Ch 189 (End): The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

The twenty-eighth day of the first lunar month was an auspicious day—perfect for moving into a new house, engagements, and weddings.

At the break of dawn, Wu Guixiang arrived at the door. She had enjoyed playing the role of the blessed woman at Lian Ou’s wedding so much that she had insisted on taking part when Shen Qing held his ceremony. And it made sense—Wu Guixiang was now truly the most fortunate aunt in Lantang Village.

Shen Qing had not slept well. Song Kaiji had been insistent on making this ceremony feel authentic, and his antics had escalated to the point where they had slept in separate rooms the night before. Even Quan Jie’er had been taken away to stay with Zhang Sujuan and Miao Chunlei. Left alone for the first time in ages, Shen Qing had woken up multiple times throughout the night, and there was a faint shadow of exhaustion beneath his eyes in the morning.

Wu Guixiang noticed and teased, “Even you, Qing Ge’er, are nervous on your big day?”

Shen Qing felt a little embarrassed. He was, just a bit. Even though they had been together for a long time, having such a formal ceremony felt oddly unsettling.

Lian Ou had come along with Wu Guixiang. Now a married man, he had switched to a husband’s attire and looked even more radiant than before. Clearly, his married life had been treating him well. He smiled reassuringly at Shen Qing. “I was nervous too—getting in the wedding sedan for the first time, who wouldn’t be? But trust me, you’ll be so exhausted soon that you won’t have time to feel nervous. You’re in better shape than I was, so you’ll probably handle it better.”

But Shen Qing’s nerves weren’t quite the same as Lian Ou’s. Lian Ou had been anxious about his future and the unknowns of the wedding night, while Shen Qing already had a firm grasp on both.

As they chatted, Miao Chunlei also woke up and instructed the maids to prepare breakfast. The kitchen had already prepared the dough and filling the night before, so the servants quickly started making meat pancakes.

Wu Guixiang undid Shen Qing’s hair. He had been well-fed and taken care of, and under the guidance of Qu Weiwei, Yu Le, and others, he had been using proper hair care. The new hair growing in was jet black and glossy, though the tips still carried some of the dryness from before. Even so, compared to most people in this era, his hair was already exceptional. Wu Guixiang praised it, and Lian Ou, envious, reached out to touch the silky strands at the crown of Shen Qing’s head.

Then Wu Guixiang picked up a comb and clicked her tongue in admiration. The moment she touched it, she knew it was made from high-quality wood. A closer sniff revealed a rich, natural fragrance. “Qing Ge’er’s family truly has everything refined!”

She began combing as she recited the wedding blessings:

“One stroke for a loving couple,

Two strokes for growing old together,

Three strokes for a home filled with children and prosperity…”

Hearing these blessings, Shen Qing looked at himself in the bronze mirror, a genuine smile of happiness spreading across his face.

Wu Guixiang didn’t give him an elaborate hairstyle—it wouldn’t suit him anyway. Instead, she neatly tied his hair into a simple yet elegant bun, securing it with a finely embroidered lily-patterned ribbon. Then, she inserted a heavy gold hairpin adorned with multiple precious gems and auspicious cloud motifs.

Even this felt a bit too flashy for Shen Qing, but since a wedding was a once-in-a-lifetime event, he decided to let it be.

With his hair done, it was time for his face to be cleansed and makeup applied. Before that, Miao Chunlei brought in a plate of freshly made meat pancakes, while a maid followed with a small pot of porridge. “Eat breakfast first. If we do your makeup now, your face will just get greasy later.”

Everyone was familiar with each other, so there was no need for formalities. Wu Guixiang and Lian Ou joined in, and they all sat down to eat.

Shen Qing picked up a meat pancake. It resembled a chive pocket, but instead of chives and eggs, it was filled with pork and green onions. The green onions had been finely chopped and lightly fried before mixing, then combined with a blend of lean and fatty pork. The outer crust was thin and crispy, releasing a mouthwatering aroma with every bite.

After taking a couple of bites, Shen Qing turned to the maid and asked, “Are there more of these in the kitchen?”

Miao Chunlei, knowing him all too well, immediately answered before the maid could speak. “Just eat, there’s plenty. Xiao Song is already awake—we’ve sent some to him and to your mother-in-law as well.” She gave him a knowing look. “My ger is up early, but he still wants to sleep in? If he won’t wake up, drag him out of bed!”

Wu Guixiang and Lian Ou both laughed.

Halfway through breakfast, more people arrived—Lian family, along with Miao Hexiang’s maternal relatives, as well as Miao Xing, Miao Wang, Grandmother Miao, Liu Yue’e, and Li Yanzi. Miao Chunlei quickly went out to host them, leaving Lian Rong, Xue Niang, and Qiao Niang, two of Shen Qing’s younger female cousins, to keep him company. Others were either seated at the banquet or helping Miao Chunlei with arrangements.

The young girls were thrilled, fascinated by everything they saw. They had witnessed village weddings before, but nothing compared to this. Just the gold hairpin in Shen Qing’s hair was enough to dazzle them. And when they saw the wedding robe hanging beside the bed, their heads spun.

Song Kaiji had specially commissioned a tailoring workshop in the county to make it, hiring over a dozen skilled embroiderers to rush its completion. The wedding robe was made of rich crimson silk, embroidered with a golden dragon and phoenix intertwined in exquisite detail. Despite its opulence, it didn’t appear overly feminine. When Shen Qing wore it, he resembled a young prince straight out of a historical drama—elegant and noble.

Blushing, Lian Rong shyly handed Shen Qing a pouch. It was made of red silk with gold embroidery, almost identical to the one she had given Lian Ou. Though it was a bit of a reach, she had long since regarded Shen Qing as an older brother.

Lian Ou also presented a pair of meticulously crafted lover’s knots, which Shen Qing could embellish with jade pendants. Even as an experienced hand, it had taken Lian Ou four or five days to make them.

These were their gifts to Shen Qing for his wedding dowry.

Once Shen Qing changed into his wedding robe, Wu Guixiang had nearly finished breakfast. She sent Lian Rong off to fetch a boiled egg from the kitchen, carefully washing her hands afterward to avoid getting any grease on the garment.

Lian Rong returned quickly, still chewing on half a meat pancake, and brought a message along with the egg. “I ran into Qing Ge’er’s husband. He said it’s fine to skip the face threading—he thinks Qing Ge’er looks perfect as he is.”

Wu Guixiang couldn’t help but chuckle. “Look at him, already protective before the ceremony even begins! What’s there to fuss over? Every bride and ger goes through this.” But deep down, she was envious—after all, a good marriage was all about mutual care and devotion.

As always, the warm boiled egg was rolled over his face first, followed by two threads twisting together to remove the fine hairs. But for some reason, whether it was because he had heard his husband’s words or something else, Qing Ge’er became especially delicate about it. This was someone who hadn’t even cried out when a wild boar had rammed into him, yet now he was hissing in pain at a simple face-threading. He even kept twisting his body away as if it truly hurt that much.

Just as he let out two small hisses, a nervous voice came from outside the window.

“Be gentle, be gentle!”

Wu Guixiang nearly choked in exasperation and couldn’t take it anymore. “Rong jie’er, go chase him away!”

The girls and gers inside burst into laughter. Lian Rong actually lifted the curtain and stepped outside. There was some rustling below the window, but by the time they looked, Song Kaiji had already vanished.

Shen Qing couldn’t help but chuckle. Only he knew why Song Kaiji had been so concerned. The truth was, Shen Qing was particularly sensitive when it came to his hair. Once, during an intimate moment, his hair had been pressed down, and just a small tug had made tears well up in his eyes from the pain.

Everyone has their weaknesses, after all. Shen Qing was resistant to pain in his flesh, but when it came to his hair, he was unusually sensitive. And Song Kaiji had remembered that.

After a round of laughter, they quickly finished grooming Shen Qing. Wu Guixiang didn’t apply heavy powder on his face—whatever skincare balm he had been using at home was already enough to make his skin smooth and radiant. She simply brushed his eyebrows a little and dabbed a tiny bit of rouge on his lips to brighten his complexion. It was already enough to make him look exquisite.

Once the makeup was done, Lin Ning arrived with Lin Zao’er and the Xie siblings. Seeing Shen Qing all dressed up, Lin Ning secretly admired his looks and muttered under his breath, “If Qing Ge’er were a man, he’d be the handsomest one in all of Anping County… Hiss…”

“Right? I’ve said it since I was little—Qing Ge’er is the best-looking. If Qing Ge’er were a man, I’d marry him when I grew up. Not a single boy in the village could compare.”

Surprised, Lin Ning turned his head to see Lian Rong squatting beside him, resting her chin on her hands. He was speechless.

“You are still little,” he pointed out. But then they exchanged glances and instantly recognized each other as kindred spirits.

By the time daylight fully illuminated the sky, guests had started arriving one after another, and the banquet under the ceremonial arch was in full swing. Song Kaiji had specially gathered seven or eight skilled cooks from the village, and large pots were continuously stirring up dishes. The food wasn’t extravagantly expensive, but every dish had meat in it and was full of flavor.

Eight large bowls were set on each table—sauerkraut stewed with bone marrow and blood sausage, braised pork belly with tofu and pigskin jelly, crispy radish fritters, chicken stewed with potatoes and chestnuts… All hearty, satisfying dishes. The main courses included wheat and corn steamed buns and large, fragrant scallion pancakes, all served in abundance. Anyone who came, whether familiar or not, was welcome to sit and eat freely.

Servants bustled through the courtyard, carrying dishes back and forth, working up a sweat despite the cold winter air.

Some guests, clearly struggling with hard times, discreetly took leftovers to bring home. The hosts pretended not to notice. It was just after the New Year, and villages like Lantang and Shiqu were relatively well-off—most families weren’t desperately short on food. But some had traveled dozens of miles just to share in this meal, and for them, these leftovers were precious.

No one knew who started it, but at some point, an elderly guest took half a scallion pancake wrapped in leftovers and, trembling, knelt to kowtow toward the archway.

One of the serving gers quickly stopped him. “Elder, there’s no need for that. Our master said, as long as everyone remembers him and our lord with kind words, that’s enough.”

“Such good people, such kind souls,” the elder praised, raising his thumb. “Your master and lord will surely live long and grow old together.”

…

Inside the courtyard, another banquet was set up, and the dishes here were even more refined. Song Kaiji had sought out Gold-Tooth to hire a renowned chef from a restaurant, who had brought five apprentices along. Each table was laden with exquisitely prepared dishes.

Grandmother Miao sat at the head seat, beaming with joy.

She had once thought Qing Ge’er would either marry into the household of some high-ranking steward or become a concubine for a nobleman. Who could have imagined that Qing Ge’er would be so blessed as to become a noble’s rightful fulang?

The courtyard was filled with chests and boxes—Song Kaiji had deliberately set them out for everyone to see. If Shen Qing had suddenly started spending extravagantly, he would have needed to find ways to justify his wealth. But as an outsider nobleman, Song Kaiji could present any amount of riches without raising suspicion—people would only marvel at it.

There were bolts of fine cloth by the hundreds, exquisite porcelain so delicate that no one dared to touch it, and various finely crafted household goods. And these were just the bulky, sturdy items that could be left out in the open. The gold and jewelry weren’t even displayed—they were safely stored inside. Who knew how much there was?

Qing Ge’er had truly fallen into a nest of fortune!

Qu Weiwei and Tang Wenjie had also arrived. By now, they no longer needed guides—they could navigate the cave passage on their own. Both had prepared wedding gifts, though neither of them, in either world, could compare to Shen Qing in terms of wealth, so they simply offered what they could.

Tang Wenjie, using his abilities, condensed an enormous silver ingot—about the size of Quan Jie’er—and carried it over in his arms, drawing plenty of stares along the way. Qu Weiwei, having learned from some skilled hairpin makers, personally crafted a beaded hairband.

Since the wedding was held in their own home, many traditional ceremonies were skipped. There was no procession, no urging the bride to hurry, no crying farewell. Shen Qing simply walked into the hall, surrounded by friends, and joined Song Kaiji in holding onto the two ends of a red silk ribbon, kneeling side by side on the prayer mats.

“First bow to heaven and earth!”

Gold-Tooth had been chosen as the officiant, and he took the role very seriously. Dressed in brand-new attire, he was beaming with joy, as if it were his own younger brother getting married.

As Shen Qing lowered his head, he glanced up slightly and saw that the hall was filled with familiar faces—Lin Ning, Lin Zao, the Xie siblings, the villagers from Lantang who had helped him since childhood, Aunt Yanzi, Brother Tieshan, Uncle Li, Second Aunt Lian’s family… even their relatives from Shiqu Village. Miao Chunlei’s clan members, Tongsheng Miao’s family…

Turning together, Shen Qing and Song Kaiji bowed toward Miao Chunlei and Zhang Sujuan.

“Second bow to the honored elders!”

Both mothers were all smiles as they reached out to help them up.

Nearby, Quan Jie’er was being held in Mother Tang’s arms, her big round eyes filled with curiosity. A child witnessing their own parents’ wedding—such an event was unheard of in the surrounding villages. But among these family and friends, no one found it strange. They simply chose to embrace the moment, their faces glowing with the purest and most sincere blessings.

Qu Weiwei and Tang Wenjie stood beside Mother Tang, looking around at all the loved ones present.

Everyone who mattered in their lives was here.

And most importantly, right in front of him was Song Kaiji.

“Husbands, bow to each other!”

Shen Qing bowed deeply.

The wedding was complete.

Holding onto the red silk ribbon, they would walk through mountains and rivers, hand in hand, for the rest of their lives.

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Thandar: End of main story, but worry not, plenty of extra chapters coming up. They will be password locked however. Please find the passwords in TOC.