Ch 29: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Li Yanzi tensed up, ready to refuse the moment Miao Shi brought up the marriage proposal.

But instead, Miao Shi said, “Qing Ge’er and I discussed it, and since we have a little spare money now, we want to start a small business. I don’t have many skills, but I can cook decently. If I can make some food to sell at the dock or along the main road, maybe we can earn a few extra coins. Isn’t that much better than going up the mountain to chop firewood? I was thinking that since our family planted a lot of radishes and cabbages this year, you could sell us some. Since we already borrowed a cart, we can take them back with us today. I won’t take them for free—I brought money.”

This was something Shen Qing and Miao Shi had planned on the way. It wasn’t exactly a lie; the food wasn’t going to be sold at the dock or the roadside, but rather in the other world.

Li Yanzi was about to refuse out of habit, but then—huh?

She had already started rejecting before realizing that Miao Shi hadn’t mentioned marriage at all! This completely threw her off. She had been certain that this was about arranging a marriage, so how did it turn into buying vegetables? Did the family not plant much radish and cabbage this year?

Miao Wang, however, immediately understood what was going on and shot her a glare. Embarrassed, Li Yanzi fumbled for words before letting out an awkward laugh. “…Big Sister, your life is finally getting better. How could we take money for a few radishes and cabbages? Just take them.”

This left Miao Shi deeply touched. It was only natural for her brothers to look after her, but her sisters-in-law weren’t blood relatives—why should they go out of their way to help? She was always worried that her situation might cause trouble in her brothers’ households, so hearing Li Yanzi’s words made her incredibly grateful. “That wouldn’t be right. If it were just for our own meals, I’d be shameless enough to accept a little. But for business, I’ll be using a lot. Whatever the fair price is, I’ll pay. If I ever run out of money in the future, then I’d appreciate your help.”

“That’s a good point,” Miao Xing agreed, pleased. He had thought the same but hadn’t wanted to decide on his own, as the family hadn’t formally divided their property. Since everything still belonged to both brothers, giving away too much without consulting Miao Wang could cause trouble. But since Li Yanzi had offered on her own, Miao Xing saw her as quite sensible.

He had also been worried about Shen Qing’s safety—going into the mountains every day wasn’t ideal. Now that they were switching to small business, how could he not approve? “You two haven’t even made much money yet, but your hands are already loose with it. Just look at all that nice fabric you bought—how much did that cost? And now you’re still spending more? Just keep it—starting a business requires some emergency funds.”

Speaking of selling food at the dock or along the main road, Miao Xing thought it was a proper and promising trade! Many people from Shiqu Village worked in the city, including those who did inventory at the dock. Since the villagers were literate and could do arithmetic, they didn’t have to do the heavy labor of carrying loads; they only needed to record numbers, and they could easily earn a few hundred wen a month.

Although he had never done the work himself, he had heard plenty from others in the village. “You don’t need to make anything too fancy for the dock—just plain vegetable-filled buns or stuffed flatbreads, and people will rush to buy them. You just need the strength to carry them over. Save your money and trade for some eggs, add in vermicelli and chives for the filling. I remember your chive filling is even tastier than meat.” The dock was just over a mile past the county’s south gate. If you brought too little, the trip wouldn’t be worth it, but if you carried a lot, it was a labor-intensive job. However, considering Shen Qing could haul firewood all the way to the county, this probably wasn’t a big deal for him—it was certainly easier than being a woodcutter!

As he spoke, Miao Xing got up to load the cart. “Aside from what we need to keep for ourselves, I’ll load everything for you. Oh, since you’re here, your sister-in-law wanted you to help ferment two vats of pickled cabbage.”

Miao Shi refused to accept the food for free, insisting on paying, and the siblings tugged at each other as they walked out of the house. Li Yanzi, however, knew that with her eldest brother’s personality, he would never take the money—especially since she was the one who had first refused it. She felt a little heartache over giving away so much cabbage and radish, but when she touched the smooth fabric in her hands, she also felt a bit ashamed of herself for being so petty.

Miao Xing followed through on his words and emptied nearly half his cellar, piling the mule cart high with radishes and cabbages. No matter what, he refused to take Miao Shi’s money. Shen Qing thought about it and decided to let it go. “Alright, we won’t insist on paying now, but when we start making money from this business, we’ll prepare a generous New Year’s gift. You won’t be able to refuse it then.”

After all, they had money now, so they could always make it up later. Since their uncle’s family treated them well, Shen Qing had already started thinking about bringing them along to make money together in the future.

Miao Xing chuckled but didn’t say anything. The New Year was still months away—how much could the mother and son earn from selling food? Still, he didn’t want to dampen the kid’s enthusiasm. If they really brought something too expensive, he could always find a way to send something back to balance it out.

While waiting for dinner, Miao Shi rolled up her sleeves and started fermenting pickled cabbage. She was very familiar with her family’s house since it was built before she got married. She didn’t need help finding things—she simply started working.

Miao Shi had a natural talent for cooking. Some people didn’t need to be taught—they just instinctively knew how much seasoning to add and how to balance flavors. Take pickled cabbage, for example. Some might think all pickled cabbage tasted the same, as long as it was sour. But in reality, every household had its own subtle differences in flavor.

The pickled cabbage Miao Shi made wasn’t just sour—it had a slight natural sweetness. The tender hearts of the cabbage were so delicious they were eaten as snacks. This was because she had the perfect touch when it came to salting: too much salt would make it overly salty and mask the cabbage’s natural sweetness, while too little salt would cause it to spoil or grow mold.

Besides, salt was expensive, so using less was always better. Miao Shi could use the least amount of salt and still make the most flavorful pickled cabbage.

Ever since Miao Shi left, pickling at Old Lady Shen’s house had been taken over by Old Lady Shen and Zhao Aiye. They tried to save on salt, but because they used too little, an entire vat had grown moldy.

If you asked Miao Shi exactly how much salt to use, she couldn’t explain it—it was just something she felt with her hands.

Starting from choosing the cabbages, she was already a step ahead. She picked the firmest, freshest, thickest ones. Before they were stored in the cellar, they had been sun-dried for a few days, so the outer leaves were slightly wilted—perfect for pickling.

She cut off the roots, removed any old or damaged leaves, and then applied her secret technique—quickly blanching the cabbages in hot water. This kept the cabbages from losing too much moisture and prevented them from becoming tough when eaten. After draining the water, she packed them tightly into the vats, layering coarse salt every two layers of cabbage. The cabbages were stacked above the rim of the vat by about an inch before being pressed down with a large stone to compact them.

The leaves that were stripped away—if from a wealthy household—would be fed to chickens and pigs. More frugal families would dry them into cabbage chips for later use.

By the time the pickling was finished, dinner was almost ready. Tonight’s meal was a feast in honor of Miao Shi and Shen Qing. Liu Yue’e prepared a hearty spread: one portion of the pork from the leg was stewed with dried cabbage, another portion was cooked with potatoes and beans, and a large pot of mixed vegetable soup was made. There were plenty of three-grain steamed buns—this was an exceptionally lavish meal for a farming family.

One by one, the children returned home—some from the fields, others from gathering wild vegetables and firewood in the mountains. As they neared home and smelled the rich aroma of meat, they were overjoyed. The younger ones hovered around the kitchen, while the older boys had their eyes fixed on the wild boar leg. Miao Yu was especially excited, his face flushed with admiration as he looked at Shen Qing. “Ge, you’re amazing! You even managed to hunt a wild boar!”

No matter how mature Shen Qing acted, he was still young. Hearing this, he couldn’t help but feel a little proud and started telling the children stories about the mountains—sweet wild fruits left untouched deep in the forest, silly pheasants burying their heads in the snow during winter, and the white-tailed deer that were especially delicious. The kids listened with wide eyes, practically drooling.

Watching all this unfold, Li Yanzi felt a pang in her chest.

Aside from Li Yanzi being preoccupied, the dinner was a lively and joyful affair. Afterward, while there was still daylight left, Shen Qing drove the cart back to Lantang Village with Miao Shi and their load of radishes and cabbages. It was too late to start pickling that night, so they simply stacked the vegetables inside the house for now. Shen Qing returned the mule cart to the village chief and then said to Miao Shi, “Mother, steam a big pot of mantou tomorrow morning and a small batch of stuffed buns. I’m heading over there.”

“There,” of course, referred to the other world. With fresh cabbage at home and some wild boar meat left, cabbage and pork buns were the perfect choice. He would take the mantou to trade for supplies and keep the buns for themselves—saving a couple for Song Kaiji as well.

Shen Qing didn’t even think about why he was setting aside some for Song Kaiji—he just did it naturally. It was the same as bringing pastries for Aunt Guixiang or their uncle’s family. Somehow, Song Kaiji’s presence made the other world feel a little less foreign, a little more familiar.

Miao Shi agreed and immediately went to the kitchen to mix the dough so it could rise overnight. Though she used the same three-grain flour as usual, since the buns were meant for famine-stricken people, she used less refined white flour than she would for their own meals. They only had one bag of white flour, scavenged from Old Lady Shen’s house when they left.

Shen Qing watched thoughtfully and said, “In a few days, we should see if any villagers have extra grain. We should trade for some. If we’re going to make a business out of this, our little stash won’t be enough. We should get some finer grains for ourselves too.”

The autumn harvest had just passed, so most families had extra grain. Trading directly with the villagers would be cheaper than buying from the county and would save effort on both sides. Since they had no farmland of their own and only had what they took from Old Lady Shen’s house, running out of food was inevitable. Now that they had some extra money from the wild boar, no one would question them for stocking up.

“Let’s ask Second Aunt Lian’s family first. I also brought some pastries for them to thank them for their help,” Shen Qing said. Among relatives and neighbors, relationships needed to be maintained. If people helped you often, you should return the favor when you could. “And the rest of the pastries should be kept at home. Mom, if you’re hungry, just have some. I also bought you some brown sugar—make sure to drink some in hot water. It’s good for you.”

Miao Shi rubbed her hands together. “Why did you buy such an expensive thing?”

Shen Qing smirked and pulled out the bag of jewelry. He picked out the plain silver bracelets and used a pair of silver scissors to snip them into unrecognizable fragments. Even if he didn’t take them to the silver exchange, they could be spent piece by piece. “This is nothing. One day, when our money is properly accounted for, you’ll be eating shark fin soup and wearing gold and silver every day.”

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Song Kaiji sat cross-legged in front of his small stall, absentmindedly taking bites of a coarse grain biscuit issued by the base.

It’s true what they say—going from frugal to lavish is easy, but going from lavish to frugal is hard. This so-called coarse grain wasn’t the same as the pre-apocalypse healthy, organic grains, carrying the fragrance of the wild. Instead, it was a mix of various crops, ground together without even removing the husks, then pressed into biscuits. Rumor had it there was even ground-up corn cobs mixed in—stuff that had once been used as livestock feed was now considered human food.

Just two days ago, he had eaten the wild vegetable pancakes that Shen Qing had brought him, and now, eating this so-called food again, his stomach might be hungry, but his mouth found it as tasteless as chewing wax.

Maybe his situation hadn’t reached rock bottom yet, Song Kaiji thought. After all, even this kind of food had people around him eyeing it with longing, secretly swallowing their saliva. But then again, he had been lucky enough to run into a wealthy and generous benefactor just the other day.

He wondered when his benefactor daddy would come again… Song Kaiji sighed and stuffed the biscuit away, propping his chin on his hand and staring blankly into the distance. Today, he hadn’t received any odd jobs or missions, and only a couple of people had stopped by his stall to browse, leaving without buying anything. Essentially, he had made zero income.

He could, of course, venture further out alone to hunt zombies, but that was dangerous. Besides, fuel costs weren’t worth it, and biking that far was exhausting. So, he usually relied on missions whenever he could.

Although Shen Qing had said he would return, in the unpredictable world of the apocalypse, Song Kaiji didn’t dare to hold out much hope. Luck like that wasn’t something one could count on every day.

As he was lost in thought, he started to wonder if he was missing Shen Qing (or rather, Shen Qing’s food) so much that he was hallucinating. Wait, that young man approaching in a white hoodie, black tactical jacket, dark jeans, and a high bun, carrying a compound bow—why did he look so familiar?

“Song Kaiji!” Shen Qing called out excitedly, running over. Today, he carried an even larger backpack basket, wider than his shoulders, but it didn’t seem too heavy. Despite the load, he stood straight and tall, like a slender, upright poplar tree.

Shen Qing had taken a proper rest the day before, sleeping in until almost noon. He had been doing heavy labor, chopping firewood daily—it was exhausting, even if he had been pushing through on sheer willpower. Now that he finally had the chance to rest, he made sure to catch up on his sleep.

For lunch, he had eaten the cabbage and pork buns his mother had steamed. The skins were thin, the filling was generous, and one bite overflowed with flavorful, juicy meat. The buns were as big as his palm, and he had eaten four in one go, while Miao Shi had two.

The last two buns were now in the basket on his back, along with half a basket of steamed three-grain mantou and another half filled with sorghum grains packed in cloth sacks.

After lunch, Shen Qing had set off up the mountain while Miao Shi took the green scholar robe, a basket of sewing materials, and two pounds of pastries to visit Second Aunt Lian. She planned to alter the robe into a style suitable for a ger to wear, and chatting with a friend while working was certainly better than sitting alone at home.

The villagers, seeing Shen Qing heading out, were full of concern. “Qing Ge’er, you’re going up the mountain again? Didn’t you hurt your arm? Why rush back to work? You should rest more—these things can have lasting effects. You young ones shouldn’t take your health lightly.”

Shen Qing smiled. He genuinely appreciated this kind of simple, sincere concern. “Thank you, Aunt. I’m not chopping wood, just going up the mountain to pick some fruit and mushrooms. It’s not hard work.”

“So hardworking,” the aunt sighed enviously. Everyone loved wild mushrooms, but no one in their family dared to venture deep into the mountains to gather them—especially not with wild boars roaming around. Good things like that had to be earned with guts, and not everyone was willing to take that risk.

Shen Qing responded to the villagers’ greetings as he made his way up the mountain. When he reached the banyan tree, he carefully checked for any animal tracks—concerned that the scent of blood from before might have attracted predators, or that the wild boar’s family might have come looking for it.

Luckily, everything was just as he had left it. Climbing up the tree and slipping through the cave passage, he changed into his clothes and shoes from the other world, then gripped his compound bow tightly before stepping back onto the land of the apocalypse.

Thankfully, he didn’t run into any zombies or trouble this time. Shen Qing made his way to the southern wall of the base and quickly found Song Kaiji crouched by his stall.

Lifting a small corner of his basket cover, Shen Qing revealed a glimpse of the packed mantou inside. “I want to trade for more silver. Do you still have some?”

Song Kaiji: !!!

He jolted upright, hurriedly pressing the basket cover back down and pressing a finger to his lips. “Shh—come with me!”

Bringing such a massive load of food to the black market outside the base—was he trying to start a riot?! Song Kaiji was just a spatial ability user with low combat power—if a mob tried to rob him, he wouldn’t stand a chance!

In an instant, all the items on his stall disappeared into his space, and he grabbed Shen Qing’s wrist, dragging him into a secluded corner. “How could you just show it out in the open like that?!”

Shen Qing blinked, slightly confused, and discreetly withdrew his hand. “I didn’t, though. I only lifted a small corner and showed it just to you.”

He wasn’t stupid. After understanding this world’s situation, he would never blatantly display food. That would be no different from a child parading gold through a crowded marketplace.

Song Kaiji sighed. This world had people with special abilities, okay? Even if he had only lifted the cover a little, what if someone nearby had enhanced senses or was a psychic who could detect their surroundings without even looking? He cast another glance at Shen Qing, still unsure what kind of background this person had. He was ridiculously rich, yet seemed so sheltered and naive.

And… was it just his imagination, or did Shen Qing’s presence feel subtly different from two days ago? He was wearing the same outfit, but there was something… refreshed about him.

Dragging him a bit further away from prying eyes, Song Kaiji swallowed and asked, “What exactly do you want to trade?”

Shen Qing: …

You didn’t even hear what I wanted, yet you ran off dragging me like this? So sure you had what I needed?

“Silver. I want all silver. What’s the exchange rate between silver and food?” Shen Qing had thought about it and decided that silver was the most convenient form of currency for him. Those simple silver bangles, once cut into pieces, could be used as money directly—no need to go through another round of trading that might draw unwanted attention. Last time, he had been too flustered and inexperienced, trading with Song Kaiji in a rush. This time, he wanted to be thorough.

Song Kaiji didn’t even know how to respond. Silver was basically worthless now—if it fell on the ground, people wouldn’t even bother picking it up. Trading it for food felt like outright scamming. After some thought, he decided to stick to his honest reputation.

“If you were trading for gold, I could at least give you a fair rate. But silver… honestly, just a tiny bit of food could get you a whole lot.”

As he spoke, he rummaged through his space. This time, he didn’t limit himself to jewelry—anything made of silver came out: silver ingots, hairpins, bowls, teacups… Everything that had once been decorative in shops had been collected by Song Kaiji and was now piled in front of Shen Qing.

Shen Qing felt dizzy. Even though he had mentally prepared himself, why did he still feel overwhelmed by this pile of wealth?

After a long moment, he steadied himself and said, “I’ll take all of it. How much food do you want?”

Song Kaiji scratched his head. “Five pounds… or maybe three?” His eyes darted greedily toward the massive food basket. “Are you sure you don’t want to trade for something else?”

He had already brought all this food—was he really going to take it back home unchanged? It looked heavy… Shen Qing hesitated, then asked, “How much for gold? Exchange the rest for gold.” Then he added, “If you don’t have enough, ask around. You can take a cut for yourself.”

Song Kaiji nodded eagerly. He still had some gold in his space, probably enough to exchange for all the food in Shen Qing’s basket… However, at that moment, he realized that his initial judgment of Shen Qing might have been somewhat off.

Before, he had assumed that Shen Qing was just a wealthy Hanfu enthusiast or something similar, which explained his preference for jewelry. But now, it was clear that wasn’t the case—Shen Qing seemed to be solely interested in precious metals, not jewelry specifically. Gold bars, silver ingots—anything would do.

Could it be that the higher-ups in the base had discovered some new use for gold and silver? Song Kaiji’s hands paused for a moment, but then he quickly dismissed the thought. The value of gold in the base wasn’t exactly a secret. If there was a new demand for precious metals, why would Shen Qing be asking him about prices?

He opened his mouth, curiosity gnawing at him, but in the end, he said nothing. It was the apocalypse. Everyone had their own secrets, and no one liked having them pried into. Besides, even if he did find out, what difference would it make? If the person in front of him had some hidden background or unusual circumstances, what did that have to do with him?

He had no power, no influence, and his ability wasn’t even that strong. If he started digging into things he shouldn’t, he’d end up with nothing but trouble—maybe even lose his life. Song Kaiji shook his head internally. Better to focus on the food in front of him. Rather than risk offending Shen Qing by asking too much, he decided it was smarter to just play dumb and secure his gains.

With that in mind, he decided to take the opportunity to strengthen his relationship with this valuable customer. “Will you still need more gold and silver in the future? If so, I can keep an eye out and collect more from others. You can come to me for exchanges anytime, and I’ll make sure to give you a fair deal.”

“I do!” Shen Qing was thrilled. He had already noticed that his current load of food, weighing dozens of pounds, had likely exhausted all of Song Kaiji’s gold and silver reserves. Rather than going through the hassle of finding other traders himself, why not let Song Kaiji act as a broker? He was more than happy to let Song Kaiji take a small cut in exchange for saving him the trouble.

After finalizing the exchange, Shen Qing’s full basket of food was now replaced with half a basket of silverware and a small pouch of gold. Meanwhile, Song Kaiji had stored all the food into his space. Only then did Shen Qing pull out the two meat buns he had placed on top.

“…These are for you,” he said.

Saving the buns for Song Kaiji had felt completely natural, but now, handing them over suddenly felt awkward and unnecessary.

Song Kaiji was stunned. “These… these are too precious. How can I accept something so valuable?” Even a plain mantou this size could be traded for two crystal cores, let alone a meat-filled bun. He didn’t know what the filling was, but the aroma alone was already making his throat tighten, his Adam’s apple bobbing involuntarily.

Shen Qing was already feeling a little self-conscious about the whole thing. Hearing that, he frowned slightly. “If you don’t want them, I’ll just trade them with someone else.” He hadn’t really browsed the market much yet—maybe he’d find something on another stall that Song Kaiji didn’t have.

Song Kaiji froze, and before Shen Qing could react, he swiftly snatched the buns from his hands.

Shen Qing burst out laughing at the empty space where the buns had been. The two of them walked side by side for a while, eventually returning to the area near Song Kaiji’s stall by the southern wall. A few people greeted Song Kaiji, asking why he had suddenly disappeared while doing business. Song Kaiji mumbled some half-hearted responses, clearly distracted.

From a distance, Shen Qing once again noticed the group of young men and women who made a living selling their bodies. This time, however, his attention was drawn to an object in one of the women’s hands.

The woman appeared to have been abused, her body covered in bruises and swollen marks, even on her face. What might have once been a pretty face now looked battered and frightening.

Yet, she fumbled around and pulled out a small bottle. Pressing it a few times, a flesh-colored cream was dispensed onto the back of her hand. She carefully dabbed some onto the bruises at the corner of her lips, and miraculously, the dark blue-purple marks instantly faded.

She continued applying it patiently. Although her skin still had a faint bluish tint, the bruises gradually disappeared beneath her fingertips.

Shen Qing was mesmerized. His hand subconsciously moved to touch the pregnancy mark between his brows.

He had bought that blue silk robe so he could blend in as a man when walking the streets. But if he covered his pregnancy mark with dirt, wouldn’t it seem odd for a well-dressed gentleman to have dirt on his face? It would be strange.

But this miraculous flesh-colored cream was different—it blended seamlessly with the skin. He suspected it was some kind of face powder, though clearly much more advanced than what they had in his world.

Shen Qing had seen young village girls apply powder before, but it only made their faces paler. If they bought cheap powder, it would even have an unnatural grayish tint, making them look lifeless. It certainly couldn’t hide blemishes.

He was fascinated. He wanted to get his hands on a bottle.

Just as he was contemplating how to acquire one, he suddenly felt something cold against his fingertips. Looking down, he saw that Song Kaiji had already pulled out a small tube from his space and placed it in his hand.

“?”

The woman’s product was in a glass bottle, but the item Song Kaiji handed him was in a tube. He didn’t recognize the writing on it and had no idea what it was. But instinctively, he felt he shouldn’t ask. He just held the item in his hand, slightly stiff.

Song Kaiji’s strange feeling about Shen Qing only deepened. However, since he had already decided to respect other people’s secrets, he didn’t pry. Instead, he pointed at the woman and then touched Shen Qing’s brow. “Isn’t this what you wanted? It’s yours.” Then he flashed a bright smile. “Consider it payment for the two buns.”

Shen Qing immediately covered his forehead, glaring at Song Kaiji with a hint of anger—how improper! A ger’s pregnancy mark wasn’t something just anyone could touch!

But then he remembered that in this world, there were no gers. He pursed his lips and let it slide.

“Ah, that was my bad, I shouldn’t have touched you.” Song Kaiji scratched his head sheepishly and quickly pulled out a small mirror, holding it up to Shen Qing. “Here, I’ll hold the mirror for you to make up for it, okay? See if this works. I don’t really understand cosmetics, but I grabbed this because it was a big brand.” He hesitated before adding, “If it doesn’t work well, I have other brands in my space. I’ll swap it out until you’re satisfied.”

Shen Qing, however, was frozen in place.

This was the first time he had ever seen a mirror. The first time he had ever seen his face so clearly.

Back in his world, mirrors were a luxury. They had to be made from polished brass, and even a palm-sized piece would cost several qian of silver. He could never afford one, and he never dared to enter such expensive stores.

He had only ever seen his reflection in the water—blurry, distorted by ripples, and easily broken by the touch of a dragonfly.

The villagers had always said he looked bad. Shen Qing ran his fingers over his sharp, thick brows and his bright, slightly upturned eyes. He had been called too big for a ger, too rough-looking. Eventually, he had come to believe it—he worked in the fields every day, always covered in dirt. It wasn’t surprising if he didn’t look good.

But now, looking at himself alongside the handsome Song Kaiji, two striking faces reflected in the mirror—why did the village say he was ugly? What part of him was ugly?

“You okay?” Song Kaiji noticed something was off. He even thought Shen Qing was trembling slightly. “Are you cold? Or do you not know how to use this?”

Then, before Shen Qing could react, he clumsily smeared the concealer onto the pregnancy mark.

Shen Qing stared at the mirror, then suddenly smiled.

And he realized—he was beautiful.

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