Ch 170: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Shen Qing had learned everything about navigating the world on his own, through trial and error. No one had systematically taught him. Yet, in both modern and ancient times, the resources a family provides, the knowledge it passes down, and the subtle influence of upbringing are all crucial.

Take the village below as an example. Theoretically, the position of village chief should be open to the most capable, as recognized by the local government. But in reality, barring any unexpected circumstances, the role was simply inherited from father to son.

Zhao Youdang wasn’t particularly capable, so why did he still become village chief? Because while he himself was lacking in ability, his father, the previous village chief, had personally taught him how to mediate village disputes, how to establish authority so the villagers would respect him, how to balance conflicts fairly so that no one could complain, how to handle the annual visits from tax collectors and conscription officers… He had even ensured that Zhao Youdang married a wife whose temperament complemented his, someone who could assist him in his duties.

These were things that even if others were naturally more talented than Zhao Youdang, their farmer fathers wouldn’t have been able to teach them. And if an outsider had gone to ask Zhao Youdang’s father for guidance, he likely wouldn’t have shared these lessons.

So, in the end, Zhao Youdang remained the best-prepared candidate, and the village chief position continued to be passed down through generations.

Neither Shen Zhigao nor Miao Shi had ever taught Shen Qing anything. He had relied on what he figured out himself and what he picked up from novels. In the village and in the marketplace, this knowledge had been enough. But as Magistrate Lin pointed out, it would only take him so far—going higher would be difficult. Even Chen Jiaxi, after seeing Shen Qing’s memories, had commented that some of his methods were too naïve.

Now that Magistrate Lin was offering to teach him, it truly felt like a lifeline, a much-needed gift in a time of need. Shen Qing was deeply grateful.

Taking advantage of the fact that his belly hadn’t grown too large yet, he visited the Lin residence with Lin Ning a few times. This time, he didn’t dare bring expensive gifts. Instead, he carefully selected small but interesting and affordable presents. Once, he even brought a few particularly sweet melons and a handful of mulberries, which the magistrate’s fulang thoroughly enjoyed.

Magistrate Lin didn’t formally lecture him as Shen Qing had expected. Instead, he simply invited him to stay for meals and casual conversations, asking about Shen Qing’s future plans. Most of the time, it was Shen Qing who spoke while Magistrate Lin listened. When he heard something that wasn’t well thought out, he would interrupt and offer guidance.

As someone older and with years of experience as an official, he quickly identified the vague, uneasy doubts Shen Qing had about certain things—doubts that Shen Qing himself hadn’t been able to articulate. With just a few words, the magistrate would clear up his confusion, leaving him with newfound clarity.

After several visits, Magistrate Lin also developed a deep fondness for Shen Qing.

“A ger with such a background, who didn’t even recognize a single character before, managed to reach where he is today. And the key is that as soon as he started making a little progress, he knew to learn how to read! He even plans to open a school in the village—truly remarkable,” Magistrate Lin later remarked to his family. He tapped Lin Ning’s forehead with a book, sighing, “If only you had half of Qing Ge’er’s ambition—sigh.”

But ambition alone wasn’t the issue. If Qing Ge’er had been born a man, even if he started studying now, Magistrate Lin wouldn’t think it was too late! Studying for ten years or so would only make him thirty—there were plenty of scholars who hadn’t passed the provincial exams by thirty. But given Qing Ge’er’s intelligence, passing should be a sure thing!

Still, he sighed again. “If you had just half of Qing Ge’er’s cleverness and drive, your mother and I wouldn’t have to worry so much about your future.”

He and his fulang had no sons, only Lin Ning. Normally, at their age, and with his spouse being a ger, the chances of having more children were slim. Magistrate Lin loved Lin Ning dearly, but he also worried—once he and his fulang were gone, Lin Ning would have no support and might struggle.

Whether they adopted a son from their clan or arranged for Lin Ning to marry a live-in husband, it was ultimately a gamble on someone else’s goodwill. If Lin Ning had even half of Qing Ge’er’s abilities, then even if they were no longer around, no one would be able to take advantage of him.

Lin Ning rubbed his forehead where he had been tapped but didn’t get angry at all. He didn’t feel like Shen Qing was an outsider—he just grinned foolishly. “Qing Ge’er is my best friend. If he’s doing well, then I’m doing well too!”

Magistrate Lin thought about it and found that this made sense. As long as Lin Ning and Qing Ge’er remained close friends, if anything happened in the future, Qing Ge’er’s character wouldn’t allow him to stand idly by.

From then on, he became even more invested in guiding Shen Qing.

Another month passed, and just as the old doctor had predicted, Shen Qing’s belly, which had been unnoticeable before, began to grow rapidly. His waist thickened, and walking became less agile than before. Now that the weather was getting warmer, he couldn’t rely on heavy clothing to cover himself anymore, and his belly was more noticeable.

He didn’t dare visit the Lin family again.

After all… he was unmarried and pregnant. In this era, such a thing was unacceptable. He didn’t care about what others thought, but Magistrate Lin was a scholar, someone who likely held stricter moral values.

Shen Qing worried that just as Magistrate Lin had started seeing him in a better light, he would now view him as an immoral ger. So he made an excuse about needing to travel for business and said he’d visit in a few months.

This made Shen Qing feel frustrated. It was only a temporary delay. This lie, or rather, this concealment, was just like hiding his identity as a ger—no matter how many lies he told, one day the truth would come out.

He could only hope that by the time it did, his relationship with the Lin family would be strong enough that Magistrate Lin wouldn’t completely reject him.

Since Shen Qing often spoke about traveling for business, the Lin family wasn’t suspicious. But Lin Ning was particularly reluctant to see him leave.

“Why are you going for so long this time? Where are you going?” he asked. In the past, Shen Qing’s business trips lasted at most one or two months. This time, he said it might take four or five months, or even half a year.

Shen Qing had no choice but to continue lying. “I want to visit some faraway places I’ve never been to before. I don’t know what the situation there is like yet, so if things go well, I might not be gone for that long.”

He took a few small pouches from his robe and handed them to Lin Ning. Inside were hair ornaments and waist accessories made by Ou Ge’er—simple but delicate, perfect for gers and fulangs to wear. They weren’t worth much, but they were charming and finely crafted.

“These are for you, your mother, Zao Ge’er, and one for your little uncle.”

“I haven’t seen my little uncle around much lately,” Shen Qing remarked. Still, whenever he brought gifts, he always included one for Lin Xiangcao.

Shen Qing had wanted to formally visit Lin Xiangcao. Even though Lin Xiangcao didn’t know anything about him, to Shen Qing, he was different. Just seeing him sit there, doing nothing at all, stirred up a strange emotion in his heart.

But despite visiting the Lin residence frequently over the past month, he had hardly seen Lin Xiangcao. Lin Xiangcao always stayed in his room with his son, even skipping family meals. It would have been odd for Shen Qing to request to see him specifically.

Lin Ning’s expression stiffened slightly. He lowered his head, thinking about the first time Shen Qing had met Lin Xiangcao. After a long moment of internal struggle, he finally asked in a hushed voice, “Qing Ge’er… do you… do you like gers?”

Shen Qing: ?

Shen Qing: ?????

His eyes widened in horror.

What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!

But the more Lin Ning thought about it, the more convinced he became. Qing Ge’er had the looks and demeanor of a man. Many people privately said that he was a man born in the wrong body. If that were the case, then wouldn’t it be natural for him to like gers?

Lin Ning took a deep breath, steeling himself, and blurted out his suspicion. “Qing Ge’er… do you like my little uncle?”

Shen Qing was utterly mortified. “I don’t! I never have! Don’t say such nonsense!”

“Then why did you look like that the first time you saw my little uncle? And you said he could eat at the starch sausage stall for free—why do you treat him so specially?” Lin Ning sounded slightly jealous. “…You never told me I could eat for free.”

Even if Shen Qing liked gers, Lin Ning wouldn’t judge him. He spent his days running around the city, avoiding scholarly pursuits but eagerly listening to storytellers. Some of them loved adding risqué stories to their tales. He had heard plenty of stories about men loving men, gers loving gers, women loving women… all kinds of passionate and entangled romances.

If Qing Ge’er liked gers, Lin Ning wouldn’t think any less of him.

“You can eat for free! From now on, you and Zao Ge’er can eat whatever you want, no charge!” Shen Qing said, utterly impressed by Lin Ning’s wild imagination. “I was just… I was just reminded of something when I saw your little uncle. That’s all.”

“A story? What story?”

There was no reason to hide it. So Shen Qing recounted what had happened in the past—how Shen Zhigao had an affair with Widow Li, how he had wanted to divorce Miao Shi, and how, in his most desperate moment, Shen Qing had overheard scholars discussing the county magistrate’s younger brother at the city gate. That conversation had inspired him to leave the Shen family.

Lin Ning listened with teary eyes. He had known Qing Ge’er had suffered, but not to this extent.

“I think the heavens were watching over me that day. They made sure your little uncle returned just as I was passing by, so I could see him,” Shen Qing said. The memory of Lin Xiangcao’s grand wedding procession, with cart after cart of dowry being carried into the city, was still fresh in his mind. “Your little uncle was like a sign from the heavens, showing me the way out and saving me.”

Lin Ning: ……………………

He looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Shen Qing noticed his awkward expression. “What is it?”

Had he been too sentimental? Had it made Lin Ning uncomfortable?

Lin Ning looked at him, then at him again, and finally couldn’t bear to keep quiet. He mumbled, “…That’s not really what happened.”

He hesitated, then admitted, “My father spread those rumors on purpose to save face.”

Shen Qing: “…………”

He was completely dumbfounded.

Lin Ning was still holding the pouches that Shen Qing had given him. “So… are you still going to give one to my little uncle?”

It took Shen Qing a long moment to regain his composure. He smiled at first—just a small smile—but soon, he found it so absurd, yet also so liberating, that he burst into laughter. He laughed so hard he couldn’t stand upright, to the point that tears streamed down his face. Lin Ning was startled. “Qing Ge’er, what’s wrong with you?!”

“It’s nothing, it’s actually great,” Shen Qing said, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes. He felt an unexpected sense of relief.

He thought back to that day—it was still clear in his memory. Maybe the heavens had indeed been watching over him, but they hadn’t sent Lin Xiangcao to save him.

The person who had saved him had always been himself.

His strength hadn’t come from the magistrate’s younger brother—it had come from himself, from the image of a person he had imagined, a person he had become on his own.

Everything he had today—he deserved it.

“Of course, I’ll still give them. Why wouldn’t I? Every ger in your family gets one,” Shen Qing said. Looking at the pouches again, they seemed rather ordinary now. Lin Xiangcao was no longer special to him, but there was no need to avoid him either.

Lin Ning watched as Shen Qing calmed down after his fit of laughter and secretly let out a breath of relief. That moment had been terrifying—Qing Ge’er had looked a bit unhinged.

But what Shen Qing said next shocked Lin Ning even more.

Since Lin Ning had been so honest with him, Shen Qing lightly touched his belly and said, “Actually… I lied to you before. And I lied to your father too.”

Lin Ning: “?”

“I’m not going on a business trip. I’m… pregnant.”

Now it was Lin Ning’s turn to be utterly dumbfounded: “??????”

Shen Qing suddenly felt lighthearted and playfully winked at him. “I don’t like gers—I have a man. I was originally planning to hide in the village for a few months and surprise all of you by suddenly showing up with a baby.”

Lin Ning screeched like an outraged prairie dog. “WHO?! WHO?!” Who had stolen Qing Ge’er’s heart behind his back?!

Shen Qing smiled faintly. “He’s… very far away.”

“He’s a good man. We’ve been together for a long time, but… he can’t come to Anping County.” Shen Qing looked at Lin Ning, a little apologetic. “I didn’t mean to deceive you all—I just… never officially married him here. I was worried you’d think I was being reckless.” He hesitated before adding in a small voice, “Don’t tell your father yet—I haven’t figured out how to explain it to him.”

Lin Ning managed to calm down slightly, but his expression was still complicated. “Far away”… He thought back to what Shen Qing had once told him—that there were nations beyond their neighboring countries. Could it be that Qing Ge’er had fallen for a golden-haired, blue-eyed foreigner? And that man couldn’t leave his homeland, so he refused to come to Anping County?

What kind of man could possibly enchant their Qing Ge’er…? Lin Ning asked, his tone a little sour, “Did you marry him in his homeland? He’s not… abandoning you, is he?”

“Huh?” Shen Qing was taken aback. Technically, they hadn’t. But in the post-apocalyptic world, if they wanted a ceremony, they could have one at any time. So he quickly replied, “Uh… yeah, we’re married.”

Lin Ning finally relaxed. “Then it’s fine. You just married a foreigner in a distant land—why would my father care about that?”

Though Magistrate Lin might not be thrilled about Qing Ge’er marrying a foreigner, since the man wouldn’t be coming here, it wouldn’t matter.

In this era, it was common for traveling merchants to establish homes in the places where they did business, even taking multiple wives or husbands in different locations. It wasn’t necessary for couples to live together year-round—some only saw each other once a year, if that. Lin Ning figured Qing Ge’er’s situation wasn’t all that different.

Maybe Qing Ge’er just wanted to surprise everyone by secretly having a baby?

Mischievous!

“No wonder you’ve gained weight recently,” Lin Ning muttered, rubbing his own face. “…I thought you were just like me, eating too much fried chicken.”

The Shiqu Village fried chicken business had officially launched, causing another craze in Anping County. Even though the weather was getting hot and greasy food could cause heat-related ailments, Lin Ning couldn’t stop himself. He had gained ten pounds, and his face was noticeably rounder.

But Shen Qing wasn’t gaining weight—he was retaining water. His belly might have been slow to grow, but he was experiencing every other pregnancy symptom in full force. In the mornings, his eyes were so puffy he could barely open them, and his legs retained imprints whenever he pressed on them.

He was astonished that something he had worried about for so long was, to Lin Ning, not even a big deal. It was… so easily resolved.

Shen Qing scratched his head. “But I still won’t be coming to town often. I’ll be staying in the village most of the time to focus on my pregnancy.”

He and Song Kaiji had discussed it. His belly would only get bigger, and not only would it be difficult to explain in the post-apocalyptic world, but the mountain path from Lantang Village to the cave took an hour to traverse. If his pregnancy advanced further, it would be dangerous to make the journey. They decided to stop meeting for now and wait until after the baby was born.

Though it was possible that Song Kaiji would never get to see or hold his own child, neither of them hesitated in choosing to have the baby in the ancient world. The safety of the post-apocalyptic world was one issue, but how could they explain a man giving birth there? Who would deliver the baby? Even though Feng Hao was dead, the fact that he had suspected Shen Qing had been noted by the military. If word got out, there was no telling what kind of trouble it would bring.

Thankfully, they still had their phones. They could record videos.

The last time they met, Song Kaiji had handed Shen Qing several phones and a bag full of fully charged power banks. “When the baby is born, you have to record videos every day. I heard that babies change every single day—blink a few times, and you’ll miss something.”

He pressed another phone into Shen Qing’s palm. “If you miss me, watch this. One video a day. No more than that.”

It was a collection of pre-recorded messages—his love diary for the next four or five months.

Shen Qing hugged him tightly. Maybe it was really just the pregnancy hormones, but he felt far more fragile than usual—easily moved, easily brought to tears. He wished the heavens would be kind and let their child cross the cave like he had, so they could be reunited as a family.

Song Kaiji pressed soft kisses to his face. Over the next few months, he had his own plans—besides training his abilities even harder, he was seriously considering Qu Weiwei’s suggestion: Should they move to a different base? Or even establish their own near the Red City Base?

With Shen Qing gone for a while, he needed to grow stronger—faster. He was going to be a father. If their child ever had a chance to cross over, he had to be strong enough to be their pillar of support.

So, while Shen Qing spent his pregnancy hiding in the village, he relied on the phone videos to soothe his longing. At first, Song Kaiji was awkward and stiff on camera, but over time, he grew more natural, as if he were truly there with Shen Qing or chatting over a video call.

Lin Ning visited a few times, coming to the countryside to play. Since Shen Qing was too lazy to move, he let Lian Rong and Ou Ge’er take him up the mountain to pick fruit.

With the county magistrate’s ger son personally overseeing the expedition—plus a team of guards for protection—the village boys no longer dared to hoard the fruit trees. Under Lin Ning’s command, the guards helped Lian Rong and Ou Ge’er gather a bounty of sweet and tart wild fruits, all of which ended up in Shen Qing’s stomach.

The Jie siblings lived diagonally across from the back office, making it convenient to visit and play together. “But I still like Qing Ge’er the most. I always feel like Jie Miyun wants to teach me how to read,” Lin Ning grumbled.

His own father tried to teach him, and he hadn’t wanted to learn!

Still a child at heart, Ning Ge’er complained to Shen Qing for a while before running outside to play with Lian Rong, teasing the two dogs that were growing into full-sized adults. One was pure yellow and called Da Huang, while the other had a yellow base coat with a thin layer of black fur on its back and was named Er Hei.

The two dogs were incredibly smart and were most attached to Miao Shi. They were also quite friendly toward Shen Qing, but whenever strangers came to the house, Miao Shi had to personally introduce them to the dogs before they would let them near. Apart from Miao Shi, they rarely wagged their tails at anyone.

Once Lin Ning had run off to play, Jin Yaren and the Jie siblings finally approached Shen Qing to report on their recent work. Jin Yaren, cheerful as always, paid no attention to Shen Qing’s belly and simply gave a straightforward update on the matters Shen Qing had entrusted to him.

A while back, the county registrar had sent word that Magistrate Lin disapproved of Shen Qing associating too much with Jin Yaren, thinking his street-smart ways might be a bad influence. Jin Yaren had been troubled over this for quite some time, fearing he would lose a major patron. But surprisingly, Shen Qing still treated him the same as before. In fact, he even shared some of the lessons he learned from Magistrate Lin, allowing them to grow and strengthen their business together.

Shen Qing was genuine with him, and Jin Yaren wasn’t ungrateful. He didn’t care about what was going on with Shen Qing’s belly—even if Shen Qing decided to keep a hundred and eight lovers, that was none of his business. His only concern was sticking with Shen Qing to make money!

“The estate on the mountain has been completed. I’ve already had people fumigate it with fruitwood, Sichuan pepper, and mugwort to dry it out and keep insects away. The road to Lantang Village is also finished—you can now fit two carriages side by side. As for the road to the county, half of it is still under construction, specifically the section closer to the county. A few days ago, Magistrate Lin sent word that since this road benefits the people, it shouldn’t be entirely funded by you alone. The county office has some funds allocated for such projects, so they’ll cover half the remaining costs while we cover the other half. That way, it’ll be considered a joint effort.”

Jin Yaren glanced at Shen Qing’s belly, this time speaking more as a friend than a business partner. “Since the estate is ready, why don’t you move up there? Before I came here, Ruyi and Mudan even asked me to send their regards. Looking at you now, it seems like you’ll be giving birth in another month or two. You should at least have a few servants around to take care of you.”

He took another look at the small house and couldn’t help but sigh. Who would have thought that someone as wealthy as Shen Qing would be living in such a modest place?

The Jie siblings also agreed. “Exactly! Back in our household, as soon as concubines became pregnant, two extra maids were assigned to take care of them. Newborns are a hassle—they cry for food at all hours, keeping the parents from getting any rest. You should prepare a wet nurse and a few caretakers ahead of time. Once the baby is born, they can take care of them in another room so you can get proper rest.”

Right now, Shen Qing was living in a small courtyard at the foot of the mountain with only three main rooms—there wouldn’t even be enough space for servants!

However, Shen Qing didn’t want to move. Pregnant people tended to overthink things, and without his man by his side, he felt safer in a familiar place. But he did agree with their suggestion about hiring some help. “Then let Ruyi pick out two good ones for me—one maid and one ger. That should be enough. Once I’ve given birth, I’ll move up to the mountain estate. This courtyard can be used as a school,” Shen Qing said, glancing at the Jie siblings. “I’ll be counting on you to teach the village children how to read.”

As for a wet nurse, Shen Qing had no plans to hire one. Miao Shi had already bought ten pregnant goats, and by the time Shen Qing’s baby was born, there would be plenty of fresh goat’s milk to feed them.

The Jie siblings had changed a lot since first being sent to Shen Qing. After learning that he was a ger, they quickly adjusted their mindset, fully dedicating themselves to their roles as teachers. They no longer had any other thoughts or anxieties and readily agreed to help with the school. They also updated him on training the household servants. “So far, only two of them really can’t grasp it no matter what. We were thinking of just letting it go—maybe they have strengths in other areas.”

Shen Qing thought for a moment before suggesting, “If you see Miao Yu around town, ask him to recommend someone skilled in martial arts. Everyone in the household—whether boys, gers, or girls—should learn some self-defense. It’ll help them stay fit and protect themselves.”

“I want to learn too!” Lian Rong suddenly ran in from outside. “Qing Ge, let me learn! I want to get strong enough to protect my brother and beat that bastard from the Wang family to death!”

She then turned to Lian Ou with bright eyes. “Brother, you should learn too!”

“Lian Ou can go,” Shen Qing agreed. “I’ve been thinking of sending him to work at Cuihua shop in the county.”

Even though Lian Ou was the victim and the second branch of the Lian family had gained the upper hand during the split, gossip in the village still lingered. Shen Qing noticed that Lian Ou often seemed downcast, so he thought a change of scenery might be good for him. “You can stay in the courtyard behind the shop. Tieshan and Miao Yu live there too, along with all my maids—it’s perfectly safe.”

Lian Rong looked eager, but Lian Ou hesitated, clutching the hem of his clothes. After a long pause, he whispered, “I… I’d rather not go. I’m fine here, weaving and selling things at Miaoqian Village.”

Since he had made up his mind, Shen Qing didn’t press him. However, he did give Lian Ou a long, considering look. Lian Rong, on the other hand, was deeply disappointed and kept pestering him for a reason, but Lian Ou remained silent.

Two days later, Tieshan personally delivered a maid and a ger to help take care of Shen Qing and handle household chores. The maid slept in Miao Shi’s room, while the ger had a wooden bed set up in Shen Qing’s room so he could help with anything during the night, whether it was fetching water or assisting when Shen Qing needed to get up.

Meanwhile, people in the village were beginning to notice that something was off about Shen Qing’s figure. It was hard to believe, but his belly was getting bigger by the day.

By the time he reached his eighth month, even a blind man could see what was going on!

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