TNAB ch 45

 

There were restaurants in the lower city, but Zhao Linong looked around and found that most of them served reprocessed food rather than fresh ingredients. Finally, she made a reservation at a restaurant in the central city.

“Is it too far?” Feng He asked nervously.

“Not far,” Zhao Linong replied, bending down to put on her coat. “We’ll take a taxi later; we’ll be there soon.”

There were two reasons for taking a taxi. First, she didn’t want Feng He to be squeezed by the crowd on the bus. Second, she was unfamiliar with the central base and was worried about exposing herself. Feng He, who likely hadn’t been out in a long time, seemed uncomfortable. Once they left the resettlement building, her entire body stiffened, and her hands tightly gripped the armrests of her wheelchair.

While waiting for the car, Zhao Linong knelt beside her and suddenly held Feng He’s hand. “Mom.”

For a moment, Feng He was visibly stunned, but then she clasped Zhao Linong’s hand in return. Her lips curled slightly, though tinged with sadness. “Xiao Nong…”

“It’s okay; we’re just going out for a meal,” Zhao Linong reassured her. “We’ll move out soon.”

The resettlement building on the 21st floor underground had no windows, and the ceiling was only two meters high. Staying there for even one night was oppressive. For Feng He, whose health was fragile, such an environment was far too detrimental.

Zhao Linong believed that since she had taken over this body, she should assume responsibility for its original owner. After the assessment by the planting officer, she planned to rent a better place for Feng He, somewhere more suitable for her condition.

“Move out?” Feng He asked hesitantly, looking at Zhao Linong. “Xiao Nong, don’t you want to stay here?”

Following the original owner’s character, Zhao Linong replied seriously, “I want to live in a good place, with windows in the room. Every morning, I want to open the curtains and see the sunlight.”

In truth, she had no particular requirements for living conditions.

Zhao Linong had always been able to endure hardships. In her original world, she once spent six months sleeping in a makeshift thatched hut among crop stalks while researching special crop samples. Surrounded by barren mountains, she often encountered wild wolves at night, as well as snakes and insects.

When she finally returned to school after the research was completed, her lab mates mistook her for a homeless person who had wandered onto campus.

Though her clothes were clean, her skin was deeply tanned, she had lost significant weight, and her hair was dry and brittle. Most notably, her eyes carried the alertness of someone accustomed to surviving in the wild. Even her instructor failed to recognize her.

She still remembered that afternoon when she and Senior Brother Ting returned to school to report their research results. The instructor glanced at her and then at Senior Brother Ting, scowling. “Jiang Xi, I told you to bring back the research paper, not a tribal savage.”

Though the instructor was upset that Senior Brother Ting hadn’t graduated yet, the remark made her the subject of ridicule. Without hesitation, she retorted, “Your tribal savage disciple has returned to submit her paper.”

The instructor’s face instantly turned skeptical, and Senior Brother Ting, despite being scolded, burst out laughing.

Thinking of those times, a slight smile appeared in Zhao Linong’s eyes.

Just then, the car she had called finally pulled up in front of Resettlement Building No. 9.

Helping Feng He into the car, she watched as the driver loaded the wheelchair into the trunk. Inside the car, she received a message from Tong Tong, who mentioned that they were staying at Wei Li’s house and exploring the upper city. They invited her to join them.

AAA Farmer Xiao Zhao: [I’m having dinner with my family, so I can’t make it these days.]

They didn’t press further, only saying they had some delicious food left and would share it with her after the planting officer’s assessment.

In the days leading up to the assessment, Zhao Linong stayed by Feng He’s side, taking her out for meals daily. Initially, she thought it would be best to limit the time spent with Feng He to avoid drawing attention. However, seeing Feng He’s poor health, she dismissed such concerns and accompanied her every day.

“Today’s the planting officer’s assessment. I probably won’t be back by noon,” Zhao Linong said, squatting beside Feng He. “But I’ve ordered takeout; someone will deliver it at lunchtime.”

Zhao Linong spent money like water on food these days.

“Xiao Nong, I’ll just have nutritional powder today,” Feng He protested.

“Celebrate for me,” Zhao Linong said with a smile. “You were preparing for the researcher assessment back then. It wouldn’t make sense if your daughter couldn’t even pass the planting officer assessment.”

“…Alright.” Feng He clasped her hand, cautioning, “Xiao Nong, be careful.”

Zhao Linong could tell Feng He was anxious, likely due to past incidents. She nodded. “I’m off.”

Taking the elevator up, she left the building, boarded a bus to the central city, and then transferred to the upper city.

Not everyone could ride to the upper city. When boarding, she pressed her bracelet against the bus screen. It deducted points and displayed the words “Agricultural Student.”

The driver turned to glance at her more than once, and soon she understood why.

Because eight or nine out of ten people who boarded the bus were planting workers who were taking the planting officer assessment.

“Are you here to observe the assessment?” someone asked, noticing her identity. “You won’t be allowed inside, though—only outside.”

Zhao Linong didn’t say that she was going to take the exam, but just asked, “Really?”

 

“Every year, some agricultural students try to get closer to the assessment site, but they’re stopped before they even get near the examination room,” the person explained, clearly knowledgeable. “You’ll be able to enter only after graduating and becoming a planting officer. But the assessment is really difficult. This is my fourth attempt, and I’m hoping to pass this year.”

His words struck a chord with those around him.

“I’ve taken it three times as well but couldn’t get past the second round. This year, though…” The speaker trailed off, prompting an unspoken understanding among the listeners.

A planting officer standing nearby overheard the conversation and interjected. “It’s a pity. I heard that due to the leakage of a sketchbook with similar disease patterns from the Ninth Agricultural Base, this year’s test questions were changed at the last minute, making the second round especially difficult.”

The officer’s words weren’t subtle, and as soon as she finished, the planting workers on the bus let out a chorus of groans.

After the sketchbook leaked, it circulated widely, reaching planting officers and workers at various bases. Initially, everyone believed the sketchbook would make the assessment easier. Instead, it seemed to have backfired.

“If we don’t pass, we don’t pass,” someone commented. “At least those illustrations will help identify diseases in future planting work.”

“That’s true,” another agreed.

The conversation soon shifted to Zhao Linong.

“I heard there’s a cross-level exam for agricultural students this year,” someone remarked.

“Yes, and the sketchbook came from her,” another replied.

“I heard that it was Researcher Yan Shengbian who personally asked her to participate in the cross-level assessment.”

“She must have some ability.”

The person involved, Zhao Linong, grabbed the ring on the bus and quietly listened to the planters around her while replying to Wei Li and a few others.

By the time the bus reached the Central Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Yan Jingshui had already sent her photos and directions to the planting officer assessment site as if she was afraid that she didn’t know the way.

Normally, agricultural students had no right to enter, but Wei Li and Yan had different identities, so they were just walking around outside the examination room, and no one stopped them.

“We’re here.” Someone on the bus shouted after an unknown amount of time.

The bus stopped, and the passengers disembarked. As they looked up at the Central Institute of Agricultural Sciences, excitement buzzed among the planters. The Central Institute of Agricultural Sciences was far away from the city. The silver-gray building shimmered in the sunlight, with a massive stone in front engraved with the words “Institute of Agricultural Sciences.” Fountains bubbled on either side of the gate, flanked by high steps where researchers in white coats hurried back and forth. Green ID cards hung from their necks, swinging with their brisk movements.

The planters were filled with awe, excitement, and nervous energy looking at the place of their dreams. Most of the researchers who passed by didn’t even look at them, but some of them were annoyed and glanced at them with annoyance, warning them: “Keep quiet here.”The planters lowered their voices, but they couldn’t hide the expectation and anxiety on their faces.

Standing among the crowd, Zhao Linong followed the signs pointing toward the assessment area. The signs were obvious. She followed the crowd and didn’t have to worry about getting lost. Yan Jingshui was worrying too much.

They didn’t enter the gate, but went around the gate, went down from the left, walked along a long road, and arrived at another building

“Junior Sister!” Wei Li’s voice called out from the third floor.

Zhao Linong looked up and saw a few familiar heads popping out from the third floor.

“Linong, your examination room is on the third floor!” Tong Tong waved at her.

The people upstairs immediately attracted the attention of the planters downstairs.

They were too young, and some of them were in the same car as Zhao Linong and knew that she was an agricultural student.

“Could this person be the researcher Yan Shengbian who has taken a fancy to the agricultural student?”

“Who are those people above?”

“They are probably the children of a wealthy family. It seems that this agricultural student is not simple either.”

… Zhao Linong heard some of these words, but she didn’t care.

She hurried upstairs to meet them.

When she went upstairs, she found that Yan Jingshui was also there.

Zhao Linong nodded politely to Yan Jingshui. “There is still time till the exam.”

Wei Li secretly stuffed a bag into Zhao Linong’s hand, “Hurry, eat first, these small cakes are very delicious!”

Zhao Linong lowered her head, and before she could see what was inside, Yan Jingshui next to her snatched it away. “What are you doing?”

Wei Li was shocked and asked angrily. “You can’t eat it.”

Yan Jingshui said seriously, “If you have a stomachache, it will affect the exam. I heard that your mother didn’t participate in the researcher assessment that year. Student Zhao, I think you should prevent all accidents.”

Wei Li’s annoyance disappeared immediately, and she scratched her face: “It seems to make sense.”

She remembered her unlucky constitution again, looked at Yan Jingshui, nodded repeatedly, and agreed to change her words: “You can’t eat it, eat it after the exam.”

She held on to this cake for a long time, what if it went bad?

“Have you had breakfast?” He Yuesheng, who was standing at the back, asked Zhao Linong.

Zhao Linong nodded: “I have.” After drinking a cup of nutritional powder, she could still feel the chalky taste in her throat.

“They all went in.” Tong Tong reminded.

“Then I’ll go to the exam first.” Zhao Linong nodded to them and was about to go to the examination hall.

When passing by He Yuesheng, he suddenly reached out and stuffed something to Zhao Linong, whispering: “If you are really hungry, use this to fill your stomach.”

Before Zhao Linong entered the examination room, she glanced down and opened her hand, revealing the familiar green packaging.

It was a cantaloupe-flavored hard candy.