Ch 109: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

No matter how much the Zhao family continued to argue with Old Lady Shen, Miao Shi no longer had the heart to pay attention. She walked home in a daze, so lost in thought that she nearly tripped over a clump of dirt at the doorstep.

Shen Qing quickly reached out to steady her. “Mother, what’s wrong?”

Miao Shi snapped back to reality. But she was torn—should she tell Shen Qing about her suspicions? If she kept it to herself, it would eat away at her. But if she spoke up, she had no proof. And now, with the Zhao family making such a scene, even the person she had suspected was no longer a possibility.

Or perhaps… there was no foul play at all. Maybe she was just overthinking things. Maybe this was fate, divine retribution for the Shen family’s misdeeds. Perhaps Shen Zhigao was simply destined never to have an heir… Ever since Shen Qing had discovered that cave, Miao Shi had grown even more convinced of fate, of gods and spirits.

The more she thought about it, the more muddled her thoughts became. After hesitating for a long time, she decided to keep it to herself for now and observe for a while before deciding whether to bring it up with Shen Qing. So instead, she shook her head. “It’s nothing… Qing Ge’er, earlier you said you had something to tell me. What is it?”

She had rushed out so quickly that she hadn’t even given Shen Qing a chance to speak.

Shen Qing pressed his lips together before leading her into the courtyard and shutting the gate behind them. Then he said, “Mother, I… I’ve fallen for someone. I want to marry him.”

Miao Shi was stunned for a moment before a wave of joy washed over her. Perhaps it was because, for people of her generation and era, marriage and having children were the most important duties, ingrained into their very bones. Many of Shen Qing’s peers in the village already had children. She often envied Second Aunt Lian, who always had Lian Qiao in her arms. Now that Shen Qing had brought up marriage, the gloom in her heart was dispelled.

“That’s wonderful! Who is it? Someone from our village? Or from Shiqu Village? Have you spoken with him? Has his family agreed?”

Shen Qing had previously told her he wouldn’t consider marriage this year, and she had been worried that the older he got, the harder it would be to find a match. Now that he had finally opened his heart, it was a joyous occasion!

Finding out what had happened in the past was important, but no matter how much she dug, Shen Zhang and the child she lost would never come back. However, Shen Qing getting married—that would bring new life, new hope.

“We’ve talked about it. He likes me, too. He really likes me… And his family shouldn’t have any objections either.” Shen Qing spoke softly, and for once, the usually straightforward ger showed a bit of shyness when talking about his beloved. “But… he’s not from our village. Not from Shiqu Village either. He’s from that world. It’s Song Kaiji, the first person I met there.”

“His father is gone, and it’s just him and his mother. I want to bring them both over so the four of us can live together as a family. Later, Song Kaiji and I can travel between both worlds to earn more money. Or, once we’ve made enough and gathered what we need, we can stop going back entirely. We could move to the county, or when the estate in the mountains is finished, we can live there.” Shen Qing was already envisioning a future with Song Kaiji.

Miao Shi was dumbfounded. It took her a moment to find her voice. “Can… can this even work? The people over there…” She couldn’t even explain what she was afraid of. A person from another world—someone she had only ever heard about in Shen Qing’s stories—was suddenly going to become part of her family. The idea made her uneasy.

Shen Qing guided her to sit down. “Mother, he’s a good person. He’s kind. When we first met, he helped me. Every time I was in danger, he protected me and stood in front of me. I’m bringing this up with you first. I’ll bring him over to meet you, and you can decide for yourself. If you think he’s a good match, then we can talk about bringing his mother over too. How about that?”

He understood her fear and hesitation. After all, even he had taken so long to make this decision.

“If it doesn’t work out, we’ll discuss it again.” Shen Qing knelt on the footstool, resting his head on her lap. “But I believe once you meet him, you’ll like him. He’s different from the boys in our village.”

Shen Qing had rarely talked to Miao Shi about his experiences in the other world. There were too many things he had kept hidden from her, and much of it wasn’t easy to explain. He had also feared worrying her. But now, he carefully recounted his time with Song Kaiji.

He spoke of how Song Kaiji was not only handsome but also genuine. In that world, there were no gers, but Song Kaiji had never looked down on women. He had always treated Qu Weiwei and Mother Tang with respect.

He never took out his frustrations on those weaker than himself. To him, everyone was equal.

He was well-educated, likely more knowledgeable than even a xiucai (scholar), yet he never belittled Shen Qing for being illiterate. Instead, he felt sorry for him, believing that if Shen Qing had the opportunity to study, he would have been a thousand, ten thousand times more successful than he already was.

He wasn’t the strongest man, but he had responsibility and courage. He was filial to his mother. Whenever there was danger, even if he wasn’t sure he could win, he would still step forward to protect others. He never pushed someone else into harm’s way. If they got married and faced hardship, he would surely stand firm as the pillar of the family.

One by one, Shen Qing listed Song Kaiji’s qualities, realizing only now just how many good things there were about him.

Miao Shi gently stroked his hair. As she listened, her fear of the unknown slowly dissipated. At the same time, she began to see just how deeply Shen Qing cared for Song Kaiji.

When had she ever seen Qing Ge’er like this?

“Then bring him over and let me meet him. I trust that my Qing Ge’er has good taste.”

Shen Qing suddenly sat up. “Let me show you what he looks like!”

He pulled out his phone and played a video of Song Kaiji reciting San Zi Jing (Three Character Classic). At first, Miao Shi was startled by the glowing device that could talk and display images. But then, her eyes were drawn to Song Kaiji.

Indeed, he was a handsome young man. His features were well-proportioned—eyes where they should be, nose where it should be. Aside from having shorter hair, he looked no different from the men here.

The more she looked, the more reassured she felt. People often said that the more a mother-in-law looked at her son-in-law, the more she liked him. And as Miao Shi stared at the video, she started looking forward to meeting Song Kaiji.

“So, when are you bringing him over?” she asked.

Shen Qing gently traced his fingers over Song Kaiji’s face in the video. He missed him.

“Once I finalize the workshop location with the village chief and hire the builders, I’ll go back to get him.”

Before selecting a site, Shen Qing made a trip to Xiahe Village. Hunter Liu and his husband were surprised that in just half a year, Shen Qing had earned enough money to buy property. But after a brief discussion, they decided to sell the small courtyard to him.

Hunter Liu had already settled in Xiahe Village with his husband and had built a new home there. Since they had no plans to return to their old house, it was better to sell it to Shen Qing and use the money to buy two more acres of land in Xiahe Village.

Shen Qing and Hunter Liu agreed on a price of twenty taels and arranged to go to the county office after the new year to finalize the contract. It was a fair price—Hunter Liu’s family had given him a good deal. The small courtyard at the foot of the mountain had a large plot of land, built with solid blue bricks and quality materials. If not for the fact that it had few rooms, the price would have been much higher. If Shen Qing had tried to build something similar for twenty taels, he wouldn’t have been able to match the quality.

For Hunter Liu’s family, the house had been vacant for a long time, and factoring in depreciation, they were satisfied with the price as well.

Shen Qing, returning the favor, told them not to refund the rent for the second half of the year—after all, that money had come from Old Shen’s family, and he had no qualms about letting them take the loss.

With the courtyard secured, Shen Qing decided to set up the workshop on the empty land beside it. He headed to the village chief’s house to discuss the construction and the hiring process.

In the village, there wasn’t a single man who didn’t know how to build a house. Everyone helped each other out when constructing their homes—though the houses might not be as grand as those in the county, they were just as sturdy.

Since he planned to have Madam Guixiang and Zhao Shi manage the workshop, Shen Qing didn’t intend to interfere in the construction process. He placed two ten-tael silver ingots on the table and carefully outlined his plans:

“The courtyard needs to be spacious—twice the size of the current vermicelli workshop. We’ll have two grinding mills in the yard, with livestock to pull them. The open space will be used for drying starch. At the front, we’ll build three large main rooms, with two side rooms on each side for chopping, seasoning, and sausage stuffing. A row of back rooms will serve as storage. The walls can be made of mud bricks, but the main rooms should use good bricks and tiles.”

Since starch sausages required large amounts of sweet potato starch, the priority was storage and grinding.

The village chief clicked his tongue in amazement. Shen Qing wanted a spacious courtyard with sturdy materials—just the bricks and tiles alone would cost thirty taels, not to mention labor. But considering they were working for a powerful backer, it wasn’t surprising that wealthy patrons wanted only the best. The villagers were lucky to benefit from such an opportunity.

Shen Qing then pulled out a smaller five-tael silver ingot and handed it to Zhao Shi. “I’ll leave buying the bricks and tiles to you. I also have a personal favor to ask. I’ve bought the courtyard we’re living in now, and I want to renovate it. The house itself is well-built, but the thatched roof leaks when it rains or snows. When you order tiles for the workshop, order an extra batch for my house.”

Zhao Shi scratched his head sheepishly, gripping the silver in his hand. “Qing Ge’er, why waste money? We’re already buying so many tiles for the workshop—just set a few aside for your house.”

Before he could finish, both Madam Guixiang and his wife, Qin Yingzi, nudged him from either side, seeing Shen Qing’s expression turn cold.

Shen Qing chuckled. That was exactly the problem.

In the village, taking a little from a shared project wasn’t considered stealing—it was as common as plucking cucumbers from a neighbor’s garden. Even those who worked in the county had a habit of taking scraps or leftovers from their workplaces. To many, it wasn’t theft at all.

But Shen Qing didn’t want that kind of practice in his business. This was his workshop—there wasn’t some distant master funding it. If he saw villagers taking things home every day, how many times would he have to get angry?

“Our backer is generous,” Shen Qing continued. “Aunt Guixiang, Zhao Shi, and Yingzi will be managing the workshop. Starting today, each of you will receive a monthly wage of five hundred wen. When we hire villagers for work, we’ll pay them well too.”

The village chief wouldn’t be hired—having a village chief work for a business would undermine his authority.

Madam Guixiang’s hands trembled. Each of their three family members would earn five hundred wen, totaling one and a half strings of cash—a whole tael of silver! Their entire family barely earned three to five taels a year from farming. “T-this is too much! We’d be fine with five hundred wen total! And the workshop hasn’t even started yet; we haven’t done much—how can we start taking wages now?”

Zhao Shi also hesitated. “Bringing in a few carts of bricks isn’t a big deal. We have oxen at home—it’s just a small favor.”

Shen Qing insisted. “Take it. Zhao Shi, you’re not just fetching bricks—you and your wife need to start selecting workers now. We need to finish the workshop before spring planting. Our backer is generous, but city people have strict rules. We must hire the most diligent, honest workers.”

He fixed Zhao Shi with a firm look. “I know the village is full of relatives, and it’s hard not to play favorites. But I can’t break the backer’s rules. If the accounts don’t add up or if the backer inspects the place and finds issues, we’ll all be in trouble. So don’t suggest setting aside materials for personal use—it can’t happen. And you’ll need to make sure no one else does it either.”

Zhao Shi finally understood. Though he still felt taking a little extra wasn’t a big deal, he realized he couldn’t risk it—if he got caught, it would be on him and Shen Qing.

“I understand. I’ll make sure everything is in order. We won’t let the backer find any faults.”

Shen Qing didn’t care whether Zhao Shi truly agreed with the principle—what mattered was that he followed the rules.

Turning to Madam Guixiang, he added, “Find the best builders in the village—ones who are reliable and skilled. I’ll pay them ten wen a day, plus breakfast and lunch. Yingzi, you’ll be in charge of meals—two dishes a day, one with meat. You’ll also handle ingredient purchases. You can either cook yourself or hire someone, either way, you’ll get ten wen a day.”

Qin Yingzi blinked. “I… I can get paid for both?”

“Why not? As long as you can handle the work. But, like I said, when buying ingredients, the accounts must be precise. Not a single scrap of meat can be taken home.”

With such high wages, no one would dare risk losing the job by sneaking food. Qin Yingzi quickly nodded. “Don’t worry, Qing Ge’er—I won’t let you down!”

Village chief Zhao Youdang opened his mouth several times but found no place to interject. His son was fumbling with words, and when he finally spoke, he only managed to get himself scolded.

For the first time, the village chief found himself unable to get a word in. He was used to being the head of the household and the village, and this shift felt uncomfortable.

Sensing his unease, Shen Qing turned to him. “Village Chief, do you have any advice? I’m just following the backer’s instructions, but my experience is limited. If there’s anything I’ve missed, I’d appreciate your guidance.”

Zhao Youdang smacked his lips a few times but had nothing to say. “You’ve done well. Now that you’re working for a backer, you’ve picked up city manners—you even handle things better than I do.”

He had wanted to ask whether the workshop would hire anyone from Old Shen’s family, but looking at Shen Qing, who now carried himself with confidence and authority, he hesitated.

No, he didn’t just hesitate—he didn’t dare ask.

Yes, didn’t dare. He, the village chief, actually felt intimidated by a young ger from his own village. It made him deeply uneasy.

That night, he brought it up in private with Madam Guixiang.

But Madam Guixiang, still basking in satisfaction, had no patience for it. A few days ago, Shen Qing had taught Second Aunt Lian’s family how to make starch sausages, and though she had been promised a managerial role, she still felt a bit jealous. Now, with everything settled, she was finally pleased.

“Qing Ge’er is a loyal and thoughtful child. I didn’t dote on him for nothing!” she said proudly.

Hearing Zhao Youdang’s words, Madam Guixiang’s good mood immediately vanished. “Are you out of your mind? I think Qing Ge’er is just too easygoing, and you’re taking advantage of it! He’s giving our family one tael of silver a month—do you think that’s so we can make trouble for him?”

She had already been in a sour mood the past few days since Li Jiaofeng went into labor, and now he was bringing up Old Shen’s family again?

“I was just asking. The workshop belongs to the backer, not Qing Ge’er. Now that the hiring is in your hands, not Qing Ge’er’s, he won’t be watching over every little detail. He’s busy working for the backer, isn’t he?” Zhao Youdang muttered. Shen Qing was delegating responsibilities because he didn’t have time to handle everything himself. That was why he had brought others in to help.

“Then let me ask you this—how deep is your bond with Shen Zhigao that you keep trying to help him?”

“It’s not about my relationship with him,” Zhao Youdang admitted after a moment of thought. It was more about himself. “If the entire village can work at the workshop except for Old Shen’s family, then doesn’t that set a precedent? Does that mean that in the future, anyone who offends Qing Ge’er will also be barred? Today it’s Old Shen’s family. What if next it’s Zhao Aiye’s family? Li Jiaofeng’s former in-laws? Wang Liuzi’s family? Are we going to keep excluding people like this?”

Madam Guixiang hesitated, pressing her lips together. “That won’t happen. Qing Ge’er isn’t like that. It’s just Old Shen’s family—end of story. As for Wang Liuzi’s family, I won’t stop them, but Wang Liuzi himself won’t be coming. That’s my decision, not Qing Ge’er’s. And honestly, if Old Shen’s family and Wang Liuzi had any pride, they wouldn’t even try to come!”

“You’re thinking about this all wrong! And especially as my wife, how can you act so unfairly?” The more Zhao Youdang thought about it, the more frustrated he became. As the village chief, his job was to maintain fairness in the village. But if things continued this way, Shen Qing’s influence would rise dramatically. People who sided with Shen Qing would get good jobs and a better life, while those who clashed with him would inevitably be pushed aside.

Worse still, his own authority as village chief would diminish. If Old Shen’s family or Wang Liuzi’s family came to him for help and he couldn’t intervene, wouldn’t that mean his power was lower than Shen Qing’s? And in this matter—especially when it involved the backer—it really was lower. He hadn’t even met the backer yet.

If this went on, the entire village’s power dynamics and social rules would shift.

Madam Guixiang listened to him, her expression darkening. “So, according to you, our family made a mistake taking this job? And Qing Ge’er shouldn’t be paying us a tael of silver a month?”

Zhao Youdang sighed. That was the problem—he couldn’t bring himself to turn down that tael of silver.

A deep sense of powerlessness settled over him. He could see the issue clearly, but even he couldn’t resist the temptation of money. How could he expect the rest of the village to?

“Forget it. There’s no point arguing.” The only good thing was that Qing Ge’er wasn’t the kind of person to act tyrannically. Since he couldn’t sort this out, and since all he got for his trouble was a cold glare from his wife, Zhao Youdang threw himself onto the heated brick bed in frustration. The fire beneath the kang burned hot, but for the first time, it wasn’t just his back that felt like it was roasting—his entire being was on fire.

Madam Guixiang sighed and bent down to help him take off his shoes. “I understand what you’re saying. But you should know—over in Ankang County, the land is better than ours, and many high-ranking officials and wealthy families have built estates in the countryside there. The villages near those estates? They’ve already changed the way you’re worried about.

Those who are close to the estate managers get benefits, while those who offend them can’t even survive. I have distant relatives living there, and I’ve heard the stories—some villages are completely at the mercy of corrupt estate managers. Families have even sent their daughters to be concubines just to gain favor. And once they gain power, they turn around and bully their own people.

That’s what it looks like when a village truly falls apart.

But first of all, Qing Ge’er isn’t that kind of person. And second, do you think you can stop it even if you try? If the workshop wasn’t built in our village but in Shiqu Village or Xiahe Village, our villagers would still be sucking up to Qing Ge’er and the workshop managers. The only difference is that we’d be behind instead of ahead. And don’t forget, this isn’t the only big project coming—who knows what the estate owner up on the mountain will do when they start building?

“This isn’t something a small village chief like you can resist. You’d be better off making sure we’re the ones managing things. At least that way, I can make sure we don’t mistreat people or force anyone’s daughter to become a concubine.” She nudged him with her foot. “What, are you the only one who wants to keep his head buried in the sand while everyone else moves forward?”

Zhao Youdang just stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

---

Early the next morning, before Zhao Shi had even set out to buy bricks and tiles, Old Shen’s family came knocking.

Li Jiaofeng had fought through two days and a night of labor and had finally given birth to a child. By sheer luck—or perhaps thanks to the physician’s diagnosis—she had managed to deliver a son. But the ordeal had left her weak, and the newborn’s cries were feeble.

Old Lady Shen was still in the county taking care of her, while Shen Zhigao rushed back to the village to borrow a cart.

“The county medical hall is robbing us blind—two days and a night, and we’ve been bled dry. They even gave us a bunch of prescriptions, but we don’t have a single coin left for medicine. We’re borrowing from every relative we can. We need a cart to bring Jiaofeng home early, so we can at least save on some expenses…”

Zhao Shi gripped the reins of his ox cart and turned to look at his parents.

“Lend it to him.” Madam Guixiang sighed in the end. She couldn’t stand seeing Shen Zhigao’s pitiful expression, especially when it was directed at her husband. But it wasn’t for him, nor for Li Jiaofeng—it was for the newborn child. At least this way, they would be doing a good deed. “You go ahead and select the best bricks and tiles, pay for the right amount, and pick them up in a few days. The ground is still frozen, so construction can’t start right away. A slight delay won’t hurt.”

Besides, construction couldn’t just start at random. Even if Qing Ge’er wasn’t superstitious, she was—she planned to find a feng shui expert to pick an auspicious date for breaking ground. That way, everything would begin smoothly, and business would prosper.

News about Shen Qing’s connections in the county and the workshop plans had spread throughout the village. Naturally, it had reached Old Shen’s family as well. Shen Zhigao kept his head down, saying nothing more as he led the mule away.

But after walking a few steps, he turned back and hesitated before saying to Zhao Youdang, “Brother… we’re really short on money. I’ll pay you back for borrowing the mule later…”

Madam Guixiang spun on her heel, marched inside, and slammed the door shut with a deafening bang.

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