The first thing An Ning observed was the house. It was a low-slung, earthen structure with a roof of wood and thatch.
'But my teacher said that low, earthen buildings with wood and thatch weren't for the living, were they?'
And that big, black iron pot... In the original owner's memories, it was for cooking, but it looked just like the latest model of Ancient Earth-style bathtubs back in her interstellar world.
The shape, color, and size were nearly identical.
'Did the interstellar archaeologists get it wrong?' 'But that's not what matters. The most important thing is, where can I find seeds?'
"An Ning, have some water."
An Ning snapped back to reality. She looked at her sister-in-law, Zhou Guifen, and flashed a perfect, practiced smile.
"Thank you, Sister-in-law."
"Oh... what's there to thank me for!"
Zhou Guifen wasn't used to this at all. 'Family doesn't thank each other so formally.' But An Ning didn't understand that; she only knew that being polite made people like you.
'If people liked her, they would help her, and she could find seeds that much faster.'
She placed the small, money-filled bundle on her knees, which she held tightly together. Picking up the enamel mug—as big as her face—she felt its material in her palm. 'Better be gentle with this,' she thought to herself.
'The people here sure can drink a lot.' Faced with such a large mug of water, An Ning secretly took a deep breath and began to drink. GULP. GULP.
Zhou Guifen watched from the side. One gulp, two, three... 'How is she still drinking?'
That mug contained water that had been boiled in the morning and left to cool for anyone who got thirsty. An Ning had already taken a dozen gulps, yet she hadn't paused for a breath and was still going.
"An Ning, slow down, slow down!"
Her only answer was: GULP, GULP, GULP.
"I'm done, Sister-in-law."
With a boldness that clashed with her demure movements, An Ning turned the mug upside down to show it was empty. She even thumped her chest twice. She was a little stuffed.
'But when someone gives you something, finishing every last bite or drop is the highest form of respect.'
"Heh... good, good."
Zhou Guifen took the mug with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. The moment she turned away, her expression crumpled into a terrified, tearful grimace.
'It's over! My sister-in-law's gone silly! What do I do? She wasn't an idiot before!'
"Daughter-in-law, what are you doing here?"
"Mom!"
Zhou Guifen hurried forward and pulled Lin Cuihua, who had just walked in, to the side. After they exchanged a few muttered words, Lin Cuihua immediately turned and walked toward An Ning.
"Daughter, what's my name?"
"Lin Cuihua."
"What's your father's name?"
"An Sancheng."
Lin Cuihua asked several more questions, many about An Ning's childhood, and An Ning answered every one of them without hesitation.
Lin Cuihua gradually began to relax. Her daughter wasn't silly after all. But in An Ning's mind, alarm bells were ringing.
'This is bad! They suspect my identity.'
'What did my teacher say to do in a situation like this?'
'Play dumb, feign illness, fake amnesia, show weakness, intimidate, bribe, and... surrender.'
'Which one is the most suitable?'
While An Ning was sifting through her options, the rest of the An family returned home. Lin Cuihua told them what the doctor had said.
"Good, this could be a blessing in disguise. But we should still take her to the city for a check-up." An Sancheng walked up to An Ning. "Don't you worry, daughter. Dad will definitely find you a better family to marry into."
An Ning was busy contemplating her next move and didn't reply immediately. 'Does a husband's family have seeds? If they do, I'll go. If not, forget it.'
"That's right! Someone a hundred times better than that worthless Chen Mingliang. I never liked him in the first place."
The An family's eldest brother was furious, and Second Brother An was not to be outdone.
"Don't you worry, little sis. Just you watch how I'll deal with him later."
An Ning gave everyone a bashful smile. 'It seems like they're not suspicious anymore.'
"Does your head still hurt?"
An Sancheng asked, and An Ning immediately shook her head.
"Not really. I'm just tired."
The body's original owner already had a sweet, fair-skinned face. Her previously dull features had become animated with An Ning's arrival, especially her eyes, which were now watery and held a pitiable look.
"Alright, alright, let An Ning rest for a bit."
An Sancheng, the head of the family, had spoken, so everyone prepared to head out to work.
But An Sancheng spoke softly to An Ning, "Daughter, you keep that money safe. Don't give it to anyone, especially not your second brother, understand?"
"Dad, what are you talkin—everything you said is absolutely right."
Second Brother An had wanted to protest, but after meeting his father's gaze, he quickly changed his tune. A wise man knows not to pick a fight he can't win.
An Ning, however, nodded earnestly and promised, "I know. I won't give it to Second Brother An."
After she spoke, Lin Cuihua shooed An Ning back to her room to rest. Clutching her small money bundle, she followed her memories into the east room, which was her own.
Everyone else got ready, changed their clothes, and hurried to the fields. They could still earn half a day's work points.
"Second Brother, hurry up! Stop dilly-dallying."
"Coming, coming! You guys go on ahead. I'll be right there after I use the latrine."
The rest of the An family left through the main gate, leaving only An Guoming, who was rushing to the latrine. This was witnessed by An Ning, who had been peering through the window, trying to figure out how to get seeds. She immediately got up, grabbed her small bundle of money, and ran outside the latrine.
"Brother! Second Brother!"
That single shout nearly scared An Guoming, who was in the middle of some "important business," right into the latrine pit.
Squatting over the pit, An Guoming braced his arms against the latrine walls and asked, completely bewildered, "Little sis, what are you doing?"
"I'm here to give you money."
An Ning's logic was simple: 'Mr. An told me not to give money to Second Brother An. That means he's desperate for it, which makes him an easy target.'
'So, could she trade this money for the seeds she needed?'
Inside, An Guoming was completely muddled by her words. 'Giving me money... this isn't some kind of trap set by Dad, is it?' 'It's entirely possible.'
He quickly wiped, pulled up his pants, and walked out to see An Ning clutching the bundle of money.
"Little sis, don't worry, I can't take your money. I'm not that kind of person."
Having been refused, An Ning corrected him, "I'm not giving it to you. I want to trade."
'Trade?' An Guoming grumbled internally. 'Dad's traps sure are getting sophisticated.' Still, thinking his little sister had only just recovered, he decided to play along. "Trade for what?"
An Ning's eyes lit up. "Seeds. I want seeds."
"Oh—so you want to work in the fields."
The old An Ning had been slow, but she wasn't completely idle at home. She used to plant vegetables and things in the nooks and crannies of their garden.
An Guoming felt he had guessed correctly. An Ning didn't deny it—as long as she got seeds, she was happy.
"There aren't any seeds right now. They've all been planted. We'll have more after the autumn harvest. You should just rest today. We can talk more once you're fully recovered."
With that, An Guoming hurried off toward the fields, lest he incur his father's wrath.
'Planted in the ground... autumn harvest?' Standing at the entrance to the latrine, An Ning searched through the original owner's fuzzy memories, added her own analysis, and finally understood.
'So you only get seeds after you harvest the crops. That clarifies things. I need to learn how to farm first.'
First, however, An Ning returned to her room. After confirming she was alone, she sat on the kang bed, flattened the palm of her left hand, and began to manipulate her spiritual power.
A moment later, a thin sheen of sweat had formed on her forehead. After another few minutes, a transparent bottle the size of her little finger materialized in her palm.
The moment she saw the small bottle, An Ning smiled.