Ch 148: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

No one really knew about this. Miao Shi and Second Aunt Lian were both from other villages. By the time they married into this one, Old Lady Lian and Old Lady Shen were already like fire and water—whenever they ran into each other on the street, they would exchange curses. Well, mostly, it was Old Lady Lian cursing Old Lady Shen.

Second Aunt Lian took a sip of water to moisten her throat. “It was only because of this business with selling Shen Xiaojian that my mother-in-law brought it up again. She said that before Shen Zhigao, there was an eldest sister—her name was Shen Lingzhi.”

“I know about her. She married into the county,” Miao Shi said. “But I’ve hardly ever seen her. When I got married, she didn’t come, and when Shen Zhiwei got married, she didn’t come either. About two or three years after I married, when I had already given birth to Qing, Shen Zhigao took me to the county to visit her once, and that was the only time I saw her. She never really kept in touch with her family.”

Back then, Miao Shi had thought this eldest sister simply looked down on her poor rural family after marrying into the county.

Thinking about it now, Miao Shi felt a pang of sadness. In reality, wasn’t Miao Qiuduo the one who truly fit that description? And yet, she had been blind when it came to her own sister—she could recognize it in others, but refused to admit it about her own family.

But from the way Second Aunt Lian was talking, could it be that Shen Lingzhi had other reasons?

“Of course!” Second Aunt Lian slapped her thigh. “I only just heard this from my mother-in-law! Given the way the Shen family is, how well could they possibly have treated a daughter? Shen Lingzhi had to handle all the housework since she was a child—she was a hardworking, capable girl, and she grew up to be quite a beauty.”

Say what you will about the Shen family, but they did have good looks. Miao Shi had originally been drawn to Shen Zhigao’s appearance. Later, Li Jiaofeng had been the same. Even though Shen Zhiwei was timid, always hunched over and avoiding conflict, he wasn’t bad-looking when he actually lifted his head.

“My mother-in-law had her eyes set on Shen Lingzhi.” Second Aunt Lian lowered her voice, as if afraid someone might overhear. “She originally arranged for my eldest brother-in-law to marry Shen Lingzhi, not Wang Shi. Now, if Old Lady Shen didn’t like my eldest brother-in-law, she could’ve just refused outright—no harm in that. After all, a girl from a good family has plenty of suitors, and not every proposal is meant to succeed.

“But back then, she had already sent someone familiar with both families to probe for their opinion, and Old Lady Shen had initially agreed. That autumn, my eldest brother-in-law even ignored his own fields to go help out at the Shen family’s land, trying to show his worth. He and Shen Lingzhi seemed to get along quite well. My mother-in-law was so pleased that she decided to consult a feng shui master to choose an auspicious date before sending an official matchmaker to propose. That’s how serious she was about it.”

But in just a short while, Old Lady Shen suddenly turned around and married Shen Lingzhi off to a widower in the county. The arrangement was made in such a hurry that by the time the Lian family even heard about it, Shen Lingzhi had already been carried off in a bridal sedan chair.

“My mother-in-law was furious and went to demand an explanation. But the Shen family simply said, ‘It’s not like we were formally engaged. Our daughter’s marriage is our decision to make.’ That county widower was already over thirty, while Shen Lingzhi was just seventeen. She probably didn’t want to go through with it either, because she never returned to the village afterward.

My mother-in-law guessed that the widower must have paid a hefty sum. Shen Lingzhi was practically sold off. Otherwise, how could the Shen family have afforded to build a brick house and buy an entire acre of land the very next year? That’s how they rose to become one of the wealthier families in the village. Ever since then, our family has severed ties with the Shen family, and my mother-in-law has held a deep grudge against Old Lady Shen. Every time she sees her, she remembers this whole affair.”

For Old Lady Lian, it wasn’t just about losing a daughter-in-law—it was about the Shen family trampling on the Lian family’s dignity, treating them like they were nothing. How could she possibly swallow that insult?

“What?!” Miao Shi was completely taken aback. By the time she had married Shen Zhigao, Shen Lingzhi had already been married off for two or three years. Their match had been arranged by a matchmaker from Lantang Village, and all she had known was that the Shen family was relatively well-off, with plenty of land and a solid house. She had never imagined that their wealth had come from something like this.

“The matchmaker wanted her matchmaking fee, so of course, she only said the good things. Do you think she’d tell you the dirty secrets?” Second Aunt Lian sighed. If they had known that the Shen family was the kind to sell their daughters, the Miao family would never have agreed to marry into them. And thinking about it now, why had Old Lady Shen, such a notorious miser, gone all the way to Shiqu Village to marry off her son?

It must have been because everyone in Lantang Village knew the truth—no one wanted to marry their daughter into that household. That’s why they had to look elsewhere.

Miao Shi thought back to her years in the Shen family. Sometimes, Old Lady Shen would go to the county and return with scraps of fabric, second-hand clothes, or some barely usable household items. More often than not, she came back empty-handed, muttering curses about raising an ungrateful wretch. Looking back now, she must have been trying to squeeze even more money out of Shen Lingzhi—bleeding her dry. And when she couldn’t get anything else, she flew into a rage.

“My mother-in-law said Shen Lingzhi was a truly good girl. My eldest brother-in-law was devastated for half a year before he finally agreed to marry Wang Shi,” Second Aunt Lian sighed. She had her own grievances with Wang Shi, but at this moment, she wasn’t sure who would’ve been the better sister-in-law—Wang Shi or Shen Lingzhi.

Wang Shi had her faults, but at the end of the day, they were just minor household squabbles—annoying, but not life-altering. If it had been Shen Lingzhi, they would’ve never been able to cut ties with the Shen family. And now, seeing how the Shen family had sold Shen Xiaojian just to pay for Shen Qiang’s medical expenses, if they had been in-laws, wouldn’t the Shen family have come knocking, demanding money?

---

That very night, after months of staying at her maternal home, Zhao Aiye finally returned to the Shen family. It wasn’t that he had decided to yield—it was that ever since Shen Xiaojian had been taken away, he had fallen into a near-mad state.

Yet despite his breakdown, perhaps the fear of Old Lady Shen had been ingrained in him too deeply. He had defied her once, and the price had been devastating. But instead of confronting Old Lady Shen, he could only take it out on Shen Zhiwei—kicking and screaming at him in anguish.

“I was doomed the moment I married you and into the Shen family!” Zhao Aiye sobbed into his hands before suddenly flying into a rage, pounding Shen Zhiwei with his fists. “What did you say when we got married?! You said you’d love me for a lifetime! When I gave birth to Shen Zhuang, you said I was your greatest blessing, that you’d take care of me and our child! And now?! Now what?! How did I end up married to such a useless man who can’t even protect his own child?!”

In the past, even after all the grievances he suffered in the Shen household, Zhao Aiye had never spoken so harshly to Shen Zhiwei. He had always thought that while his in-laws were cruel, his husband was just as much a victim as he was. He had always chosen to pity Shen Zhiwei instead.

But the loss of Shen Xiaojian shattered him completely.

Women and gers married husbands to find someone they could rely on, someone who could shield them from hardship. That was why so many women and gers, even when beaten by their husbands, would endure it—because they believed that being mistreated by one man was still better than being at the mercy of an entire world that saw them as easy prey.

But Shen Zhiwei? He was utterly useless. When the disaster struck, he didn’t stand in front of Zhao Aiye to protect him. He didn’t protect their daughter. He just knelt alongside him, just as powerless as he was.

Shen Qiang and Shen Xiaojian were both grandchildren of the Shen family. Why was it that his daughter had to be sold to save his older brother’s son?

“You’re useless! Because of you, we’re trapped in this miserable fate—” Zhao Aiye’s sobs nearly blinded him. Shen Zhiwei sat there motionless, taking the beating without a single protest. Eventually, Zhao Aiye exhausted himself and slumped against Shen Zhiwei’s shoulder in complete despair. “Husband, what do we do now? That wretched woman Li Jiaofeng gave birth to a sickly child. If the medicine doesn’t work this time, are they going to sell our Shen Zhuang next? Or sell me too? We’re all children of the Shen family—why should our child be sacrificed for hers?”

Shen Zhiwei finally moved. He held Zhao Aiye close, his voice trembling with both helplessness and self-reassurance. “It won’t happen. It won’t happen… This will end…”

---

That night, Lantang Village, which had been filled with so much noise and commotion, finally fell silent. Most households, trying to save on lamp oil, had gone to bed early. Some whispered in their blankets, gossiping about the day’s drama, while others, exhausted from work, fell into a deep sleep almost instantly.

But at Shen Qing’s house, oil lamps were still burning. They had long stopped caring about saving a few drops of lamp oil. Shen Qing had even brought back a variety of candles from the wholesale market—plain white candles, red ceremonial candles, and even scented ones, which were now scattered around the house for casual use.

Miao Shi placed a burning candle into an empty bowl so that the melted wax could be collected and reused. Frugality and practicality—some habits never changed.

She couldn’t sleep. Even though she had escaped the Shen household, today’s events had left her unsettled. She didn’t necessarily sympathize with Zhao Aiye or Shen Xiaojian, but an inexplicable sadness still sat heavy in her chest.

Then, a piercing scream suddenly echoed through the village, shattering the quiet of the night.

Miao Shi trembled, pricking her finger with the needle. A drop of blood beaded at the tip.

Shen Qing, who had also heard the scream, lit his oil lamp and got up. “What’s going on?”

Miao Shi held up her hand in a daze. “I don’t know… but that scream… am I imagining it, or did it come from the Shen family’s house?”

Miao Shi stared at the crimson bead of blood on her fingertip, feeling restless and agitated, nodding absentmindedly.

Shen Qing fastened his clothes properly. The spring night was chilly, so he pulled out a thin jacket and draped it over himself. By now, the village was already in an uproar, as if a fight had broken out somewhere. Just as Shen Qing stepped into the courtyard, he heard a knock on the gate outside.

“Big Aunt, ge, are you awake?” came Miao Yu’s voice.

“We’re up,” Shen Qing responded and opened the door. “What’s going on in the village?”

Miao Yu hesitated for a moment before figuring out how to refer to Li Jiaofeng. “It’s that woman your father married later—she’s outside, holding her child, saying she wants to see you.”

With all the noise in the village, someone had already gone to check on the situation before Shen Qing could even ask. However, before the scout could return, a figure came running towards them, crashing through the night like a desperate shadow.

Shen Qing had coordinated with the village to set up this patrol team specifically to ensure the safety of his home and to protect the secrecy of the workshop’s recipes. This area was the most heavily guarded part of the village. At this hour, even Lantang villagers sneaking around were unacceptable—who knew if there were traitors among them?

Miao Yu quickly stepped forward to block the approaching figure, only to realize it was Li Jiaofeng, clutching Shen Qiang tightly in her arms. The frail child, already weak by nature, usually cried no louder than a cat’s meow. But now, he was even quieter, making only feeble, wheezing sounds.

“What are you doing here?” Miao Yu, being Miao Shi’s blood nephew, had nothing but disdain for Li Jiaofeng. “It’s already a mercy that we haven’t come knocking on your door! And you still have the nerve to show up here? Get lost!”

Li Jiaofeng recognized Miao Yu—this was Miao Shi’s nephew, whom Shen Qing had brought in as the patrol captain. She normally avoided the patrol team at all costs, but now she had no other choice. Her face was streaked with tears, and she was on the verge of collapsing to her knees. “Please, let me see Shen Qing! I was wrong, I’m a bitch, I’m the worst—I’ve wronged your aunt! But this child, he’s Shen Qing’s own little brother. One day, when he grows up, he can support Shen Qing too! Please, let me see him, I beg you!”

Miao Yu lifted his wooden staff and blocked her path. “Are you leaving or not? My brother cut ties with the Shen family long ago! What does whatever you’re holding have to do with him? Didn’t your family just sell off a girl today and make a pile of money? Isn’t that enough for your precious golden treasure? And now you still want to come leech off my brother?” He shot a glance at the bundled-up infant in her arms, utterly unmoved, even laced with a hint of malice as he sneered, “My brother has only one real little brother, and he’s long dead. Don’t you go clinging to the wrong family—you wouldn’t want to end up cursing your own child.”

His words seemed to jolt Li Jiaofeng awake. She clenched her teeth, realizing that the Miao family wanted nothing more than for her and her child to die. They would never show even a shred of sympathy, and playing the pity card would get her nowhere. In a moment of sheer desperation, she steeled herself and spat out, “Just go and tell him! I have something he needs to hear. Does he not want to know who was responsible for Shen Zhang’s death? If you delay my message, Shen Qing won’t forgive you!”

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