Ch 133: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Madam Guixiang turned over and snorted, “I know you too well. You’re about to start with that whole speech again about how women and gers shouldn’t be put above men and how the village will descend into chaos.”

As the village chief, Zhao Youdang had his own considerations and a broader perspective. Setting up a school was a good thing, and allowing gers and girls to attend wasn’t necessarily an issue. After all, in Shiqu Village, gers and girls were allowed to audit classes. If a wife knew a few words, she could at least pass some knowledge on to her children—that wasn’t a problem.

But the issue changed when it became a rule that if families didn’t allow their gers and daughters to study, their sons wouldn’t be allowed either, and they would be removed from the workshop. In Zhao Youdang’s eyes, this wasn’t just about Shen Qing wanting to uplift gers and girls—it was him using the workshop to wield power and interfere in family matters. And that was unacceptable.

“Qing Ge’er is young and doesn’t see the bigger picture. His intentions are good, but does he really think this is so simple? You walk around the village all the time—don’t you know how things are? Some families are so biased that they don’t just deny education to their gers and girls; they even favor one son over another. They’d rather send one child to school while making the rest stay home and work. Now that Qing Ge’er is setting conditions like this, don’t you think those families will cause an uproar?”

Village children weren’t raised to be pampered. “A child takes on family responsibilities early” wasn’t just a saying—it meant real labor. Girls and gers as young as six or even five were already doing household chores. Washing dishes, cleaning vegetables, feeding chickens, gathering pig fodder, and looking after younger siblings—all of these were expected tasks. A little older, and they’d be standing on stools to cook at the stove, washing the entire family’s clothes, collecting firewood from the mountains, or cutting grass for the livestock.

And boys? Though sons were valued in the village, that only applied to families who struggled to have them. Once a household had plenty of sons, they became less special. Take Wang San from Xiaoji Village—wasn’t he a perfect example?

A boy who wasn’t favored in his family had to start working the fields at a young age. If he was too small to handle a hoe, he could still pull weeds, thin crops, or water the fields. Even fetching water for the household became his job.

This was why villagers were so eager to have more children. “The more children, the more blessings” wasn’t just an empty phrase. Besides being a show of strength—since a large family could command respect and deter trouble—it was also a matter of survival. For those who couldn’t afford hired hands, children were the best laborers. The more they had, the more help they got.

Many people, still in their twenties or thirties, could sit around all day without lifting a finger. Their children managed the household and all the labor. All they had to do was give orders, scold anyone who didn’t do the work properly, and enjoy a comfortable life.

Of course, not everyone was like that. Even someone as loving as Second Aunt Lian, who doted on Lian Rong and wouldn’t let her wash clothes, would still make her fetch water and soak the laundry before she did the washing herself.

“Now that Qing Ge’er is forcing the villagers to send their daughters and gers to school, all these household chores will naturally fall back onto the parents. Who would be happy about suddenly having so much extra work to do?”

Madam Guixiang was also raised in the village, so she understood as soon as Zhao Youdang pointed it out. After a moment of silence, she said, “Then they can just choose not to send their sons to school or work at the workshop. They can stay home and continue acting like emperors. Our village never had a school or a workshop before anyway. Qing Ge’er is doing all of this to benefit the village, not because he owes anyone, and it’s not like he’s obligated to hand out benefits to everyone.”

Zhao Youdang gave her a thumbs up. “My wife is truly reasonable—no wonder she’s my wife! But tell me, how many people in this village are as reasonable as you?”

As the village chief’s wife, Madam Guixiang had seen more than most, and the previous village chief had chosen Zhao Youdang for the role precisely because of her intelligence and decisiveness. However, there were far more ignorant villagers than there were wise ones. And beyond ignorance, there were also those who were never satisfied and constantly sought to take advantage.

Even if you explained things clearly and rationally, some people would still cover their ears and refuse to listen—only complaining that they weren’t given enough benefits.

“I know Qing Ge’er has been holding in a lot of frustration. He’s a ger, but he refuses to be lesser than a man. Now, he’s struck it big by meeting a powerful patron, so of course, he wants to prove himself.” In Zhao Youdang’s eyes, everything Shen Qing was doing now was just to vent his anger. As a man, Zhao Youdang naturally found it a bit uncomfortable that Qing Ge’er was so determined to uplift gers and women, pushing men down in the process. It didn’t sit well with him, but since Shen Qing always treated him with respect, he tolerated it.

He also wasn’t thrilled about Shen Qing interfering in village matters and undermining his authority. But since Shen Qing had given his wife and son positions at the workshop with generous wages, well—when you’ve eaten someone’s food and taken their money, you can’t complain too much.

What he was most concerned about was that once Shen Qing started meddling in village affairs, the long-standing traditions passed down for generations would be disrupted, bringing endless trouble. “Just wait and see. As soon as this is announced, the village will erupt! Setting up a school should’ve been a great thing, but now there’ll be more people resenting him than appreciating him.”

That was just how the villagers were—give them benefits, build workshops, let them earn money, and they’ll think you’re a good person. But the moment you touch their personal interests—especially the authority parents have over their children, which they see as an absolute right—then you become the villain. They don’t think logically or consider the long-term—they only care about their immediate interests and present feelings.

Zhao Youdang could already predict how many villagers would be knocking on his door to complain. And this wasn’t just going to be a one-time issue. As long as Qing Ge’er continued supporting gers and women, there would be no end to the trouble it would cause.

Madam Guixiang was silent for a long time before she finally said, “So, in the end, you just want to smooth things over and avoid trouble.”

Zhao Youdang countered, “As the village chief, isn’t it my duty to ensure peace and stability in the village? What’s wrong with trying to avoid unnecessary conflicts?”

She had no answer to that. Frustrated, she turned over, pulled the blanket around herself, and refused to speak further. Of course, she knew how to maintain stability in the village—just follow the old rules, don’t challenge them, and keep things as they’ve always been.

That was how she had lived her entire life. She was strong-willed, opinionated, and smart, but she still had to submit to her husband. Zhao Youdang was actually quite good-tempered and often let her have her way at home. Even when she got angry and kicked him out of bed, he never complained.

But that was just “letting her have her way”—it was never a real shift in power. When it came to major decisions, he was always the one in control. Just like now. No matter how much she wanted to argue, she wouldn’t be able to change his mind.

Yet, watching Shen Qing over the past few weeks had been like tossing a drop of water into a pot of hot oil—it had taken a while to sink in, but now the realization exploded in her mind. So gers could be like this too? A ger could beat men into submission, force the village chief to consider his opinions, and make even a man like her husband hold back his words?

Shen Qing had put her in charge of the workshop, which was just a small operation with about twenty people. At first, she had only been drawn in by the generous monthly wage. But over time, she had come to love the feeling of holding power in her hands. Every morning, she couldn’t wait to go to work because there, everyone listened to her. Even during the construction phase, the men had to look at her with deference and try to please her.

Men hated the idea of women and gers standing above them. But now that she had experienced it herself—she realized how good it felt. Who cared if they didn’t like it?

Following old traditions would maintain peace and stability. But now, Madam Guixiang thought—why? Why should she have to bow her head and submit? Why should men always be above gers and women?

She decided that she would do everything in her power to help Qing Ge’er make this school happen. And she was going to learn to read and do math herself. Who said that household chores were a woman’s duty? Why couldn’t she run the workshop while Zhao Youdang stayed home and cooked?

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Shen Qing had no idea what kind of impact he had just made on Madam Guixiang. Early the next morning, he hitched up the cart, brought along Tieshan, and went to pick up Xiao Miao the shopkeeper from Shiqu Village before heading straight to Anping County.

The cart he drove was newly bought for the starch sausage workshop. Zhao Shitou had spent several days at the livestock market before picking out two exceptionally fine blue-gray mules. Their muscles were beautifully defined, and they were not only used for grinding grain at the workshop but could also be hitched to a cart when needed. Shen Qing had even paid to have a carriage-style cabin installed, making it look no worse than a regular horse-drawn carriage!

Who wouldn’t love such strong and handsome mules? As soon as Xiao Miao got on the cart, he praised them, “These are some fine animals!” Then, he handed Shen Qing a small bundle. “My uncle asked me to bring this to you.”

His uncle was Tongsheng Miao.

Shen Qing opened it and found a handwritten collection of commonly used characters. Books like Sanzi Jing (Three Character Classic), Baijia Xing (Hundred Family Surnames), and Qianzi Wen (Thousand Character Classic) included some complex and rarely used words, but this book only contained the most frequently used, essential characters. The handwriting was large and neat, with each stroke clearly visible.

This was exactly what Shen Qing needed. Back in the apocalypse, he had been learning to read with Song Kaiji, and he had reached about a third-grade level. However, modern characters and classical characters had their differences, so this book was perfect for cross-referencing.

“My uncle said if you don’t recognize a word, just ask me. Or if you have time, you can visit him in person,” Xiao Miao said.

“That’s really kind of him.” Shen Qing carefully stored the book away and then asked, “How is Uncle Miao doing? I haven’t visited in a while since I didn’t want to disturb him.”

Shen Qing had wanted to visit Tongsheng Miao before, but his wife had passed away, and it had coincided with the New Year, making it an inconvenient time.

“He’s managing. He still has kids at home, so he has to keep going. The New Year’s gifts you sent were well received—Uncle Miao had my uncle Miao Xing send them over. He asked me to thank you.”

“I should be the one thanking him,” Shen Qing said, patting the book in his arms. He wondered about the imperial exams—if he could find equivalent books or practice tests in the modern world, maybe he could help Tongsheng Miao finally pass.

His understanding of exams was simple—just practice more!

“You two should thank each other in person. Why are you making me the messenger?” Xiao Miao joked.

As they chatted and laughed along the way, they soon reached the city gates. Shen Qing suddenly remembered something, pulled out a tube of concealer from his pouch, and dabbed a pea-sized amount onto his forehead to cover his ge’er mark. Then, he dusted some powder over it, making his forehead look smooth and unblemished.

Xiao Miao and Tieshan stared at him in shock.

Shen Qing explained, “I’m handling matters for my patron. Sometimes, I have to deal with government officials, and if they see I’m a ger, they might not take me seriously. It could cause trouble for my patron’s affairs. Covering it up makes things much easier.”

The two of them were still quite surprised. Qing Ge’er had been thriving in the county, and now it turned out he was disguising himself as a man. Thinking about it, that made perfect sense.

In fact, back in the village, Shen Qing had already taken to wearing men’s clothing instead of the traditional garments for gers. The villagers had gradually gotten used to it, and some even speculated in private that Qing Ge’er was originally meant to be born a man but had been mistakenly placed in a ger’s body. This led to further discussions about how the Shen family lacked virtue, and how Shen Zhigao was destined to have no heirs.

Even though Li Jiaofeng had given birth to a son for Shen Zhigao, she had fallen during childbirth and suffered a difficult labor. The child was weak and sickly, constantly needing medicine. It wasn’t that the villagers were heartless in their words—it was just that the boy truly looked as if he wouldn’t survive long.

“Didn’t Xiao Zhangzi also survive after birth? A perfectly healthy boy, clever and bright, but he still didn’t make it past a few years. Shen Zhigao just has that kind of fate—there’s no point in forcing it.”

Tieshan watched from the side, particularly observing how, once Shen Qing covered his pregnancy mark, he looked even more like a man than the scholarly Xiao Miao the shopkeeper. This made Tieshan believe the rumors even more. By the time they entered the city gates and saw how Shen Qing exchanged greetings and jokes with Jin Yaren, who had been waiting for them, the last traces of doubt in Xiao Miao’s and Tieshan’s hearts disappeared.

If Shen Qing had approached Jin Yaren as a ger, he certainly wouldn’t have had such ease in speaking and conducting business! Watching how he carried himself, the image they had of him only grew more impressive.

Shen Qing didn’t introduce Xiao Miao or Tieshan to Jin Yaren, and Jin Yaren didn’t ask. He simply glanced at them once and assumed they were Shen Qing’s subordinates, mere background figures.

“I consulted a feng shui master who reads the stars. Four days from now is an excellent day, and seven days from now is also good. After that, the next best date would be the fifteenth of next month,” Jin Yaren said, handing Shen Qing a red paper with the chosen dates written on it. “Which day would the young master like to open the store? I will surely come to support the occasion.”

Everything was already in place, and Shen Qing didn’t want to delay any further—he had many more matters to attend to. “Then let’s do it in four days. I’ll be counting on you to come, Brother Jin.” Only then did he casually motion toward Xiao Miao and Tieshan. “These two will be running the shop, along with two young assistants. I’d appreciate it if you could look after them.”

Xiao Miao wasn’t sure who Jin Yaren was, but judging by his demeanor, he seemed like a respectable person. He immediately stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting. Tieshan hesitated for a moment, then clumsily imitated the gesture, though it came across rather awkwardly.

“Of course, of course!” Jin Yaren smiled and nodded at them before swiftly shifting his attention back to Shen Qing. He pulled him aside and lowered his voice to whisper, “And those two beauties—are you satisfied with them?”

Shen Qing: ?

Shen Qing: “…”

It took him a moment to process what Jin Yaren was talking about, and once he did, he felt incredibly awkward. But he had to maintain a calm and composed expression. “I was busy yesterday, so I let them rest for a few days. I’ll decide what to do later.”

Jin Yaren was stunned. Those two exquisite beauties, and yet this young master could resist indulging in them immediately? Was he even a real man?

However, Shen Qing was worried that if Jin Yaren thought he was interested, he might continue sending more beauties his way in the future. Thinking of Song Kaiji, Shen Qing’s lips curled slightly. He then solemnly told Jin Yaren, “But I already have… a spouse elsewhere. If I were to take in more people, there would surely be tears and trouble in the household.”

Ah, so that was the reason. With that explanation, Jin Yaren understood completely. Wasn’t Clerk Yang the same way? Terrified of his fierce wife, he didn’t dare take even a single concubine. So, this Shen Qing was in the same situation?

Jin Yaren kept his expression neutral, but he cupped his hands in admiration. “Young Master Shen is truly devoted and righteous—Jin Yaren respects that!”

It seemed that the grand gift he had prepared had missed the mark. But he wasn’t discouraged—he would just have to try again next time! “Regarding the estate and storefronts you asked about, I sorted through my available properties last night. I do have a few excellent options. Whenever you have time, you may come and take a look.”

When it came to making money and expanding his business, Shen Qing’s enthusiasm soared. He happily agreed.

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Back in Lantang Village, at the Shen family home.

Li Jiaofeng’s frail son let out weak, kitten-like cries. When the child was first born, Shen Zhigao had been overjoyed—he finally had an heir! He had wanted to name the child “Yaozu” (Glory to the Ancestors).

But Li Jiaofeng had persuaded him otherwise. The child was already weak—giving him an overly grand name might backfire instead of bringing blessings. Hadn’t it been the same with Miao Shi’s child back then? A village boy named “Zhang”? Did that name suit him? He didn’t even survive.

So, they settled on the name “Shen Qiang,” hoping he would grow up strong. His nickname was “Shuanzai,” meaning “tied down”—a superstitious attempt to keep him bound to life and prevent heaven from taking him away.

But names alone couldn’t change fate. The child remained frail, and as soon as spring arrived, he fell gravely ill. Li Jiaofeng cried her eyes out—this was the child she had risked her life to bring into the world. The family had little money left, so she used most of the bride price Shen Zhigao had given her, along with the money her previous husband had left behind, to seek medical treatment and buy medicine.

Now, she still had some money left, but not much. She was determined to save it for emergencies and wouldn’t touch it unless absolutely necessary. With her son’s life no longer in immediate danger, Li Jiaofeng regained her composure and began plotting ways to squeeze more money out of the Shen family to keep her child alive.

That day, as soon as Shen Zhigao returned from the fields, she once again burst into tears.

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