239: Chapter 238 The Returning Voyage, the Grown Vegetables, and the Next Story

Day 30: The Return Voyage

It was the 120th day of Chen Mo's spaceship sailing through interstellar space.

Four months. A full four months.

Inside the cabin, those thirty-three pottery shards were no longer glowing. It wasn't that they had gone out, but rather that they were "at peace"—three days ago, they had finally returned to that small, inconspicuous planet.

The planet had no name and no number, only coordinates Chen Mo had marked on the star chart. But it held the caves where that civilization once lived, the stone walls where they drew their first graffiti, and the hills where they stood when they first looked up at the starry sky.

Chen Mo personally placed those pottery shards, piece by piece, into that cave.

As he laid down the final piece, he felt the shards tremble slightly before falling into a deep stillness.

It wasn't death, but the peaceful sleep of "returning home."

He stood there, watching those shards for a long time.

Then, he turned around, left the cave, returned to his spaceship, and began the voyage back.

The journey back would also take four months.

But now, he was alone.

The cabin was empty; there was no light from the shards, no testimonies of a civilization—only him and a small spaceship, sailing lonely through the endless starry sky.

But he didn't feel lonely.

Because that pinch of soil from the Mars potato field was still in his pocket. Every night before bed, he would take it out to look at it and touch it, feeling the warmth of "home."

One hundred days left.

In one hundred days, he would see Lin Wan.

Day 75: The Grown Veggies

The Mars potato field.

little cabbage had already grown taller than a person.

It wasn't an ordinary bok choy, but a "Martian little cabbage"—in the unique environment of Mars, catalyzed by the "Stardust" element and the day-and-night chorus of the potatoes, it had grown into a form no one had ever seen before.

Its stem was as thick as a small tree, and its leaves were as large as cattail fans. Its color wasn't a normal green, but carried a faint silver sheen—the color of minerals in the Martian soil.

Potato Chief's projection hovered above it, "watching" it every day.

"Will you keep growing?" Potato Chief asked.

little cabbage's leaves trembled slightly, transmitting a signal:

"I don't know. But I want to bloom."

Potato Chief fell silent.

Blooming? little cabbage blooming? On Earth, for a bok choy to bloom means it's about to go to seed, signaling the end of its life. But on Mars, no one knew what would happen.

"Then bloom," Potato Chief said. "We'll be watching you."

little cabbage's leaves trembled again, as if it were laughing.

In the nearby plot where Crystal Cores were planted, more frequent "flickers" would occasionally occur—those Crystal Cores were accelerating their "activation," as if sensing little cabbage's desire to bloom.

In the plot where Annual Ring Seeds were planted, a clearer "breathing" would occasionally come through—those seeds were adjusting their rhythm, preparing to "wake up" together when little cabbage bloomed.

Mars was preparing for a grand "blossoming."

Day 98: Old Zhang's Second Crop

Earth, a small southern county town.

Old Zhang squatted in the vegetable patch, looking at the newly sprouted Martian potato seedlings.

The first crop had already been harvested—dozens of potatoes, large and small, which they had eaten for a full month. He had saved the largest ones, cut them into pieces, and planted them again.

Now, the second crop had sprouted. They were even sturdier and greener than the first.

"This stuff," his wife grumbled nearby, "how can it grow even better than local potatoes?"

Old Zhang chuckled. "They're from Mars; they've seen the world."

His wife rolled her eyes at him and went inside to cook.

Old Zhang continued to squat there, watching the seedlings. Suddenly remembering something, he took out his flute and softly played a tune.

It was still that old folk song. The melody was long and drawn out, carrying a hint of faint sadness and a touch of warm anticipation.

The seedlings swayed gently to the sound of the flute.

As if they were growing along with the rhythm.

After finishing the tune, Old Zhang put away his flute, took out his phone, and checked the date.

Today was the 98th day of Chen Mo's return voyage. He should arrive in two more days.

Old Zhang didn't know who Chen Mo was or where he had gone. But he knew that over at the Cradle, someone was waiting for him.

Just as he was waiting for these potatoes to grow.

"Soon," he said to the seedlings. "It's all happening soon."

Day 100: The Return

Above the launch site, the door that had been closed for a hundred days suddenly opened again.

A small spaceship slowly emerged from the door.

Chen Mo was back.

Lin Wan was the first to rush forward. She stood at the edge of the landing field, watching the spaceship slowly descend, watching the hatch open, and watching that familiar figure walk toward her step by step.

Chen Mo was thinner and more tanned, but his eyes were still bright.

He walked up to Lin Wan and came to a halt.

The two looked at each other. Silence.

Then, Chen Mo took the small cloth pouch from his pocket and handed it to her.

"Returning this to you."

Lin Wan took the pouch and opened it—the pinch of soil from the Mars potato field was still there.

She smiled. She smiled until her eyes turned red.

Then, she reached out and hugged him.

"It's good that you're back," she said, her voice muffled against his chest. "It's good that you're back."

Chen Mo also hugged her, gently patting her back.

"Yeah, I'm back."

In the distance, Lin Shen stood at the very back of the crowd, watching them from afar.

His eyes remained calm, but there was an extremely faint, almost invisible curve at the corners of his mouth.

Ashes walked up to him at some point, her pitch-black eyes fixed on the two of them as she whispered, "Your 'Emotional Activity Level' has risen by another 0.3%."

Lin Shen didn't speak.

He just watched the two of them, watched them embrace, watched them finally reunite.

0.3%. That was enough.

Day 101: little cabbage's Flower

The Mars potato field.

little cabbage bloomed.

It wasn't an ordinary flower, but a giant, silver-glimmering blossom that slowly unfurled under the Martian sun.

The petals were silver-white with a hint of faint blue, and the stamen was golden-yellow, like the Martian sun. The entire flower was as large as a washbasin, emitting a strange, sweet fragrance.

As the fragrance drifted into the potato field, the chorus of the "firefly ones" grew even more cheerful.

As the fragrance drifted into the crystal core plot, the dormant cores flickered simultaneously, as if "seeing" something.

As the fragrance drifted into the annual ring plot, the deeply buried seeds emitted a deep "breath" simultaneously, as if "feeling" something.

Potato Chief's projection hovered over the flower, remaining silent for a long time.

Then, it softly said:

"You did it."

little cabbage's flower swayed gently, transmitting a faint signal:

"Yes. I've bloomed. Next, will I go to seed?"

Potato Chief was silent for a while, then laughed—if a projection could laugh.

"I don't know. But whether you go to seed or not, you're already the most beautiful vegetable we've ever seen."

little cabbage's flower swayed again, as if it were laughing.

Day 102: Seven People

Late at night, the cafeteria.

Seven people sat around a table.

Lin Shen, Lin Wan, Chen Mo, Su Kun, Zhou Zhe, Great Strength, and—Ashes.

Ashes hadn't wanted to come. But Lin Wan had insisted on pulling her down, saying "today is a good day, we must eat together."

Great Strength walked over carrying a giant tray, placing the dishes on the table one by one.

The first dish was "Self" Noodles. Seven bowls, each with a poached egg.

The second dish was "Testimony Soup." It was crystal clear, yet it contained the flavors of countless civilizations.

The third dish was "Potato Beef Stew"—using the Martian potatoes sent by Old Zhang and Earth beef, stewed until tender and fragrant.

And a fourth, fifth, sixth... filling the entire table.

"So much, can we finish it all?" Ashes spoke up, which was rare. Her voice was still raspy, but it carried a hint of something never heard before... warmth?

"Even if we can't finish, we have to eat," Great Strength said as he plopped down. "What day is today? It's the first day of Chen Mo's return! The first day little cabbage bloomed! The first day Old Zhang's second crop of potatoes sprouted! The first day we're all still alive! We have to celebrate!"

The seven people picked up their bowls and clinked them together.

There was no wine, only noodle soup. But that clink felt heavier than any wine.

They ate, talked, and laughed.

Lin Wan and Chen Mo's hands were gently held together under the table.

Su Kun closed her eyes, "listening" to the returnees still deep in the starry sky, a smile on her lips.

Zhou Zhe's pure white Poem Markings glowed faintly, the imprints of thirty-three civilizations slowly circulating within it.

Ashes ate her noodles slowly, occasionally looking up at these people. Something seemed to be flickering in her pitch-black eyes.

Lin Shen ate his noodles, listening to the sounds around him. He suddenly realized that the place in his chest where "Emotional Detachment" resided didn't seem... quite so empty today.

It hadn't recovered, it was just... not as empty.

He lowered his head and continued eating.

Outside the window, deep in the starry sky, the light of the Hive remained warm.

At the threshold of the Solar System, that once-silent light was gone.

But in the cafeteria, the lights were still on. Seven people sat around a table, eating noodles, talking, and occasionally laughing.

This was what "never forgetting" looked like.

Day 103: The Next Story

In the early morning, Lin Shen stood by the window, gazing toward Mars.

That red planet was no longer just red. The green of the potato fields, the silver of little cabbage, the blue of the Crystal Cores, the brown of the annual rings... those colors were, bit by bit, changing the face of Mars.

Zhou Zhe walked up to him, his pure white Poem Markings glowing faintly.

"What are you thinking about?" Zhou Zhe asked.

Lin Shen was silent for a while, then said, "Thinking about the next story."

"What next story?"

"The Reapers are gone. There are still twenty-two returnees to send back. The seeds on Mars haven't sprouted yet. Old Zhang's potatoes will keep being planted. little cabbage has bloomed, but I don't know if it will go to seed. I don't know when Chen Mo and Lin Wan will get married." Lin Shen paused. "There are still too many things left unfinished."

Zhou Zhe smiled. "So, the story isn't over yet."

Lin Shen nodded.

"Yeah, it's not over."

In the distance, the cafeteria lights were still on. Great Strength was preparing today's breakfast. A few more new notes had been added to that wall.

On Mars, little cabbage's flower swayed gently in the morning light.

On Earth, Old Zhang squatted in the vegetable patch, chuckling as he looked at the potato seedlings that had grown another notch taller.

In interstellar space, there were still twenty-two returnees waiting to set out.

And here, there were seven people who had just finished a meal and were preparing to start a new day.

The story continues.