There were many restaurants in the lower city, but Zhao Linong looked around and found that they sold reprocessed food. Finally, she made a reservation at a restaurant in the central city.
“Is it too far?” Feng He asked nervously.
“Not far,” Zhao Linong reassured her, bending down to put on her coat. “We’ll take a taxi; it’ll be quick.”
The decision to take a taxi was twofold. First, she didn’t want Feng He to be squeezed by people on the bus. Second, Zhao Linong was unfamiliar with the central base and worried about drawing unwanted attention.
It was clear Feng He hadn’t been out in a long time; her discomfort was evident. Her whole body seemed stiff, and her hands gripped the wheelchair’s armrests tightly as they exited the resettlement building.
While they waited for the taxi, Zhao Linong knelt beside her and held Feng He’s hand. “Mom.”
Feng He froze for a moment, stunned. Then she grasped Zhao Linong’s hand in return, her lips trembling with a faint smile tinged with sadness. “Xiao Nong…”
“It’s alright,” Zhao Linong said softly. “We’re just going out for a meal. Soon, we’ll move out of here.”
Living on the 21st underground floor, with no windows and a ceiling barely two meters high, was depressing enough for a single night. For someone like Feng He, already in poor health, it was unbearable. The environment was doing more harm than good.
Zhao Linong believed that since she had taken over this body, she should take responsibility for the original owner. After the assessment by the planting officer, she should at least rent a more suitable house for Feng He.
“Move out?” Feng He looked at her hesitantly. “Xiao Nong, don’t you want to stay here anymore?”
Zhao Linong replied firmly, mimicking the original owner’s character. “I want to live somewhere better, with windows. A place where I can open the curtains and see the sun every morning.”
In truth, she had no personal demands for living conditions.
She was used to hardship. In her original world, she once spent six months sleeping on field stalks in a temporary thatched hut while researching special crop samples. Surrounded by barren mountains, she dealt with wild wolves, snakes, and insects almost nightly.
When she returned to school after completing her research, the entire lab mistook her for a homeless person sneaking in. Even though her clothes were clean, her deeply tanned skin, weight loss, and dry, brittle hair painted a different picture. Her naturally sharp and vigilant eyes didn’t help either.
Her tutor didn’t recognize her initially. That day, as she stood in the office with her senior brother to report their findings, the tutor glared at him. “Jiang Xi, I asked you to bring back the research paper, not a tribal savage.”
Though the tutor was furious with Jiang Xi for failing to graduate, Zhao Linong ended up bearing the brunt of the ridicule. With a faint smile, she had calmly said, “Your ‘tribal savage’ disciple is here to submit the paper.”
The tutor’s face filled with disbelief, and Jiang Xi, previously grim-faced, burst into laughter.
Recalling those days, a faint smile curved Zhao Linong’s lips.
Her taxi arrived in front of Resettlement Building No. 9, pulling her back to the present. Zhao Linong helped Feng He into the car while the driver folded the wheelchair and placed it in the trunk.
As they rode to the restaurant, Zhao Linong received a message from Tong Tong. They were staying at Wei Li’s house and exploring the upper city.
AAA Farmer Xiao Zhao: [I’m having dinner with my family and won’t be free these days.]
They didn’t press her, merely promising to save some treats for her after the planting officer assessment.
In the days leading up to the assessment, Zhao Linong stayed close to Feng He, taking her out for meals daily. Initially, she thought she’d need to limit contact to avoid revealing too much. However, Feng He’s frailty dispelled her concerns, and Zhao Linong ended up spending almost all her time with her.
On the morning of the assessment, Zhao Linong knelt beside Feng He. “Today’s the planting officer assessment. I probably won’t be back at noon,” she explained. “But I’ve ordered takeout; someone will deliver it.”
She had spent freely on food in recent days.
“Xiao Nong, I’ll just drink nutritional powder today,” Feng He protested.
“Think of it as celebrating for me,” Zhao Linong said with a smile. “You once prepared for the researcher assessment. It wouldn’t make sense for your daughter to fail the planting officer assessment.”
“…Alright,” Feng He said, clutching Zhao Linong’s hand. “Be careful.”
Feng He seemed nervous, likely because of past hardships. Zhao Linong nodded. “I’ll be fine. I’m heading out now.”
After taking the elevator up, she left the building, boarded a bus to the central city, and then transferred to one headed to the upper city.
The upper city bus required clearance. When Zhao Linong tapped her bracelet to the scanner, it deducted points and displayed the words “Agricultural Student.”
The driver turned to glance at her, prompting her to notice that most of the passengers were planters heading for the same assessment.
“Here to watch the planting officer assessment?” someone asked upon seeing her bracelet. “You can’t go in, you know—only watch from outside.”
Rather than clarifying, Zhao Linong replied, “Really?”
“Every year, some agricultural students try to get closer, but they’re stopped before reaching the examination hall,” the man explained. “Once you graduate and become a planter, you can take the planting officer assessment. But it’s hard. This is my fourth attempt, and I hope I pass this time.”
His words resonated with nearby passengers. “Same here,” someone else said. “I’ve tried three times but couldn’t clear the second round. This year…”
He trailed off, and the other planters exchanged knowing looks.
Another passenger, joining mid-conversation, added, “I heard the questions for the second round were made harder this year because a disease identification picture book leaked from the Ninth Agricultural Base.”
Her voice wasn’t low, and lamentations filled the bus as the news settled in. Those preparing for the exam were visibly disheartened.
After the photos of the picture book from the Ninth Agricultural Base were shared, they circulated widely, reaching planting officers and planters at various bases through private channels.
Initially, planters believed the picture book’s detailed disease identification would make the second round of assessment easier. However, they soon realized the opposite.
“If I can’t pass, so be it,” someone said. “But those dozen disease illustrations are still incredibly beneficial for future planting.”
“That’s true,” another agreed.
The conversation naturally shifted to Zhao Linong.
“I heard there’s a cross-level assessment for an agricultural student this year,” someone remarked.
“Yes, and the picture book came from her.”
“They say Researcher Yan Shengbian personally asked her to take the cross-level assessment.”
“Then she must have some serious ability.”
Zhao Linong, holding the bus’s overhead ring, listened quietly to the surrounding discussions. At the same time, she replied to messages from Wei Li and others. They were already at the Central Institute of Agricultural Sciences. Yan Jingshui had been sending her photos of the path from the entrance to the assessment site, as though afraid she’d lose her way.
Normally, agricultural students couldn’t enter the premises. However, Wei Li and Yan Jingshui had special privileges and were wandering around outside the examination area without being stopped.
“We’re here!” someone shouted after an indeterminate time.
As the bus came to a halt, the planters disembarked, looking up at the imposing Central Institute of Agricultural Sciences in awe. Located far from the city, the silver-gray high-rise gleamed in the sunlight. In front of the building stood a massive stone engraved with the words Institute of Agricultural Sciences, flanked by fountains constantly spraying water. Researchers in white coats, their green ID cards swaying as they hurried by, ascended the high steps on either side.
The planters, gathering near the entrance, marveled at the prestigious institute. Their voices buzzed with excitement and admiration. However, the researchers passing by mostly ignored them. Some even frowned, glancing at the crowd with irritation as they warned, “Keep quiet here.”
The planters reluctantly hushed, though their anticipation and nervousness were evident.
Standing among them, Zhao Linong scanned her surroundings. Signs for the assessment area were clearly marked, so she easily followed the crowd. Yan Jingshui’s detailed directions had been unnecessary.
Instead of entering the main gate, the group veered left, taking a long path that led to another building.
“Junior sister!” Wei Li’s voice rang out from above.
Zhao Linong looked up to see familiar faces peeking out from the third floor.
“Linong, your exam room is on the third floor!” Tong Tong called, waving.
Their animated gestures immediately caught the attention of the planters below. Many noticed Zhao Linong, connecting her with the agricultural student mentioned in earlier discussions.
“Could that be the agricultural student Researcher Yan Shengbian is supporting?” someone speculated.
“And who are those people up there?”
“They must be wealthy kids. That agricultural student seems pretty well-connected.”
Zhao Linong caught snippets of the murmured comments but paid them no mind. She quickly made her way upstairs to join her friends.
When she reached the third floor, she found that Yan Jingshui was also there. Politely, Zhao Linong nodded at her.
“The exam won’t start for a while,” Wei Li said, slipping a bag into Zhao Linong’s hand. “Quick, eat this. The freshly made cakes are delicious!”
Before Zhao Linong could even see what was inside, Yan Jingshui snatched the bag.
“What are you doing?” Wei Li protested, clearly annoyed.
“You can’t eat this,” Yan Jingshui said sternly. “If you get a stomachache, it could ruin your exam. I heard your mother didn’t take the researcher assessment back then. You should avoid any risks, Student Zhao.”
Wei Li’s frustration evaporated instantly. Scratching her head, she reluctantly agreed, “You know, that makes sense.”
Remembering her own unlucky tendencies, Wei Li nodded fervently. “Right, better safe than sorry. Don’t eat it until after the exam. What if it’s spoiled?”
“Have you had breakfast?” He Yuesheng asked from behind.
Zhao Linong nodded. “I have.”
However, the lingering chalky taste of the nutritional powder she drank that morning left her throat feeling uncomfortable.
“They’ve started going in,” Tong Tong reminded them.
“I’ll head in now,” Zhao Linong said, nodding at her friends before making her way to the examination room.
As she passed He Yuesheng, he slipped something into her hand and whispered, “In case you get hungry, eat this.”
Before entering the examination room, Zhao Linong opened her palm and recognized the green wrapper instantly.
It was a cantaloupe-flavored hard candy.
