Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission

After leaving the guesthouse, An Ning found a place where she could make a phone call.

She called Director Jin’s office, but after ringing for a long time, no one answered.

An Ning hung up.

’He must be off work by now.’

She stood there for a moment, thinking.

"Are you going to make a call or not? If not, move aside."

Someone behind her urged her on, so An Ning put the receiver down and stepped aside to let them pass.

After some thought, she went to the textile factory to find her second brother.

When An Guoming was told a young woman was outside looking for him, he had a pretty good idea it was An Ning.

An Ning, waiting at the gate, saw An Guoming run out and called, "There’s no rush!"

But An Guoming didn’t listen, sprinting out anyway.

"What is it?"

"I need to know where Director Li lives. I have to see him about something."

"You scared me! I’ll take you."

An Ning didn’t move.

"You know where it is? Have you been there before?"

An Guoming’s expression was a little strange. He deflected, saying, "I just know, that’s all. Let’s go."

An Ning gave An Guoming a suspicious look as he walked ahead, but she followed him.

They didn’t walk far. After about ten minutes, An Guoming stopped at the entrance of an alleyway.

"His house is the one with the red gate at the very back. You can go on your own."

"Alright. Second Brother, what are you so afraid of?"

"Afraid of what? What would I be afraid of? It’s nothing. I’m heading back. Let me know if you need anything."

An Guoming ran off.

’There’s definitely something going on here,’ An Ning thought. ’But what is he so afraid of?’

She walked into the alleyway and knocked on the gate to Director Li’s home.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Coming!"

A young woman’s voice called out from the courtyard. Her footsteps were hurried and her voice was loud; she sounded like she was jogging over.

There was the sound of a bolt being unlatched.

"Who are you looking for?"

The gate was pulled open, and An Ning saw a lovely, rosy-cheeked girl with fair skin and lively eyes looking back at her.

"Hello, I’m looking for Director Li."

"Who are you? My dad’s already off work."

"I know. Could you please tell Director Li that my name is An Ning?"

"So you’re An Ning!"

The girl inside suddenly pulled the gate wide open.

"You must be An Guoming’s younger sister! My name is Li Yuanyuan."

Her shyness was mixed with a certain frankness, and An Ning suddenly felt like she understood something.

"Hello, I’m An Ning. An Guoming is my second brother."

After hearing An Ning confirm it herself, Li Yuanyuan became even more enthusiastic. She leaned her entire body out to look behind An Ning, then turned back, a little disappointed.

"Where’s your second brother?"

"I came alone."

An Ning saw Li Yuanyuan’s eyes dim for a fraction of a second before she recovered. Then, she grabbed An Ning’s arm with both hands.

Her grip was as intimate as if they were twin sisters.

But An Ning was very uncomfortable with this kind of closeness and tried to pull her arm away.

But Li Yuanyuan’s grip was surprisingly strong, and more importantly, An Ning didn’t want to hurt her.

"An Ning, are you here to see your second brother?"

"How old are you?"

"I’m sixteen, a first-year in high school. What about you?"

"My dad says you’re super smart."

"I—"

From the moment Li Yuanyuan grabbed her arm, her mouth hadn’t stopped moving for a second.

An Ning couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

"Yuanyuan, who’s there?"

A woman came out of the house and looked at the unfamiliar face of An Ning.

"Are you one of Yuanyuan’s classmates?"

"No! I’m An Ning!"

An Ning’s voice rose involuntarily on the last sentence.

Sure enough, the words had barely left her mouth when Director Li came running out.

"An Ning, what are you doing here? Yuanyuan, let go of her."

Li Yuanyuan reluctantly released An Ning’s arm, reminding her, "Come find me later, okay?"

An Ning gave an awkward but polite smile and said nothing.

Director Li knew what his daughter was like. He invited An Ning inside, poured her a glass of water, and started bustling about to make dinner.

"Director Li, please don’t go to any trouble. I’ve already eaten. I came to ask you about something."

"Go ahead."

Director Li sat down across from An Ning.

"I need to know where Director Jin’s house is."

An Ning noticed Director Li’s eyes, which were so much like Li Yuanyuan’s. The moment she asked her question, the light in them seemed to dim.

"You came all this way just to ask me that?"

"Yes... I suppose so."

An Ning said, her voice lacking conviction. ’Why do I feel like I’m breaking someone’s heart?’ she wondered.

"Alright, I’ll take you there."

Director Li was genuinely a bit disappointed. The last time they’d spoken, An Ning had promised to develop two new machines for him.

Still, he knew the kind of person An Ning was. She would never show up at his door without a good reason. She must have something urgent to attend to.

"Thank you. As for your machines, I’ll draw up the blueprints as soon as I get back. I’ll have them for you within a week."

"Haha, no rush, no rush at all. There’s no need to be anxious about that."

Director Li said he wasn’t in a hurry, but his smile stretched from ear to ear.

An Ning simply offered a polite smile in return.

Director Li put on his coat and led An Ning out the door.

"An Ning! Remember to come visit me!"

Li Yuanyuan waved enthusiastically from the alleyway, and An Ning waved back.

An Ning followed Director Li for over half an hour before they finally arrived at Director Jin’s home.

"This is it. You can go on your own. I’m heading back now."

"Director Li, thank you."

"It’s nothing, it’s nothing. And about those machines... I’m really not in a hurry."

An Ning surprisingly understood his underlying meaning. She smiled, nodded, and said, "I understand."

"You really understand?"

Director Li, worried that his hint might be lost on An Ning’s straightforward way of thinking, still felt uneasy. He didn’t dare press the issue further, so he walked away, glancing back every few steps.

"Stop being so pushy. What nonsense," a voice drifted from the distance.

Hearing the voice drift from the distance, An Ning pressed her lips into a smile and knocked on Director Jin’s gate.

"Who is it? It’s so late."

A somewhat grumpy voice called out. An Ning glanced at her watch. It was almost eight o’clock; it really was getting late.

’But I’m already here.’

CREAK—

The door opened to reveal an old woman, who squinted at An Ning with suspicion.

"Who are you looking for?"

"I’m looking for Director Jin. My name is—"

"Go on, go on. Whatever it is, come back tomorrow. A young girl looking for a grown man in the middle of the night... what would people think?"

The old woman was not having it.

An Ning could somewhat understand her position, but she tried one more time.

"Could you please just tell Director Jin that An Ning is here to see him?"

The old woman at the door stared at An Ning, unmoving.

’That name sounds a bit familiar.’

It wasn’t that the old woman wanted to make things difficult; it was just that some young women were always eyeing other people’s husbands.

She had no patience for that sort of person, so she was extra vigilant at the door.

"An Ning... Wait here, I’ll go ask."

The old woman shut the door.

An Ning stood in the darkness as gusts of north wind blew past. An owl hooted incessantly, making the scene feel a little eerie.

"Oh, for heaven’s sake, Mother! That’s An Ning! The one I’m always talking about! Why did you leave her standing outside?"

Director Jin’s voice echoed from the courtyard. He came running out in his slippers, a piece of clothing draped over his shoulders half falling off.

"How was I supposed to know? Besides, I came to ask you, didn’t I?"

"Goodness, put your coat on properly."

The old woman’s worried voice trailed behind him, but Director Jin had already opened the door.

"An Ning! Please, come in!"

"Director Jin, what are Jiang Dongcheng’s three new inventions?"