Ch 26: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Among all the trades, pawnshops had always carried the most authority. In other businesses, no matter how well their goods sold, they still treated buyers with courtesy and welcomed them with smiles. But pawnshops were the opposite—those who came in were there to pawn their possessions, practically begging the shop to offer a fair price, putting them at a natural disadvantage.

The shop assistants were indifferent enough, but the real arrogance came from the appraisers behind the counter. They deliberately acted disinterested, as if whether or not they accepted an item was entirely up to their whim. They would then harshly devalue the item, making it easier to drive the price down.

Shen Qing had accompanied Old Lady Shen to a pawnshop once before. Years ago, Old Man Shen had fallen gravely ill, and their household savings were nearly drained. The crops in the fields weren’t ready for harvest, but the family urgently needed money. After borrowing from every relative and friend they could think of, it still wasn’t enough.

So Old Lady Shen made the decision to pawn two thick cotton quilts to buy medicine. She couldn’t bear to trouble her two sons, so she made Shen Qing carry the burden and follow her to town.

Shen Qing had personally witnessed how the domineering Old Lady Shen, who ruled over their household, suddenly became meek and subservient in front of the pawnshop’s appraiser. He had also seen how that appraiser mercilessly belittled the two sturdy, nearly new quilts, ultimately offering only half of what Old Lady Shen had expected.

In the shop, Old Lady Shen hadn’t dared to argue and could only agree. But on the way home, she vented all her frustration on Shen Qing, scolding him the entire journey.

This time, however, Shen Qing was pawning silver jewelry. Unlike quilts or household items, which had no fixed pricing standard, silver had an intrinsic value. No matter how much the pawnshop tried to undervalue it, they couldn’t possibly offer less than the base price of silver itself—right?

Yet, he had underestimated just how far the appraiser would go.

The elderly appraiser lazily glanced at Shen Qing, then scrutinized the three silver ornaments on the tray. Immediately, he had his suspicions.

Aside from poor families who had no choice but to frequent pawnshops, there was another kind of regular visitor—thieves.

For skilled master thieves, this wasn’t an issue, but small-time crooks who had no connections or means to sell their stolen goods often turned to pawnshops. If they tried to sell stolen goods on the open market and were recognized by the rightful owners or the authorities, they’d be in serious trouble.

Pawnshops, especially those with powerful backing, had their ways of dealing with such items. While they couldn’t openly defy the authorities, they could discreetly swap out stolen goods and transport them far away, making it nearly impossible for the original owners to track them down.

For these “questionable” items, pawnshops ruthlessly slashed the price. If they offered even 20–30% of the item’s true value, it was already generous.

The three silver pieces Shen Qing had brought weren’t particularly heavy, but their craftsmanship was exquisite, and they looked almost brand new. They didn’t seem like something that would belong to someone dressed as poorly as Shen Qing, nor did they appear to be old heirlooms passed down through generations.

Naturally, the appraiser assumed the items had been obtained through dubious means.

And in a way, he wasn’t entirely wrong—these pieces weren’t something Shen Qing had acquired through “normal” means. If not for the strange mountain cave and his unusual fortune, there was no way he could have gotten his hands on such fine items given his family’s circumstances.

This was the sharp eye of an experienced pawnshop appraiser at work. Judging by Shen Qing’s demeanor, he looked like a struggling ger from a poor household, not a seasoned street thief. Perhaps this was just a momentary lapse of judgment on his part.

The pawnshop appraiser raised his stance even higher—not that he was unwilling to accept stolen goods, but he intended to intimidate the young man first, scare him a little, and then casually offer a few coins to settle the deal.

Shen Qing had no idea what the appraiser was planning, but he had already prepared a convincing story. Just like when he dealt with Aunt Zheng at the brokerage, he knew he would have to cover things up multiple times in the future, so he had to start getting used to it now. Aware of his own lack of eloquence, he had thought through every possible explanation in advance:

“This was part of the dowry my family prepared for me a few years ago. However, some things happened at home, and the marriage didn’t go through. Since I won’t be using it anytime soon and someone in my family is sick, we urgently need money, so I brought it here to pawn.”

He had considered saying it was his mother’s dowry, now being pawned because they could no longer make ends meet. After all, Miao Shi did have a silver bracelet among her wedding items, but it wasn’t as heavy or intricately designed as these. It was just a thin, plain silver band weighing only three or four qian, and Shen Zhigao had long since pawned it for money to drink.

Since the two silver bracelets and the pendant lock he had now looked too new to be old heirlooms, it made more sense to claim they were his own dowry. Shen Qing believed he had covered all his bases—any doubts someone might have wouldn’t find any major flaws in his story.

It was common for families who cherished their daughters or Ge’ers to prepare one or two pieces of silver jewelry for their weddings.

Hearing Shen Qing’s explanation, the appraiser clearly didn’t believe him—or rather, he simply didn’t want to accept an answer that didn’t match his expectations. He raised an eyebrow and scrutinized Shen Qing.

“Looking at your clothes and build, you don’t seem like someone from a family that could afford such an expensive dowry.”

Shen Qing had the physique of someone who did heavy farm work. What kind of well-off family would let a Ge’er toil in the fields?

“Besides, I’ve never seen this bracelet design before. It’s not from any of the jewelry shops in our county. Be honest—where did this really come from?”

Their pawnshop had connections with all the jewelry stores in town, and there were only a handful of silversmiths working in the area. Their craftsmanship was limited to a few familiar designs, and none of them had ever produced something like this.

Shen Qing felt frustrated. He had thought his cover story was airtight, but with just a few pointed remarks, the appraiser had exposed its flaws. His lack of worldly experience was showing!

At the same time, he couldn’t understand—this was a simple transaction, money for goods. Why was this man so determined to dig into its origins?

When Shen Qing didn’t respond immediately, the appraiser assumed he had successfully intimidated him into silence. Feeling smug, he pressed on:

“I’ve seen plenty like you before. Just a moment of foolishness, and now you’re stuck trying to get rid of something you shouldn’t have… Hmph. If this item has a questionable background, it’s best you confess now. I can still help cover things up.

As for the price… well, if you keep refusing to tell the truth, and the authorities come knocking one day, it won’t just be your problem—it’ll be mine too!”

This was his usual tactic: a mix of threats and temptations. If it were any other ger, even if the item wasn’t stolen, they would be so flustered and overwhelmed that they’d have no way to defend themselves. At that point, the appraiser could name whatever price he wanted.

But unfortunately for him, he had met Shen Qing.

“What does this have to do with the authorities? Something I shouldn’t have? Say it clearly—what exactly do you mean by that?”

Shen Qing took a moment to piece together the appraiser’s meaning, and once he did, he was furious. This wasn’t just about questioning the origins of the jewelry—this was an insult to his character!

Even when he had been starving, with his stomach growling from hunger, he had never stolen so much as a single cucumber from someone’s field or taken an abandoned egg from a neighbor’s coop. Instead, he had risked going up the mountain to find food.

Even in that other world, he had only taken things that belonged to no one—items left behind by the dead. When he had lingered in front of that storefront, he hadn’t even stepped inside!

Shen Qing had always conducted himself with integrity. Why should he tolerate being slandered like this by a mere pawnshop appraiser?

He let out a short, incredulous laugh. “So what you’re saying is that I stole these? Do you have any proof?”

The appraiser smirked, a knowing, mocking look in his eyes, as if he could see right through Shen Qing without needing to say a word. His silence only made Shen Qing even angrier.

Though furious, Shen Qing knew he wasn’t great at arguing, just as Wu Guixiang had pointed out. Right now, he couldn’t come up with the right words to refute this man. Plus, they were in the city, on the pawnshop’s turf—starting a fight wouldn’t end well for him. He had no choice but to swallow his frustration.

For now.

He clenched his jaw and suppressed his anger, his face dark. “If you think my items are stolen and don’t want to take the risk, then don’t buy them. Simple as that.”

He stepped forward and locked eyes with the appraiser. “This isn’t the only pawnshop in town. I’ll just go somewhere else. I came to do business, not to be insulted.”

The appraiser faltered. He hadn’t expected this ger to remain so composed—and even to push back. Yet, he was still reluctant to let go. He held onto one of the bracelets without returning it, torn between suspicion and greed.

After all, the design was far more intricate than what local silversmiths could produce. While it might not match the highest-quality craftsmanship of elite artisans, in this small county, it was already leagues above the norm. It would fetch a great price.

Seeing the defiance in Shen Qing’s eyes—pure anger without a trace of guilt—the appraiser hesitated. Had he misjudged the situation?

The thought of letting such a valuable item slip through his fingers made him feel like he was swallowing a nail.

Meanwhile, Shen Qing was growing impatient. He found the man’s behavior baffling—if he thought the item was stolen, why was he still holding onto it?

“What’s this? Are you trying to claim my item as stolen and keep it for yourself? Give it back. If you really believe it’s stolen, report it to the authorities—I’m not afraid.

But if you don’t return it, and you don’t report it, then I will! Let’s see how the whole town reacts when they find out what kind of shady business you’re running!”

Shen Qing had stumbled onto something close to the truth. While the pawnshop wasn’t planning to outright steal the items, they had intended to offer him mere pennies and pocket the real profit.

Now that Shen Qing had spoken so boldly, the appraiser knew his plan had failed.

The young man’s stance and words didn’t resemble that of a thief at all. In reality, the appraiser had only been trying to push the price lower—whether or not the item was truly stolen didn’t actually matter to him. But since he had failed to intimidate Shen Qing, he wasn’t about to admit he was wrong.

With a long face, he finally let go of the bracelet. “You think just saying so makes it true? We have to be careful about what we accept. You can’t blame us for asking questions.”

Shen Qing was done playing along. “If you think it’s stolen, then don’t buy it. Go ahead, report it to the authorities. I’ll wait right here.”

“You don’t want to report it? Then stop wasting my time and give me back my things!”

The appraiser opened his mouth to argue, but just then, the shopkeeper, who had been listening from the back, finally stepped in. He had been sipping his tea while observing the commotion, and now that things had escalated, he decided to intervene.

They couldn’t afford to let this escalate further—this ger was too hotheaded. If he really stormed off to report them, the authorities might dig into the shop’s more questionable dealings.

“Now, now,” the shopkeeper said smoothly, stepping forward with a practiced smile. “Let’s all calm down. How about this, young sir—I’ll personally handle your items and give you a good price.”

At the root of it, the problem was that he hadn’t been thorough enough—his attire didn’t match the kind of valuables he was trying to pawn. Even if he went to another pawnshop, he would likely encounter the same issue.

The more shops he visited, the more attention he would attract. If he happened to run into someone particularly greedy and meticulous, they might secretly follow him back to his village to investigate, potentially stirring up even more trouble.

Shen Qing took a deep breath. He suddenly realized that just because he had obtained gold and silver jewelry from another world didn’t mean he could easily convert it into money and seamlessly step into the comfortable life he had imagined. He had underestimated the difficulties—bringing out wealth that didn’t match his identity would make him a target, even if he did nothing to provoke others.

Just like the pawnshop appraiser, who didn’t care how well-prepared his excuse was. No—even if his lie had been flawless, as long as someone wanted to take advantage of him, they would find a way to bite off a piece of his flesh.

This realization left Shen Qing deeply frustrated, dampening much of his excitement from the previous day when he had obtained a whole bag of jewelry, dreaming of his impending fortune. At this moment, he just wanted to finish the transaction quickly. He had no interest in visiting another pawnshop and drawing even more attention, so he told the shopkeeper, “Dead pawn.”

The shopkeeper carefully examined the bracelets again, weighing them on the scale. Both bracelets were just over one tael each, and the silver pendant lock weighed around three qian.

“The silver is of decent quality, and the craftsmanship isn’t bad. If you’re pawning them outright, I can offer three taels of silver in total.” Worried that Shen Qing might still be unhappy about the earlier dispute, he added, “That’s already a high price—I doubt you’d get a better offer elsewhere.”

Pawnshops usually made a habit of devaluing items as much as possible to push prices down, so for the shopkeeper to say that the silver’s quality was “decent” actually meant it was quite good.

In ancient times, metal refining technology wasn’t nearly as advanced as in modern times. Officially, silver collected for taxes and treasury use was called “Household Department Standard Ten-Tenths Fine Silver,” also known as “full silver” or “pure silver.” But despite the name, it only had a purity of about 93.5%, close to modern-day 925 sterling silver, which was still far from the 999 fine silver refined today.

In reality, this “ten-tenths silver” was more of a standardized accounting measure rather than a commonly circulated currency. True high-purity silver was difficult to refine and rarely seen in everyday trade. Most silver used in civilian transactions had a purity of around 70% or 80%, and it was common practice to adjust its value accordingly when accounting for transactions. The same went for gold.

Shen Qing didn’t know these finer details, but he had watched the weighing process carefully. After some quick calculations, he estimated that aside from the raw silver’s weight, the craftsmanship of the jewelry had earned him about an extra hundred copper coins.

Earlier that morning, he had sold four loads of firewood and only made a little over a hundred coins. He wasn’t sure if this was a good deal or not, but it had already exceeded his expectations. Besides, he didn’t have a good impression of this pawnshop—lingering any longer might only cause more trouble. Not wanting to waste more time, he nodded in agreement.

The shopkeeper retrieved a small wooden box filled with broken pieces of silver. He sifted through the pieces before picking out a large chunk—about two-thirds of a five-tael silver ingot—and placed it on the scale, ensuring it weighed exactly three taels.

As a seasoned merchant, he could accurately estimate the weight of silver just by hefting it. His experience in mentally calculating purity and value was so refined that he rarely made an error.

Shen Qing watched him closely during the weighing. Seeing that both the weight and purity checked out, he accepted the pawn ticket and silver piece, tucking them into his chest pocket before quickly leaving the shop.

He hadn’t walked far before he noticed someone following him. It didn’t take much guessing to figure out that the pawnshop had sent someone to tail him. Fortunately, he had spent a lot of time in the mountains and had learned some tracking and evasion skills from an old hunter. Since the person following him wasn’t a professional, it didn’t take much effort for him to shake them off.

Still, the incident only fueled his anger.

Why were there so many vile people in the world? He hadn’t done anything to provoke them—he simply refused to be cheated, to have his price unfairly lowered, or to have his belongings taken from him, and yet he had been targeted and stalked. How despicable!

Was he supposed to just stand there and let them walk all over him? If they wanted to cut the price, he had to accept it? If they wanted to take his things, he was just supposed to hand them over?

And yet, people like that existed everywhere—those who believed that if they didn’t take advantage of someone, they were the ones losing out. If they didn’t manage to scam someone, they felt as if they had been wronged. Some would even become furious if denied the chance to profit off others.

That pawnshop appraiser was exactly that kind of person. He hadn’t managed to swindle Shen Qing into giving up the bracelets for a pittance, and worse, he had been embarrassed by a mere ger. That humiliation had only made him angrier, which was why he had sent someone to follow Shen Qing.

Before long, the shop assistant returned, shaking his head. “Lost him. Gotta say, for a ger, he moves pretty fast. Took a couple of quick turns, and he was gone. Either he was on guard from the start, or he’s really familiar with this area.” He thought for a moment before adding, “But he’s definitely not from around here. A ger with his build and looks? Would’ve noticed him before if he were local.”

The shopkeeper waved a hand dismissively. “Forget it. It’s no big loss. We still made a decent profit on the deal.” He had pretended to offer Shen Qing a generous price, but in reality, he had been bluffing—he knew the true value of such finely crafted jewelry. If they sent these pieces to the provincial capital, they could fetch nearly twice the price they had paid.

“What’s the point of getting worked up over a single ger?” he added.

The appraiser, however, wasn’t willing to let it go.

“That’s exactly why it’s so frustrating! He’s just a ger, and I couldn’t even put him in his place? Humiliating!” He spat out angrily. “Do you really believe that jewelry was his? Even if he didn’t steal it himself, it must have come from somewhere shady! What if he has more?”

That caught the shopkeeper’s attention. While he didn’t care about getting back at Shen Qing, he wasn’t opposed to the idea of gaining a bigger profit. Even if they found nothing in the end, all they would lose was a little manpower—it wouldn’t cost them anything.

But if their suspicions were right…

A glint flashed in the shopkeeper’s eyes. He ordered, “You’re right—gers with his looks aren’t common. Have our people keep an eye out. If he comes back to town, track him down and find out where he’s from.”

If the jewelry was really just a family dowry, then fine. But if there was more to it… well, no matter how tough this ger thought he was, they had ways of making him hand over everything.

Meanwhile, as the pawnshop schemed against him, Shen Qing had already devised his own plan.

At a secondhand clothing shop, Shen Qing picked out two well-made, secondhand outer garments in good condition, both in Miao Shi’s size. The shopkeeper’s wife, cracking sunflower seeds, complimented him, “You’ve got a good eye! These just came in—clean and well-kept, straight from the county magistrate’s estate. Don’t be fooled just because they’re secondhand—servants in rich households still wear better clothes than most common folk!”

If he were to buy two brand-new garments, it wouldn’t be an issue of affordability—he could afford them now. But suddenly appearing wealthy after struggling for so long might raise eyebrows in the village. People would start whispering, wondering how a struggling mother and son had suddenly come into money. That would only bring more trouble.

So, he asked the shopkeeper’s wife to wrap up the two garments he had chosen for Miao Shi and then started looking for something for himself.

He was taller than most men, let alone typical gers. Clothes made for gers were always too short on him. The shopkeeper’s wife noticed his hesitation and also felt a bit troubled. She rummaged through the garments and said, “I don’t think I have anything in your size.” She took out a few men’s garments and suggested, “How about taking one of these and altering it at home?”

The clothing styles for men and gers were quite different. Men could wear short jackets, but gers had to dress more like women. Their tops had to be long enough to cover their thighs or even knees, hiding the shape of their waists and hips. Wearing anything too fitted was considered shameless, an attempt to seduce men. Even the poorest families wouldn’t dare to skimp on those extra inches of fabric.

So, the shopkeeper’s wife wasn’t offering him short coats but rather long robes and scholar’s gowns.

Shen Qing had already considered this option, so when she brought it up, it saved him from having to find an excuse. He took a bean-green scholar’s robe and draped it over himself, making the shopkeeper’s wife’s eyes light up. If not for the pregnancy mark between his brows, with his height and build, he could easily pass for a handsome young scholar!

“This looks great on you! Really great!” she praised. The only downside was that years of farm work had tanned his skin, and the green shade didn’t suit him as well. She pulled out a dark blue linen robe and handed it to him. “Try this one—it’ll make you look fairer.”

But Shen Qing wasn’t interested in linen. Instead, his eyes landed on a deep blue silk tunic that was about six or seven-tenths new.

“That one isn’t cheap,” the shopkeeper’s wife warned kindly. Silk made from wild tussah silk wasn’t as fine as that from mulberry silkworms, but it was still silk. The robe had been pawned off by a gambler who had lost everything—his family had once been quite wealthy, so the fabric and craftsmanship were excellent, and the dye was rich. The price was eight qian of silver. If it had been brand new, it would have cost at least two taels!

Looking at Shen Qing’s patched-up coarse clothes, she doubted he could afford such a luxury.

Shen Qing ran his fingers over the smooth silk. He had never worn silk before, barely even had the chance to touch it. As a child, he had gone with Miao Shi to a fabric shop, but if he dared to sneak a touch, the shop assistants would immediately scold him. Now that he could afford it, he asked, “How much for this one?”

It wasn’t that he was being unfilial, buying himself silk while getting Miao Shi only cotton—but he had his reasons.

If people judged him for wearing ragged clothes and assumed he had stolen jewelry, then wouldn’t wearing finer clothes make his possession of such valuables more believable?

If the world saw gers as weak and easy to bully, then why not dress as a man? If he went about his business in men’s attire, wouldn’t people be less likely to look down on him?

With his height and build, no one would recognize him as a ger if he dressed differently.

Shen Qing thought back to the “strange outfit” he had traded from Song Kaizhi in the other world. If he could use different clothes to disguise himself there, why not do the same in the county?

One’s identity in public was self-made. Shen Qing had never heard this saying before, but he had instinctively understood its truth.

This silk robe seemed perfect for his plan—it was not brand new but still looked refined, suggesting a well-off yet not excessively extravagant background. It would keep people from looking down on him, while also avoiding the attention that a brand-new outfit might attract. He was very satisfied with his choice.

The shopkeeper’s wife looked over the clothes he had picked and made an offer. “This one alone is eight qian, but if you take everything—the two women’s outfits and the green robe as well—I’ll give you a deal. One tael of silver for the lot.”

Sensing he might be worried about the cost, she added, “If you just take these three, it’ll be three qian silver.”

Shen Qing quietly sighed in relief. The way she had talked, he thought it would be much more expensive. If it had been before, spending eight qian on a robe would have been unthinkable. But now, it wasn’t a big deal at all. He pulled out his three-tael silver ingot and handed it over. “I’ll take them all.”

The shopkeeper’s wife was surprised. He was dressed in rags but had silver to spare. Unlike the pawnshop workers, she wasn’t nosy about where his money came from. She was just delighted to make such a big sale.

She quickly wrapped up his purchases and brought out a silver clipper and a precision scale.

Every store on this street had clippers and scales. When customers paid with large silver ingots, shopkeepers usually didn’t give change from their own silver reserves. Instead, they used clippers to cut off the exact amount needed.

This not only made transactions more convenient but also helped detect counterfeit silver, which might have been adulterated with lead or copper. The scales, called dengzi, were highly precise and often used for weighing gold, silver, and medicinal herbs.

Many people who frequently dealt in silver even carried their own clippers and scales. After the shopkeeper weighed the silver, customers would reweigh it to ensure they weren’t shortchanged.

The shopkeeper’s wife was so skilled that she could cut silver with near-perfect accuracy.

Watching her clip the silver, Shen Qing suddenly had an idea. After his experience at the pawnshop, he no longer dared to take any more of his valuables to be pawned or sold. There were three pawnshops in Anping County, and he had no way of knowing if the other two would be any more honest. He had been worrying about this—just last night, he had dreamed of selling his jewelry, building a grand house, and marrying a husband. Now, he was facing obstacles at the very first step. Was he just supposed to sit on a pile of gold and silver, unable to use it?

Before he could figure out a solution, the shopkeeper’s wife had already given him one.

“Aunt, where can I buy a clipper and a scale?” he asked.

She pointed outside. “Up ahead, between Guyi Street and Silken Alley, there’s a small shop that sells silver-cutting tools. All the merchants around here use them—it’s cheaper than taking silver to a money exchange.”

Shen Qing thanked her, took his clothes and change, and made his way to the silver shop.

As the name implied, the shop specialized in cutting and exchanging silver. Merchants frequently broke their silver into smaller pieces for daily transactions, and shops often found themselves with too many small fragments, making storage and counting a hassle. So, they would bring their excess silver pieces to the shop to be melted down into whole ingots for a small fee.

Likewise, those who had large silver ingots but no clippers could come to have them broken into smaller pieces. The shop also sold weighing scales and clippers.

Shen Qing spent two qian silver to buy a set of clippers and a scale. After his experience at the pawnshop, he dared not try to pawn any more valuables. There were still plenty of silver accessories left at home—why not simply clip them into small pieces and use them directly? If needed, he could even break them down further and exchange them for whole ingots at the silver shop. While he might lose a little in the process, it was better to stay discreet.

Two weeks ago, he wouldn’t have dreamed of throwing away a hundred copper coins in transaction fees. But now that he had money, what was a hundred coins?

Now that he had a solution, Shen Qing felt much more at ease. Since earning money would no longer be difficult, and he still had an entire bag of valuables at home, there was no need to pinch every penny anymore. It was time to stock up and finally make the house feel like a real home!

They had enough grain for now, but they lacked proper kitchen tools. The most urgent needs were a good kitchen knife and an iron pot! Seeing how distressed Miao Shi had been over the cracked ceramic pot last night, Shen Qing didn’t hesitate—he bought two iron pots on the spot.

One of the pots was the large iron cooking pot commonly found in the village, used for boiling rice and stews. The other was a small flat-bottomed griddle—Miao Shi had often mentioned that a clay pot couldn’t be used to make flatbreads, and she was quite skilled at making them.

The cabbages and radishes in the vegetable patch were almost ready for harvest, so he also needed large vats for fermenting sauerkraut and big jars for pickling vegetables! Thinking about the situation in the other world, Shen Qing figured he should stock up on extra sauerkraut and pickles this year—people over there would surely love them too.

Without hesitation, he bought two large fermentation vats and five big pickling jars.

To make sauerkraut and pickles, they needed more salt—salt and sugar were both precious commodities. A pound of fine salt cost forty copper coins, while coarse salt was slightly cheaper but still expensive. Shen Qing bought five pounds of coarse salt and also got a pound of brown sugar, so Miao Shi could dissolve it in water and drink it to nourish her body. A spoonful of sugar in hot egg tea in the morning would warm her heart as much as her stomach.

He also bought a set of water buckets and a carrying pole. Right now, they were still fetching water in clay jars, which meant multiple trips to the well every day. They needed a hoe for their vegetable patch too—so far, they had been borrowing one from Second Aunt Lian’s household. Since he was already buying salt and sugar, he might as well add some sesame oil, soy sauce, pepper, and star anise to the list.

Shen Qing also wanted to buy two bolts of cloth and a bundle of cotton to make a few quilts. Right now, he and Miao Shi each had only one old quilt, with cotton stuffing that hadn’t been fluffed in years and barely kept them warm. They didn’t even have proper mattress pads—just thick straw bedding. It was only thanks to the mild autumn weather that they hadn’t been freezing at night.

Since they were making new clothes, undergarments would be needed too—and those weren’t something he could buy secondhand. He also needed a thick cotton-padded jacket. And if they were sewing clothes, they’d need needles and thread… But he was out of money!

Spending money really was fast! The little over three taels he had from pawning the jewelry and selling firewood wasn’t nearly enough to cover everything.

Realizing he needed more funds, Shen Qing had his purchases delivered to Aunt Zheng’s brokerage house and went to a small noodle shop for lunch. He ordered a steaming bowl of braised meat noodles.

A large spoonful of slow-cooked minced pork was ladled over white noodles, topped with chopped scallions and cilantro. The broth was rich and red, with a few drops of fragrant sesame oil floating on top. Stirring everything together, Shen Qing took a bite—the flavor was delicious. As he ate, he thought about bringing Miao Shi to the county town next time so she could taste the local dishes too. She would also be better at picking out needles, thread, fabric, and cotton than he was.

But how would he explain the source of all this silver to her?

With the last of his money, Shen Qing bought ten pounds of coarse pastries and carried them back to the brokerage house. Aunt Zheng was stunned—she knew he was shopping for household supplies but hadn’t expected him to buy so much.

“Goodness! All morning, people have been delivering things non-stop—I almost thought they had the wrong address!”

However, seeing that everything he bought was practical and necessary, she didn’t think too much of it. “The water vats and pickling jars are already tied securely to the cart. Be careful when driving it—these things are fragile!”

Shen Qing thanked Aunt Zheng and took his cartload of goods back to Lantang Village. The moment he entered, he was surrounded by curious onlookers, causing quite a stir.

“Qing Ge’er bought all this stuff?”

“That’s a huge iron pot—how much did that cost?”

“What are you saying? Doesn’t your family have an iron pot too?”

“I thought their family was struggling financially…”

“It was tough,” Shen Qing said as he jumped down from the cart, leading the mule toward their courtyard. “We wanted to buy an iron pot for a while but couldn’t afford it. It wasn’t until we sold some pork yesterday that we finally saved up enough. Otherwise, we’d have had to wait until after the New Year… Last night, with all the commotion, we left food cooking on the stove, and by the time we got back, the clay pot had cracked. We had no choice—we had to get a new one.”

Thinking about the wild boar from yesterday, the villagers found this explanation reasonable. Looking at the items on the cart, they saw that although there were many, they were all everyday necessities. Their initial jealousy and curiosity slowly faded, replaced by sympathy.

Previously, Shen Qing and Miao Shi didn’t even have a proper water vat, bucket, or carrying pole—what kind of life had they been living?

Soon, their chatter turned into complaints about the Shen family.

Only Miao Shi, upon seeing the cart full of goods, looked deeply unsettled. She knew better than anyone that before leaving home this morning, Shen Qing hadn’t asked her for the money from selling the pork. In fact, he had never taken any of the firewood earnings she kept for him either.

So where had Qing Ge’er gotten the money to buy all these things?

Shen Qing glanced back and saw Miao Shi standing there in shock. He quickly pushed her into the courtyard.

“Mother, let’s go inside. I have something to tell you.”

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