Ch 111: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Three days later, under the guidance of the Feng Shui master invited by Madam Guixiang, they performed the land worship ceremony, burned yellow paper offerings, and set off a string of firecrackers. Under the expectant gazes of the villagers, Shen Qing gripped the shovel and dug the first scoop of soil, officially marking the start of construction for the Lantang Village starch sausage workshop.

Shen Qing had witnessed many significant occasions by now, but being watched by the entire village with such anticipation still made him feel uneasy. He awkwardly shoveled the soil, feeling somewhat restrained. Then, someone in the crowd started cheering, and a wave of enthusiastic applause erupted.

The applause was genuine. Most of the villagers’ faces were beaming with joy, even more than during the recent New Year celebrations. The workshop had hired many locals, benefiting almost every household. Not to mention the daily wage of ten wen—just the two meals provided each day were already more than satisfying!

Qin Yingzi ultimately couldn’t bear to part with the ten wen daily wage. With Madam Guixiang’s support, she took on the job of cooking. Shen Qing was paying well, so each meal included one meat dish and two vegetable dishes, served in heaping bowls, with unlimited sorghum wheat buns. Any leftover food could be taken home, but buns had to be eaten on-site and could not be taken away. Fortunately, since the New Year had just passed, most households weren’t short on food. Only those in particularly difficult situations brought their own pickled vegetables to eat with buns while saving the better dishes for their families.

Since Miao Shi’s maternal family ran a tofu shop, Qin Yingzi wisely placed a large order with Miao Xing’s household. In a roundabout way, a small portion of the money eventually ended up back in Shen Qing’s pocket. The first meal served was braised chicken with potatoes and chestnuts, frozen tofu stewed with cabbage and vermicelli, and braised radish with vegetarian chicken. Though the two chickens, shared among twenty to thirty men, only amounted to three or four pieces per person, the generous portions and delicious flavors had everyone giving their approval with raised thumbs.

Some were already wondering what would be served for dinner. Qin Yingzi didn’t mind their inquiries and openly discussed the menu: “How about pickled cabbage stewed with pork ribs? I’ll also make stir-fried shredded potatoes with dried tofu and a big pot of radish bone broth.” Fresh vegetables were scarce in winter, so rotating between cabbage, radish, and potatoes was the norm.

Shen Qing took a walk around the construction site. Everything was running smoothly, with everyone working in high spirits. Whoever saw him greeted him with a smile. The workers Madam Guixiang had selected were all quick-handed and diligent, with no one slacking off. After observing for a while, Shen Qing headed back to his courtyard.

Taking advantage of this auspicious day for breaking ground, the roofing work on Shen Qing’s house also started. However, unlike the construction site, he didn’t allow the village men to help in his yard—too many hands could lead to chaos. Instead, Second Uncle Lian, his son Lian Shi, and Zhao Shit handled the work. The three of them could finish the roofing in a single day.

The Lian family was known for being reserved, speaking little but working with meticulous precision.

Zhao Youdang glanced around before approaching Shen Qing, handing over a stack of written contracts. These were the property and land deeds for the starch sausage workshop, officially issued by the village, all registered under Shen Qing’s name. Zhao Youdang still found it strange. Taking advantage of the moment when no one else was around, he hesitated before asking, “Qing Ge’er, this workshop is such a big undertaking—shouldn’t your benefactor come take a look?” He held the contracts in his hands, unsure whether to hand them over. “Such a large workshop is registered entirely under your name. Does the benefactor know about this?”

Shen Qing took the contracts from him and carefully looked through them. He could now recognize some basic characters, and at a glance, nothing seemed off. If necessary, he could later ask Song Kaiji to double-check. Yet another benefit of having Song Kaiji around—soon, Shen Qing would no longer be illiterate and wouldn’t have to worry about being deceived by written agreements. Casually folding and storing the contracts, he replied, “We think this workshop is a huge enterprise, something we wouldn’t even dare to dream of. But in the benefactor’s eyes, it’s nothing more than a drop in the ocean—not worth their attention. They have countless businesses. If they had to personally oversee every small workshop opening, they’d be exhausted.”

Hearing this, Zhao Youdang clicked his tongue in amazement. From what he had seen alone, his wife and son had already handled over forty to fifty taels of silver, yet this was considered insignificant? The benefactor’s status seemed even more formidable in his mind.

Shen Qing continued, “As for why the property deeds are all under my name… don’t ask too much. That grand household has its own complexities—far beyond what we villagers can understand. This was the benefactor’s decision, and I don’t fully understand it myself.”

By now, Shen Qing had learned his lesson. Back when he had gone to the pawnshop, no matter how carefully he crafted his lies, they had been seen through. It was better to remain vague and let others draw their own conclusions. As expected, Zhao Youdang started speculating. Could it be that powerful families were secretly acquiring private properties without informing their clans?

Or perhaps, as rumors said, officials weren’t allowed to engage in business directly, so they registered businesses under the names of relatives or trusted subordinates. If the benefactor was an official, they certainly wouldn’t worry about reclaiming the assets. Could it be that the benefactor Shen Qing was connected to was actually a government official?

With these thoughts, Zhao Youdang’s gaze shifted past Shen Qing to the workshop under construction, his heart filled with even more reverence.

Shen Qing had no idea what Zhao Youdang was thinking, but judging from his expression, Shen Qing figured he would probably be pleased with whatever assumptions Zhao Youdang made. He turned his attention to his own expanded courtyard, considering whether to take advantage of the slack farming season to build a few more rooms.

The original courtyard, which had belonged to Hunter Liu, had space reserved for additional side rooms, but they had never been built. If he was planning to bring Song Kaiji and Zhang Sujuan over, the current housing wouldn’t be enough.

The two mothers should each have their own room, right? They came from different eras and had never known each other before—forcing them to share a room just to save space wouldn’t be ideal. That meant Miao Shi would stay in her current room, while the west room, which Shen Qing occupied now, could be converted with a heated bed for Zhang Sujuan.

If side rooms were to be built, it would be best to construct them on both the east and west sides. Once he and Song Kaiji got married, they could live in the east wing, and when they had children in the future, the west wing could house them. It wouldn’t take more than a few years…

Shen Qing indulged in his pleasant vision of the future. Thinking about it made his ears burn with warmth. However, he had heard the elders say that with his frail build, he might have trouble bearing children. The healing abilities from the post-apocalyptic world could cure almost anything—could they also help regulate his body?

---

The winter days turned dark early, and the construction site next door had long finished work for the day. Meanwhile, at Shen Qing’s house, the newly added roof tiles had left dust all over the interior, delaying dinner preparations. By the time the cleaning was done, the sky was completely dark, and both he and Miao Shi were starving.

Miao Shi insisted on going to cook, but Shen Qing waved her off and pulled her to sit down. After a moment’s thought, he retrieved some pastries and snacks he had bought in the county town from his space. Originally, he had stored them intending to bring them back to the post-apocalyptic world for Song Kaiji to try. But ever since Shen Qing had made up his mind to bring Song Kaiji over and spend his life with him, he had developed a habit—whenever he saw something delicious or useful, he wanted to buy a portion for Song Kaiji as well.

Miao Shi was startled when a pile of food suddenly appeared on the table. But she quickly calmed down, remembering how Shen Qing had once told her about abilities in the post-apocalyptic world—some could store items, some could create water, and some could even heal wounds. Overjoyed, she asked, “Qing Ge’er, did you awaken one of those abilities too?”

Shen Qing shook his head. When he had first returned from the post-apocalyptic world, he hadn’t told Miao Shi about obtaining the spatial ability because he hadn’t decided how to handle his relationship with Song Kaiji. If he had chosen to sever ties completely, he had considered returning the space to its rightful owner. But now that he had no such concerns, he felt comfortable sharing the truth with Miao Shi. “This was given to me by Song Kaiji. It seems to be a family heirloom—his mother always wore it.” He showed her the jade pendant.

Miao Shi didn’t fully understand, but she had heard that abilities weren’t something everyone had. If this item functioned like an ability, wasn’t it even more precious? Intrigued, she asked Shen Qing to demonstrate storing and retrieving items a few times, watching with fascination before nodding in satisfaction. “That Xiao Song treats you well—he even gave you such a valuable thing. When are you planning to bring him over?”

Shen Qing picked up a roasted lamb bun and offered it to Miao Shi, but she waved it away—she disliked the gamey taste of lamb, a sign that life had improved enough for her to be picky. Shen Qing didn’t mind; he split the bun open and took a bite himself. “Tomorrow. I’ll leave before dawn.”

The starch sausage workshop was now running smoothly. He had entrusted affairs in the county to the broker, and road and manor construction would start after the Lantern Festival without his involvement. The county shops were also being rented out.

He should have gone sooner. But having never experienced romance before, even though he and Song Kaiji had briefly lived as a couple, his upbringing and societal norms made discussing “love” a challenge—just the thought of it made him shy.

And yet, deep down, he longed for it. He had seen Chen Jiaxi with her husband, Ge Bingbing (in her non-aggressive version) with Sun Cheng, and even Zhang Sujuan with Li Aiguo. In their time, love was expressed so differently from in Anping County.

Although there was still some shyness, most of the time, love over there was open, straightforward, and even passionate. Unlike here, where there were so many rules and restrictions, making people hesitant and cautious.

The women there were also different—they didn’t place chastity and purity above all else. Shen Qing felt a little envious and somewhat yearning.

---

The moon hung in a sparse-starred sky.

Shen Qing looked up at the moon, which was growing fuller as the fifteenth approached, just like his own heart, slowly becoming whole. His steps quickened as he made his way toward where Song Kaiji was.

The entrance to the base was busiest between six and seven in the morning. Teams heading out on missions left early, while those returning late hurried back under the last traces of dawn. A long line of vehicles waited for inspection at the gates.

From a distance, Shen Qing spotted their squad’s vehicle. In the driver’s seat and passenger seat sat Ge Bingbing and Song Kaiji, while the others in the back were unclear—likely just returning from an overnight mission.

He wanted to go forward but hesitated, feeling a strange unease at being so close to home. While he hesitated, someone stepped up to knock on the car window. Song Kaiji rolled it down, and an argument quickly broke out.

Shen Qing stopped in his tracks. It seemed like there was past enmity between Song Kaiji and the man—his voice grew louder, spittle flying as he spoke. Shen Qing saw Song Kaiji’s brows furrow impatiently. Instead of arguing further, he simply gestured to Ge Bingbing.

In the next second, a razor-thin sheet of ice skimmed past the man’s neck, slicing off a small lock of his hair.

The man clutched his neck in shock, staring at Song Kaiji in disbelief. But Song Kaiji didn’t look at him again. The car window rolled up once more. The man hesitated, wanting to step forward but ultimately backed away resentfully.

Song Kaiji was slightly different from when he had left. Shen Qing watched the entire scene coldly, his breath quickening slightly. It seemed he had left when Song Kaiji was at his most vulnerable—right after Li Aiguo’s death, with Zhang Sujuan gravely injured. When he left, Song Kaiji had known clearly that there was a high chance Shen Qing would never return.

He didn’t know if his absence had played a role in Song Kaiji’s changes, but seeing him just now, cold-faced and composed, filled him with uncertainty—and a secret thrill.

He had sat still, not lifting a single finger, yet with just a simple gesture, Ge Bingbing had acted on his behalf, suppressing his challenger.

Using gratitude in place of direct power. Song Kaiji had seemingly grown into the kind of person Shen Qing had once hoped to become.

Shen Qing still didn’t reveal himself. In front of him, Song Kaiji was always like an eager little puppy—grinning foolishly, clumsy, attentive—but never like this. He wanted to observe more, to see what Song Kaiji was like when he wasn’t watching.

Maybe it was because of the all-night mission, but his eyes looked tired, lacking the usual bright spark they held when he was with Shen Qing. His lips, always curved in a smile before, were now pressed slightly downward, giving him a serious demeanor, carrying the faint presence of someone in a position of authority.

They quickly passed inspection. However, when they reached their rented building, only Song Kaiji got out. He strode up the stairs with his long legs while the vehicle continued driving toward the inner city. Shen Qing glanced at the departing car in confusion but turned and followed Song Kaiji upstairs.

The door was shut. Shen Qing took a deep breath before knocking with the secret signal they had once agreed upon.

Inside, there was a sudden sound of chairs and tables being knocked over. The next second, the door was flung open, and Song Kaiji nearly crashed into him, wrapping him tightly in his arms, squeezing him so hard that Shen Qing almost couldn’t breathe.

Song Kaiji buried his face in the crook of Shen Qing’s neck, all traces of his earlier coldness gone. His voice was full of grievance as he murmured, “I knew you’d come back. I just knew—you couldn’t bear to leave me behind.”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦