Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

An Ning kept Sun Xiaomei by her side, teaching her as much as she could.

Seven days later, An Ning left behind piles of technical materials and design blueprints, departing Jin City for the provincial capital.

Meanwhile, the college admission letters had arrived in Shili Gou, Sanhe Town.

Ever since An Guoping had gone to the school—only to fail to see the scores but instead accidentally save Lin Niaoniao from being driven to insanity by her own mother—this latest viewing of the college entrance exam results was the most civilized one yet.

In front of the school’s bulletin board where the scores were posted, a crowd had gathered, but it was an orderly one.

Especially when some students didn’t score well, their parents didn’t break into furious curses. Having witnessed Lin Niaoniao’s suicide attempt, the parents had all become much more forgiving.

Perhaps this forgiveness would only last until nightfall, but it had certainly given many parents, all of whom hoped their children would achieve great success, a moment of pause.

On the day the results were posted, everyone learned that the school’s top student, An Guoping, was also ranked fifteenth in the nation, and they all exclaimed in admiration.

But when they learned that the students ranked first, second, and third in the nation were also from Sanhe Town, their expressions went slack with disbelief.

What kind of immortal had come down to earth?

Even the principal and teachers, who had just heard the news, were left completely flabbergasted.

The first-ranked student was from Shili Gou. The second and third were from Shili Gou. The fifteenth was from Shili Gou. And rumor had it, the twentieth and twenty-seventh were from Shili Gou as well.

Overnight, Shili Gou became the most talked-about place in all of Sanhe Town.

Having a relative in Shili Gou became a point of pride for any family.

This incredible academic Feng Shui even caused Shili Gou’s matchmaking scene to explode. Countless families were now eager to find in-laws from the village.

Today, An Ning and Lin Cuihua had left Jin City and were on a train to the provincial capital.

Meanwhile, An Guoming was waiting for Lin Cuihua in the provincial capital. Lin Cuihua wanted to go home.

The strange affliction that had been plaguing her in waves—robbing her of sleep and making her constantly irritable—had finally vanished. Unaccustomed to being away, Lin Cuihua had long been eager to return home.

After An Ning contacted her family, it turned out An Guoming was heading to the provincial capital to open a new branch of Green Land, so he could take Lin Cuihua home.

When An Ning and Lin Cuihua got off the train, An Guoming was already there to meet them. The pickup was rushed, as he was in a hurry to head back.

An Ning hurriedly saw Lin Cuihua into the car and placed Xiao Lang on her lap. Before she even had a chance to say goodbye, An Guoming drove off.

He came and went in a flash.

After watching Lin Cuihua depart, An Ning headed alone to the provincial capital’s machinery factory to continue her work.

Meanwhile, back in Sanhe Town, the post office received several special envelopes.

”They’re here! They’re here, they’re here!”

A postal worker sorting mail picked out six special envelopes, clutched them, and ran into the postmaster’s office.

”Chief, the admission letters have arrived!”

The man sitting in a rocking chair in the office, sipping tea, spat out a mouthful of tea leaves with a PFFT and shot to his feet.

”Where are they?”

When the six admission letters were laid on his desk, the postmaster’s inner mail carrier trembled with excitement. He decided he had to deliver them personally.

All six of these admission letters were addressed to Shili Gou. They were the very first batch to arrive, and there was no doubt these were the ones that had been tracked every step of the way—from the provincial office to the city, from the county to the town.

In the end, the postmaster got on his bicycle and, accompanied by the mail carrier who knew the routes best, headed for Shili Gou.

When the DING-A-LING of a bicycle bell rang out, the children playing near the Big Willow Tree at the village entrance started shouting without even needing to look back. ”The mail carrier’s here! The mail carrier’s here!”

Many of the people cooling off in the shade of the willow tree turned to watch the approaching cyclists.

”How come there are two of them today?”

”Who knows. Looks like the heavier one is struggling a bit with his bike.”

”And their bags don’t even look that full.”

The regular mail carrier, who knew the village well, greeted a few people before pointing toward the foot of the hill. ”We’re going to Anning’s house to deliver her admission letter.”

The mail carrier was quite familiar with An Ning, as she was always receiving packages from Director Zhao and other factory managers.

”What? The admission letters are here?”

”Oh, my heavens! Quick, go tell An Laosan!”

”I’ll go! I’m the fastest runner!”

A man in his sixties took off at his top speed to deliver the message.

It couldn’t be helped; among a crowd of seventy- and eighty-year-olds, he was indeed the youngest.

The mail carrier led the postmaster following behind him to the gate of Anning’s house.

Zhou Xiaoshan, who was home looking after the kids, came out holding Hei Dan’er. He looked at the mail carrier and asked, ”Are the admission letters here?”

”Oh, Xiao Shan, you’re here! Your admission letter has arrived. So has your Teacher An Ning’s, and Jiang Xia’s, An Guoping’s, Yin Xuemei’s, and Yang Jianguo’s.”

The mail carrier was truly very familiar with their names.

”Do we have to sign for them in person?”

The mail carrier confirmed that he did.

He looked troubled. ”Aside from An Guoping and me, none of the others are here.”

The mail carrier hadn’t expected this—four out of the six recipients weren’t home. He turned to look at the postmaster who had come with him.

The postmaster thought for a moment. ”Call their parents and your village chief over. Have them all sign for the letters together. Afterward, when the students get back, have them make a trip to the post office so I can verify in person.”

The postmaster was very experienced. He knew that this single letter was the only proof that mattered; whoever held it could claim it as their own.

This was precisely why he had insisted on coming along.

Then again, anyone with half a brain knew it would be impossible to impersonate these students. With their intellect and scores, any ordinary person who tried would be exposed in an instant.

Zhou Xiaoshan invited the two men into the courtyard to sit down, then climbed up on the wall to call for Grandpa Jiang.

Grandpa Jiang sat down and watched Hei Dan’er while Zhou Xiaoshan went out to gather the others.

Once the village chief, Uncle An, An Sancheng, An Guoping, and a crowd of other villagers had gathered, the mail carrier took out the six envelopes. He handed the first one to An Sancheng.

”This one is for student An Ning. Congratulations to the top scholar.”

”Top scholar?”

An Sancheng wiped both hands on his clothes over and over, feeling that the envelope was far too heavy, that he was unworthy of accepting it.

”That’s right. Student An Ning is first in the entire country. What else would you call that but the top scholar?”

An Sancheng emotionally took the envelope. He turned to Uncle An beside him and said, ”Brother, our family has produced a top scholar!”

”Y-yes, yes! Wonderful, wonderful!”

Aside from the word ’wonderful,’ Uncle An was too emotional to say anything else. His only thought was that he had to go and inform the ancestors.

Next was Zhou Xiaoshan, who had placed second. He was holding Hei Dan’er in one arm, and as soon as he took the envelope, Hei Dan’er grabbed it to play with.

”Hey, don’t pull on it, you little terror!”

Gao Guifen stepped forward to intervene, but Zhou Xiaoshan said nonchalantly, ”It’s fine. He can’t rip it.”

The third letter, for the student ranked third in the nation, was accepted by Grandpa Jiang.

Grandpa Jiang accepted it casually with a simple ”thank you.”

The fourth letter was for An Guoping. He was still visibly excited when he took his envelope, prompting the mail carrier to sigh with relief. ”Now that’s the reaction I was expecting! The way you all were acting, I was starting to think these letters weren’t anything special.”