Ch 152: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

People who don’t know you will fear you, but those who do just want to make wishes to the King of Hell.

Ever since Shen Qing had beaten Shen Zhigao, he’d felt an inexplicable sense of liberation, as if some heavy chains had been removed from him, making him feel lighter and more at ease. But after all, he wasn’t really the King of Hell, so he quickly waved his hands at Lian Rong’s wish. “Even though your aunt is indeed not a good person, she doesn’t deserve death, does she? Punishment should match the severity of the crime—otherwise, what would that make me?”

Shen Qing even started to wonder if he had somehow become a strange role model for the village’s gers and girls, seeing how Lian Rong was casually talking about life-and-death matters.

“That’s true,” Lian Rong sighed deeply, then glanced at Shen Qing again. “Then what are you? You’re the Living King of Hell.”

Shen Qing: “…I’m not. Stop saying that.”

He examined the grass-woven butterfly in his hand, despite it being flattened underfoot, and after a moment of thought, a mischievous smile appeared on his face. “But I can help you get a little revenge, consider it fulfilling your birthday wish.”

Though Lian Rong’s actual wish was to have Wang Shi “taken away,” Shen Qing’s plan had nothing to do with that.

Wang Shi always targeted Second Aunt Lian out of jealousy. Since she was someone so easily provoked by envy, why not let her stew in it even more?

Lian Rong looked at him, half-understanding, as Shen Qing took her small hand and led her into Miao Shi’s room.

Nowadays, Miao Shi’s room already had the feel of a wealthy wife’s quarters, yet it still retained a rustic countryside charm. A newly crafted wooden cabinet stood by the heated brick bed, filled with fresh bedding and an abundance of new clothes.

The windows were covered with thick, snow-white paper, allowing light to filter in, making the room bright and clean.

Against the wall stood a large wooden dressing table, with a copper mirror the size of a washbasin at the center, adorned with delicate engravings. To the left of the mirror was a stack of jewelry boxes, and inside the first box was a small, round silver-backed mirror. To the right, there were an array of small bottles and jars—some for face cream, some for hair oil. Nearby were two combs with different tooth gaps.

Lian Rong curiously took in everything on the table. Her home didn’t even have a simple brass mirror; if she wanted to see her reflection, she could only look into the water.

Shen Qing pressed her down onto the stool in front of the vanity, looked at her two tightly bound bun-shaped pigtails, and, after considering his own lack of hairstyling skills, decided not to undo them. Instead, he rummaged through the jewelry box and pulled out two hair ribbons, holding them up on either side of her head to measure.

Miao Shi and Second Aunt Lian were sitting on the heated bed, chatting. Seeing Shen Qing’s actions, they found it amusing. “What are you doing?”

“Today is Rong Jie’er’s birthday. These two hair ribbons—when I bought them, didn’t you say the colors were too bright and you didn’t like them? Might as well give them to Rong Jie’er as a birthday present.” The two ribbons in Shen Qing’s hands were ones he had casually picked up at the neighboring shop. They were made of finely woven silk in three colors—peach pink, soft blush, and pale yellow—with small dangling beads of unknown material, also in delicate pink hues.

Miao Shi had found them too flashy and youthful at the time, feeling they were more suited for little girls rather than herself. No matter how much Shen Qing insisted she was still young, she had never worn them.

Now that he was giving them to Lian Rong, Miao Shi naturally agreed, even scolding Second Aunt Lian lightly, “Rong Jie’er’s birthday? Why didn’t you say something?”

“She’s just a little kid. What’s the fuss about birthdays?” Second Aunt Lian waved it off. “And sending her a birthday gift? We already come to your house all the time, eating and taking things—I’m embarrassed as it is!”

“You helped me out when I was struggling before. Now that I’m doing better, what’s a little gift for the child?” Miao Shi said while taking over from Shen Qing, loosening Lian Rong’s hair and smoothing it down with some scented oil, making it shine. All the stray hairs were neatly tucked away, leaving her looking polished and tidy.

“For a little girl, you sure have nimble fingers!” Second Aunt Lian remarked.

“I never had the chance to doll up Qing Ge’er when he was little—he never liked dressing up or wearing anything decorative. Now, I finally get to put my skills to use!” Miao Shi laughed, feeling immensely satisfied as she arranged Lian Rong’s hair into two symmetrical four-petal flower buns, tying the hair ribbons in the center into butterfly knots. The effect was stunning—like two delicate flower buds resting atop her head.

Seeing how adorable Lian Rong looked after the makeover, Miao Shi felt an overwhelming sense of fulfillment. “Qing Ge’er never let me dress him up like this—he always wanted to look like a little adult. Finally, I get to practice!”

Since uncovering the truth about Shen Zhang’s death, Miao Shi had been visibly downcast for days. Now, with something to focus on, she seemed to have a bit more energy, which made Shen Qing happy. He excused himself to his room but actually retrieved a box of velvet flower hairpins from his storage space.

These were custom-made by artisans he had hired in the post-apocalyptic world—delicately crafted, with a variety of designs. Miao Shi picked a peach blossom and a tiny velvet peach, which perfectly matched the ribbons. She placed them symmetrically on Lian Rong’s two flower buns, making the already cute little girl look even more like a porcelain doll.

“Oh my heavens, this must be expensive! She can’t possibly wear something so valuable!” Second Aunt Lian waved her hands frantically. The ribbons were one thing, but these hairpins were obviously exquisite. Back when she was a young maiden, she had bought some cheap decorative hairpieces at the market, but none compared to what Shen Qing had just taken out. She immediately reached out to remove them. “She’s just a child—how could she wear something this fancy?”

But Lian Rong quickly ducked behind Miao Shi, clutching her new hair accessories. “I like them! I’ll only wear them for two days, I swear! I’ll even work for Qing Ge’er to pay for them!”

Shen Qing laughed. “What kind of work could you do for me?” He then glanced at the trampled grass butterfly. “But, go call Ou Ge’er over. Have lunch at my place today—I’ll make you that full egg feast.”

Lian Rong, however, grimaced at the mention of eggs. “I don’t want to eat eggs anymore—I want meat! I want the sausages from our workshop!”

“What’s this ‘full egg feast’ about?” Miao Shi and Second Aunt Lian still weren’t sure what the two were scheming. But seeing Lian Rong, now dressed up and no longer upset, Second Aunt Lian let go of her frustration over what had happened.

Then Lian Rong finally explained how her birthday eggs had been taken by Wang Shi and given to Lian Bao, and how her grass butterfly had been stomped.

Miao Shi and Second Aunt Lian finally understood why Shen Qing had suddenly taken it upon himself to dress up Lian Rong—it was to cheer her up.

Now that Lian Rong had stopped crying and seemed happy again, Second Aunt Lian sighed. “Forget it, let’s not bother with that foolish woman anymore.”

After all, their second branch of the family was doing better and better with Shen Qing’s support. Even though their earnings had to be handed over to the shared family fund, Miao Shi still found ways to give little gifts—whether it was fabric, shoes, or a good meal for the kids. In both appearance and lifestyle, their household was already pulling ahead of the eldest branch. No wonder Wang Shi was jealous.

But Second Aunt Lian had made peace with it. “She can be envious all she wants. We’re doing well, and that’s enough.”

Even if they had to pool their earnings now, the bond with Miao Shi and Shen Qing was something Wang Shi could never take away. When the time came for the family to split, they would still have each other’s backs, and Shen Qing would always be there to support their children.

And over on Wang Shi’s side—who would keep sending them money after the family split? So what if she had another son to dote on like a treasure? In the end, their household would never catch up to Second Aunt Lian’s.

The only question was when the family would finally divide. Second Aunt Lian sighed and whispered with Miao Shi again. The village custom was that families could only split after the elders passed away. She wasn’t heartless enough to wish for her in-laws’ early demise, but she truly wanted to separate as soon as possible. “If only we could split the family now. We’re even willing to take care of the in-laws. Even if the eldest branch gets nothing, it’s fine with us.”

She had lost count of how many times she’d sighed over this.

Meanwhile, Lian Rong, with the silk ribbons and velvet peach blossoms gifted by Shen Qing, flaunted her new look all around the village. She basked in the envy of all the young girls and gers before leisurely making her way back home. When she left, she was just an ordinary country girl; when she returned, she looked as bright and fresh as a noble lady. It was impossible not to attract attention—everyone in the house stared at her adorned head.

Just as Shen Qing had predicted, Wang Shi was inwardly burning with jealousy. Lian Rong was already adorable, but now, dressed up like a young lady from a rich family, she was even harder for Wang Shi to tolerate. She instinctively wanted to drag Lian Rong back down to earth. With a twisted smile, she reached out to touch Lian Rong’s head. “Oh my, what’s this on your head, Rong Jie’er? Looks so fancy. You must be doing well, huh? Your mother must be rolling in money from the workshop to afford such expensive hair accessories for you.”

The implication was clear—she was accusing Second Aunt Lian of hiding private savings.

Lian Rong, having just experienced the grass butterfly incident, was already on guard against Wang Shi. She quickly ducked away, covered her head, and ran behind Old Lady Lian. “This wasn’t bought by my mother. Qing Ge’er saw my woven butterfly got ruined and pitied me for not even getting a bowl of birthday eggs, so he lent me these to wear. My own things are one thing, but if Big Aunt accidentally breaks these too, she won’t be able to afford to compensate Qing Ge’er!”

Lian Rong took the opportunity to tattle on Wang Shi to Old Lady Lian, then poked her head out to add, “Grandma, Qing Ge’er said he’s making me a full egg feast and told me to bring my second brother along to eat. When I come back, I’ll bring you some delicious pastries!”

Old Lady Lian glanced at Wang Shi’s darkened face with displeasure. How could anything in this house escape her notice? As the Second Branch thrived, the conflicts with the First Branch only intensified, giving her constant headaches. She knew Wang Shi had taken out her frustrations on Lian Rong today but couldn’t be bothered to reprimand her. If she scolded Wang Shi, it would only stir up more trouble. She was simply exhausted from it all.

After all, it was just a child. How big a deal could a little grievance be?

But she hadn’t expected Qing Ge’er to stand up for Lian Rong. Knowing that today was Lian Rong’s birthday and that she had been wronged, Old Lady Lian simply said, “Go on then, no need to bring anything back for me. You’re lucky to have Qing Ge’er looking out for you, but don’t overdo it. If you keep eating and taking from them all the time, people will get annoyed.” She then turned to Lian Ou. “Ou Ge’er, you go too.”

Wang Shi bit her lip. “Mother, it’s almost noon. If Ou Ge’er leaves, who’s going to do the chores for the Second Branch? We can’t be expected to do everything for the whole family. That’s just too unfair—”

Old Lady Lian couldn’t take it anymore. Her expression darkened as she snapped, “I’ll do it. I’ll do it for him, is that good enough for you? You just can’t stop stirring up trouble! Your Second Brother and Lian Shi both eat at the workshop, your Second Sister-in-law took the children to Qing Ge’er’s house, and none of them are even eating at home today. Do you still need to cook? Are you working for the Second Branch, or are you expecting them to serve you? On any other day, I wouldn’t say anything, but today is Rong Jie’er’s birthday, and Qing Ge’er invited them over. You can’t even let this one day go? Do you actually care about the chores, or do you just hate seeing others comfortable?!”

Wang Shi hadn’t expected Old Lady Lian to lash out at her so openly. She was caught off guard, her face turning purple with humiliation. She gritted her teeth and muttered under her breath, “So that’s how it is. Mother just favors the Second Branch now that they’ve climbed up in the world. I see it clearly now—you’ve abandoned the Eldest Branch.” Then, clutching Lian Bao in her arms, she stormed off into her room.

Old Lady Lian actually found it laughable. Favoring the Second Branch? If she were truly favoring them, would their earnings still be going into the family pot? If anything, she had been favoring the Eldest Branch so much that she had lost face.

But one thing Wang Shi said wasn’t wrong—the Second Branch had risen. The future of the Lian family rested on Miao Chunlei, Second Aunt Lian, and Qing Ge’er’s connections.

Since the incident with Shen Zhiwei, many village elders had started re-evaluating their treatment of their children. It was customary to favor the eldest son, but there had to be limits. If parents were too biased, they might end up raising another Shen Zhiwei—and that was a terrifying thought.

Although they didn’t believe the unfilial Shen Zhiwei was right, who wouldn’t fear raising a child like him?

So Old Lady Lian and her husband had done some reflecting. Now that she saw how much importance Qing Ge’er placed on Lian Rong and Lian Ou, she decided to soften her attitude toward the girls and gers in the family. “Be polite when you’re with Qing Ge’er. Learn from him. Don’t worry about the chores—Grandma will take care of them.”

Inside the house, Wang Shi watched in secret as Lian Rong and Lian Ou left hand-in-hand. Her usual tricks were useless now, and her frustration nearly made her tear the cloth in her hands.

She was furious and jealous but had no outlet for it. When she turned and saw her youngest ger, Lian Ye, she lashed out at him instead. “You useless thing! Look at Lian Rong—so clever, always thinking ahead, sticking to Shen Qing like a lapdog, already planning her future. And you? You can’t even string a proper sentence together! No wonder Wu Guixiang won’t let you work at the workshop. Why did I have to give birth to such a useless ger?!”

Lian Ye had been quietly changing Lian Bao’s drool cloth. The child was already older but was coddled by Wang Shi to the point of being slow in both speech and walking. He still drooled frequently. Suddenly being scolded, Lian Ye just lowered his head and silently wept.

Why would Qing Ge’er or Madam Guixiang choose him? He wasn’t Qing Ge’er’s cousin. His mother wasn’t related to Miao Shi or on good terms with her. Why should they offer him a job?

It wasn’t his fault he wasn’t born into a good family like Lian Rong and Lian Ou. But now his parents were blaming him for it? What kind of twisted logic was that?

He cried quietly, not even daring to sniffle. Unlike Second Aunt Lian, Wang Shi had always been harsh on her ger, only doting on her son, who made her look good. If she saw him cry, she’d only scold him harder.

Meanwhile, Lian Ou hesitated as he walked with Lian Rong toward Shen Qing’s house. He kept looking back. “Why is Qing Ge’er calling me? Maybe I should go back. If I leave, Big Aunt will just cause trouble again.”

“Are you scared of her?” Lian Rong smirked. “I think Grandma’s different now. Maybe she realizes Qing Ge’er’s opinion matters more than Big Aunt’s.” She was quick to pick up on the shift in family dynamics. If this change continued, it could reshape their family structure entirely.

Lian Rong thought, Wow, Qing Ge’er really is like the Living King of Hell—even Grandma listens to him!

Lian Ou thought about it. “Maybe you’re right.” His gaze fell on the velvet peach blossoms in Lian Rong’s hair. “They look so pretty. Qing Ge’er is really generous, giving you such an expensive gift.”

Lian Rong touched her hair happily and grinned. “It’s my birthday gift from Qing Ge’er! I just scared Big Aunt with it.”

Lian Ou was surprised. “Qing Ge’er really is kind.”

Excitedly, the siblings continued toward the small house at the foot of the mountain.

Shen Qing’s household had long planned to raise dogs—not just for guarding the house but also for protecting the workshop. He had previously asked Liu Yue’e and Li Yanzi to keep an eye out, but puppies weren’t always available on demand. Now, they had finally secured one.

Upon hearing this, Miao Shi said, “Qing Ge’er should go pick one when he has time.”

But Shen Qing shook his head. “I’m not home often, and in a few days, I’ll have to leave for business again. It’s better if you go, Mother. Pick one that will be most protective of you.” He had been caught up in a string of events lately and hadn’t returned to the apocalypse world for several days—he could already imagine Song Kaiji sulking in resentment.

“Qing Ge’er is going on a business trip again?” Second Aunt Lian had heard about these trips before and had seen all the fascinating goods Shen Qing brought back. She couldn’t help but be curious. “What’s the world out there really like? It must be even bigger than the county town, right? How come there’s everything you could imagine?”

The farthest she had ever been was Anping County, and even then, she might not visit more than once or twice a year. Many villagers had never even dared to step foot in a county town. To her, the concept of traveling for business was mysterious and distant.

“When my business grows bigger, I’ll take everyone on a trip outside so you can see for yourselves,” Shen Qing said with a smile. Of course, he couldn’t take them to the apocalypse, but a trip to a nearby county or prefecture would do just fine as a casual excursion.

Second Aunt Lian immediately recoiled, shaking her hands. “No, no, no. I’d be scared to death before even reaching the prefectural city.”

Meanwhile, Lian Rong and Lian Ou’s faces showed a bit of longing.

Shen Qing didn’t dwell on the topic of his travels and instead shifted the conversation. He took out the trampled grass-woven butterfly and asked Lian Ou, “Did you make this, Ou Ge’er?”

Lian Ou nodded.

“Can you weave it with a different material?”

“Uh… I think so?” Lian Ou wasn’t sure why Qing Ge’er was asking this but still answered truthfully. “This one was made with the stalks of foxtail grass. It’s thin but strong—really useful. I’ve also used fine willow branches and purple-leaf locust strips before. Those work too, but they don’t look as nice.”

He had put a lot of effort into making his little sister’s birthday gift.

Shen Qing took out two spools of silk cord, one pink and one purple, and handed them to him. “Try weaving with these.”

Lian Ou: !!!

Even though he wasn’t the sharpest, he immediately understood—Qing Ge’er was looking after his family again, this time pulling him in! But when he saw the smooth, glossy silk threads, he hesitated, curling his fingers inward, not daring to take them. “Can I really? My hands are rough, and I have calluses… I might ruin the silk threads.”

“It’s fine. Just try it out first—these threads aren’t worth much. If it turns out well, I’ll help you take care of your hands and teach you new patterns. From then on, you’ll just focus on weaving. I plan to open a ‘Cuihua Shop’ in the county, and you’ll supply goods for me,” Shen Qing explained. This time, he didn’t say that a benefactor was opening the shop—he simply claimed it was his own venture. But none of the Lian family members questioned him. Either they didn’t notice or they had already grown accustomed to the idea that Qing Ge’er having his own shop wasn’t surprising at all.

Gradually and subtly, he was letting the villagers accept the fact that he had wealth and numerous businesses. This was a good approach.

Lian Ou stared blankly at Shen Qing, while Second Aunt Lian’s gaze flickered with uncertainty.

It was Lian Rong who first stood up to encourage her brother. “Ge, just give it a try! You’re so skilled—you can weave butterflies, swallows, and even goldfish beautifully. You’ll definitely do great! Big Aunt didn’t let you work at the workshop, stopping you from earning money. But if you weave for Qing Ge’er, you can make money at home! Let her stew in jealousy!”

Second Aunt Lian gave her a light smack. “Watch what you’re saying.” But her gaze toward Lian Ou was complicated.

Lian Ou was nearly at marriageable age. If not for Qing Ge’er suggesting they wait a year or two for a better match, Second Aunt Lian might have already agreed to marry him off to the Xiahe village chief’s youngest son as a husband.

Qing Ge’er was wonderful—capable, intelligent, and business-savvy, seemingly perfect in every way. But… he was also too opinionated. A ger like that—Second Aunt Lian didn’t even know how to describe it.

It just wasn’t in line with the traditional values of their time.

It was one thing to work at the workshop, but if Lian Ou followed Qing Ge’er’s lead, would he also become independent-minded and less obedient? Second Aunt Lian loved her children no matter what, but she feared that this personality shift could affect Lian Ou’s marriage prospects.

Look at Qing Ge’er—he didn’t even plan on marrying. When he first left the Shen family, he had mentioned it once or twice, but now he didn’t even bring it up anymore. Even Chunlei didn’t seem to be in any hurry, acting like she had no say in the matter.

To Second Aunt Lian, the idea of not marrying was unthinkable. When the time came, you got married—it was just the way things were. If Lian Ou followed Qing Ge’er into business, would he turn out the same way?

But she hesitated for a long time, torn between her concerns and her love for her child. In the end, a mother’s heart always leaned toward her child’s future. Taking a deep breath, she made up her mind and smiled, encouragingly. “Qing Ge’er thinks highly of you and is giving you a chance—just try it out.”

Whatever happens in the future, they could deal with it then. Maybe she was just overthinking things.

Now that even his mother had spoken, Lian Ou finally gathered his courage. Under everyone’s expectant smiles, he nodded and reached out to take the two spools of silk cord from Shen Qing’s hands.

Later in life, Lian Ou would look back on this moment with endless gratitude. He would thank Shen Qing, thank fate, and most of all, thank himself for not backing down—because this was the turning point that changed the life of an uncertain, directionless ger forever.

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦