Ch 209 (Extra 20): The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Lian Ou Side Story 1

May was the crucial season for crops to head and fill with grain. Yet even during this busy farming month, it did not stop the villagers from wanting to celebrate the Fifth Month Festival properly. By the first day of the month, the market at Miaoqian Village was already lively.

This market had originally been organized by the monks from the temple. During the first two years, they even invited traveling merchants and peddlers who specialized in small trade to set up stalls. But after the market grew larger, the villagers from surrounding towns became the majority instead.

Some sold unusual grains they had grown themselves, some sold homemade pickled vegetables with excellent flavor, some sold patchwork blankets sewn from beautifully arranged scraps of cloth, while others sold handwoven baskets and bamboo steaming covers…

There were always households missing a few things, so everyone could earn a bit of pocket money. The market bustled noisily with people everywhere.

The housewives and fulang of each family got up early, prepared a full day’s worth of food for the household, arranged everything properly for the men working in the fields, then wandered around the village together. Calling a few close friends, stuffing small purses with loose copper coins, they headed toward the market in groups.

“I don’t know what happened this year, but none of our relatives planted glutinous rice. I have to buy at least two jin today, or there won’t be enough rice to wrap zongzi.”

“Before I left the house, my daughter insisted on getting colorful cords woven into a bracelet. Just look at her, only four or five years old and already caring about beauty!”

“I’m going to see if there are any good reed leaves. We still had some left from last year, but when I took them out this year they smelled moldy. Can’t use them anymore…”

This year, because of the workshop Qing-ge’er opened in Lantang Village, every household had some extra money. So when people talked about buying things now, nobody was stingy. Smiles were on everyone’s faces.

Except Lian Ou.

There was not a trace of a smile on his face. He tightly clutched a small bundle in one hand while holding Lian Rong’s hand with the other, nervously following behind Lian Shi.

Today, they were not here to buy things.

They were here to sell them.

Lian Ou had visited this market many times before with Miao Hexiang and should have been completely familiar with it. Yet now that his identity had changed, the entire place suddenly felt unfamiliar. He was so nervous it felt like sneaking around as a thief.

“We’re here. Where do you think we should set up?”

Lian Shi wiped sweat from his forehead.

Once May arrived, the weather became hot. And as a young man full of energy, he had already sweated through his clothes from the walk.

When Lian Ou and Lian Rong first agreed to Shen Qing’s suggestion about setting up a stall, they were full of excitement and thoughts of earning money. But now that the moment had truly arrived, they became timid.

Miao Hexiang also did not feel reassured about a ge’er bringing a little girl alone. Since this was the first day, she had Lian Shi escort his younger siblings. Having a man around felt safer. Once Lian Ou and Lian Rong became familiar with things, Lian Shi would stop coming.

Lian Shi shielded his younger siblings behind him and stood on tiptoe to look around.

“The east side’s all food and pickled vegetables. Let’s head north a bit. I saw people selling embroidered shoe tops and hair ties there. Feels more similar to your stuff. We still came too late today. All the good spots are already taken. Maybe if we come earlier tomorrow we can switch places?”

The family headed north together.

Before they even decided where to set up, a clever-looking little monk about seven or eight years old ran over.

“Are you patrons setting up a stall here? Setting up in front of our temple costs two copper coins a day in stall fees.”

Everyone already knew that stalls in Miaoqian Village had to pay the temple. Lian Ou quickly pulled out two coins from his purse, but the little monk shook his head.

“Not for me. You give them to Senior Brother Huiming.”

The little monk pointed into the distance.

Lian Ou looked up and saw a monk surrounded by several vendors. The monk was tall, nearly half a head taller than the surrounding merchants, making him especially noticeable.

“You’re setting up a stall here for the first time, right? You can tell Senior Brother Huiming what you’re selling. He’ll help you choose a good location.”

As he spoke, the monk called Huiming seemed to sense something and glanced in their direction.

His gaze collided directly with Lian Ou’s.

The monk was unexpectedly handsome, with refined features and bright eyes. He looked slightly older than Lian Shi, but compared to Lian Shi’s rough peasant sturdiness, he carried an extra touch of scholarly elegance.

Lian Ou’s heart skipped.

He quickly lowered his head and avoided eye contact.

The monk calmly looked away again, finished speaking with the vendors, and then actually started walking toward them.

“Senior Brother, over here!”

The little monk waved toward Huiming. Seeing another group of people carrying large bundles approaching nearby, he hurried off again to greet them.

By the time they finished speaking, Huiming had already crossed through the bustling crowd and arrived before the Lian family.

His gaze brushed lightly across Lian Ou almost imperceptibly before settling on Lian Shi. Pressing his palms together, he gave a polite greeting.

“Are you patrons planning to set up a stall?”

Lian Shi hurriedly returned the greeting clumsily.

“Y-yes, Master. Here are the two copper coins.”

Though he rarely visited markets, he had been brought to temples by his family as a child to kowtow and pray. Seeing these great monks always gave him an instinctive sense of respect.

“There’s no hurry. This monk’s Dharma name is Huiming.”

Huiming did not immediately take the money. Instead, he first asked what they planned to sell and requested to inspect the goods.

Since the market was held in front of their temple, they naturally had to maintain standards.

First, they could not allow complete junk to be sold here, especially food. What if someone got sick from eating it?

Second, if the products were poor and could not sell anyway, then why let the vendors waste two copper coins for nothing?

Huiming had personally established this market from the beginning, so naturally he cared about it deeply.

Lian Ou quickly opened the bundle.

Inside were over a hundred decorative knots woven from jade cord in all sorts of styles, filling the entire bundle.

These were all his early practice pieces. Most had some flaws. Some threads had been scratched by rough skin on his hands, while others were woven slightly unevenly. Still, the flaws were minor. In the village, they would still be considered delicate goods.

Huiming reached out and picked up the topmost one.

It was a large and beautiful pink-purple lover’s knot, though one section of thread had been slightly frayed.

Huiming held the knot in silence for quite a while. His fingers gently rubbed the frayed spot as if trying to smooth it flat.

Of course, that was impossible.

Afterward, Huiming asked about the price.

How would Lian Shi know? He immediately looked toward Lian Ou.

Summoning his courage, Lian Ou named the price Shen Qing had set. Originally, he had not thought the price too high, but seeing Huiming repeatedly rubbing that flawed section made him feel strangely uncertain.

After naming the price, he softly added,

“…Is it acceptable?”

Huiming did not answer immediately. He returned the knot to Lian Ou’s hand.

Lian Ou’s heart instantly rose into his throat, terrified they would be rejected.

Only then did Huiming nod.

“It’s acceptable.”

He calculated briefly in his mind.

“There are two suitable places for you.”

Though the market looked chaotic and lively, it had actually been carefully organized long ago. The pathways would not become blocked, and Huiming knew exactly what each area sold.

“One location is beside vendors selling ribbons and handkerchiefs, with another stall nearby selling silk flowers. The other location is between people selling cloth scraps. The first location should suit you better. However, the vendors there are all women and fulang, so it may be inconvenient for a man to stay there.”

Huiming glanced at Lian Shi somewhat hesitantly.

“Are you two husbands?”

“No, no!”

Lian Shi waved his hands frantically.

“Master Huiming, this is my younger ge’er brother and little sister. Ou-ge’er, which spot do you want?”

Actually, Lian Ou also preferred the first location.

With a few adjustments, his decorative knots could become hair ornaments. Lian Rong already wore two on her head today. He had specifically tied her hair into two pretty flower-bud buns to serve as an example. Staying beside hair ornament vendors definitely fit better.

But if they chose the first spot, it would not be convenient for Lian Shi to remain.

Still, Lian Shi was not supposed to stay anyway.

Shen Qing specifically wanted Lian Ou and Lian Rong to sell things themselves as practice. Shen Qing even hoped Lian Ou might someday help manage the county shop.

If he always relied on his older brother, how would he ever improve?

Lian Ou gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

“How about… Big Brother goes back first? Rong-jie and I can stay here.”

Lian Shi was broad-minded and thought this was great instead.

“Alright. I’ll come pick you up when it gets close to dark. The fields are busy these days anyway. Going back early means I can do more farm work. Master, then we’ll choose the first spot!”

Though Lian Ou tried hard to gather courage, he still felt uneasy inside.

Just then, Huiming’s voice sounded beside his ear. At the same time, the weight in his hand lightened as the monk took the two copper coins.

“Little patron, there’s no need to be afraid. The vendors there are all women and ge’er. It’s very safe. Our temple also has novice monks patrolling around. Nobody dares make trouble. If anything truly happens, simply tell the novices and have them come find me.”

Lian Shi grinned widely, showing a mouthful of white teeth.

“These great monks are really kind people! Then I’ll trouble Master to look after my ge’er brother!”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦