Ch 123: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

By evening, the team members who had gone out on missions returned. Shen Qing brought up the topic of upgrading space abilities with Song Kaiji. “The last time your ability upgraded was at Yucai Middle School, when you suddenly broke through by using teleportation. That was months ago. In that time, Xiao Tang has leveled up twice, and Sister Weiwei has leveled up once. How come there’s still no progress for you?”

Song Kaiji felt like a newlywed wife who had been married for two years without conceiving, now being scrutinized by her husband with a “Why isn’t your belly showing yet?” kind of question. He looked at Shen Qing with a pitiful expression.

Truthfully, seeing others’ abilities grow rapidly made him envious as well. But space-type ability users couldn’t increase their power just by storing and retrieving items. The only way to grow stronger was by absorbing a few crystal cores daily, which meant their progression was naturally slower.

However, Song Kaiji was different. Aside from storing and retrieving items, he also had teleportation. After thinking for a moment, he explained, “Every time we go out on missions, they get plenty of opportunities to train their abilities, so of course, their abilities improve quickly.”

Ever since the incident with the bald man who imitated his teleportation and almost got them all killed, Song Kaiji had been very cautious about using teleportation in front of others. When they went out on missions, all he had to do was take the iron cages out of his space and hand them over to Tang Wenjie for control, leaving him with not much else to do.

Their iron cage tactic was extremely safe, so there was no real need for him to teleport out and fight zombies in close combat. The most he ever did was shoot zombies with a bow and crossbow from inside the cage. Naturally, his ability didn’t develop as quickly as Tang Wenjie and Qu Weiwei, who were actively using their abilities every day.

“I’ll start practicing more at home when we’re not out on missions,” Song Kaiji said. “Not just to level up my ability—I also want to test if I can teleport with another person.”

After returning from Zizhou, Song Kaiji had already tried to teleport with someone, but so far, he hadn’t been able to. He still wasn’t sure whether it was a fundamental limitation, like how space abilities couldn’t store living creatures, or if it was simply because his ability level was too low to carry anything too large.

He could teleport with a knife, and he could teleport with a crossbow, but he hadn’t tested anything bigger than that. With that thought, he got out of bed and immediately started experimenting.

Thanks to his space ability, he had all sorts of objects at his disposal. He took out various items of different sizes and weights, testing them one by one.

That night, the people in the villa kept seeing Song Kaiji suddenly appear in the living room and then disappear just as quickly. Several of them were startled.

After multiple attempts, Song Kaiji gradually figured out his limits: right now, he could only teleport objects about the size of a watermelon, with a maximum weight of around ten to twenty pounds. If the object was hollow, like an empty rice cooker, he could manage something slightly larger.

If the object was any bigger, Song Kaiji couldn’t take it with him. If he teleported away, the item would just drop to the ground. Moreover, the larger the item he carried, the more energy his ability consumed. By the sixth teleport, Song Kaiji was already feeling the strain—his head throbbed with a dull ache, the familiar sign of ability overuse. He grabbed a handful of crystal cores and absorbed their energy while Shen Qing moved closer to massage his temples.

“I can feel it—the size of what I can carry will gradually increase as my ability improves.” The results of tonight’s experiments were still exciting. While it wasn’t confirmed that he’d eventually be able to teleport a person, at least it gave them something to look forward to. “I’ll keep training. Since we have kids at home, once my level is high enough, I can try taking Nannan along first.”

Based on his estimates, after leveling up twice, he should be able to attempt teleporting with Nannan.

After that, Song Kaiji became extremely dedicated to practicing his ability. At home, he teleported at every opportunity—carrying dishes, hanging clothes… The rate of his ability’s growth noticeably increased.

Not to mention, all that teleporting even added some extra fun to their daily life. Shen Qing was sitting in his room, using a children’s reading tablet to compare with a primary school textbook, diligently learning to read.

With Song Kaiji’s help, Shen Qing had already completed a second-grade Chinese language textbook and a first-grade math textbook. He was working through a practice book, writing his characters in shaky strokes when, out of nowhere, he was suddenly hugged from behind. Instinctively, Shen Qing almost elbowed the attacker and nearly flipped them over in a reflexive throw.

Song Kaiji clutched his chest and looked at him with a pitiful expression. “Qingqing, it hurts. Rub it.”

“Reflex, just a reflex,” Shen Qing apologized, a little embarrassed. Who else would suddenly appear in their bedroom besides Song Kaiji? Years of fighting had trained his instincts well—luckily, he caught himself at the last second and didn’t go all out.

Even so, a red mark had formed on Song Kaiji’s chest. Shen Qing reached out and rubbed the area a few times before being pulled into an embrace. Song Kaiji muttered against his shoulder, “I ran into Chen Jiaxi today.”

Ever since they returned from Zizhou, they hadn’t kept in touch with Chen Jiaxi. Shen Qing had heard that she joined the research institute and was genuinely happy for her. “How is she doing? Is the research institute paying her enough to support her family?”

“Seems like it’s going okay. Her husband is quite capable—he’s already made his way into management. He’s still just a low-level supervisor, but at least he’s no longer doing pure manual labor.” People with ability only needed an opportunity, and they’d carve out their own path no matter where they were. “But she also told me some news that’s neither good nor bad.”

After discovering that the mysterious vegetable seller was Qu Weiwei, Chen Jiaxi took advantage of a moment when the bespectacled man wasn’t paying attention to read his memory. That’s how she found out that the research institute planned to locate Qu Weiwei and find an excuse to seize her seeds. She also learned about their various speculations regarding Qu Weiwei’s identity during a meeting.

But weren’t those seeds actually given to Qu Weiwei by Shen Qing? Chen Jiaxi felt a little relieved that the researchers were only searching for a woman and had no idea she was part of a larger team.

Chen Jiaxi’s son had now fully recovered, and she was still deeply grateful for Shen Qing’s help. So, in front of the bespectacled man, she deliberately concealed Qu Weiwei’s identity. Instead, she guided him in line with the speculations in his own memory, making him believe that the mysterious woman had only been passing through Red City and had already left.

The bespectacled man was visibly disappointed. “Can you at least find out where she came from?”

The woman herself wasn’t important—what mattered was the origin of the seeds.

Chen Jiaxi shook her head. “None of these people’s memories contain any footage of her arrival. But I do know what she looks like, so I could try checking the memories of the gate patrol officers. Maybe I could trace her movements that way. However… that would consume a lot of my ability.”

The bespectacled man hesitated for a moment before going to request funding from higher-ups, allowing Chen Jiaxi to search for the woman’s background all over the base by reading people’s memories.

She happened to run into Song Kaiji near the city gate and treated him to a bowl of wontons. “I don’t know where you guys got these seeds that don’t exist in Red City, but you shouldn’t sell vegetables anymore. And Qu Weiwei… she should consider changing her hairstyle or something, just to avoid trouble.”

“And also, where exactly did those seeds come from? Could you give me a general direction? I want to complete a mission of my own.” Chen Jiaxi was a sharp person—she genuinely wanted to repay Shen Qing, but she also saw an opportunity to benefit herself. She glanced at Song Kaiji and lowered her voice, trying to persuade him. “Although the people in the research institute are scumbags, they do have skills. From just a bit of radish and celery that they got from Qu Weiwei, they managed to develop new varieties that have helped ease the base’s food shortage.

“If you have more types of seeds and can provide them to the research institute, it could have a huge impact on Red City Base. Many people wouldn’t have to starve anymore.”

To give an example, her husband was now overseeing the construction of the city wall. Previously, regular workers only received three coarse grain cakes per day. Now, they received five, and the coarse grain cakes even contained radish greens and celery leaves, making them taste much better. Low-level managers like her husband occasionally even got a bowl of radish soup.

A little bit of seeds had already made such a difference in Red City Base. After learning about the whole situation, Chen Jiaxi was quite critical of the agricultural department in the research institute. In her mind, Shen Qing was a very kind person. If the research institute hadn’t initially schemed to take credit for the real seed supplier, she would have gladly introduced Shen Qing to them. A better Red City Base meant a better living environment for herself—why wouldn’t she want that?

But unfortunately, the research institute played dirty! Now, if Shen Qing or Qu Weiwei willingly handed over the seeds, they might end up in danger.

Song Kaiji frowned deeply. “I’ll have to go back and discuss this. But really, thank you.”

It was just as well—since their team expanded, they had been making far more money hunting crystals than selling vegetables. That’s why Qu Weiwei had already stopped.

Chen Jiaxi understood. She knew the real decision-maker of the team was Shen Qing, and that the seeds likely came from him. It made sense that Song Kaiji wouldn’t know their true origin. “We should minimize contact from now on to reduce suspicion. If anything comes up, you can find my husband or son at the city wall, or have someone inconspicuous from your team pass a message through my son. Who knows? Maybe we can even collaborate a few times—it could be mutually beneficial.”

She and her husband were the same type of people—they weren’t content with doing the most basic jobs. Whenever there was a chance, they wanted to climb higher. She hoped this matter could help her secure a stable position at the research institute, at least earning more than the lowest salary.

When Song Kaiji relayed everything to Shen Qing, Shen Qing’s eyes widened. “What do we do? Will Sister Weiwei be in danger?”

Song Kaiji had already been thinking about this on his way back. He pulled Shen Qing into bed and rolled over with him, getting a few punches in the process before letting go. “How can you still be thinking about that at a time like this?”

“It’s not exactly an urgent crisis, is it?” Song Kaiji sat up. He had been startled when Chen Jiaxi first told him, but after thinking it through, he realized that the research institute was only resorting to searching the entire base because they were completely out of leads. As long as Chen Jiaxi didn’t reveal anything, no one would know that Qu Weiwei was the mysterious woman. She could simply wear a mask when going out and change her clothing style a bit.

The research institute couldn’t touch them. What really caught Song Kaiji’s attention was the impact hybrid seeds could have on the base.

They had only ever thought about using the post-apocalyptic gold and silver to support Shen Qing’s businesses in Anping County. But now, it turned out that Shen Qing’s world might actually be able to give back to the apocalypse—offering more people a chance to survive.

“At the end of the day, the research institute is just a bunch of scientists. How much real power do they have? Instead of dealing with their nonsense, why don’t we take this opportunity to connect with the higher-ups? Either sell the seeds for a good price or use them to secure a powerful backer. With someone influential supporting us, we’ll never have to worry about those research institute clowns again.”

Backing. Shen Qing pressed a hand against Song Kaiji’s chest, lost in thought. That’s right—in the novels he had read, the female protagonist would always end up marrying a man of great power. Usually, it was a prince, a grand chancellor, or a scholar who worked his way up to the top, but ultimately, the male lead was always a government official, someone with authority.

Before meeting the male lead, the heroine would typically establish a good relationship with the local governor.

If you were born without status, without a backer, then you had to find one.

Another lesson learned. Shen Qing filed this knowledge away in his mind and asked Song Kaiji, “So who do we pledge allegiance to? Do we just hand over the seeds directly?”

Song Kaiji rubbed his chin. “I’m not sure yet… We’ll probably need to trouble Chen Jiaxi for this. Since the people at the research institute are so unreliable, we should look for someone who doesn’t have a good relationship with them, just to avoid them colluding against us.”

Then there was the matter of how to explain the origins of the seeds. Chen Jiaxi also wanted to secure a place for herself in the research institute—how could they help her as well?

After some thought, Song Kaiji pulled out a phone and began scanning the map for a village that was neither too close nor too far. “How about this… We pick a small village and plant some seeds there. Then we can say we went to that village on a mission to clear zombies and scavenge for supplies, where we unexpectedly found these seeds and decided to bring them back to the base.”

As for Chen Jiaxi’s involvement, “She can report this same location to the research institute. When they send out a team to look for the seeds, we’ll get there first and plant them in advance. That way, it’ll further support our claim that the seeds really came from that village—and that the so-called mysterious woman must have obtained them from there as well.”

And it would also send the research institute on a wild goose chase, just to piss them off!

“I’ll call Wenjie and Sister Weiwei over too. Let’s all put our heads together and see if this plan has any flaws.” Song Kaiji was about to get up when Shen Qing grabbed his shoulders and planted a loud kiss on his cheek. “You’re amazing! How are you so smart?!”

His eyes sparkled as he looked at Song Kaiji, who, flustered by the praise, said bashfully, “No, no… I was just throwing out ideas. There are probably still a lot of things that need fixing.”

“It’s already a great plan.” Shen Qing slipped on his shoes and got out of bed. “I’ll head back first and buy more seeds. You guys discuss the details, and once everything’s set, we’ll go on the mission together.”

“…Huh? Huh?!” Song Kaiji froze in place. “You’re leaving now? This late? You’re not staying here tonight?”

---

With spring planting season approaching, the grain stores and general shops in town were all selling seeds. At this time of year, sweet potatoes were the most common, followed by various beans and vegetables.

Shen Qing visited several shops, trying to buy a variety of seeds. He had only cleared out a small section of his space recently, and now it was completely filled again.

Back in the village, the people had hurriedly planted the sweet potatoes before rushing back to continue building the workshop. By now, the basic structure of the building was nearly finished. With the weather warming up and the ground thawing, they had started making mud bricks in preparation for constructing the courtyard walls.

Shen Qing took some time to check on the progress and told Madam Guixiang, “Make sure these courtyard walls are built high. The recipe for making starch sausages is a secret—our village might be relying on this for generations. We can’t let outsiders steal it.”

Madam Guixiang repeatedly agreed. She had been thinking the same thing. Mud bricks were free—only labor was required—so she planned to have the walls built at least two men high. She then read aloud the list of workers she had selected for Shen Qing to approve. “I figured we should pick one or two people from each household so that there are still people left to work the fields. If they come home to a cold stove and no dinner, even if they’re earning money outside, the men of the house might start complaining.”

Shen Qing frowned slightly. In the six months he had been in the apocalypse, things that once seemed normal to him now sounded jarring. But he knew this wasn’t Madam Guixiang’s fault, so he simply nodded absentmindedly.

Madam Guixiang continued listing names—mostly young wives and gers from each household, along with a few strong, burly older women.

“But why isn’t Ou Ge’er included?” Shen Qing listened for a while before realizing that Lian Ou’s name was missing. “Aunt Lian is my mother’s cousin, so she’s family. If their household has a few extra workers, no one can complain. Let’s have Aunt Lian, Yu Ge’er, and Ou Ge’er join too.”

After saying this, Shen Qing noticed something else—not just Lian Ou, but there wasn’t a single unmarried girl or ger on the entire list!

Madam Guixiang hesitated for a moment before explaining, “Ou Ge’er himself would be fine. But it was his mother who didn’t want him to go. The women in their second branch are all working at the workshop, so if Ou Ge’er also left, all the household chores would fall on the eldest daughter-in-law, Wang Shi. That would cause trouble at home. Keeping Ou Ge’er there helps balance things.”

“As for the other families, well… If they’re willing to send their wives to work, why would they let their unmarried daughters or gers go?”

This wasn’t just about appearances—it was a matter of tangible benefits. Unmarried daughters and gers would eventually marry out and belong to another family. Most of those who were capable of working were already fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen—on the verge of getting married.

If they joined the workshop now, what would happen to their positions once they got married? Would they stay in their natal family’s business? Or would they continue working? The families preferred to keep the positions within the household. If their daughter or ger took the job with them after marriage, that would mean one less work opportunity for the natal family.

It was better to send married women—at least they were already part of the household.

Even in Lian family, rather than making Zhao Yu stay home to do chores, they chose to keep Ou Ge’er behind. There was likely a similar concern at play.

That same suffocating system! You had to be married, had to have children, had to belong to someone before you were considered a “real” person, before you were even qualified to work!

Shen Qing was furious, but he knew this was about vested interests. The villagers had made their own choices—if he objected, few would listen. He took a deep breath, as if calming himself down. Step by step… Step by step… I’ll figure out a way. Eventually, there will be a way.

Madam Guixiang, confused by his reaction, had no idea what he meant.

---

Meanwhile, Song Kaiji’s plan was met with unanimous approval from Qu Weiwei and Tang Wenjie. Qu Weiwei patted her chest, still shaken. “Good thing I stopped selling vegetables after coming back from Zizhou. It seems that hard work pays off—killing zombies has its rewards.”

Then she spat angrily. “The research institute and Third Farm are both garbage! They were inhumane from the start. If Boss hadn’t saved me, I’d be missing an arm by now! And they still have the nerve to want my seeds? I wouldn’t give them to anyone, let alone them!”

When Third Farm was mentioned, Song Kaiji’s expression darkened. He had recently learned a lot from Chen Jiaxi, including what really happened when Qu Weiwei got injured.

Red City Base had three farms. The first and second were large, government-run farms that supplied food to the base. The third was smaller and reserved for research purposes.

On the surface, all three farms had similar benefits. Technically, Qu Weiwei’s injury should have been covered as a workplace injury. She was an ability user, after all—why was she abandoned?

Chen Jiaxi had peeked into the memories of some Third Farm leaders and discovered that when the mutated willow tree incident occurred, the farm had covered it up instead of reporting it. That’s why they didn’t get proper funding for treatment.

After all, there were plenty of wood-type ability users eager to join the farm. If a few died, they could just recruit more. As long as the scandal was buried, it didn’t matter if Red City Base or even the entire human race had fewer ability users—the research institute simply didn’t care.

“The best-case scenario is that we hand the seeds over to the military and let them negotiate with the government. The further we stay from the research institute, the better.” The military and the government had long-standing conflicts over refugee policies, and the military was powerful. If they could secure military backing, it would be ideal. “If we can’t reach the military, Chen Jiaxi also provided us with a list of high-ranking officials from a different faction than the research institute.”

They just didn’t know how they could get in touch with these people.

“If there’s no other way… I’ll ask Qi Zhan for help. He works at the hospital and has access to many high-ranking officials.”

Those higher-ups were extremely cautious about their health. Even though healing-type abilities didn’t do much for chronic illnesses, they still liked to have regular “peace pulses” checked, treating it as a way to maintain their well-being.

Song Kaiji turned to Tang Wenjie. “Can Qi Zhan come on this mission with us?”

Tang Wenjie shook his head, remaining silent for a long moment before finally saying, “We’re not the kind of relationship you guys think we are.”

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