Sorry, My Beloved Is The Motherland - Chapter 10.2 - Promoting Is Better Than Falling In Love

Someone with sharp eyes spotted them and the five sheep, immediately running back to report the news, causing another round of commotion.

After two days of constant worry, the head of the Livestock Station felt as if he had aged three years overnight.

“But you’re back now. They said you might have encountered wolves out there. Oh, I can’t even imagine!”

“Are you both alright? Come inside and quickly warm up!”

“You both get a full day off today, take a good rest!” the head of the Livestock Station announced.

After all, such a big incident had happened, and they needed to be taken care of. Moreover, little Ning was the treasure of the entire station. If she really got sick from exhaustion, Secretary Tu Guli would hold him accountable.

Before everyone finished speaking, a dark figure suddenly rushed out from the house, heading straight for Ning Fu!

No one was prepared for this. Ning Fu nearly stumbled but managed to steady herself, realizing she was being tightly hugged by someone—

These iron-like arms from the working people were truly unbreakable and hard to escape from…

After finally managing to create a bit of space for herself, Ning Fu saw the face of the person—it was Xu Cuicui!

She was a head taller than Xu Cuicui, making her even more acutely aware of the wetness on her shoulder.

It was Xu Cuicui’s tears.

“You… what’s wrong?”

Ning Fu’s question was completely drowned out by Xu Cuicui’s loud sobbing—

“Wuwuwu… wuwuwu… I thought you were eaten by wolves…”

Xu Cuicui still held onto her tightly (though it might also be because she realized how embarrassing her actions were and couldn’t lift her tear-streaked face to face everyone). Ning Fu had no choice but to gently pat her back and comfort her softly, “See, I’m fine, aren’t I?”

She leaned close to Xu Cuicui’s ear and whispered, “Have our sweet potatoes finished roasting? I’m so hungry…”

The girl’s voice carried a hint of laughter and a touch of mischief: “Let’s eat them quietly, without letting anyone else know.”

Roasted sweet potatoes were a luxury at the Tula Gaqi farm at that time, but Ning Fu guessed that Xu Cuicui wouldn’t mind their little bourgeois indulgence  at this moment.

Xu Cuicui finally let go of her, flicked her two braids, sniffled, and turned to stomp heavily back into the yurt.

When Ning Fu turned around again, she saw that Muren Chena had already gone to settle the sheep.

“What are you standing there for? Planning to freeze to death outside?!” Xu Cuicui poked her head out of the yurt again, her voice still hoarse from crying.

Back in the yurt, Ning Fu not only found the roasted sweet potatoes by the stove but also the chemistry textbook she had borrowed from Du Qingquan.

The pages had been dampened by muddy water, and the edges had inevitably curled up.

Xu Cuicui was looking at her anxiously.

Ning Fu decided to pick up a sweet potato first, took a couple of bites, and praised, “It’s so sweet!”

Seeing that Xu Cuicui hadn’t moved and left the milk powder for him, Ning Fu put down the sweet potato and said to her, “It’s not your fault. In an emergency, you have to adapt to the situation, and the book was the least of our concerns.”

Xu Cuicui blinked in confusion, “What does ‘adapt to the situation’ mean?”

Ning Fu smiled and explained, “It means that in urgent situations, you need to be flexible and not rigidly adhere to rules.”

Xu Cuicui nodded in sudden understanding.

After the two finished eating the sweet potatoes, Xu Cuicui laid out the bedding and prepared to sleep. She deliberately moved Ning Fu’s pillow next to her own.

She had wrestled with herself for half a day before deciding to invite Ning Fu to sleep next to her! But when she looked up, she saw that Ning Fu was already engrossed in the chemistry book that had just been dried by the fire.

Currently, her points were stuck at 50/100, and the points she could gain from promoting livestock knowledge reached their limit.

Ning Fu roughly figured out the pattern of the [Innocent Heart] system: the further she progressed, the harder it became to earn points. Initially, she only needed to dig up a few baskets of potatoes, but now, to make further progress in points, she would likely need to complete the first stage task [Achieve Top Honors].

Her current attribute boosts—50% increase in focus, 50% increase in memory, and 50% increase in enthusiasm for learning—were system-given cheats during the task period. This meant that, aside from the intelligence and physical attributes gained from other achievements, these boosts would disappear once she completed the first stage task.

Once she “achieved top honors,” what might follow could be a “decline of talent” scenario.

This system was truly unrelenting.

So Ning Fu needed to take advantage of her golden period, absorbing as much knowledge as possible, learning, and digesting it.

Cheats could be taken away, but knowledge would remain.

If you were given a memory bread that lasted for a whole day, and everything you memorized during that day stayed engraved in your mind even after the bread’s effect wore off, wouldn’t you stay up all night reciting?

Because the system’s principle was not to affect her regular work, Ning Fu could only use fragmented time to study.

Today was her rare “special leave,” so she had to make the most of it!

Xu Cuicui urged Ning Fu to sleep and rest, “Come on, get some sleep. You can read that book anytime!”

They had both gone through a thrilling and exhausting day. Even Xu Cuicui, who prided herself on being a tough girl, felt a bit overwhelmed.

Ning Fu turned her head and smiled as she explained, “A thousand years is too long; seize the day. ”

She thought the great man’s words might not be plain enough, so she added a well-known saying from the future—

“If you don’t die from studying, then study to death.”

Xu Cuicui simply moved a stool to sit next to Ning Fu, “You really have energy. Is studying that good?”

In fact, Xu Cuicui had always been curious. This seemingly delicate city-bred girl in front of her seemed to possess a powerful force that made her tireless.

Ning Fu straightforwardly said, “Why don’t you join me?”

Xu Cuicui pointed at her own nose, “Me?” She shook her head like a rattle drum, “No, no, no, I can’t do it!”

Ning Fu was concise, “Start with literacy. Write down anything you don’t understand, and I’ll explain it to you.”

She looked away from her book and gazed at Xu Cuicui, saying, “With experience, you can treat colds for everyone in the station. With knowledge, you can save many, many lives. It’s your decision.”

Xu Cuicui still wanted to back out but suddenly fell silent.

After a while, she opened her “notebook” from the lectures, found a pencil, and began circling the characters she didn’t recognize one by one.

[Ding—

Congratulations to the host for completing the hidden side quest: Progress Together

Quest Description: Choosing the path of serving the country doesn’t mean walking alone. Help your friends grow!

Quest Reward: Unlock CG Gallery, Host’s Mental Strength +10]

Notes: “Little bourgeois indulgence” refers to a small act of enjoying something considered luxurious or extravagant, especially in a context where such behavior might be seen as contrary to the values of simplicity and collectivism. The term “bourgeois” traditionally refers to the middle class, often associated with materialism and a focus on personal comfort and wealth.

“A thousand years is too long; seize the day” is a phrase that emphasizes the importance of making the most of the present moment rather than waiting for a distant future. It suggests that time is precious and fleeting, and one should take immediate action to achieve their goals or make the most of opportunities.