Ch 144: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Miao Qiuduo paced irritably around the room.

Huang Yu was getting dizzy watching her and complained, “Mother, when are we going home? I really can’t stand living in this countryside! Look at these bug bites—what if they leave scars?”

He rolled up his sleeve, revealing his fair, delicate arm, now marked with red welts from insect bites. The countryside was full of pests. They were currently staying at Third Grandpa’s house, which, while spacious, was nowhere near as clean as the Miao family home—let alone comparable to their residence in the prefectural city.

“Stop fussing.” Miao Qiuduo scolded. She wanted to tell him they wouldn’t be leaving—that they would settle in the village—but at this moment, even she wasn’t sure if that would happen.

As the youngest in the family, Miao Qiuduo had always been doted on. The Miao family and even the entire Miao clan in Shiqu Village valued kinship deeply. Her parents, older brothers, and sister had all spoiled her. When she married into the Huang family in the county, her beauty and sweet tongue earned her even more indulgence from her husband, Huang Wulang. Over time, she had grown used to having her way.

One could say that Miao Qiuduo had lived her whole life smoothly and comfortably. But people are never satisfied. Many who live easy lives don’t even realize how fortunate they are, instead believing that their own hardships are unseen and unappreciated—that their suffering is unparalleled.

They fail to notice that others don’t even have enough to eat.

Miao Qiuduo was precisely such a person.

After her parents-in-law passed away, the Huang family divided their assets. The Huang family ran a general store in the county and had some wealth. Huang Wulang refused the shop and house, instead taking a significant sum of silver, and the couple set off for the prefectural city, unwilling to remain in the small county.

There, they opened another general store. Though they had stopped visiting Shiqu Village, they occasionally returned to Anping County. Whenever they gathered with Huang Wulang’s brothers, they would boast about how they had made a name for themselves in the big city. But in truth, business in the prefectural city wasn’t easy, and their life there was not necessarily better than that of their brothers who remained in the county. While they earned a little more, the cost of living was far higher.

Everything—rice, oil, salt—was expensive, sometimes twice the price of what it was in the county. They couldn’t afford a house and had to rent. Meanwhile, the local residents of the prefectural city looked down on outsiders from small counties, sometimes even ostracizing them. Though they appeared successful on the surface, the reality was that they were barely getting by with little savings.

Otherwise, why would she have stayed away from Shiqu Village for so many years? Everyone assumed she was living well in the prefectural city, but in truth, Miao Qiuduo was afraid her siblings would ask her for financial help. She needed every coin she had to send Jinbao to a good academy—education in the prefectural city was costly!

But then, not long ago, Huang Sanlang and his wife visited the prefectural city for medical treatment and dropped by their house. While chatting, they casually mentioned Miao Chunlei’s son.

“That ger is truly something! To have made it this far—amazing!” Huang Sanlang gave a big thumbs-up as he spoke about Shen Qing. He had no idea that the famous Young Master Shen of the county was actually Shen Qing. But since his family ran a general store, Huang Sanlang had started stocking Blooming Sausages from Lantang Village in his shop. Surprisingly, they were quite popular among the locals—many bought them to stir-fry with garlic sprouts and scallions.

As the weather warmed, the sausages couldn’t be stored for long, lasting only a few days before needing to be restocked. So, every few days, Huang Sanlang made a trip to Lantang Village. Businessmen were good at gathering information, and it hadn’t taken him long to learn about this new delicacy taking over Anping County—along with some details about Shen Qing. Who would’ve thought that he had a family connection to Miao Qiuduo’s in-laws?

Huang Sanlang’s wife, pushing a plate of pastries toward Miao Qiuduo, warmly took her hand. “We’re all family, even if we haven’t been close before. Sister-in-law, could you help us connect with your nephew? We’d love to get to know him better.”

Currently, Blooming Sausages were supplied to the workshop in Shiqu Village at three wen per sausage. By the time they reached the county, Huang Sanlang was selling them at four wen each—or two for seven wen. If they went any higher, customers would rather buy the freshly fried ones for just five wen.

The profit margin was slim. So, Huang Sanlang and his wife wanted to use Miao Qiuduo’s connection to Shen Qing to negotiate a lower price.

Miao Qiuduo usually despised these types of family entanglements, especially with her husband’s brothers, who always came to the prefectural city looking for a free place to stay and a free meal. They were nothing but trouble, and she never gained anything from them. But this time, Miao Qiuduo’s attitude was different—she immediately agreed with enthusiasm.

That night, she discussed it with Huang Wulang. Initially, she had no thoughts of arranging a marriage for Shen Qing. Her plan was simply to ask him for the recipe and learn the craft so they could produce and sell the sausages in the prefectural city. In her eyes, Shen Qing was only selling them in Lantang Village and Anping County, so it wouldn’t affect his business if she took the method to another market. And since they were relatives, why wouldn’t he share?

But upon arriving in Anping County, Miao Qiuduo changed her mind.

She personally visited the Blooming Sausage shop and was astounded by the booming business. The place was packed, selling an endless supply of sausages. On top of that, many vendors—like Huang Sanlang—were stocking up and reselling them. She also heard that Shen Qing wasn’t just operating the Lantang Village workshop; he was planning to open another one in Shiqu Village!

How much money did he have?!

This ger, whom her sister had given birth to, had to be worth at least a hundred taels! She and her husband had struggled in the prefectural city for years and had barely saved sixty or seventy taels. And Shen Qing wasn’t married yet. Miao Qiuduo’s heart burned with excitement. If her son married Shen Qing, wouldn’t all that wealth become theirs?

They wouldn’t have to put on airs and struggle in the prefectural city anymore. Shen Qing’s business ventures were worth a fortune, and once Jinbao married him, all of it would be managed by their family. They could move back home with dignity, no longer ridiculed by Huang Wulang’s brothers for failing to make it big in the prefectural city.

It was then, while observing the shop from afar, that Miao Qiuduo caught a glimpse of “Young Master Shen.”

She had seen Shen Qing as a child. Back when he was seven or eight, he still looked like any other young ger, without much distinction. But now, she never would have guessed that this tall, commanding man was that same child!

Miao Qiuduo took Huang Jinbao’s hand and sighed. “It’s just a pity for my son—you’ll have to endure a little grievance. But he’s your own cousin, my sister’s flesh and blood. Even if his looks aren’t up to standard, you must still respect him, understand?”

Huang Jinbao’s eyes lit up. “I don’t feel wronged at all!” The young man lowered his head shyly, his ears turning red. “Cousin… Cousin is amazing. This is the first time I’ve ever met a ger like him. I… I like Cousin!”

Before seeing Shen Qing in person, Huang Jinbao had been completely unwilling when his mother mentioned marrying a rural ger. But after meeting Shen Qing, all his reluctance vanished. It was love at first sight!

Miao Qiuduo and Huang Wulang: ???

Looking at her son’s expression, which showed no signs of pretense, Miao Qiuduo was at a loss for words. How could her son’s taste be so… unique? “…If you don’t feel wronged, that’s even better. You must treat Qing Ge’er well in the future.”

Huang Jinbao nodded vigorously like a pecking chick.

He truly didn’t feel wronged! He had never seen a ger like Shen Qing before. He might not look like a typical ger, but he wasn’t ugly either. His features were striking, his face well-proportioned. Most importantly, his aura—where did he seem like someone who grew up in the countryside? Even in the prefectural city, Huang Jinbao had seen martial scholars from afar, but none of them looked as imposing and full of life as Shen Qing!

What impressed him most was that Shen Qing didn’t even take his mother seriously—he was indifferent and dismissive. That effortless composure made Huang Jinbao admire him even more!

Growing up under his mother’s influence, Huang Jinbao disliked women, finding them nagging and controlling. He also didn’t care for typical little gers, who, like Huang Yu, were delicate and overly dramatic. But Shen Qing… Shen Qing was different. He was like a cool breeze on a sweltering summer day—refreshing and captivating. Huang Jinbao was genuinely smitten.

Seeing her son’s reaction, Miao Qiuduo became even more confident. Qing Ge’er had grown into a manly figure, yet he was still unmarried—his marriage prospects must be difficult. Even if someone wanted to marry him, it was likely for his wealth. But how many could truly like him as earnestly as their Jinbao? Shen Qing should count himself lucky!

So, when the Miao family gathered in Shiqu Village for a reunion two days later, Miao Qiuduo confidently brought up the proposal at the dinner table. “Jinbao told me himself that he admires Qing Ge’er. He says Qing Ge’er has a rare kind of spirit—just one look, and he was smitten! He begged me to arrange this marriage, and I thought, isn’t this a match made in heaven? Cousin and cousin—perfectly suited! I am Qing Ge’er’s own aunt, and I promise he will never be mistreated in our family!”

Miao Shi was overjoyed that her younger sister had returned. As the second sister in the family, she had been the one to care for Miao Wang and Miao Qiuduo when they were little. She cherished those memories and still held affection for her siblings.

She hadn’t been present during the incidents of the past few days, so unlike Miao Xing and Miao Wang, she didn’t feel uncomfortable with Miao Qiuduo’s sudden return. She was simply happy that the family was together again. But who would have thought that one moment, Miao Qiuduo would be reminiscing about their deep sisterly bond, and the next, she would bring up Shen Qing’s marriage?

Old Lady Miao was so shocked that she dropped her chopsticks. She quickly turned to Shen Qing and Miao Shi, waving her hands anxiously. “I didn’t agree to this! She mentioned it before, and I refused. I had no idea she would bring it up today!”

After saying this, Old Lady Miao felt a surge of frustration. She shot Miao Qiuduo a glare. Why was this child so troublesome? She had already told her no, told her not to bring it up!

Only a fool would still think of Qing Ge’er as an ordinary rural ger and try to arrange his marriage with the old-fashioned mindset of the village. Old Lady Miao had raised four children alone after becoming a widow—she was a sharp woman.

In her mind, Qing Ge’er would either marry a steward under a nobleman or become a concubine to a powerful figure. Being a concubine wasn’t always about beauty or serving in bed—it was sometimes a means of elevating one’s status. If Qing Ge’er became a concubine, he would be crossing social classes and could serve as a capable advisor to a nobleman. It would be mutually beneficial.

Jinbao might have been a good match in the past, but now, there was no way Qing Ge’er would agree.

Besides, Qing Ge’er wasn’t a fool. Did Qiuduo think he wouldn’t see through her scheme? She was ruining their family bond with this nonsense! That foolish girl—she insisted on pushing this when she had already been told no!

Li Yanzi nearly choked when she heard Miao Qiuduo’s words. She remembered how, just half a year ago, she had quarreled with Miao Wang over Shen Qing’s marriage prospects. Who would have thought that Qing Ge’er would now have such status and even become highly sought after?

Miao Shi was stunned, still trying to find a polite way to decline. But Shen Qing had already made up his mind about this long-lost aunt. Without waiting for his mother to speak, he flatly rejected her. “That’s impossible. I don’t agree.”

A flash of anger crossed Miao Qiuduo’s face. Since returning, she had been rebuffed by Shen Qing multiple times. Nothing had gone smoothly for her! Now, even a junior dared to refuse her directly—she was deeply displeased. “Qing Ge’er, this is not right of you. A ger’s marriage is decided by their parents and a matchmaker. Whether it’s good or bad, it’s up to your elders to determine. How can you, as a ger, not only refuse to step aside but even interfere?”

“I can’t have a say in my own marriage?” Shen Qing’s expression darkened, and his mood soured. He hated being treated like an object, something to be examined and traded. Was he supposed to be grateful just because a man wanted him? “Aunt, stop worrying about my affairs. I’ll handle my own marriage.”

With that, Shen Qing pushed back his bowl and stood up, intending to leave. Arguing with Miao Qiuduo was a waste of breath—he didn’t want to bother with her at all.

Miao Qiuduo’s chest heaved with anger. She had always had her way, yet she had been rejected again and again since returning. Furious, she blurted out, “You pretend to be a man outside, fabricate an identity, and mingle with the townsfolk. Who would still dare to marry you? Only my Jinbao is simple-minded enough not to mind. I am your real aunt—I wouldn’t harm you! If you keep talking to me like this, disrespecting your elders, I might just expose your secret and see what happens to all your businesses—”

“Qiuduo!” Old Lady Miao immediately interrupted her loudly. This was utterly disgraceful! She turned to look at Shen Qing and Miao Shi.

Miao Shi’s face had gone pale, her chest rising and falling in fury. What kind of person was this? Just because something didn’t go her way, she threatened to expose someone’s secret? To use it as leverage? Miao Shi stared at Miao Qiuduo, finding her terrifyingly unfamiliar. Was this really the little sister she had raised?

Miao Qiuduo also realized she had said the wrong thing. But she had always been too proud to admit fault, so she merely crossed her arms and remained silent.

Everyone in the room had put down their chopsticks and was staring at Shen Qing and Miao Qiuduo.

Shen Qing had already reached the door. He turned back, sneering coldly. “Go ahead and say it. Let’s see if I’m scared or not.”

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