Farming and sending seeds back to the interstellar era was An Ning's only obsession. She even stopped eating the corn porridge she loved, her small face set stubbornly as she met An Sancheng's gaze.
An Sancheng wasn't angry. Instead, he asked, "What do you want to do in the fields?"
"Farm."
An Sancheng's imagination filled in the blanks. "You want to work in the fields so our whole family can eat their fill and live well, is that it?"
With a serious look on her face, An Ning thought expressionlessly, 'Was that what I meant? How come I didn't know that?'
Nevertheless, she gave a crisp nod. "Yes!"
'As long as I can farm, whatever you say goes. My teacher called this going with the flow and riding the momentum.'
'In short, she had to farm.'
The tendency to let their imaginations run wild seemed to be a trait of the An family. Hearing An Ning's answer, the others were actually a little moved.
'What a good little sister, thinking about helping out in the fields the moment she recovered.'
An Sancheng didn't want to dampen An Ning's enthusiasm. Besides, what rural child didn't work in the fields? It was only because her health hadn't allowed it before.
He looked at An Ning and said, "Go to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow first. If the doctor says you're fine, you can go work in the fields with everyone else. Dad won't stop you."
An Ning's face lit up with joy. "Okay," she said, her voice crisp and clear. "I'll go to the hospital."
She knew that not only was there nothing wrong with her body, but it had actually become very strong, thanks to the cleansing from her spiritual power.
Once the farming issue was settled, An Ning's appetite quickly returned. Her stubbornness faded, and she polished off the rice in her bowl in just a few bites.
Just as An Ning finished eating and put down her bowl, she heard her eldest brother, An Guoqing, ask from across the table, "Are you full, Little Sister? Big Brother still has some here."
An Ning wasn't full, but she gave a standard eight-toothed smile and said, "I'm done eating."
No one pressed the issue, assuming that if she said she was done, she must be full. It really didn't occur to anyone that she wasn't.
After the meal, her eldest sister-in-law, Zhou Guifen, began clearing the table, and An Ning went to help.
"No, no, it's just a few bowls. I'll be done in a jiffy. You go rest in your room. You have to see the doctor tomorrow."
An Ning, who didn't understand polite pleasantries, just smiled at her sister-in-law and obediently returned to her room.
Still not full, she flopped onto her bed as soon as she got back to her room. That, combined with her significant consumption of spiritual power, sent her to sleep in no time. She didn't even know when her younger brother, An Guoping, got home.
The next day, Lin Cuihua made a large breakfast. An Ning, who had been hungry all night, finally started to feel full after eating four bowls of rice.
"Finish up and let's go. We might be able to catch a ride on a donkey cart or something."
At An Sancheng's urging, the mother and her two children grabbed a bundle and headed out.
As the trio reached the village entrance, they found a donkey cart, just as they'd hoped. Unfortunately, in a classic case of enemies being destined to meet, they also ran into Miao Xiaohua and Chen Mingliang.
When Miao Xiaohua saw An Ning, an unidentifiable glint flashed in her eyes. With her face caked in some unknown substance, she sashayed over to An Ning.
"An Ning—"
An Ning peeked out from behind An Guoming, her curious gaze fixed on Miao Xiaohua's face. The stare made Miao Xiaohua feel uneasy.
"Are you that 'willing woman' from yesterday? Are you covering your face because you did something shameful?"
"What is this white stuff? Is it uncomfortable to have it painted on your face? Why doesn't he need to paint his? He's pretty shameless too."
An Ning asked without a trace of emotion, her finger pointing at Chen Mingliang remarkably steady, as if she genuinely didn't understand.
In fact, she really was just curious.
Miao Xiaohua was so angry she was huffing. She had originally suspected that An Ning might also be a reincarnator, but seeing her act so clueless and completely unconcerned with Chen Mingliang, she decided that probably wasn't the case.
"An Ning, Ming Liang and I are going to get our marriage certificate."
Miao Xiaohua took a few steps back to cling to Chen Mingliang's arm, gloating. 'The glory and wealth of this lifetime will all be mine.'
An Ning wasn't angry at all. On the contrary, she nodded with earnest approval and stepped out from behind An Guoming.
"With your shameless behavior, you two are quite a good match."
She then recalled her teacher saying one should offer blessings on happy occasions, so An Ning spoke again:
"I wish that sickness, old age, disability, and death may never part you, and that poverty and hardship may never leave you."
Hearing An Ning's two sincere blessings, An Guoming, who was behind her, started clapping enthusiastically, shouting in support, "Well said, Little Sister!"
Miao Xiaohua, clinging to Chen Mingliang's arm, snorted coldly at An Ning. "You're just jealous! My Ming Liang is amazing."
Chen Mingliang, high on the praise, puffed out his chest smugly.
"Xiao Hua is right! We'll definitely have a better life than you!"
The two of them exchanged a cloying, flirtatious gaze that made An Ning frown. She rubbed her stomach. 'I didn't eat that much this morning, did I? Why does my stomach feel upset?'
'Could it be that I'm not used to the local environment? That's possible.'
"Daughter, let's not ride in the same cart as them. It's bad luck."
Lin Cuihua was being a little stubborn and didn't want to share a donkey cart with those two, but Miao Xiaohua and Chen Mingliang were already on board.
"Oh... I understand, Mom."
With a straight face, An Ning walked up to the donkey cart. Lin Cuihua watched as her own daughter grabbed Chen Mingliang with her left hand and Miao Xiaohua with her right, and with a casual toss, threw them both off the cart.
After tossing them, An Ning's eyes sparkled as she looked at Lin Cuihua and An Guoming. Patting the cart with one hand, she said, "Mom, Second Brother, they're gone now. Let's get on."
Lin Cuihua climbed onto the cart in a daze. 'Was that what I meant just now?'
An Guoming, however, was more adaptable than Lin Cuihua. He immediately praised An Ning.
"Little Sister, good job! Keep it up."
Receiving praise, An Ning's eyes shone even brighter. She nodded with extra force and said, "I will, Second Brother."
"Uncle Niu, let's go!"
An Guoming sat next to Uncle Niu, the driver, and slipped two pieces of candy into his palm.
"This is for your grandson back home. That little fellow is growing up so well."
Between An Guoming's friendly words, the fact that the cart was almost full, and more importantly, the disgusting affair between those two, Uncle Niu wasn't keen on giving them a ride anyway.
"Wait for us! We were here first!"
Miao Xiaohua and Chen Mingliang shouted from behind, but Uncle Niu, the driver, just called back, "No room! You two are young and healthy, you can walk."
Miao Xiaohua and Chen Mingliang yelled a few more times from behind, but no one paid them any mind. The two of them could only fume helplessly.
"Xiao Hua, maybe we should go another day."
Chen Mingliang had just been beaten up yesterday, and his whole body ached today. He really didn't want to go get the certificate.
Miao Xiaohua didn't think so. She was desperate to lock down Chen Mingliang, this "future potential stock," and she wouldn't feel secure until it was official.
"Ming Liang, we have to go. You saw everyone's attitude towards us. Only by getting our certificate can we show them that we're truly in love."
Chen Mingliang thought about it and figured that made sense. 'What was so wrong with them being in love?'
"You're right, let's go now. Don't be sad, Xiao Hua. I'll definitely treat you well."
Miao Xiaohua's look of touched adoration was greatly appreciated by Chen Mingliang. Limping, the two supported each other as they trudged forward.
Up ahead, An Ning paid the two of them no mind. 'However, that Miao Xiaohua is like old wine in a new bottle. Her spiritual power doesn't match her body.'
'Could she also have traveled through time? Based on her spiritual power, the time leap was about thirty years, but still within the Ancient Earth Era.'
'Regardless, I can't let my guard down. My teacher said never to underestimate anyone, especially an enemy.'