Ch 137: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Song Kaiji was utterly shocked. The absurd events of last night were still fresh in his mind. He cautiously lifted a corner of the blanket and, upon seeing the various marks on Shen Qing’s body, became even more certain that everything had truly happened.

A wave of guilt surged in his heart. Noticing Shen Qing’s eyelids flutter as he slowly woke up, Song Kaiji immediately leaned over with concern. “Qingqing, are you okay? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”

Seeing his anxious expression, Shen Qing couldn’t help but chuckle. He rubbed his eyes and said, “What could possibly be wrong with me?” Well, there was some soreness, but it wasn’t anything unbearable.

Song Kaiji lowered his head. “Last night… last night…” Just recalling it made him feel like he had gone overboard!

Shen Qing yawned lazily, his whole body exuding a relaxed aura. He casually pinched Song Kaiji’s chin in a teasing manner. “I don’t know who drank the wine—was it me or you? How could you think it was a dream?” He leaned in slightly and pecked Song Kaiji on the lips. “But… it felt good. Doing it once in a while isn’t bad.”

Although last night had been rather intense, if Shen Qing had really wanted to push Song Kaiji away, he absolutely could have. Despite Song Kaiji’s decent athleticism and experience in the baseball club, he was no match for Shen Qing, who was used to farm work and had real combat skills.

Since he hadn’t pushed him away, it naturally meant Shen Qing had been willing.

At times, when a position was too awkward and caused Shen Qing discomfort, he would consider giving Song Kaiji a few punches. But knowing his own strength, he feared he might accidentally hurt him, so he let him be.

Gradually, even the strangeness of the situation had taken on a certain… peculiar appeal.

Song Kaiji’s face turned red. It was early morning, and as a young man full of vigor, he was already quite energized. But now, Shen Qing was even teasing him with kisses!

This was seduction. It had to be seduction!

He grasped Shen Qing’s hand and slipped it back under the blanket. “Then… how about one more time?”

The two of them spent quite some time fooling around before finally emerging close to lunchtime.

Seeing Shen Qing, Mother Tang was a bit surprised. “When did Little Boss Shen get back? Why didn’t you say anything? I would have made a few more dishes.”

Lately, Mother Tang had been in an excellent mood. Qi Zhan hadn’t shown up at their villa in a long time, and while Tang Wenjie seemed normal on the surface, to Mother Tang, this meant that the seductive vixen who had been luring her son had finally left. Tang Wenjie had “come to his senses.” Nothing brightens the spirit like good news!

Shen Qing glanced at the dishes on the table. “It’s fine. I’m leaving soon. I’ll just grab a quick bite.” Last night, he had eaten greasy braised pork knuckle and drank alcohol, so now he craved something refreshing. The table had smashed cucumber salad and tomatoes with sugar—both of which he liked.

Song Kaiji’s previously content smile suddenly dimmed. He looked at Shen Qing with grievance. “Why are you leaving again?”

“There’s still unfinished business,” Shen Qing said as he picked at the cucumber salad with his chopsticks. Some things couldn’t be discussed in front of Mother Tang. It wasn’t until they returned to their room after lunch that he explained, “The starch sausage shop had its grand opening yesterday. Normally, I should be there keeping an eye on things. Without me there, who knows what kind of mess they’re in? And tonight, I have an appointment to check out a house. Once I clear out some space, we can go collect more supplies.”

After visiting the wholesale market a few times, Shen Qing was hooked. He had heard that there were also crystal markets and jade markets nearby, some close, some far. Having gotten a taste of the benefits, Shen Qing was eager to explore further.

Listening to Shen Qing’s descriptions of the other world, Song Kaiji felt both happy for him and a little disheartened. He rested his head on Shen Qing’s lap for a long time before finally mumbling, “Oh… Then why did you suddenly come back last night?”

At the mention of this, Song Kaiji perked up again. He lifted his face and asked expectantly, “Was it because you missed me?”

Shen Qing rubbed his nose, too embarrassed to admit that he had been scared off by Jie Miyun—not just fleeing to Lantang Village but even escaping to another world for peace of mind. But he did miss Song Kaiji, so he nodded.

Song Kaiji was instantly satisfied.

By now, he had fully adjusted his mindset and completely accepted the reality that he couldn’t go to Shen Qing’s world or be with him at all times—though, even if he didn’t accept it, he had no choice. But as long as Shen Qing always thought of him and shared everything that happened, letting him experience that world through his words, Song Kaiji felt as if he were part of it.

In the late afternoon, Song Kaiji accompanied Shen Qing back, the two of them reluctant to part. At least on the way, they had more time to talk.

Song Kaiji filled Shen Qing in on everything that had happened recently, mainly about Yu Le handling recruitment and storefront renovations. “You’ll need to come back in six days.”

Shen Qing nodded. In six days, the Anping County shop should be running smoothly, so he wouldn’t need to keep such a close watch. He could afford to come back for a few days.

Similarly, he shared what had been happening on his side, though he left out the incident with Jie Miyun and his sister. If Song Kaiji found out, he would definitely get jealous. Even without that, Song Kaiji still managed to sour the air with jealousy.

“Hero saves the beauty? And that guy even said ‘it was you’?” Song Kaiji pouted. “He’s not falling for you, is he? QAQ”

These kinds of scenes were way too common in dramas. The next line after being rescued was always, I have no way to repay you except with myself! Especially in ancient times, where interactions with the opposite sex were rare. How did so many people fall in love at first sight? Because they barely saw anyone else! So once they met someone high-quality, they latched on…

Even falling for someone from a dream was common enough—let alone an actual hero-rescue scenario!

Shen Qing was already getting a headache just from hearing about it. He rubbed his temples. “Come on, we’re both gers. What could possibly happen?”

Although Shen Qing said this, in his heart, he was desperately praying that it wouldn’t turn out that way. He knew he was a ger and had no interest in other gers, but others didn’t know that! Especially after the incident with Jie Miyun, he became even more aware of the hidden dangers of pretending to be a man.

But Song Kaiji didn’t see it that way. “My Qingqing is so outstanding—of course, even as a ger, it’s normal to be admired by others! When I fell for you, I didn’t know you were a ger either. I thought you were just like me, a man, but I still fell in love with you!”

Shen Qing was suddenly stunned. It was as if he had only just realized that, from Song Kaiji’s perspective, their relationship was between two people of the same gender. Just like a man with a man, a ger with a ger, or a woman with a woman…

So that’s how it was!

But Shen Qing himself couldn’t accept the idea of being with a ger or a woman. It was such a strange feeling! He quickly waved his hands. “No, no, I’ve never heard of gers being together before. Where I come from, that’s never happened!”

It was too shocking. His heart pounded in his chest. Yet deep inside, a thought lingered—Why not?

Of course, it wasn’t because he liked gers. But if Song Kaiji could like the same gender, and even Tang Wenjie and Qi Zhan had something going on, then why was it that gers in his world couldn’t be with each other?

Song Kaiji walked with him to the entrance of the cave. From his perspective, it was still just a slightly sunken rock wall. Shen Qing passed through it as if he were in a fantasy drama, vanishing right before his eyes.

Song Kaiji gently touched the stone wall. In the past, his longing for that world was largely driven by the desire for a peaceful life free of zombies. But now, all he wanted was to be by Shen Qing’s side at all times.

He wanted to accompany Shen Qing through every experience. He wanted the entire world to know—Shen Qing was his. His, his, his!

Such a wonderful person, Shen Qing… He wanted to cut off all covetous gazes directed at him.

Meanwhile, Shen Qing descended the mountain, his mind still tangled with the question of whether gers could be together. He hadn’t reached a conclusion when he spotted Zhao Youdang pacing near his home. Though he seemed to be watching the workshop, every so often, his gaze would drift toward Shen Qing’s house.

Not wanting Zhao Youdang to realize he had just come down from the mountain, Shen Qing took a detour and approached him from behind. “Uncle Youdang, is something the matter?”

Zhao Youdang was startled. He had been wandering near Shen Qing’s house for a long time. Miao Shi had told him Shen Qing had returned to the village—the mule was even tied up at home—but he had yet to see the person himself. Since he was a man and Miao Shi was a single woman, he couldn’t just walk into the house and wait, so he had been loitering outside.

“There is something… It’s about that school matter you mentioned before,” Zhao Youdang said, hesitating. He didn’t really know how to bring it up, but he also felt it was something that had to be said. His unease showed in the forced smile on his face.

This was a serious issue. Shen Qing had originally planned to ride his mule straight back to the city, but now he had to delay. “Uncle Youdang, why don’t you come inside and sit for a bit?”

“You silly child, how could I go inside? That would be completely improper!” Zhao Youdang immediately stepped back. Shen Qing might not realize it, but a single ger like him and a single woman like Miao Shi living in the same house already raised enough eyebrows. Any proper man would avoid even lingering too long near their door, let alone entering. If he went inside, people would talk!

Only now did Shen Qing realize his mistake.

Recently, his sense of gender propriety had become oddly blurred. Last night, he had been alone with Gold-Tooth at the restaurant, drinking late into the night. If it had been any other ger, their reputation would have been ruined for life. And now, he had invited Zhao Youdang inside without a second thought.

At the same time, he was acutely aware of the injustices in this world. He wasn’t sure what was happening to him—what kind of balance he was trying to find.

“Then… let’s go to the workshop instead,” Shen Qing said, walking ahead. The workshop was bustling with people—mostly women and fulangs, with two men in the courtyard processing sweet potato starch.

A small front-facing house stood nearby, where Miao Yu usually lived. Ever since the workshop opened, Shen Qing had arranged for Miao Yu to stay there, serving as both a gatekeeper and a patrol guard alongside the village’s young men. At night, he also stayed there to keep watch.

Miao Yu was out on patrol at the moment. Shen Qing pulled over a long bench and sat down before asking, “I already discussed this with Aunt Guixiang. What do you think, Uncle Youdang?”

Zhao Youdang had spoken eloquently in front of Wu Guixiang, but now, in front of Shen Qing, he found it difficult to express himself. After hesitating for a long while, he finally said, “…If you force them to send their daughters and gers to school, a good deed might turn into a bad one. Some people won’t be grateful—they’ll resent you for meddling in their family affairs!”

Shen Qing almost laughed in disbelief. But after his initial irritation passed, he had to admit—Zhao Youdang wasn’t entirely wrong.

This village was full of unreasonable people, people who refused to listen to logic. If everyone were sensible and kind-hearted, there would be no conflicts in the world. The saying “give a person a bowl of rice, they’ll be grateful; give them a sack of rice, they’ll resent you” was a perfect example.

If people were truly reasonable, no amount of generosity would breed resentment. But in reality, the unreasonable ones were often the majority.

Shen Qing sat in deep thought for a long time.

Zhao Youdang chimed in, “If you ask me, Shiqu Village does it best. We should just follow their example. With Shiqu Village as a precedent, it’ll be easier for everyone to accept.”

Shen Qing could see Zhao Youdang had his own agenda. He wasn’t blind to it. After a while, he exhaled deeply. “Then I won’t run the school.”

Zhao Youdang’s eyes widened. “Qing Ge’er, you—you—”

Only then did he realize Shen Qing’s real goal had always been to support women and gers. The men—especially those who had never treated Shen Qing well—were just incidental beneficiaries.

Now that gers and women couldn’t attend school, those men obviously wouldn’t get to study either.

Zhao Youdang opened and closed his mouth several times, wanting to protest. Wasn’t this school supposed to be for the good of the whole village? But he couldn’t find the right words. Shen Qing wasn’t the village chief. Why should he be responsible for the village’s development?

The starch sausage workshop had given Zhao Youdang a mistaken impression—that Shen Qing cared deeply about the village’s progress. But in reality, Shen Qing ran the workshop for his benefactors. His own success and reputation came first; helping the villagers was just a byproduct. Most of the people employed there were women and fulangs who had shown him kindness in the past—those who had once shared a cucumber or half a tomato with him.

Even hiring his own villagers likely had nothing to do with the fact that Zhao Youdang was the village chief, but rather because of his connection with Wu Guixiang.

How had it come to this? Zhao Youdang deeply regretted coming to talk to him. His grandson had wanted to attend school, and now it was all gone…

His expression shifted through several shades of regret and frustration. Shen Qing saw it all and laughed to himself, though his face remained neutral.

“Well, that’s that. I’ll think it over again. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll just save the money instead. I have matters to attend to in the county—my shop just opened, so I need to keep an eye on things. Uncle, I’ll be heading out.”

Zhao Youdang was left speechless. Why should Shen Qing spend his own money to educate other people’s children? No one else would!

But Shen Qing wasn’t truly giving up on the school. Zhao Youdang’s warning had simply served as a wake-up call. It was better to realize these problems now than after everything was built.

But once it became public property, it would be entangled in countless issues—fairness, village rules, and all those outdated, discriminatory customs.

Shen Qing had no desire to conform.

So it wouldn’t be public property. It would belong solely to him. He could do whatever he wanted with it, and everything would be according to his wishes.

He would buy the land with his own money. He would pay for the construction. And he would organize a selection test—those who passed could work in the workshop, while the best performers could become managers. Before the exam, a teacher would be hired to instruct them.

There was no talk of benefiting the village—only selecting the best workers for the workshop.

When there was an obvious reward dangling in front of them, even the most biased families who favored their sons over their daughters and gers would have to consider the possibility that their precious sons might not pass. The more people they sent to take the test, the higher their chances of success…

Shen Qing ignored Zhao Youdang’s thunderstruck expression and went straight home. After greeting Miao Shi, he rode his mule back to Anping County.

Business today was even better than yesterday.

Many people hadn’t heard about the shop on the first day, or had arrived too late to buy anything. But after a night of word spreading, nearly everyone in the county knew about the new snack shop in the northern district—deep-fried meat so fragrant that you could smell it from across the street.

So early in the morning, a large crowd had already gathered. Many were returning customers who hadn’t had enough yesterday and lined up again today.

By the time Shen Qing arrived, the queue stretched three to four zhang long. Mudan was busy frying skewers, but instead of Jade assisting him, it was Ruyi, who was skillfully sprinkling seasonings.

Shen Qing had never asked for Ruyi’s name before—he only remembered she was Jie Miyun’s maid.

“What’s going on? Why is she out here?” he asked Shopkeeper Xiao Miao, who was busy collecting money.

Shopkeeper Xiao Miao glanced at Ruyi. She had been standing near the hot oil wok for a while, and the heat had reddened her face. “Today’s crowd is even larger than yesterday. We were short on hands. At first, Mudan and Jade took turns cooking, with Haitang and Manao assisting. But around noon, Haitang burned her hand… That Ruyi girl said she used to prepare food for the old madam at the prefect’s residence, so she was quite skilled and could help out.”

With Shen Qing absent and the shop overwhelmed, no one had the authority to make a decision. In the end, they had to let her join.

Shen Qing nodded, asked about Haitang’s injury, and, after confirming it wasn’t serious, originally intended to rest in the back. But after hesitating for a moment, he said, “I didn’t eat much for lunch. I’ll head next door for some sweet soup.”

Ruyi remained focused on her seasoning work, but secretly, she had been keeping an eye on Shen Qing’s every move. She knew that Jie Miyun had gone to Shen Qing’s room last night—it had been a carefully discussed plan among the four of them. Yet, against all expectations, Shen Qing had fled in the middle of the night, leaving Jie Miyun to return in tears.

And now, this young master was so put off by the incident that he didn’t even want to go home. Ruyi was feeling uneasy—what exactly had her young master done to offend him this badly?

Meanwhile, Shen Qing was also troubled. He had no idea how to explain to Jie Miyun that he didn’t need his service. Jie Miyun had been gifted to him by Gold-Tooth as a concubine. Perhaps, in Jie Miyun’s mind, serving him was only natural. Would reasoning even work?

But the biggest problem was that Shen Qing was a ger… Yet, he couldn’t exactly tell Jie Miyun that. What a headache!

Shen Qing ordered a bowl of steamed pear with silver ear fungus and goji berries. The dish used a local brown pear, peeled and hollowed out while retaining its shape, then filled with a thickened silver ear and goji berry soup before being steamed for half an hour to let the pear’s sweetness fully infuse into the broth.

Once the sweet soup was finished, the pear itself could also be eaten, though its sweetness had diminished considerably.

Shen Qing, lost in thought, ate at a slow pace, absentmindedly scooping up spoonfuls with a refined posture. What he didn’t notice was that several young women enjoying their sweet soup nearby, as well as a few gers passing by from Cuihua shop, were all stealing glances at him.

Shen Qing had never seriously considered just how popular he was—a wealthy young master with striking looks. Calling him the Pan An of Anping County wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Many young women and gers harbored admiration for him; even if they weren’t infatuated, they certainly wouldn’t mind stealing a few extra glances whenever they saw him.

And as for the county magistrate’s ger, whom Shen Qing had saved last night… that soft-spoken “It was you”—it had its own implications.

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