Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

Haitang asked, and An Ning answered.

”What’s there to persuade you about? You’ve been running the opera house by yourself for so many years; you’ve seen all sorts of people and situations. Any decision you make must have been carefully considered. If you truly love to sing opera, you can do it anywhere, can’t you?”

Haitang felt a surge of happiness at being understood. But before the corners of his lips could even turn up, he heard An Ning say, ”That was all just the polite answer. The honest truth is that we don’t know each other well, so I have no right to interfere with your decision.”

”You’re right.”

Haitang didn’t take offense. This was the real An Ning.

An Ning asked with some curiosity, ”You haven’t said—did you get a good price for it? If you haven’t signed the contract yet, you could consider selling it to me. I’m not looking to profit off you—at least, not too much. If you want to buy it back in the future, we can definitely discuss it.”

”Or, you could even rent it back from me and continue performing.”

An Ning was serious, but Haitang shook his head.

”Actually, I don’t like singing opera.”

Haitang’s voice wasn’t loud, but An Ning heard him clearly.

”Have some tea.”

Haitang took the cup of cold tea from in front of An Ning and replaced it with a fresh one.

This time, An Ning lifted the teacup and took a small sip.

”It has that crisp, clean feeling of the air after a heavy snow.”

”Yes. This tea is called ’After the Snow.’”

Haitang continued to brew the tea. Along with the sound of the flowing water, his pleasant voice sounded out as well.

”I was sold to the opera house. I dazedly learned the art, but as for whether I like it or not, I haven’t known for a long time. I only know that it’s how I make a living.”

Haitang’s words unexpectedly resonated with An Ning.

’Do I like what I’m doing now?’

’Or rather, is there anything I truly like to do?’

An Ning didn’t know. From the moment she was born, the trajectory of her life had already been determined.

’Regrets? Maybe, but they aren’t very clear.’

”Who can ever truly understand life? Sometimes we can go our whole lives without knowing what it is we really want.”

”I think that for us, in this moment, doing what our hearts desire is good enough.”

An Ning’s words made Haitang raise his teacup.

”To the present moment.”

”To the present moment.”

The teacups clinked softly. They each took a shallow sip. After setting their cups down, Haitang said, ”Would you mind if I listened to your worries?”

An Ning put down her teacup, her expression a little intriguing as she said, ”I... I want to kill someone.”

”Hm? Heh heh... you’re serious.”

Haitang was momentarily bewildered, then asked again seriously. But he only heard An Ning shake her head and say with a laugh, ”I’m joking. Our ancestors fought and died for this era of peace. How could I do something illegal?”

An Ning picked up her teacup again and looked down, sipping her tea.

Across from her, Haitang felt a flash of disappointment. ’It seems I missed a great opportunity.’

Perhaps they were only suited to be close confidants, which was something Haitang wanted as well.

The two continued to chat. Haitang told An Ning the acquisition price, which was indeed quite high, and that he was willing to sell. So, An Ning didn’t interfere.

An Ning asked about Haitang’s future plans. Haitang said he wanted to travel and see where life took him; maybe he would find something he wanted to do.

An Ning toasted him with tea instead of wine, wishing him good luck.

After their brief conversation ended, An Ning left the opera house. Her heart, which had been thrown into turmoil by Tao Quan, gradually calmed with each cup of tea.

When she got home from the opera house, the door to the house next door opened from the inside. Da Huang walked out with a basket in his mouth and stood beside An Ning.

”Well now, Da Huang, you know how to cook?”

An Ning, who was only joking, received a disdainful look from Da Huang.

”Look at that little glare of yours. Have your eyes gotten smaller lately?”

”Let me see... I think they really have gotten smaller.”

An Ning’s exaggeration made Da Huang suddenly dash into the yard. He peered at his reflection on a patch of ice, as if searching for proof that his eyes hadn’t shrunk.

”Don’t you go scaring Da Huang. He’s a dog in the throes of passion lately.”

Jiang Xia, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, came out of the kitchen, revealing Da Huang’s secret without a hint of concealment.

”WOOF WOOF WOOF... WOOF WOOF... WOOF WOOF...”

Da Huang barked furiously at Jiang Xia, his dissatisfaction easy to hear in his barks.

”I’m guessing he’s cursing you out.”

After saying this, An Ning nodded judiciously. ”He’s definitely cursing you. And I bet it’s pretty nasty.”

”Is that so? At times like this, I just automatically substitute his barks with words of affection for me. It’s not like he can talk, anyway.”

The infuriating Jiang Xia squatted down and said to Da Huang with a grin, ”Alright, alright, I know you love me. You don’t have to express it every single day.”

’Express it every day?’

An Ning was amused by Jiang Xia. ’Looks like he gets cursed out every day.’

It seemed the love-hate drama between the man and his dog was a daily performance.

Da Huang was so angered by Jiang Xia’s shamelessness that he started spinning in circles. He couldn’t actually bite him, so in his frustration, he just barked while turning on the spot.

As he spun and spun, Da Huang’s steps began to waver. ’Is he getting dizzy?’

An Ning was about to step forward to help Da Huang when, at that very moment, something suddenly leaped down from the top of the wall and, with extreme speed, smacked Da Huang on the head.

”AWOOOO--- AWOOOO---”

Xiao Lang had arrived.

He repeatedly smacked Da Huang on the head. From the way his own fur was matted down, one could guess that Xiao Lang had been sleeping and was woken up by Da Huang’s racket.

At that moment, the big one and the little one had started a comical brawl.

Xiao Lang rode on Da Huang’s back while Da Huang bucked desperately, trying to throw him off.

An Ning skirted around the two of them and stood at the kitchen door. ”It’s like a bullfight from a book.”

”A dumb dog messing with a little miss.”

Jiang Xia’s deadly comeback made the big one and the little one immediately end their fight and stare at him, united against a common enemy.

An Ning looked from one to the other, then said with mock concern, ”I think you’re in danger.”

”What danger could there be? My Da Huang would never bite me.”

Jiang Xia turned and went back inside to continue cooking. An Ning shrugged and followed him in.

After they both went inside, no one saw the wolf and the dog look at each other and let out a few quiet yips, as if they were communicating about something.

Inside the kitchen, Jiang Xia was stir-frying.

An Ning looked around and asked, ”What are you making?”

”Didn’t you say you were craving those green bean stew-cakes my aunt makes?”

As Jiang Xia spoke, An Ning saw him lift the lid of a large pot on a wood-fired stove. He used his spatula to stir the hodgepodge stew of green beans, ribs, potatoes, glass noodles, and corn inside, then laid a large, pre-rolled flatbread over the top.

”There. It’ll be ready to eat in about twenty minutes.”

”I love—”

”I know. You like the green beans stewed until they’re nice and mushy.”

Jiang Xia, having finished her sentence for her, didn’t get their usual witty banter in return. He turned to look at An Ning strangely and asked, ”Why’d you go quiet?”

”Jiang Xia, what do you think I should do if I wanted to kill someone?”

”Write down the name. I’ll go.”

Jiang Xia answered without a moment’s hesitation, and even started to think about the follow-up arrangements for An Ning.

”I’ll look at it, then burn the note. You just wait for news. We don’t need to get our own hands dirty with this kind of thing, understand?”