Ch 142: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

“He’s not having an easy time now. His fulang is gone, and his two young children are left in his mother’s care. Scholar Miao is also getting older and doesn’t have the energy to oversee the school anymore, so most of the responsibilities have fallen onto him,” the village head sighed.

Scholar Miao was aging, and Tongsheng Miao had once been the most promising scholar in Shiqu Village’s generation. However, despite passing the entrance exams early, he had never managed to advance to the xiucai level. If even he couldn’t pass, then the others stood even less of a chance. Village Chief Miao was deeply worried—afraid that the village’s scholarly lineage, passed down for generations, might be severed under his leadership. Yet, he didn’t dare say much about it; Tongsheng Miao himself was already burdened by the pressure.

Shen Qing looked into the room. Tongsheng Miao didn’t step out to greet them just because he saw them. Instead, he scolded the boys who weren’t paying attention and continued teaching.

“I do some business traveling and came across a few books that might be useful for the imperial exams. I’ll bring them to Uncle later,” Shen Qing said, considering Tongsheng Miao as a worthwhile investment. Through Gold-Tooth, he had already made connections with the county’s clerk and the registrar, but that was still an indirect relationship. Tongsheng Miao, on the other hand, was family.

Shen Qing didn’t need him to become a high-ranking official—just passing the xiucai exam would be enough. As long as he had an official title and could speak on behalf of the village in front of government officials, that was sufficient.

“That’s great news!” Village Chief Miao was overjoyed. Books were incredibly valuable, especially those related to the imperial exams, which couldn’t simply be bought at any bookstore. Even if one had the money, it still required luck to find the right texts.

This was part of the knowledge monopoly of the era. The scholarly families that had passed down learning for generations possessed vast collections of books that commoners couldn’t even dream of accessing. These books were rarely shared—unless one became a disciple, a subordinate tied by mutual interests, and worked under the teacher’s guidance. Only then could they gain access to some of these resources.

The starting points for different social classes weren’t just about money and connections—they also included generations of accumulated books.

In many ways, it was similar to the system of craftsmen taking apprentices.

Shiqu Village had produced generations of scholars, and the Miao family had its own collection of books, but it still couldn’t compare to a true aristocratic literary family. Otherwise, their village wouldn’t have only ever produced xiucai and never a juren. While natural talent played a role, the lack of educational resources was also a crucial factor.

Though Qing Ge’er wasn’t well-versed in classical studies and didn’t know how to select the best books, books from other places might have some different insights. Buying books, at times, depended on luck as well!

Once the lesson inside the room was completed, Tongsheng Miao instructed the children to read on their own before stepping outside to greet the village head and Shen Qing. “It’s been a while, Qing Ge’er. You’ve made such a name for yourself that I almost didn’t recognize you.”

Back when he had assisted with Miao Shi’s divorce, Tongsheng Miao had already noticed that this ger was different from the rest. But in just half a year, Shen Qing had undergone a complete transformation. Wearing men’s attire and carrying himself like a young master from a noble family, he hardly resembled the once struggling farmer ger.

Shen Qing cupped his hands in greeting. Meanwhile, the village chief started chatting with Tongsheng Miao about the new workshop in the village. “Qing Ge’er is a good child—he still values family! You should work harder too and train a few bright ones to assist Qing Ge’er.”

Word had spread throughout Lantang Village that Qing Ge’er had caught the favor of an influential noble from another region and was being heavily relied upon. Many matters in Anping County were now handled by him. The young men in Shiqu Village were literate and knew arithmetic—wasn’t this the perfect opportunity?

“Of course,” Tongsheng Miao agreed, then asked, “What exactly will our village’s workshop be producing? I heard Lantang Village’s workshop makes something called Blooming Sausage. My nephew even brought some back from the county for our family to try—it was delicious.”

Shen Qing had already planned this out. Shiqu Village was different from Lantang Village; they had more literate men who could handle bookkeeping and management. In modern terms, they had more administrative talent but fewer laborers.

For example, when Shen Qing set up the workshop in Lantang Village, he provided wages and meals, and the villagers were overjoyed. But in Shiqu Village, it wouldn’t be as easy. Many of the men had steady jobs in the county, so why would they quit to work at a workshop for a lower wage?

Thus, Shen Qing’s original plan to open a gluten workshop was put on hold—he’d save that for Xiahe Village. In Shiqu Village, the focus would be on gers and women, setting up a smaller but high-quality workshop.

Shen Qing didn’t hide his plans. Sooner or later, the villagers would find out anyway. “I’m planning to make fried chicken cutlets—similar to Blooming Sausage, it’s a fried wheat-and-meat product.” These would also be supplied to the Blooming Sausage shop, frying them in the same oil.

Although he called it fried chicken cutlets, it was actually more of a fried wheat cutlet. There simply weren’t enough chickens in this era to slaughter for meat every day. Since the starch sausage workshop also used a large amount of meat, Shen Qing was already considering partnering with Xiaoqi Village to implement modern disease prevention measures and open a poultry farm.

One jin of chicken meat would be minced and mixed with salt, autumn sauce, rice wine, five-spice powder, pepper, sugar, and one egg, stirring it until evenly blended. Then, one and a half jin of wheat flour would be added to form a dough-like consistency, kneaded until firm, then divided and rolled into thin, large sheets.

From one jin of chicken, Shen Qing could make fifteen fried wheat cutlets.

Three-flour steamed buns would be left overnight, roasted until golden and crispy, and crushed into fine crumbs. The cutlets would be coated in these crumbs before being deep-fried and brushed with sauce.

In the Lantang Village workshop, the technique for making Blooming Sausage had been taught to Second Aunt Lian. In Shiqu Village, this new skill would naturally be passed down to his own family.

Liu Yue’e and Li Yanzi were still busy running their tofu workshop. The idea of opening another workshop was tempting, but their current business was already very profitable. Especially now that the Blooming Sausage shop had started selling fried bean curd, tofu sheets, and vegetarian options—why would they source from anywhere else when their own uncle’s tofu workshop was right there? Business had been booming.

But greed was a natural human trait—they wanted both, yet couldn’t split themselves in two, which frustrated them.

Shen Qing found it amusing. “What’s the problem? Qiao Niang and Xue Niang are old enough now. I’ll just teach the skill to my two younger sisters, won’t that solve everything?” These two cousins were older than Mudan and Jade by a few years. If those two could already manage the shop in town on their own, why wouldn’t Qiao Niang and Xue Niang be capable?

Qiao Niang and Xue Niang’s eyes immediately lit up, eagerly gathering around Shen Qing, but Liu Yue’e and Li Yanzi quickly waved their hands. “That won’t do! They’re getting older, and just recently, someone even asked about arranging a marriage for them. They’re still young ladies, and in another three to five years, they’ll be married off. By then, wouldn’t this skill go to another family?”

The prevailing belief at the time was that daughters who married out were like spilled water—they no longer belonged to their natal family. Once married, they were considered part of their husband’s household, while daughters-in-law became the true members of the family. That was why so many trades and skills were passed down to daughters-in-law rather than daughters.

Qiao Niang and Xue Niang’s eyes dimmed. It wasn’t that Liu Yue’e and Li Yanzi didn’t love their own daughters, but rather that this was simply how the world worked. It was only natural for them to think this way. Even Qiao Niang and Xue Niang, despite their disappointment, didn’t feel anything was particularly wrong with it.

But Shen Qing didn’t share this perspective. “What do you mean they won’t be family anymore? By that logic, isn’t my mother also not part of the family anymore?”

“That’s different,” Liu Yue’e said. “Your mother is divorced.”

Shen Qing felt like there was no reasoning with them on this matter, so he shifted his approach. “Aunt, you have a point. But have you considered this—what if the two sisters don’t marry out and instead take in a husband through a matrilocal marriage? Wouldn’t that mean they still stay part of the family?”

“A matrilocal marriage?” Liu Yue’e and Li Yanzi exchanged glances. They had never even thought of that. Wasn’t that only done in families with no sons? Their family had sons—why would they take in a son-in-law?

“No one around here does that,” they hesitated.

Shen Qing shook his head. “No one does it because they’re poor.”

The biggest difference between a woman or ger being married out versus bringing in a matrilocal husband wasn’t just about carrying on the family name—it was also about property division. In ancient times, women did have the right to inherit property, but their share wasn’t given to them after their parents passed. Instead, they received it as their dowry upon marriage.

Of course, dowries varied. Poor families gave very little—often less than the bride price they received. But in wealthy families, it was different. In extravagant dynasties, officials and even royal families would take on debt just to provide a lavish dowry for their daughters.

If a woman or ger stayed in the household and took in a matrilocal husband, it meant the family’s property wouldn’t be divided up as it would be for a son-in-law marrying in. Most men weren’t willing to accept this arrangement since it meant they wouldn’t have full control over the property.

“But our family isn’t the same anymore,” Shen Qing pointed out. “We’re on an upward trajectory and in serious need of more people. Brother Miao Ren will be managing the new workshop, Miao Yu is already in Lantang Village leading the patrol team, and Miao Shan is still too young. Uncle and Aunt are busy making and selling tofu. Who else is there to learn this skill? Isn’t this shortage of manpower causing us to miss out on big profits?”

His words struck a chord with Liu Yue’e and Li Yanzi. This was exactly why farming families always wished for more children—the more hands there were to work, the more prosperous the family became. But this was a major decision, and they didn’t dare make it alone. Instead, they turned to Miao Xing and Miao Wang. “What do you two think?”

Miao Xing and Miao Wang mulled it over for a long time, struggling to wrap their heads around it. Eventually, they said, “Let’s go with Qing Ge’er’s idea. Has he ever led us wrong?”

Their family’s life used to be miserable, but ever since Qing Ge’er stepped in to help, they had soared ahead of the entire village. Without Qing Ge’er, they wouldn’t have dared to dream of their current prosperity. Qing Ge’er was smarter than them, more experienced, and had a keen eye for opportunities. Trusting him was the safest bet.

As for dividing up the family property… Miao Xing glanced at Miao Ren.

Miao Ren immediately stepped forward. “Father, we’re all blood relatives. I would never fight my sisters over something like this. Now that our family is wealthy, keeping my younger sisters at home through a matrilocal marriage will let them live more comfortably. I support it.”

After all, who wanted to leave their own home and live under someone else’s roof? Life was always more comfortable at home. Plus, their family’s status had risen thanks to Qing Ge’er. If his two sisters mastered this new skill, the money they made would far exceed their family’s original assets. Qiao Niang and Xue Niang were still young—so long as the family remained united, their matrilocal marriage would be no different from having additional sons. The husbands they brought in would have their position suppressed within the household, so they wouldn’t be able to stir up trouble.

Hearing his eldest son’s response, Miao Xing nodded in satisfaction.

“Then it’s settled. We’ll slaughter a chicken today, and I’ll teach the two girls how to make it.” Shen Qing reached into his pouch and casually pulled out some loose coins, handing them to Miao Shan. “Go buy a chicken from someone we know.”

Li Yanzi quickly stopped him. “What are you saying? We have chickens at home—why would we need to buy one? We should have slaughtered one anyway to welcome you, and now you’re taking out money? That’s ridiculous!”

With Qing Ge’er bringing them so much fortune, how could she be stingy over one chicken?

As they were still debating, a woman’s voice suddenly came from outside the door.

“You’re having chicken for lunch? Make it braised—I love braised chicken! Why didn’t you call me over for such a good meal? Am I not family too? Look, you’ve already got an extra pair of hands right here.”

The moment they heard the voice, both Li Yanzi and Shen Qing froze, their hands stopping mid-motion. Liu Yue’e, who was standing behind them, also turned grim, her face instantly darkening.

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