Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

An Ning looked in the direction Luo Li was pointing and got her first impression of the ”dad” Luo Li had mentioned.

A mad scientist.

He was bald and covered in grime. His glasses were so dirty you could only see two small circles where his eyes should be. Standing at about five-foot-nine, he was hunched over a microscope, scrutinizing a culture dish with a conflicted expression.

”Dad—!”

Luo Li called out, but the man didn’t look up.

Luo Li called out again. The man finally looked up, annoyed. He irritably pulled off his rubber gloves and emerged, wearing a lab coat of some indiscernible color.

PSSSH—

The pneumatic sliding door opened from the inside, and Luo Li’s father walked out in a pair of slippers.

”Spit it out!”

His voice was gruff, his words were curt, and his expression was impatient.

An Ning held back Luo Li, who was about to speak, and stepped forward. ”Hello, sir. I’m An Ning. I’d like to borrow your gene sequencer for a moment.”

Mr. Luo’s face fell. He was not willing.

”I’ll pay.”

”Please, come in... Honestly, this child. She has a distinguished guest over and doesn’t even give me a heads-up.”

Upon hearing the word ”pay,” Mr. Luo’s attitude did a complete one-eighty. He wasn’t the least bit awkward about it; the change was perfectly natural.

Luo Li pouted and followed behind An Ning, whispering, ”You’ve figured out the trick to dealing with him.”

An Ning nodded slightly and followed Mr. Luo into the laboratory before them.

At the entrance to the lab, An Ning put on a face mask, a white lab coat, and a pair of slippers before finally going through a disinfection process.

Once all the procedures were complete, An Ning entered the lab proper. Mr. Luo led her deeper inside, heading straight for the genetic analysis machine.

”Um... Luo Li’s friend, how much were you planning on paying?”

”It’s your equipment. You name the price.”

”Oh... how embarrassing of me to ask.”

Walking ahead, Mr. Luo rubbed his fingers together. He had a stern, square face, yet he was trying to put on the coy expression of a bashful new bride.

”How about... fifty?”

He was the one who should have been in control, yet his question was so timid.

”That’s fine.”

An Ning’s prompt agreement made Mr. Luo, who was walking in front, want to weep with joy. He had finally met someone who didn’t haggle.

As they walked, An Ning saw many things.

’Mr. Luo must be a specialist in microbiology.’

After passing through three doors, the three of them finally arrived in a room filled with several machines of various heights.

Mr. Luo sat down on a chair. Before he could even open his mouth to face An Ning, he saw her pull out a fifty-yuan bill.

”Payment first, then the work.”

”Excellent, excellent! Luo Li, this friend of yours is great!”

Mr. Luo pocketed the money and, in a flash, reverted to his elite researcher persona.

”A genetic test requires a specific sample for analysis: blood, skin, saliva, a hair with the root attached...”

”These two hairs are one set. I want to know if they belong to a father and son.”

”And these two are another set. Please verify a mother-son relationship.”

An Ning was fully prepared. Mr. Luo didn’t ask a single question; he just took the samples and began the test.

”This will take some time. The results should be ready by tomorrow morning.”

An Ning nodded in understanding. ”Can I stay and help?”

”Hm? You know how?”

”I know a thing or two.”

An Ning pointed to the machines around them. ”Chromosome analysis, DNA comparison, blood analysis, follicle scanner...”

An Ning correctly identified every machine in the room.

Mr. Luo’s eyes showed a hint of shock, but he remained composed. He readily agreed, ”Perfect. If you stay and help, we’ll be able to get it done even faster.”

An Ning thanked him and sat down, starting to help with a practiced ease.

Luo Li, the only one left standing in the lab, suddenly felt like she was in the way.

And, in fact, she was.

”Luo Li, you can go.”

At her father’s words, Luo Li glanced worriedly at An Ning. Only after receiving a reassuring look from her did she leave.

Once Luo Li left, the room became dead silent.

But whenever Mr. Luo finished one step and prepared for the next, An Ning was always there to provide the perfect assistance, making the process feel much easier and smoother for him.

A single test could take as long as ten hours.

Partly because the equipment was outdated, and partly because the analysis itself required a certain amount of time.

While the machines were running, the two naturally started to chat. And once they started, they completely opened up.

By the time the next morning arrived, An Ning and Mr. Luo emerged from the laboratory, their dynamic having undergone a fundamental change.

Luo Li, who had been waiting outside for a while, saw An Ning walking in front and ran over. She whispered, ”Are you okay? My dad’s not human when he gets into his experiments.”

”You really are his biological daughter, aren’t you?”

”Am I? We’ve never done a test.”

Luo Li’s reply left An Ning not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Mr. Luo squeezed between them from behind, pushed Luo Li aside, and continued the conversation.

”An Ning, that enzyme fungus you mentioned earlier, how would one cultivate it?”

”Set the environment to between zero and five degrees Celsius, maintain a humidity of over eighty percent...”

Luo Li was pushed aside by the two of them. Was An Ning... lecturing her father like a teacher giving a lesson?

While Luo Li was still bewildered, the three of them reached the Luo family’s living room, where An Ning finally met the rest of Luo Li’s relatives.

It had to be said, the family was full of characters. It seemed that white lab coats were their only attire.

And everyone was in a hurry. Some were running out the door clutching a flatbread, while others were so sleepy they could barely open their eyes, their hair a bird’s nest.

Amidst all the disheveled people, a woman in an elegant cheongsam with exquisite makeup smiled warmly at An Ning and beckoned her over. ”You must be Luo Li’s friend. Please, come in.”

”Hello, ma’am. I’m An Ning. I hope I’m not intruding.”

”Not at all. It’s rare for Luo Li to have a friend over. I couldn’t be happier.”

The elegant lady in the cheongsam pulled out a chair. It creaked and groaned, making An Ning seriously suspect it would collapse at any moment.

Mrs. Luo’s voice wasn’t loud, yet her call was heard by everyone:

”Everyone, get cleaned up and come eat.”

The one munching on the flatbread, the sleepy one, and the one who was spacing out all instantly perked up, and a flurry of activity ensued.

A few minutes later, several now-presentable people emerged from various corners and gathered around the dining table.

The woman in the cheongsam was Mrs. Luo, and she introduced everyone to An Ning one by one.

Mr. Luo, Luo Li’s older brother, her second uncle, and her second aunt—they all sat together and had breakfast.

After breakfast, An Ning stayed a little longer, talking with the Luo family about everything from microbiology to medicine, from medicine to pharmaceuticals, and from molecular structures to gene sequencing.

This discussion led the Luos to hold An Ning in even higher esteem.

Around noon, An Ning prepared to leave.

Luo Li walked in front, while her mother walked behind with An Ning, chatting.

”My Luo Li has the same affliction as all the Luos—she becomes a madwoman when she gets into her research. Please help keep an eye on her.”

”Don’t worry, I will.”

An Ning agreed. Before walking out the Luo Family’s main gate, she asked in earnest, ”Is the Luo Family short on money?”

”Hm?”

Mrs. Luo stroked the rusty iron gate and said with a deep sigh, ”It’s far beyond a matter of being short.”