Ch 105: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Shen Qing was restless, his mind in turmoil as he walked home with his head down. It wasn’t until he arrived that he remembered Miao Shi was still staying in Shiqu Village for a while.

The house had been empty for days, devoid of any sign of life. The kitchen was cold, the stove untouched, and the heated brick bed was icy. The biting wind of the first month of the lunar year made him shiver. The yard was eerily silent, except for the occasional cluck from the chickens in the back.

Sitting on the doorstep, Shen Qing tilted his head back to look at the half-moon above. The further he walked from Song Kaiji, the more he felt like a piece of his own heart was missing—just like that incomplete moon.

His fingers brushed over the jade pendant at his chest. He sat there for a long time before finally making up his mind. Getting up, he went to the kitchen, took a knife, and cut his finger, letting his blood drip onto the pendant.

The pendant had originally been a pale yellow-green. The first time Zhang Sujuan’s blood stained it, a faint fingerprint had appeared, though it had vanished after being wiped away. The second time, when Li Aiguo’s blood seeped in, fine red veins formed within the jade, making it resemble a bloodstone.

But when Shen Qing’s blood fell onto it, the jade absorbed it completely, like a sponge. The blood disappeared before his eyes, leaving no trace on the surface.

At the same time, the red veins within the pendant spread further, deepening in color, becoming an even richer crimson.

Amazed by what he had just witnessed, Shen Qing dripped a few more drops of blood onto the pendant. However, this time, there was no reaction. The droplets simply sat on the surface.

His curiosity only grew. As he picked up the pendant, the moment his fingertips touched it, a strange sensation surged within him—an undeniable pull, as if the pendant was trying to form a connection with him, luring him to explore its depths.

After a moment of hesitation, he closed his eyes and followed the pull, allowing himself to be drawn into the pendant’s space.

What he saw inside was different from what Zhang Sujuan had described.

The interior resembled their rented house in Red City Base, though much larger, with a four-bedroom, two-living-room layout. Right outside the master bedroom, an old-fashioned stone pool stood, looking oddly out of place amidst the rest of the modern décor. A small spring bubbled at its center, continuously pouring out clear water.

He recalled how Zhang Sujuan had suddenly awakened her “water ability” and quickly realized that it must have originated from this very spring. With a thought, he extended a finger, and sure enough, a tiny stream of water materialized at his fingertip.

Scooping some into a bowl, he took a sip. The water was sweet and refreshing, leaving a faintly invigorating sensation after drinking.

Zhang Sujuan had been at death’s door, barely hanging on, yet she had suddenly recovered enough to make it to Red City Base. Shen Qing had already suspected that this water had some healing properties. Later, Song Kaiji had frequently given it to Ge Bingbing—no doubt for the same reason.

The small pendant felt unusually heavy in his hand.

Shen Qing pushed those thoughts aside for now and continued to explore. Behind the spring was the master bedroom. On the bedside table, several picture frames were neatly arranged—photos of Song Kaiji’s family. One was a family portrait of all three together, another showed just Zhang Sujuan and Li Aiguo, standing close, their intimacy clear even through the photograph. It was evident how much love they had for each other.

They were truly in love. Shen Qing thought to himself, they were different from Shen Zhigao and Miao Shi. Li Aiguo may not have been a perfect man, but he had been a good husband and a good father.

Who in this world is truly perfect?

Shen Qing’s mind lingered on those photos, circling around them as if unable to decide whether he felt admiration, envy, or something else. Only after a long while did he finally look away. On the windowsill, he noticed something unexpected—a… steamed bun?

Shen Qing stared at the bun, completely out of place in its surroundings. It even looked oddly familiar. There was a small piece of chive stuck on the folds—something many steamed bun vendors did to mark different flavors, or what a household might do when making multiple types of buns at once.

Like Mother Tang… and the bun did indeed look exactly like the ones she made. The night they rescued Zhang Sujuan from the factory, that was what they had eaten.

A suspicion rose in Shen Qing’s mind. He reached out and attempted to take the bun, and just as he thought, the next second, it appeared in his palm. He then placed it into an empty bowl, focused his thoughts, and watched as the bowl and bun both materialized inside the room.

It was a space. A space similar to Song Kaiji’s ability but enhanced by the presence of a spiritual spring, making it even more valuable.

Shen Qing had once envied Song Kaiji so much, longing for a space ability of his own. If he had a space like this, he wouldn’t have had to carry sacks of grain on his shoulders through the apocalypse. He wouldn’t have had to hide his crossbow bolts in the house, fearing discovery by the authorities. He wouldn’t have had to worry about his family’s wealth being stolen.

Yet now, with a space truly in his possession, he didn’t feel the excitement he had imagined. Instead, it weighed heavily on him.

Song Kaiji had given it to him so easily. Even after Shen Qing had practically admitted he might never return, Song Kaiji still hadn’t hesitated.

Why? What was he after? Did he truly believe Shen Qing would feel guilty and come back?

… No. Maybe he hadn’t been gambling on that at all. Maybe he simply wanted to give it to Shen Qing, regardless of whether he ever returned.

This house seemed to be the former home of Song Kaiji’s family. From the master bedroom, Shen Qing moved to the secondary bedroom, where traces of Song Kaiji were everywhere.

A baseball bat and baseball sat in the corner. Strange-looking posters covered the walls. The bookshelf was lined with books. Interested in learning, Shen Qing reached out to take one, only to find, to his shock, that he couldn’t remove it.

A moment of panic surged in him—had the space lost its function now that it was in his hands? He quickly tested by putting away some items from the kitchen, but that worked perfectly. After several more tests, he realized something: aside from the steamed bun and the spiritual spring water, nothing inside the house could be removed. However, anything new he placed inside could be taken in and out freely.

Why was this? Was it because Zhang Sujuan had bonded with the pendant before him? Did that mean anything she put in was beyond his control? But then, what about the bun?

Shen Qing couldn’t figure it out. Perhaps he could ask Song Kaiji or Zhang Sujuan next time—next time.

There would be a next time, right? Shen Qing rubbed the pendant between his fingers. Could he really accept something so valuable without hesitation? If it were just from Song Kaiji, it wouldn’t matter. But this pendant had originally been intended for Zhang Sujuan’s future daughter-in-law. If he wasn’t going to take that place, what right did he have to accept it?

Besides, the master bedroom still held so many traces of Zhang Sujuan and Li Aiguo’s life together. With Li Aiguo gone, if he took this pendant away, Zhang Sujuan would never see these things again.

There would be a next time. Shen Qing convinced himself. Now that he finally had a space, it would be easier to transport supplies. Even if he and Song Kaiji were to part ways, he could at least fill this space to the brim with food and leave it for him, ensuring he would never have to worry about survival again.

With a deep sigh, Shen Qing set aside his thoughts.

The next morning, he set off for Shiqu Village to pick up Miao Shi. As soon as he stepped out of the yard, he ran into some early-rising villagers out for a stroll.

“Oh! Qing Ge’er, you’re back! When did you return?”

“How did your trip go?”

“Did you talk to that nobleman? Is he coming to our village to set up a workshop?”

Their eyes sparkled with anticipation as they crowded around him.

Only then did Shen Qing recall that before leaving, he had promised the villagers he would try to establish a starch sausage workshop. It had only been six or seven days since then, but so much had happened that it had completely slipped his mind.

“I came back last night. The trip… went well, I’d say. I’ve already spoken to the nobleman,” Shen Qing replied. “I need to go to Shiqu Village first to fetch my mother. After that, I’ll head to the village chief’s house to discuss the details. Everyone, just wait for the news.”

“Really?” This was fantastic news—the best way to start the year! Some less tactful villagers pressed him for more details, but most quickly dispersed to share the good news with their friends and family.

After deflecting a few more questions, Shen Qing finally managed to head to Shiqu Village.

Miao Shi had not been free from visitors either. People from Shiqu Village had frequently come by to ask her if the workshop in Lantang Village would be hiring from surrounding villages.

“This was arranged by Qing Ge’er. He’ll be the one managing it, right? Chunlei, you’re from Shiqu Village—if you could help the folks here get an opportunity, that’d be great.”

Miao Shi wasn’t bothered. It wasn’t an unreasonable request. “I can’t make decisions on behalf of the nobleman, but I’ll bring it up with Qing Ge’er. If it’s possible, I’m sure he’ll consider it.”

That was all Shiqu villagers needed to hear. Though their village was well-off, with many men able to find good jobs in town, there were still plenty of women and ger who stayed home. No one ever thought they had too much money—if the men worked in town and the women could work in a workshop in Lantang Village, wouldn’t that be even better?

So when they saw Shen Qing entering the village, they couldn’t have been more enthusiastic. After hearing their concerns, he replied, “Why not? If the business grows, we could even set up a separate workshop in Shiqu Village.”

He didn’t care which village it was based in. The more people who relied on him for their livelihood, the safer he would be. Besides, he had a better impression of the people from Shiqu Village than some from Lantang. Shen Qing wasn’t sentimental about villages—what mattered to him were individual relationships. If someone treated him well, he would return the favor.

Old Lady Miao clicked her tongue in surprise. “Qing Ge’er talks big. Do you think a workshop just pops into existence because you say so?”

Shen Qing poured her half a bowl of hot water, then discreetly turned his back to the others and added half a bowl of spiritual spring water before stirring in a spoonful of honey. Then, he handed it to her. He had long been pondering how to heal Old Lady Miao’s leg without revealing the cave’s secret. With the spring water, things had become much simpler.

“This isn’t a big deal. The nobleman I know wants to establish several businesses in Anping County. He was already planning to open workshops, so why not here? He values me, and I’ll talk to him—what’s wrong with opening one in Shiqu Village?”

Old Lady Miao was stunned. Why did this all sound so effortless when Shen Qing said it?

Meanwhile, Li Yanzi and Liu Yue’e were grinning ear to ear. Their families had already profited from the tofu business, but they had relatives in other villages. If the workshop became a reality and Shen Qing was in charge, wouldn’t he give some face to his relatives’ in-laws?

They became even more attentive to Shen Qing and Miao Shi. Li Yanzi even pulled Miao Yu over. “Since you taught him to use that crossbow, he’s been practicing non-stop. He’s actually gotten pretty good at it. We didn’t sell tofu over the New Year, so he was bored and set up a target in the yard.”

She hesitated before adding, “Qing Ge’er, now that you’ve made connections with a nobleman, do you think you could find an opportunity for Miao Yu?”

Miao Wang’s face turned red. He knew better than anyone how Li Yanzi had treated Shen Qing before. And now, she had the audacity to ask for favors?

How could she not try to find a connection? Li Yanzi had always set her sights higher than Miao Wang! Running a small tofu workshop was nothing—eventually, they would have to split profits with the main branch of the family. But if she could use Qing Ge’er to secure a position in front of a nobleman, a managerial role, for example, then that would be entirely different. Even the lowest-ranking official at a prime minister’s gate held some power—working as a steward for a noble came with a monthly salary, respect, and prestige!

Shen Qing didn’t mind either way. He went to the backyard to inspect the target Miao Yu had been practicing on. It was surprisingly well-done. He nodded and said, “Alright then. Xiao Yu is my closest brother—if I don’t help him, who else would I help?” He patted Miao Yu’s shoulder. “Train well. In the future, when I set up a security team for the workshop, you’ll be the captain!”

Then, turning to Miao Wang, he continued, “As for manpower when Xiao Yu leaves… Uncle and my cousins grinding soybeans every day is too tiring. I think it’s time the family bought a draft animal to help out—wouldn’t that lighten the workload? And with a strong animal, Eldest Cousin’s wedding will be more dignified too.”

As he spoke, Shen Qing reached into his sleeve and placed two ten-tael silver ingots on the kang table. “A donkey or a mule would do. I’ll cover the cost. Just don’t mention it to outsiders—say we saved it up from the tofu business.”

The Miao family’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. They had always heard Shen Qing talking about how highly the nobleman valued him, but it had always felt somewhat abstract. Now, seeing real, gleaming silver in front of them, they finally understood—it was real. Qing Ge’er was truly on the rise!

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