Ch 136: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

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Gold-Tooth, who often moved about in the county and had connections with Clerk Yang and the county registrar, was well-informed about local affairs. At this moment, he leaned in and whispered gossip to Shen Qing, “Our county magistrate has only one son, and he treasures him like his own eyeball. The county constable has been trying to arrange a marriage between his youngest son and the magistrate’s ger son.”

People naturally enjoy hearing a bit of gossip, and Shen Qing had already perked up his ears, taking great interest in the affairs of these two officials. “If that’s the case, the two families will eventually become in-laws. Why, then, would the county constable’s youngest son do something like this?”

“Because the county magistrate didn’t approve of him and rejected the proposal,” Gold-Tooth explained. The magistrate’s fulang was his childhood sweetheart, whom he had married before even passing the xiucai exam. They had supported each other through the years and shared a deep bond. Now that the magistrate had passed the imperial exams and become an official, he had remained faithful and taken no concubines. Unfortunately, their family line was thin, with only this one ger son, so when it came to choosing a match for him, they were bound to be extremely selective.

The county constable’s youngest son, while considered a suitable match in terms of family status, was rather lacking in other aspects. His looks were average, which wasn’t the main issue—he was neither academically nor martially talented. While he wasn’t exactly a hedonistic playboy, he would occasionally indulge in visits to pleasure houses. Among the wealthy sons of noble families, this wasn’t considered a major flaw and was even seen as a sign of sophistication, as long as he didn’t become addicted. However, in the eyes of the county magistrate, such habits were yet another strike against him.

Gold-Tooth thought it over and suspected that the county constable’s family might have deliberately orchestrated the incident to force the marriage. If the deed was done, or even if the young master’s reputation was ruined, he would have no choice but to marry into the county constable’s family.

Shen Qing, having listened to the gossip, felt quite satisfied. “So, with that, the county captain’s youngest son being taken away likely means the magistrate was furious and decided to teach him a lesson. That means he won’t have time to trouble me anymore. As long as he has any sense of conscience, he shouldn’t try to sell me out either.”

“This time, you got lucky,” Gold-Tooth sighed. “Young Master, you should be more cautious in the future. Don’t act impulsively—at least ask me first to find out who you’re dealing with.”

He was well aware that merchants, no matter how wealthy or respectable they were in public, should never directly oppose officials.

Shen Qing grinned. “Ah, I know, I was too rash this time. Thank you for the advice, Brother.” He cupped his hands in gratitude. He understood that Gold-Tooth was looking out for him. The old saying was true: commoners should not fight with officials. No matter how much money one had, offending an official might not be as easy as crushing an ant, but with some effort and the right methods, they could still make one’s life miserable.

By the time all this had unfolded, the sky was completely dark. There was no time left to check out the residence behind the county office, and even if he went, it wasn’t like he could see much in the pitch black.

Shen Qing and Gold-Tooth finalized the deal for the restaurant and agreed to visit the residence tomorrow. “Come on, I’ll treat you to a drink.”

Before leaving, Shen Qing took all the tablecloths from the restaurant and threw them into a narrow alleyway filled with trash and debris between two buildings. If the county constable’s son ever thought to trace the tablecloths back to him, that would be a real headache.

Gold-Tooth watched coldly and sighed. “Young Master, you’re really cautious.” Those tablecloths, even if worn, were still fabric—usable or even sellable. Yet Shen Qing simply discarded them.

“What’s it worth?” Shen Qing dismissed the thought. He had done far more meticulous things to keep up appearances. “Leaving them here means some struggling family or a beggar might use them for warmth. That’s better than letting them become evidence against me.”

Instead of going to an upscale restaurant, the two of them chose a bustling little eatery by the roadside. They ordered a few dishes and two pots of good wine.

Shen Qing had only recently learned to drink. Back in the village, alcohol was considered a luxury—even grown men couldn’t drink it every day, let alone women and young masters. He had barely been able to eat his fill before, let alone afford wine.

It wasn’t until the end of the world that Mother Tang started making sweet rice wine, serving it with glutinous rice balls—sweet and fragrant. Later, Tang Wenjie somehow got hold of a crate of pineapple beer, which Shen Qing had found quite tasty. Apparently, he had inherited some of Shen Zhigao’s drinking genes, as he could handle liquor quite well without getting drunk easily.

Ancient wines couldn’t compare to modern ones—some might not even be stronger than pineapple beer. Gold-Tooth, after drinking more than half a pot, was already feeling the effects. Meanwhile, Shen Qing finished off the remaining wine without any trouble, though his face flushed easily, turning red in patches.

By the time they were done drinking, most of the food on the table remained untouched. They had come to a shop specializing in braised meats, mainly pork and lamb, which was why it was called an “Erhun Shop.” The stall had a stove at the entrance, with a large pot simmering all kinds of meats—offal, pork knuckles, and trotters.

The rich aroma filled the street, though it wasn’t as aggressive as fried foods. Instead, it was a slow, deep fragrance. The pot was kept on a low flame, and customers would simply request what they wanted, have it weighed, sliced fresh, and served with a generous ladle of braising sauce.

There was also a small kitchen in the back for stir-fried dishes, though the variety was limited.

On their table sat half a braised pork knuckle, a plate of pig trotters, and two plates of stir-fried vegetables. Shen Qing tasted a bit—indeed, the flavor was excellent, not inferior to Mother Tang’s cooking. No wonder the shop was so crowded.

Yet some regulars, already used to the shop’s flavors, weren’t as amazed anymore. The real buzz in town today was about the newly opened snack shop.

“Fried food just hits different! We may eat meat every now and then, but we’re still lacking oil in our diets. And it’s cheap too! How does the owner even manage to sell it so cheap? He’s got to be losing money, right?”

“No kidding. He’s selling too little, though. My wife bought three skewers for the kids, and she didn’t even think to buy one for me! I told her to go back, but the shop had already closed! All I did was smell it at home, didn’t get a single bite.”

The owner of the braised meat shop’s smile stiffened. From the way things were going, it wouldn’t be long before that new shop took away half of his business.

Shen Qing listened with amusement before casually striking up a conversation with the shopkeeper. “Actually, that Blooming Sausage can also be braised in broth. If you’re worried about losing business, why not buy some to braise and sell? Blooming Sausage is made in Lantang Village—it’s much cheaper to buy it raw than fried.”

He had thought this through long ago. How many sausages could his own shop sell? Even if he combined both worlds, his capacity was still limited. He had only a handful of workers—if they overworked themselves, they’d collapse. It was better to go wholesale.

After all, Anping County was huge. His shop alone couldn’t possibly monopolize the entire market.

No matter what, the money was still going into his pocket.

The shopkeeper glanced at Shen Qing’s flushed face, looking skeptical. Was this drunkard speaking sense? Or was he just rambling?

But after a moment’s thought, Lantang Village wasn’t that far away—what was the harm in making a trip to check it out? If it turned out to be real, he’d be making a profit.

Shen Qing had subtly advertised his own business and promoted his workshop, all while enjoying a meal. After that, he dragged the half-asleep Gold-Tooth away, each returning to their own homes.

The northern residence of the city was quiet.

Everyone was exhausted from the day’s work, especially Mudan and Jade, who had been so busy they barely had a moment to rest. Since the shop would open again tomorrow, they seized every chance to sleep. The others had already gone to bed as well.

Shen Qing sneaked back into his room. The alcohol had finally caught up to him. After letting it settle for a while, he felt overwhelmingly drowsy, his eyelids heavy. He was too lazy to boil water for a wash, and he certainly wasn’t about to wake anyone up to serve him. After a few moments of hesitation, he decided to just sleep as he was.

One time being unkempt wouldn’t hurt. He reassured himself with that thought and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

But he had no idea how long he had been sleeping—it could have been hours or just a short while. Time didn’t exist in dreams.

He felt hot. He tugged at his collar. He had gone to bed fully dressed, wrapped in a thick blanket after drinking, and now a thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead. He struggled to wake up, intending to take off his clothes before sleeping again, but in his daze, he felt someone untying his belt, pulling at his outer robe.

Who was it?

Shen Qing tried to open his eyes, but they felt as heavy as lead. He could only sense a pair of trembling hands fumbling over him. Finally, after some effort, he managed to crack his eyes open just a little.

The room was dark. Struggling to make out the figure, he finally recognized that it was one of the two beauties Gold-Tooth had gifted him.

Shen Qing couldn’t even remember his name.

A bad feeling rose in his chest. “What are you doing?”

But after convincing himself, Jie Miyun realized that Shen Qing had never sought them out, nor had he shown the slightest interest in them.

At this point, the Jie siblings started to feel anxious. If Shen Qing didn’t even glance their way, how could they secure the status of a formal wife? How could they convince Shen Qing to buy their family’s freedom?

Jie Miyun no longer dared to hope for the position of a formal wife—he just wanted Shen Qing to like him even a little, enough to be willing to spend some money… With this thought in mind, Jie Miyun secretly slipped into Shen Qing’s room.

Lowering his head, he tried his best to imitate the posture of his father’s newly favored concubine. “I… I will serve Young Master for the night.”

Shen Qing: ?

Shen Qing had never been drunk to begin with, and now he was completely awake, so startled he nearly jumped out of his skin. Only now did he belatedly realize—Jie Miyun saw him as a man, so naturally, he assumed the role of a concubine. Wanting to establish some kind of footing by getting intimate with him was logical…

But he wasn’t!!!

In a flurry, Shen Qing hastily redid the clothes that Jie Miyun had loosened and bolted for the door in a panic. “No, no, that’s not necessary! I just remembered I have something urgent to do—I need to step out! You should get some rest, I really don’t need this… Once things settle down in a few days, I’ll assign you some work. You really don’t have to do this!”

Luckily, Tieshan hadn’t returned to the village tonight and was staying nearby. The mule was still chewing on hay in the pen. Shen Qing didn’t even bother hitching it to a cart—he just jumped on its back and rode off.

Jie Miyun was left alone, slumped on the floor, unsure whether to feel relieved or despairing.

The good news was that Shen Qing was indeed a gentleman. The bad news was that Shen Qing wasn’t interested in him. How was he supposed to make Shen Qing help him rescue his family now?

He had nothing left—only his body. And yet, Shen Qing didn’t even want that. Jie Miyun sat there dazed for a long while before finally letting out a quiet sob.

Meanwhile, Shen Qing spurred his mule at top speed all the way back to Lantang Village. After tying it up at home, he headed straight up the mountain.

So, at two in the morning, Song Kaiji, who had spent several nights alone in an empty bed, suddenly felt someone touching his calf in his sleep.

He opened his eyes and saw Shen Qing crawling under his blanket, inch by inch, with a strange flush on his face.

Song Kaiji stared in a daze. “Am I dreaming?”

During his lonely nights, he had certainly had plenty of dreams like this. He was quite familiar with the routine by now and immediately followed through with the usual “dream sequence.”

Dreams were bold, passionate, and scorching hot—sometimes even with a few things he wouldn’t normally dare try.

After an intense night, Song Kaiji fell asleep, thoroughly satisfied.

The next morning, as he opened his eyes and saw Shen Qing still sleeping soundly beside him, Song Kaiji was completely dumbfounded.

Wait… That wasn’t a dream???

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