Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

Faced with An Guoqing’s earnest gaze, Master Tang averted his eyes and said, ”No, it’s a normal reaction. Women can develop all sorts of strange quirks in early pregnancy.”

”Really?”

An Guoqing squatted, tilting his head up and waiting for Master Tang’s confirmation.

”Really. Why would I lie to you?”

Having perfectly adapted to the local ways, Master Tang finished speaking and tried to leave. But then he saw An Guoqing stand up before him like a giant, blocking his path.

”What other kinds of... ’perks’?”

An Guoqing couldn’t remember the word ’quirks’, but he was desperate to know what other special examples there were.

Master Tang was in a bind. ’You just had to open your big mouth!’ he thought. ’Why did I even come out here?! Why?!’

”Master Tang, why aren’t you saying anything?”

”Ah? Oh, no reason. Let me think... Hehehe.”

Master Tang laughed awkwardly, but An Guoqing didn’t seem to notice. He just kept waiting with a simple look on his face for Master Tang to give him some examples.

”Well... I’ve heard that some women need to smell stinky things to feel at ease, while others have to eat apples dipped in vinegar to keep from throwing up...”

Master Tang seemed to have found the trick. He ”educated” An Guoqing with a whole slew of bizarre examples. After hearing them all, An Guoqing started to think that his own wife’s habit of getting morning sickness whenever she saw him wasn’t such a big deal after all.

”Guoqing—!”

Lin Cuihua’s voice carried over from the courtyard, and An Guoqing answered instantly.

”Yeah—!”

He took a few steps to the side and poked his head around the gatepost for Lin Cuihua to see.

”Go check on that pig you picked out. Is it ready for slaughter?”

”Got it! I’m on my way!”

An Guoqing pulled his head back and said to Master Tang, ”Master Tang, I’m heading up the mountain. Are you coming?”

”No, no, I still have to cook.”

Master Tang carried the firewood inside, and An Guoqing rode his tricycle up the mountain.

While Shili Gou bustled with preparations, the group on the train was having a lively time of their own.

Jiang Xia was extremely well-prepared. He had brought a set of buildable wooden blocks for his ”little treasure.” A child was playing with Xiao Lang the wolf, and they were both completely focused.

As for the remaining five people, they had one too many for a game of mahjong. Besides, An Guoping and Li Chengze didn’t want to play against Jiang Xia and An Ning, since those two could count cards.

So, the five of them played Blackjack with a dealer.

Jiang Xia was the dealer. He had to shuffle completely blind, without looking at the cards at all. Facing him were four players, and their betting chips were peanuts.

”Ready... An Ning, want a card?”

”Hit me.”

An Ning took the game seriously, not using her spiritual power or Feng Shui at all and relying purely on luck.

Jiang Xia dealt her a ten. Added to her previous two and six, An Ning now had eighteen points. She was close to twenty-one, but one wrong move and she would bust.

”Another one?”

An Ning’s face scrunched up in conflict. She looked at the five peanuts in her hand, then at Jiang Xia’s plate full of them, and then at the three poor, cleaned-out souls next to her who were staring at her with hopeful eyes.

”You’ve been watching for a while. Have you three learned anything?”

Three blank faces stared back at her.

Who would have thought that at a time like this, An Ning would decide to teach the three of them a lesson?

”Um, An Ning, I’m a teacher,”

Anna said. Li Chengze chimed in, ”I’m a teacher, too.”

”So?” An Ning asked again, giving the three of them an inscrutable look. ”I’m trying to tell you that with gambling, unless you cheat or have a special ability, you’re bound to lose.”

She turned back to Jiang Xia and declared boldly, ”Hit me!”

The card in Jiang Xia’s hand flipped over. It was a four.

Just one point too high. A bust.

Resigned to her fate, An Ning tossed her five peanuts into Jiang Xia’s plate.

”Here you go. My entire fortune.”

Holding the plate of raw peanuts, Jiang Xia asked quite naturally, ”Would you all like these as a cold dish, or should I roast them?”

”The cold peanut dish.”

”Yeah, the peanut dish.”

After everyone gave their answer, Jiang Xia, who had been the dealer just a second ago, transformed into a chef and went off to prepare the peanuts for everyone.

No one knew how Jiang Xia had managed to buy their tickets, but throughout the entire journey, the group ate fresh, delicious food that Jiang Xia had personally prepared by borrowing the train’s kitchen.

Having lost all his peanuts, An Guoping munched on an apple and sighed to An Ning, ”Sis, *this* is the life.”

An Ning shot him a look, and An Guoping was so scared he didn’t even dare to keep eating his apple.

”What, are you saying it’s a hardship being with me?”

”No, no, not at all! Absolutely not!”

An Ning let out a deliberate ”Ohhh,” and teased An Guoping, ”Alright then. In that case, I won’t ask Jiang Xia how he bought the tickets. Next time, you can just come by yourself on a hard-seat train.”

”Sis—you’re tricking me again!”

”Well, I’ve got nothing better to do.”

As the siblings had their usual squabble, Li Chengze snickered on the side, while Anna was openly envious.

When Jiang Xia returned, it was time to eat.

The group had a late supper on the train, washed up briefly, and then prepared to get some sleep.

After swaying on the train for more than two days, they were finally arriving at their station.

An Ning had packed her luggage early. She stood in the connecting area between cars, wanting to get in line, but there was no line to join.

Everyone could see that An Ning was homesick.

”WOOOO—”

The train pulled into the station, its speed slowing.

The moment the train stopped, a conductor opened the door, and an excited An Ning stepped out.

”Watch your step— Hey— Are you alright?”

Because of where their car had stopped, combined with Shili Gou’s rather short platform, there was no platform where An Ning got off. The train door was over a meter above the ground, which was covered in sharp gravel.

Carrying her luggage, An Ning missed her step. Thanks to her excellent sense of balance, she managed to avoid a truly nasty fall.

There she lay, on her back on top of her backpack, looking like a turtle flipped onto its shell.

Jiang Xia, who was right behind An Ning, was the first to jump down. He landed next to her and reached out to help her up.

”Don’t! I can do it myself!”

’Falling down was embarrassing enough, how could I let someone help me up?’

With her little bit of pride on the line, An Ning tried to show off with a kip-up. The ”carp” gave a valiant flip, but the person stayed on the ground.

Beside her, Jiang Xia suppressed a laugh and said, ”Can I help this time?”

”No!”

Fiercely independent, An Ning stubbornly refused to use her spiritual power. She reached with one hand to yank at her backpack strap, feeling that it was what had her pinned.

After a few tugs, she finally pulled the backpack free, and An Ning smoothly got to her feet.

”Let me tell you all, this incident...”

”Never happened.”

”Exactly! Did something happen just now? I didn’t see a thing!”

”Nope. Nothing at all.”

”Xiao Lang, what are Mama and the big brothers talking about?”

The group of self-deceivers looked everywhere but at her, their faces a mask of guilt.

”It’s a good thing you two are teachers, and that you’re going to be a doctor. Otherwise, your careers would be over right here and now.”

The group of terrible liars followed behind An Ning with fake smiles on their faces, struggling to walk out of the station.