Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

Jiang Xia’s simple ”Got it?” made An Ning, who was standing behind him, break into a smile she didn’t quite understand herself.

”I got it. I won’t let anyone find out. And besides, it was just an idea—I wasn’t actually planning on acting on it.”

An Ning grabbed a small stool and sat down right next to Jiang Xia. She nudged him with her elbow and asked, ”You just trust me that much?”

”If our roles were reversed, you’d do the same, wouldn’t you?”

An Ning answered Jiang Xia’s question with a firm nod.

”Of course. You’re my best friend, after all.”

”CRACK—”

Jiang Xia snapped a branch meant for the fire in his hands. It was a little... thick.

’It was so short, and he still broke it...’

As someone who often helped Lin Cuihua stoke the fire, An Ning thought it was an unwise move for Jiang Xia to snap that branch.

”This helps it burn more thoroughly.”

Jiang Xia forcefully threw the two sticks into the fire pit. Deciding not to dwell on the awkwardness of the ”best friends” comment, he changed the subject. ”So, who was the person you were thinking about?”

”Tao Quan.”

An Ning told Jiang Xia everything about Tao Quan, including how she had beaten him up that day.

”Good. He had it coming.”

”I remember you asked Yin San to investigate Tao Quan. Did he find anything we can use?”

An Ning shook her head and told Jiang Xia what Yin San had found.

Tao Quan’s hometown was Beijing. As for why he went to Jin City to abuse dogs, it was probably for a simple geographical reason—it’s very close.

Tao Quan had been a model of perfection his whole life. He never caused trouble or got into fights, always studied hard, and was unfailingly polite. With his excellent family background and perfect parents, they were the picture of a happy, harmonious household—the kind of idyllic family everyone dreams of.

”But...”

”But what?” Jiang Xia pressed.

”Yin San said that Tao Quan’s family is so harmonious it seems fake. It’s not that harmonious families don’t exist, but he feels something is off. He doesn’t have any evidence, though. Plus, the place Tao Quan lives isn’t ordinary, so it would be very difficult for Yin San to get in. I told him not to try.”

After listening, Jiang Xia said, ”You did the right thing. If it really is fake, it just means the family has something bigger to hide, which means they’re even more cautious. It was right not to tip them off.”

An Ning nodded. That’s what she thought too.

The two of them kept discussing it until a rich aroma wafted over. An Ning took a deep sniff and said, ”Well, one thing’s for sure: I really love to eat.”

”As if you needed to confirm that. You eat three bowls of rice every meal and don’t leave a single grain. And don’t even get me started on how you polish off all the leftover dishes, using ’we can’t let it go to waste’ as your excuse...”

Jiang Xia trailed off under An Ning’s threatening glare. He held up both hands and said, ”Hey, these are the hands that cook for you. No hitting.”

As the two bickered and bantered, Jiang Xia lifted the pot lid.

The rich aroma was the kind that would make you drool just standing next to the pot.

Jiang Xia used a clean knife to cut the large flatbread on top of the stew into four large pieces, then lifted them out with a spatula and placed them on a plate.

CRUNCH CRUNCH. It was the sound of the flatbread’s edges, which had crisped up against the pot.

An Ning couldn’t resist opening her mouth, but Jiang Xia pushed her away with a disdainful look.

”Don’t drool in my pot.”

”I won’t! I’m catching it with my hands.”

An Ning obediently took a step back. Jiang Xia chuckled, cut off a piece of the crispy part, and turned to hand it to her. ”See if it’s crispy?”

”Okay!”

An Ning crunched on the crispy piece, which was saturated with the savory aroma of the stew, and nodded repeatedly at Jiang Xia. ”Crispy. And delicious.”

Jiang Xia just smiled as he finished dishing out the rest of the meal, carried it to the table, and got ready to eat.

An Ning had already obediently washed her hands and was at the table, eagerly waiting to eat.

A large piece of flatbread was placed on each of their plates. Hissing from the heat, An Ning used her hands to tear off a layer from the top. It was chewy and not too thick. She laid it flat on her plate.

After laying it out, she used her chopsticks to pick up a few tender green beans, placed them side-by-side on the bread, and then rolled the bread around them, making a green bean roll-up.

Then, she took a huge bite, devouring half of it, and chewed contentedly. Delicious.

She quickly finished the piece. Pointing at the bread, An Ning asked, ”This flatbread... it’s just like the one my mom makes. How do you know how to make it?”

”Your mom told me. I like eating it too.”

”Ohh—how do you make it?”

An Ning asked curiously, and Jiang Xia patiently explained, ”Use warm water for the dough. It shouldn’t be too hard or too soft. Roll the dough into a large circle, spread oil on it, then fold it into a square. That’s how you get the layers. Then just roll it out into a large flatbread again.”

”Ohhh... Uh-huh, uh-huh—”

An Ning listened as she ate. Jiang Xia pretended to have a sudden realization and said, ”Aha, An Ning! You’re tricking me into talking so you can eat more, aren’t you?”

An Ning, her mouth full of food, immediately shook her head. But Jiang Xia pretended not to see and lowered his head to eat.

The two of them childishly started competing again to see who could eat faster.

The two dogs on the floor, waiting for bones, exchanged a look. ’Another tough day with a foolish master.’

After a feast of hearty stew and special flatbread, An Ning had forgotten all her troubles.

It was true what they say: good food can cure anything.

Full and content, An Ning went back next door with Xiao Lang. She enjoyed a nice bath, called her family to arrange a time to come home, and after chatting for a bit, hung up.

With Xiao Lang’s comforting presence, she once again had a peaceful, dreamless night’s sleep.

「The next morning」

A rather shrill male voice cut through the air, making An Ning shoot up in bed. She hastily put on her shoes, vaulted over the wall, and rushed next door.

”Jiang Xia!”

”Jiang Xia!”

”I’m okay!”

Jiang Xia ran out of the house and saw An Ning in her pajamas, letting out a cry of surprise.

”It’s cold—hurry up and get inside!”

Without another word, Jiang Xia threw his own jacket over An Ning’s shoulders, but she didn’t move.

”Get inside already! It’s the middle of winter—”

Jiang Xia stopped. He suddenly clapped a hand to his head, and with a strange look in his eyes, asked, ”You saw it?”

An Ning nodded woodenly, trying to hold back a laugh.

”You want to laugh, don’t you?”

An Ning nodded again.

”Go on and laugh. Don’t hurt yourself holding it in!”

”BWAHAHAHAHAHA— HAHAHAHAHAHA—”

An Ning threw her head back and roared with laughter, laughing so hard she had to squat on the ground, gasping for breath. Even then, she didn’t forget to get a jab in.

”You look just like Wang Tuzi from the edge of the village!”

”I can’t take it! How did you even manage that?!”

”No, seriously, how did you end up with a haircut like that?!”

A three-finger-wide strip had been shaved right down the middle of Jiang Xia’s otherwise thick hair, running from just above his eyes to the crown of his head.

”It wasn’t me, it was Da Huang!”

Jiang Xia exclaimed indignantly, but he still pulled the jacketless An Ning into the house first and pointed out the instrument of the crime.

”When I woke up this morning, I saw a pair of hair clippers next to me. I was wondering where the hell that thing came from.”

”Then, I felt a bit of a draft on top of my head...”

”Hahahaha—”

An Ning couldn’t hold it in again. ’A bit of a draft’—that was just too much!

”And then came the scream you heard.”

Jiang Xia narrowed his eyes at the completely unrepentant Da Huang and said in disbelief, ”It makes no sense. A dog gave me a haircut in the middle of the night, and I didn’t even notice.”

”How could I have been sleeping so soundly? It just isn’t possible!”