Ch 28: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

In the western wing of the Miao family courtyard, Li Yanzi and Miao Wang were in a heated argument.

“I don’t agree! No matter how you put it, this is all for your sister’s sake! Yes, she’s your real sister, she raised you since you were little, so you want to help her with money and grain—I didn’t say anything! But it’s still not enough, is it? Now you’re thinking about dragging our son into this too! Why don’t you just move our entire household over and give it to your sister?!”

Miao Wang lowered his head, his tone weak. “I’m just discussing it with you, don’t make it sound so bad. What do you mean by ‘dragging into it’…? It’s clearly a situation that benefits both sides. Marrying another girl from outside would cost us five or six taels of silver in bride price—is that easy to save up? But if we make a marriage connection with my sister’s family, we wouldn’t have to pay that sum at all.”

Ever since Shen Qing and his mother broke away from the old Shen family, both of Miao Shi’s brothers had been worrying about her future. No matter how they discussed it, her well-being would ultimately depend on Qing Ge’er’s future husband—after all, there wasn’t a single ger in this world who wouldn’t get married.

Miao Xing’s ideal plan was for Qing Ge’er to marry into Shiqu Village. First, because everyone here knew each other well, and second, if Shen Qing ever had grievances in the future, their family could immediately stand up for him. Since they were from the same village, there wouldn’t be another situation like in Lantang Village, where the village chief openly took sides against them.

But Shen Qing had already made it clear—if he was to marry, he would be taking his mother with him.

Shiqu Village was a wealthy place and had no trouble finding brides. Young women and gers from other villages were eager to marry into Shiqu Village, so the eligible bachelors here had plenty of choices. Why would anyone pick Shen Qing—who wasn’t particularly good-looking, had a notorious reputation for being fierce, and came with a mother to take care of?

Even without his mother in the picture, no one would be willing to marry him!

After searching throughout the village, there was simply no one willing to take him. Just as Miao Wang was growing anxious, his wife, Li Yanzi, brought up the topic of their eldest son Miao Yu’s marriage.

Miao Wang suddenly realized that his son was already of marriageable age, and he thought—wasn’t this a perfect match? If Qing Ge’er married someone else and took Miao Shi with him, their status in the husband’s family would inevitably be awkward, and they would have to be mindful of the in-laws. But if his son married Qing Ge’er, then Miao Shi would be living right back in her own family, and everyone in the household would be relatives—how wonderful!

But while he thought it was a great idea, his wife completely disagreed! Li Yanzi never expected that a casual mention of their son’s marriage would lead her husband to such an idea. She almost wished she could slap herself for bringing it up!

She had nothing against Miao Shi—they got along well enough, and Miao Shi was too mild-mannered to offend anyone. But a sister-in-law was a guest in her natal home. When she visited, as a daughter-in-law, Li Yanzi at the very least had to warmly host her, if not outright serve her. That was fine for a day or two, but who wanted to live with their sister-in-law permanently, always feeling a step lower in status?

Putting aside the matter of getting along with Miao Shi, in the future, her care would fall onto her son’s shoulders. He would have to support an extra elderly person—other people might not care, but as his mother, Li Yanzi certainly did!

And then there was Qing Ge’er—he was a wonderful nephew, but as a future husband for her son? Absolutely not!

Shen Qing was four years older than her son! He wasn’t particularly handsome, he was notorious for his fierce personality, and which mother didn’t want a gentle, good-tempered, and beautiful spouse for her child? Most importantly, Qing Ge’er was a ger, and his pregnancy mark was faint—plus, just by looking at his build, it was clear he wasn’t the kind to bear children easily!

In rural families, there were certain unspoken rules when choosing a daughter-in-law or a fulang. The elders always said that broad hips meant good childbirth. This wasn’t superstition but a practical observation—wide hips often meant a wider pelvis, making labor easier and reducing the chances of complications. With the current medical conditions, childbirth was truly a matter of life and death. Every village had stories of women who died in childbirth.

Li Yanzi wanted a spouse who could bear children easily, to avoid any misfortune. And Shen Qing? He had broad shoulders and narrow hips—his body was the perfect inverted triangle. No matter how she looked at it, he was far from her ideal son-in-law.

“I will never agree to this! Don’t even think about it! Xiao Yu is only fifteen. Even if he gets married at twenty, that’s not too late. You think I can’t save up five or six taels of silver in five years? Let me make this clear—forget Qing Ge’er, I will only let my son marry a girl, not any other ger either!”

Li Yanzi glared fiercely at Miao Wang. “What kind of families marry gers? Those with too many sons and no money! The eldest son marries a girl, and the younger brothers marry gers—because even if they can’t have children, at least there are nephews to carry on the family line. But we only have Xiao Yu! And you actually have the nerve to tell him to marry Qing Ge’er? Are you willing to let our family line end just to help out your sister?!”

Miao Wang, thoroughly irritated by her barrage of words, threw the object he was holding onto the bed. “Watch your mouth! What do you mean ‘end the family line’?! What kind of aunt curses her own nephew like that?!”

“What did I say? I only told the truth! Oh, what, now you’re mad? You wanna hit me, is that it? Come on then, hit me right here!…”

The argument grew louder and louder. In the neighboring room, separated by just one courtyard, Miao Xing and his wife sat in awkward silence. Normally, as the elder brother and sister-in-law, they should step in and mediate the fight. But Liu Yue’e glanced at her husband and knew that he, too, secretly supported the idea of marrying Qing Ge’er into the family.

Liu Yue’e, however, felt nothing but relief. Her husband might have had the same thought, but in truth, the best match for Qing Ge’er was their eldest son, Miao Ren, who was slightly older than him. However, Miao Ren had already been engaged in the spring, with the betrothal finalized—his future wife was set to arrive next winter. Miao Xing had his pride; he would never make their son break off the engagement just to marry Qing Ge’er instead.

Their younger son, Miao Shan, was only nine years old, so there was no way he could be considered a match. That left fifteen-year-old Miao Yu as the only candidate.

But she completely understood Li Yanzi. If Miao Ren hadn’t been engaged, she, too, would have fought her husband to the bitter end rather than let her son marry Qing Ge’er!

Everyone had their own self-interest. They could pity and sympathize with Miao Shi and Shen Qing, even lend them a hand, but there had to be a limit. If it meant harming their own children’s future, that was absolutely unacceptable. At this moment, Liu Yue’e could only silently hope that Li Yanzi would win this argument.

But just as she was thinking this, fate seemed to intervene.

Amid the quarrels over Shen Qing and his mother, a voice called from outside the courtyard: “Miao family! Chunlei and her son are back! They even came by cart, carrying a lot of stuff!”

Hearing this, Liu Yue’e’s heart clenched. By cart? Carrying a lot of things? Her first thought was—could it be that Miao Shi couldn’t make ends meet anymore and had decided to move back home without asking for permission first?

In the west wing, the argument suddenly paused. Li Yanzi yanked open the door, her face dark: “Where are they?”

“Just passed the village entrance,” said the woman who had come to report the news, eyeing Li Yanzi and Miao Wang curiously. She was a well-known gossip who loved to poke her nose into other people’s business. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so eager to run around delivering news. “What’s going on? Did you two have a fight? I could hear the shouting from far away.”

Li Yanzi forced a smile. “It’s nothing—who doesn’t argue a little at home? Just a small matter.” But her thoughts were racing. Like Liu Yue’e, she immediately assumed that Miao Shi and Shen Qing had secretly planned this out with Miao Wang and were now coming to formally move in. Pressing her lips together, she straightened her hair. Even if it was a hard battle, she was going to fight it! “I’m going to take a look—why is Big Sister suddenly coming over now?”

As Shen Qing and Miao Shi drove the cart into the village, many villagers greeted them, asking about Miao Shi’s situation. After all, she was born and raised here, and many had watched her grow up. When they had heard about what she suffered in the Shen family, the villagers had been outraged and cursed the old Shen family for their mistreatment of her.

“I’ve never seen such shameless people! And honestly, the whole Lantang Village seems problematic. That Zhao Youdang always makes biased decisions—I say we avoid making any marriage connections with them in the future!”

“Exactly! That village isn’t as good as ours, and yet they dared to bully our village’s daughter.”

“How are things now? Are you managing? If not, why not just move back to our village? Your brothers wouldn’t just sit by and do nothing.”

Li Yanzi arrived just in time to hear that last remark, and she wanted nothing more than to scold the person who said it. Easy for you to say! Do you realize how much trouble you’re causing with just a few words?!

But to her relief, she heard Miao Shi decline, “We’re doing fine. We rented a house for a year, so there’s no need to move back. And my mother’s house isn’t exactly spacious—my nephew is getting married next year, and even they don’t have enough room. I just came to see my mother and bring her some things. I haven’t been able to do much for her over the years, and I feel ashamed.”

The villagers looked at her with sympathy. “That’s not your fault. You married into a bad family—what could you have done? Now that things are better, that’s all that matters. And look at all the things you brought! You’re really filial.”

Seeing the massive pig leg, the two pieces of fine-looking fabric, and even two jin of pastries, the villagers genuinely believed that Miao Shi was doing well. Who had ever seen a married daughter bring such a generous gift back to her family?

Now even Li Yanzi was confused. So… they weren’t here to move in? They really were just visiting?

By the time she returned home, eating the pastries and touching the smooth fabric, Li Yanzi was still in a daze. Miao Shi and Qing Ge’er… looked like they were living better than her own family.

Old Lady Miao was the happiest of all. She touched the fabric Miao Shi had chosen for her, then held her daughter’s hand, so moved that her eyes welled up with tears. “My poor girl, you’ve finally made it through… Back then, it was all my fault. I had no ability, and I was blind—I chose such a family for you.”

If anyone wondered where Miao Shi got her habit of tearing up so easily, it was undoubtedly inherited from her mother. Their temperaments were exactly alike. As soon as Old Lady Miao started crying, Miao Shi’s throat tightened, and the mother and daughter clung to each other, weeping.

They cried for a while before finally pulling themselves together. Miao Shi wiped her eyes and said, “It wasn’t your fault, Mother. Given our family’s situation at the time, the Shen family was actually a good match.”

Although it wasn’t as wealthy as Shiqu Village, even now, the Shen family was considered one of the more well-off households in Lantang Village. It wasn’t one of those truly destitute families. They had five spacious and sturdy main rooms, with three large side rooms on each wing, all built with solid gray bricks and tiles that never leaked, even in heavy rain. That alone put them ahead of more than half the village—who wouldn’t be envious?

Even during his toughest days in the Shen family, Shen Qing at least had his own room. They owned around ten acres of land, raised two or three pigs each year, and kept a dozen or so chickens. How did farmers measure wealth? By these very things.

And to be honest, back when Shen Zhigao was younger, he was considered one of the most handsome men in the nearby villages, tall and well-built. Before their marriage, Miao Shi had secretly taken a look at him and was quite satisfied.

If his conditions weren’t so good, why would Widow Li have specifically chosen him, out of all the men in the village, to seduce?

But who could have foreseen the future?

Not wanting to dwell on such painful topics, Miao Shi took out the light green fabric and handed it to Liu Yue’e and Li Yanzi, steering the conversation in another direction. “I really appreciate all the care you both have given to Mother over the years. As her daughter, I haven’t been able to do much, and it’s been hard on you. Please take this fabric—whether you use it to make a blouse or sew something for the children, I’m sure it’ll be useful. And I’ll have to trouble you to make a padded jacket for Mother with the one I gave her.”

“Oh, thank you, Chunlei,” Liu Yue’e said, genuinely pleased. Unlike Li Yanzi, she had no reservations. The fabric felt far better than anything an ordinary farming family could afford. If she had to buy it herself, she would have hesitated. She herself didn’t need something so bright at her age, but she had a twelve- or thirteen-year-old daughter, and this would be perfect for her. “I’ll take care of Mother’s clothes.”

The fabric was large enough that even after making an outfit for Old Lady Miao, there would be plenty left over—enough to make shoe covers or a small pouch.

Miao Xing and Miao Wang, however, were not so easily distracted by a few gifts and some fabric. Their brows furrowed tightly. “Where did you two get the money to buy all this?”

They knew exactly how much money Miao Shi and Shen Qing had. After all, they had personally gone to Lantang Village to help demand what was owed. The mother and son had been scraping by—where could they have suddenly gotten such a large sum to buy a pig leg and fabric?

Shen Qing quickly explained how he had hunted a wild boar in the mountains. “It was just a lucky break. I dragged it back and sold the meat in the village the same day. This pig leg isn’t even bought—it’s from the wild boar I caught.”

“I was wondering why the meat looked so lean. I thought you’d been tricked by the butcher,” Liu Yue’e said, clicking her tongue in amazement as she circled the pig leg, examining it. These days, people craved fatty meat, thinking it was the best. But wild boar didn’t have much fat. “So it’s wild boar! I’ve never tasted it before. Qing Ge’er, you really have some skills!”

“What?!” Unlike Liu Yue’e, whose attention was on the pig leg, Miao Xing and Miao Wang were focused on Shen Qing. “You actually dared to kill a wild boar? Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”

Shen Qing sighed. “At first, I tried to run, but it kept chasing me. I couldn’t shake it off, so I had no choice but to fight.”

That was the truth. If the boar hadn’t been so relentless, Shen Qing would have just run back to the village instead of dealing with it.

“I knew you couldn’t stay a woodcutter!” Miao Xing slapped his thigh. “You told me the places you went were safe, that there were no wild animals. And now, what, it’s only been how long, and you’ve already run into a wild boar?! And you’re too loose with money! That wild boar could have sold for a lot, but you spent it all on this stuff. You two are really too generous.”

“It was quite a bit of money, but I had already saved some from cutting firewood before. We can afford to spend a little. And it’s been years since we’ve been able to give anything to Grandmother,” Shen Qing said with a smile. “This fabric is second-hand. Wealthy families used it as bed canopies and later took them down and sold them at a discount, so it was really cheap.”

Even if it was second-hand, country folk wouldn’t mind. In fact, they thought Shen Qing was smart to get such a great deal. Liu Yue’e said, “Where did you buy it? Next time you come across something this good and cheap, let me know so I can get some too.”

But Miao Xing shook his head. “I’m just afraid you’re getting used to making quick money and getting bolder. You should stay away from that mountain.”

If he didn’t go into the mountains, how was he supposed to make a living? Were they going to support him? Liu Yue’e rolled her eyes inwardly but said nothing. Instead, she took a knife and cut off a piece of the pig leg, changing the subject. “You all sit and talk with Mother. I’ll make dinner. Chunlei and Qing Ge’er, stay and eat with us tonight. It’s been a long time since our family has gathered.”

Li Yanzi hesitated. Normally, at this point, she would have gone to the kitchen with her sister-in-law since they usually cooked together. But right now, she had too much on her mind. She was afraid she’d miss something, so she stayed put, stubbornly lingering in the room.

Sure enough, after a bit of casual conversation, Miao Shi finally spoke. “I actually have another reason for coming this time—I have a favor to ask of you all.”

Here it comes! Li Yanzi’s heart sank, but at the same time, she felt a strange sense of relief, as if a heavy weight had settled instead of looming unpredictably. Her back tensed, and she ran through a list of polite yet firm rejections in her mind, preparing for battle as soon as Miao Shi finished speaking.

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