Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

Xiao Yan was disfigured.

The moment Jiang Dongcheng fell, he picked up a porcelain shard from the floor and viciously slashed it across the face of Xiao Yan, whom he had pulled down with him.

A gash so deep the bone was visible made Xiao Yan forget the pain in her face. She trembled all over as she stared at her reflection in the shard, unwilling to believe it.

The old maid beside her reacted quickly, helping Xiao Yan up, pressing something clean against the wound, and rushing her to the hospital.

As for Jiang Dongcheng on the floor, the two of them never gave him a second thought, not even sparing him a single glance back.

There wasn’t a single servant in the house. Xiao Yan had driven them all out, leaving only the old maid she had brought from the Xiao family.

Lying on the floor, Jiang Dongcheng could clearly feel the blood flowing from his head.

’I think I’m probably going to die.’

In that moment, Jiang Dongcheng began to reflect on his life. If it weren’t for Xiao Yan, would his life have been different?

Even now, Jiang Dongcheng still believed Xiao Yan was the biggest mistake of his life, not himself.

”Dad—what’s wrong?”

”Dad, wake up!”

Jiang Xia came in from outside. Seeing Jiang Dongcheng on the floor, he panicked like a seven or eight-year-old child.

Regardless, Jiang Xia, with the intellect of a seven or eight-year-old, managed to hoist Jiang Dongcheng onto his back, left the house, and rushed toward the hospital.

That morning, the Jiang family’s neighbors got to hear a drama and witness two medical emergencies.

First, Xiao Yan ran out of the house, her face covered in blood. Then, Jiang Dongcheng was carried out on Jiang Xia’s back, his head covered in blood.

No matter how much the neighbors loved to gossip, they still came forward to help when they saw the two were injured.

On Jiang Xia’s back, a delirious Jiang Dongcheng mumbled into Jiang Xia’s ear, ”Dad, you’re the only one I have left.”

Jiang Xia didn’t react at all. With the neighbors’ help, he got Jiang Dongcheng to the hospital and into the operating room.

At the same time, an inconspicuous neighbor quietly slipped away, picked up a phone, and dialed a number.

On the other end of the line, Jiang Xia received the news, said a word of thanks, and put down the phone. His expressionless face broke into an unconscious smile.

’Mutual destruction? I didn’t expect this bonus.’

Jiang Xia had expected there would be friction between Xiao Yan and Jiang Dongcheng, but he hadn’t thought it would be this severe. According to the neighbor’s description, both of their injuries were quite serious.

’Looks like it’s time to pay a sick visit.’

Beside Jiang Xia’s hand was a file folder, the very one An Ning had given him before.

He hadn’t used the bombshell information inside yet. He had been waiting for the most opportune moment, and unexpectedly, heaven had been so kind as to deliver it to him.

But there was no rush. First, he’d let the ”touching father-son” story play out for a few days.

Jiang Xia placed the file folder in his safe and prepared to head over to the newspaper office. How could such a deeply moving story not be serialized for a few days?

The public buzz, under Jiang Xia’s deliberate manipulation, continued unabated.

Jiang Xia had invested in a newspaper. He found someone with excellent writing skills to turn Jiang Dongcheng and Xiao Yan’s story into a serialized short story, using pseudonyms.

And these two weren’t even the main characters of the story, just vicious supporting characters who constantly caused trouble for the protagonist.

Their pseudonyms were homophones of their real names, using different characters, a fact that many discerning readers understood.

Just as the short story’s serialization was in full swing, Xiao Xian sought out Jiang Xia.

By this time, five days had passed since Jiang Dongcheng and Xiao Yan were injured and taken to the hospital.

Within those five days, Jiang Dongcheng’s condition stabilized. It turned out he had just lost a lot of blood but hadn’t sustained any major injuries. Xiao Yan, on the other hand, had received over a dozen stitches on her face and had locked herself in her hospital room, raving and cursing madly every day.

「Beijing, a teahouse.」

Jiang Xia arrived as scheduled, not a minute early, not a minute late.

His punctuality was matched by Xiao Xian’s, and they happened to pass each other right outside the teahouse. Both knew who the other was, but this was their first time meeting.

”Please.”

”Please.”

They both made a gesture of invitation and entered the teahouse’s private room together.

They sat facing each other and politely ordered tea and a few plates of pastries.

Judging by appearances, one would have truly thought they were old friends who had known each other for a long time.

The sound of splashing water being poured to brew tea echoed in the quiet room. Xiao Xian picked up a fragrant cup and placed it in front of Jiang Xia.

”Care to try it?”

”I don’t like tea.”

Jiang Xia refused. Xiao Xian didn’t press him, simply stopping what he was doing and looking at Jiang Xia. ”Isn’t this enough?”

”I don’t know what you’re referring to, Mr. Xiao.”

”You know what I mean.”

Xiao Xian deliberately avoided spelling it out, which made Jiang Xia smile playfully. ”I really don’t understand why people like you always speak in riddles. What if someone misunderstands?”

With a roguish air about him, Jiang Xia looked at Xiao Xian with playful irreverence. ”I wonder in what capacity Mr. Xiao has come today?”

”Does it matter?”

Xiao Xian retorted. Jiang Xia nodded very seriously. ”Of course it matters. If this is official business, you’ve chosen the wrong place. If it’s a private matter, you’re not qualified.”

Xiao Xian shook his head and chuckled, sizing up Jiang Xia with a look one gives to someone who is overestimating their own abilities.

”In that case, let’s leave it at that for today.”

Xiao Xian stood up, paused for a moment at the door of the private room, his voice losing some of its scholarly grace and gaining a certain chill.

”Jiang Xia, I gave you a chance.”

”Likewise.”

Sitting, Jiang Xia raised his teacup to Xiao Xian from a distance—a gesture of seeing a guest out. Seeing this, Xiao Xian nodded with a smile.

”If it weren’t for... I would actually quite admire you.”

After Xiao Xian left, Jiang Xia put down his teacup. His gaze went through the window, watching Xiao Xian get into a car and drive away.

He knew the Xiao family was about to make their move.

But who would have known that the Xiao family had been on Jiang Xia’s revenge list from the very beginning?

Jiang Xia left the teahouse to continue with his next move.

He might win this battle, but he knew it wouldn’t be an easy victory.

But even if it was a Pyrrhic victory, he had to take the gamble.

An Ning was completely unaware of the exciting turmoil unfolding in the outside world.

At this moment, An Ning was in a building, making countless technological innovations at the cost of sleeping only two hours a day.

With each passing day, the number of people inside this building multiplied.

Everyone who came was completely won over by An Ning.

When someone’s abilities are close to your own, you feel jealous and defiant.

But when they far surpass you, all you have is admiration and willing submission.

An Ning was the perfect embodiment of this at that moment.

From theory to practical application, there was nothing she couldn’t do. Whenever a technical obstacle arose, she only needed a little time—sometimes a few hours, other times just a few minutes—before she would break through the existing barrier. She would then design something both more practical and far more advanced than what came before.

By herself, she achieved the principle of ”if you can dream it, she can do it.”

You were responsible for the request; she was responsible for the delivery—a perfect loop of scientific research.

On the tenth day of Jiang Dongcheng’s hospitalization, An Ning prepared to leave the building for a while to get some rest.

As she finished her last task and was about to leave, An Ning unintentionally overheard two people talking. She slowed her steps and appeared before them.

”What were you just talking about?”