Xiaoshan said he didn’t know. He wasn’t particularly passionate about anything and would figure it out once he got to college.

As for An Guoping, he was dead set on studying medicine, which made it difficult for the administrator to sway him, since the best medical school was, in fact, at Beijing University.

In the end, the university administrator got An Ning’s phone number and left Shili Gou.

In the three days following that first call, An Ning received inquiries from several other universities, but her answer remained simple, clear, and unwavering.

「Three days later.」 The dust settled, because the official scores had been released.

Everyone’s college entrance exam scores came out that day.

All over the country, schools were packed with crowds of people eager to see the results.

At Sanhe Town High School, when the principal and his staff got their hands on the exam results, their first question was, ”Who is An Guoping?”

On the list of scores, An Guoping was ranked first in their school and fifteenth in the entire country. The principal had never even dreamed of such a result.

”Who is An Guoping?”

The principal looked at the senior class’s homeroom teacher across from him, hoping for an answer.

Teacher Wen raised her hand, and all eyes fell on her.

”He’s in my class. He’s a repeating student. He never attended classes here; he just registered through our school and would come by to pick up exam papers.”

After speaking, Teacher Wen stepped forward, still in disbelief. She looked at An Guoping’s name, then checked it against the student roster in her hand. The exam ID was the same. ’It’s him. No mistake.’

”Repeating? I don’t remember him getting scores this high last year.”

”That’s right, how did he do last year?”

The other teachers began to chime in. After confirming the exam ID, Teacher Wen said, ”Last year, An Guoping’s score only got him into a vocational college.”

”What?”

”A vocational college?”

”From vocational college level to fifteenth in the country? You’ve got to be kidding!”

No one could believe it. It was more unbelievable than a myth.

Teacher Wen nodded amid the others’ skepticism. Then, remembering something, she added, ”I think he has a sister. She wanted to register for the exam through our school as well, but she didn’t meet the requirements and had to register back in her village.”

The principal at the front, holding the list of scores, had a sudden flash of insight and asked loudly, ”His sister—is her name An Ning?”

”Ah? I think so... Yes, yes, her name is An Ning.”

After Teacher Wen confirmed it, she could almost see the principal’s regret manifest as a giant hand, squeezing his own throat.

”Son of a—!”

At the last second, the principal managed to bite back the curse word. Instead, he ran a hand through his already thinning hair and managed to yank out several strands in his frustration.

”All right, let’s post the scores.”

At the principal’s command, the teachers sprang into action.

A large, red banner was hastily made, ready to be hung above the school’s main gate.

As the first glimmer of dawn broke, the school gate was already crowded with anxious parents.

At the time, the most common way to check scores was to look at the public lists posted at the school. It was possible to inquire by phone, of course, but since phones weren’t widely available, it was a much more difficult option.

”A banner?”

”Really? You think it’s for that Niao Niao girl?”

”Probably. She’s always been at the top of the class.”

”I know, right? I wonder how they raised a child like that.”

The chatter in the crowd made one mother crane her neck, unable to contain her curiosity. She grabbed the girl with shoulder-length hair and straight-cut bangs standing next to her and started pushing through the throng.

”Excuse me, make way, please.”

”Oh, isn’t that Niao Niao’s mom? Your daughter really is something to be proud of.”

”You can say that again. They’re hanging a banner, so she must be the top scorer.”

Niao Niao’s mom feigned embarrassment but didn’t deny it, her face beaming with pride as she soaked in the praise.

The girl beside her kept her head lowered, her expression unreadable. She let her mother drag her forward like a mindless puppet.

Some of the surrounding parents recognized them, while others didn’t. But everyone had heard the name Niao Niao; she had always been first in her grade.

The crowd parted to let the mother and daughter through, allowing them to stand right at the front.

Just then, the school gates began to open. Two teachers, one on a ladder to the left and one to the right, unfurled the banner.

”Congratulations to our student An Guoping on his outstanding achievement of ranking fifteenth in the nation!”

”Who’s An Guoping?”

”I don’t know. Never heard of him.”

”Why isn’t it Niao Niao?”

”Fifteenth in the nation... is that the top scorer?”

”Who knows!”

Each question was like a resounding slap across Niao Niao’s mother’s face. Her chest heaved, and she looked defiantly at the teacher by the gate. ”Are there any other banners?” she asked.

”No, this is the best result we have.”

One of the teachers explained, then glanced at Niao Niao standing beside her mother, a look of pity in his eyes.

”Niao Niao—”

Before the teacher could finish, Niao Niao’s mom shoved him aside and ran into the school, dragging her daughter with her.

”Hey—”

The teacher wasn’t too bothered by the shove and hurried after them. ’The kid is what’s important,’ he thought.

As the school gates opened wide, the crowd surged in to see the scores. The first to reach the lists were Niao Niao and her mother.