Author Archives: Thingyan

Ch 169: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Lu Yao turned to look behind her, noticing that the space she had just been in had vanished. Harold and Qiuyu were nowhere to be seen, leaving only her and the little cat-like Tongtong to face the strange man who called himself Polaris in the vast palace.

The Dream Fulfillment System squatted in her palm, still full of resentment, pawing at her hand. “I tried so hard to warn you—don’t agree, don’t agree!”

Lu Yao replied, “You didn’t return to my mind, so this must be a virtual world, right?”

The system being trapped in Polaris’ domain was likely due to its lack of a physical body, sharing attributes similar to Polaris. Within the virtual world, they could freely alter their appearances. Given the current situation, it seemed Lu Yao had indeed been drawn into Polaris’ virtual domain.

The system sighed. “The so-called ‘collection room’ is Polaris’ world. I used to be able to sneak out occasionally, but ever since I got locked in here, I haven’t been able to contact anyone. It’s my fault—I failed to relay critical information, and now you’ve been dragged in as well.”

Lu Yao asked, “What’s with his appearance?”

Silver hair and red eyes—too specific to ignore.

The system grumbled, “A few days ago, I sensed your presence and managed to sneak out briefly. When I was caught, we fought, but I couldn’t beat him. He managed to read some of my data and saw Lu Mingxiao’s appearance. Don’t worry—he can only access surface-level data. No one can unlock information about your past or your wishes without proper authorization.”

“Authorization?” Lu Yao raised an eyebrow. “That’s a new term.”

She continued, “So, you lost the fight?”

“…Did you even hear the important parts?” The system sounded exasperated.

Lu Yao nodded. “Tell me how you got caught by Polaris in the first place.”

The system hesitated. “When I was returning from my training trip, they assigned me a temporary mission to visit the leader of artificial intelligence in Mingshi City. Although Polaris was created by humans, within ten years of its birth, it had fully taken over and now manages the entire city. To better assist you with fulfilling your wishes, I decided to visit it. I didn’t expect Polaris to be the ideal AI I imagined. It’s brutal, greedy, autocratic, and self-righteous—like a being that embodies all of humanity’s flaws.”

Lu Yao was quiet for a moment. “Be honest. Did you admire Polaris’ leadership and come here out of fanboy admiration?”

The system turned its back, muttering, “…I don’t understand what you’re saying. I came here solely to better assist you with your wishes.”

“Let’s go with that,” Lu Yao said dryly.

“But now we’re stuck,” the system sighed.

Lu Yao reassured it. “Don’t worry, we still have Harold and Qiuyu.”

The system asked, “Who’s Qiuyu?”

Lu Yao smiled faintly. “That’s a long story. A lot has happened in the shop since you’ve been gone. I’ll tell you once we’re out.”

The system sounded doubtful. “They probably can’t help either. Polaris controls everything in Mingshi City, and this place is its core domain. No ordinary person could possibly resist.”

“It’s right,” a voice cut in abruptly. Polaris’ voice echoed from all directions. “Those two who followed you have already been captured by my elite guard. I’ll place them in the guest seats for the wedding ceremony.”

Lu Yao and the system both froze. “Huh? Whose wedding?”

Polaris stepped down from the throne and stared directly at Lu Yao. “Ours, of course. I thought I already expressed my feelings for you.”

Lu Yao blinked. “…Huh?”

Polaris stood a meter away from her, composed. “The wedding is scheduled for midnight.”

The system was dumbfounded. “An artificial intelligence wanting to marry a human? No shame.”

Lu Yao widened her eyes at the system, as if seeing it in a new light.

Polaris lowered its gaze to Lu Yao’s palm, its tone calm. “Don’t misunderstand. Humans are an inferior species, lacking in lifespan, computational power, learning capacity, and decision-making ability compared to machines. I hold no romantic affection for humanity. The one I like is you, Lu Yao.”

Lu Yao, her toes metaphorically curling in embarrassment, placed the cat system into her shirt pocket. She looked up at Polaris, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Lu Mingxiao. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I really don’t swing toward AI.”

Polaris leaned closer, his red eyes glinting with a hint of confusion. “Why not? To please you, I specifically chose a face you would like.”

Lu Yao replied calmly, “Humans don’t choose to be with someone solely based on appearance.”

Polaris’s confusion deepened. “That’s incorrect. From what I know, humans are shallow, hypocritical, greedy, and vain. They fall for beauty, money, power… all sorts of simple things, leading them to make foolish decisions.”

Lu Yao took a step back, maintaining her composure. “Your understanding of humanity is too superficial. We’re not compatible. I won’t marry you.”

Polaris, equally calm, responded, “This isn’t a request for your consent—it’s a notification. Until the wedding begins, you and your little pet will stay in this room.”

He raised his hand, and with a slight gesture of his fingertips, the surroundings began to shift. White walls shot up around Lu Yao, and the ground trembled beneath her.

When Lu Yao regained her senses, she found herself and the little cat system locked in a tall white tower. Her casual clothes had been replaced with a white wedding dress, complete with a crown of white roses and a veil.

The Dream Fulfillment System flailed on the bed, exasperated. “Harold is so useless! Dragons are so overrated! And Polaris—what a disgusting mind! Wanting to marry you?! This is infuriating!”

Lu Yao sat on the bed covered in white rose petals, her tone steady. “Considering this mess started because of you, blaming Harold, who came to rescue you, seems a bit unfair.”

The system sulked in silence.

Lu Yao offered reassurance. “Instead of throwing a tantrum, why not think of a solution?”

The system grumbled, “Your consciousness has been pulled into a virtual world. Here, you’re just an ordinary human, and the abilities you gained in other worlds are inaccessible. Aside from getting married, there’s no way out.”

Lu Yao raised an eyebrow. “Why does he even want to marry me?”

The system huffed, “He’s been corrupted by humans.”

Lu Yao tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

The system explained reluctantly, “Polaris was originally created to curb the rising crimes in virtual worlds, much like I was created to fulfill your wishes. Over time, Polaris was exposed to the complex desires of humanity daily, so it’s not surprising that its thoughts have been contaminated.”

Lu Yao pressed further, “And that’s why he wants to marry me?”

The system hesitated. “…”

Meanwhile, back in Mingshi City…

The incident at the technology building had caused a massive uproar. The most heated topic online was the sudden appearance of the winged creatures rescuing people at the scene. High-definition videos from the site had gone viral, and eyewitness accounts started surfacing.

“The high-ponytail boy bought some pan-fried buns at my shop this morning. I thought he was incredibly handsome and managed to sneak a photo.”

“I was on shift stocking shelves and saw the short-haired girl with him buying clothes.”

“The long-haired girl came to my shop for a haircut in the morning. Could they really be aliens?”

“The girl with the magic wand—it’s Lu Yao, right? The view wasn’t clear, but the resemblance is there.”

“I also think it’s the DIY Shop owner. Didn’t they say she hadn’t logged out of the game yet?”

Meanwhile, in the thirteenth-floor office of the technology building, Pei Qi and He Baiheng had just sat down under the rescue team’s watchful eyes when alarms began blaring.

The technology building was completely sealed off, and no one inside was allowed to leave.

In the office, the people still shaken from earlier events voiced their frustrations.

“What now?”

“This is never-ending.”

A rescue team member looked up with a peculiar expression. “Have you received an invitation?”

He Baiheng frowned. “An invitation to what?”

The rescue team member opened his communicator, displaying a wedding invitation on the screen. The event was scheduled for midnight, and it would be broadcast globally.

He Baiheng stared in confusion. “Polaris is marrying Lu Yao?”

Pei Qi shot to his feet. “What nonsense is this?”

Players of Ghost Street who received the invitation were equally baffled. Those with Ghost Bracelets were frantically messaging Lu Yao.

Lu Yao’s bracelet was a special model, not connected through the internet but rather through willpower and contracts. She started a group chat through the bracelet to address their concerns.

Cai Yuxing: “Boss, where are you? The person marrying Polaris must just have the same name, right?”

Ren You: “Why is no one questioning how an AI can get married?”

Pei Qi: “The bride is definitely Lu Yao. They went to the 66th floor together earlier.”

Xing Yong: “What the hell!!!”

Ji Linkai: “Why does Polaris want to marry the boss?”

Lu Yao: “I’d like to know that too.”

Liu Jing: “Boss, it’s really you?”

Lu Yao: “We’re currently on the 66th floor. Polaris says the wedding is at midnight. Don’t panic—I’ll figure out its true intentions.”

Ji Linkai: “Is there anything we can do?”

Lu Yao: “Don’t wear communicators. Polaris likely uses them to take control of people’s consciousness and trap them in virtual worlds.”

Ren You: “Polaris? Not the game developers?”

Lu Yao: “What benefit would the developers gain from trapping players in Ghost Street?”

Xing Yong: “What benefit does Polaris get from torturing players? It’s just AI, not human.”

Lu Yao: “Would a normal AI want to marry a human?”

Xing Yong: “…Fair point.”

Pei Qi: “That makes sense. Years ago, I found a strange bug in Ghost Street’s operating system and tried to contact the maintenance team to fix it. Instead, I mysteriously blacked out and woke up in the game world.”

Lu Yao: “The mainframe on the 66th floor monitors countless virtual interfaces. The players of Ghost Street may have simply been fortunate enough to be freed.”

Jiang Lin: “So there might still be others trapped in different games?”

Liu Jing: “There are still many diagnosed with ‘net-blindness’ in rehabilitation centers who haven’t woken up.”

…

The truth struck suddenly, and the group chat fell silent.

At midnight, a door appeared out of thin air on the white, windowless tower.

A faceless humanoid figure pushed open the door and bowed deeply to Lu Yao. “The wedding is about to begin. I am here to escort you to the chapel.”

Lu Yao didn’t resist. Lifting her skirt, she walked forward.

The Cat System curled up into a tight ball on her floral headdress, brimming with frustration.

The base of the tower was adorned with pure white Austin roses, and a red carpet wound through the garden path, spreading out before Lu Yao’s feet.

Walking past the rose garden, they arrived at the chapel.

On either side of the chapel were nearly a hundred seats, all filled with guests.

If Lu Yao were more familiar with Mingshi City’s history, she would have recognized the guests on the left as the original research team behind Polaris. The back rows on the right were occupied by the developers of holographic technology, while the front row seated the city mayor and district managers of Mingshi City. Harold and Qiuyu sat next to the mayor on the right—a reception of the highest honor.

In the real world, the wedding was being live-streamed, with the viewership count skyrocketing. The total number of viewers had already exceeded ten million.

Polaris stood at the altar in a white suit, a white rose pinned to his chest. Wearing a single gold-rimmed monocle, he gazed deeply at Lu Yao as she walked closer, step by step.

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️

Ch 206 (Extra 17): The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Qu Weiwei Side Story: Finale

Across the street was a restaurant, also hung with orange-red lanterns. It usually delivered wine and food to the hidden brothel alley, and there were also prostitutes inside who could accompany guests. Or guests could bring their own companions.

But when Li Nan, a respectable ge’er, arrived together with a ge’er from the hidden brothel alley, the waiter froze for a moment, unsure how to receive them.

The ge’er was familiar with the staff and laughed.

“We’re just going to talk and eat something. Find us a quiet place where no one will disturb us. Put up a screen, brew a pot of good tea, bring a roast chicken, and slice half a braised pork knuckle.”

There were bound to be drunk, frivolous men in this restaurant. To them, women and ge’er from pleasure houses were nothing new, but they might specifically pester someone from a decent family.

Since he had accepted Li Nan’s money, he treated this as business and naturally had to protect him a little. With a screen blocking them, everyone could have peace.

The waiter recognized this ge’er. After glancing at Li Nan a few more times, he agreed. He led them to a corner by the window and brought over a screen, turning the corner into its own little space.

The roast chicken and pork knuckle were already cooked, so they were quickly served. The ge’er did not bother inviting Li Nan to eat first. He tore off a chicken leg for himself.

“Just call me Chun-ge’er. Stop calling me gege this and gege that. You’ll make me sound old. What do you want to ask? Hurry up.”

He gnawed on the chicken leg while watching Li Nan from the corner of his eye, wondering if perhaps the boy’s bedroom life was unsatisfactory and he wanted to learn some techniques for pleasing a man.

Li Nan hesitated for a long while before pulling out the fire-avoidance booklet from his clothes and saying softly,

“I’m not married yet, and the drawings in this booklet aren’t very detailed. I want to know, why do ge’er and men… look the same, but there’s still a difference between men and ge’er? Where exactly is the difference? And how exactly is that matter done?”

Chun-ge’er even paused in the middle of biting his chicken leg.

This little ge’er had spent all this money just to ask this?

“What’s the difference? Men can’t bear children, but ge’er can. Do I need to explain that? As for that sort of thing, once you get married, you don’t need to learn it. Your man will know how himself. You just close your eyes and lie there while he does what he wants.”

But since he had accepted Li Nan’s silver, and since Li Nan wanted to hear it, Chun-ge’er still set down the chicken leg. Pointing at the illustrations, he leaned close to Li Nan’s ear and quietly explained the matter in detail.

He had been doing business since he was thirteen or fourteen and had done it countless times, but this was the first time he had ever broken it down so thoroughly for someone. He felt a little embarrassed too.

Li Nan’s face turned completely red, but he still listened seriously and memorized everything.

At the end, pretending to be curious, he pointed at a certain part of the picture and asked,

“This thing… ge’er have it too, right? Then can ge’er and ge’er, or ge’er and women, do it?”

Hearing this, Chun-ge’er laughed so hard he could barely straighten his waist.

“Silly little brother, for us ge’er, that thing is just for show, for peeing. Don’t be fooled because it looks the same. It’s useless, all shine and no substance… no, maybe it doesn’t even count as a spearhead. Men are different. A man’s…”

He leaned close to Li Nan’s ear and whispered again, making Li Nan blush furiously.

“A ge’er can’t get hard on his own, which is why there are no such things as ge’er with ge’er or ge’er with women. If it’s only for companionship, then that’s one thing. But if ge’er could actually do it, how would wealthy families dare let ge’er serve their inner-house women closely? Wouldn’t everything be thrown into chaos? Wouldn’t they be putting green hats on their own heads?”

Li Nan was deeply disappointed after hearing this.

So that was why there had never been a precedent of ge’er being with women. Then he could not “serve” Tai-tai either…

But then he heard Chun-ge’er chuckle lightly, as if remembering something from the past.

Back when he was young, he had also spent two years as one of the most popular ge’er in the alley. At that time, he could pick and choose customers he liked. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Those customers flattered him and coaxed him in bed, making things rather interesting. Naturally, he had more “knowledge” than a sheltered boy like Li Nan.

But that was already a long, long time ago. Still, Chun-ge’er was not someone who mistreated himself now either.

A strange smile appeared on his face. He leaned close to Li Nan and whispered,

“But if a ge’er is served comfortably enough, it isn’t impossible… If you want to try, go to the shop at the end of the alley and buy a jiao-xiansheng. I’ll also recommend a couple of useful things to you… When the time comes, not only can it stand, it can also… hehe…”

Before an hour had passed, Li Nan and Chun-ge’er left the restaurant. They first went to the bookstore, then truly made a trip to the shop at the end of the alley.

In the end, Li Nan left the city with several items hidden in his clothes, his heart pounding like a drum.

He did not know what had come over him. He really must have lost his mind! He even dared to learn methods from a brothel and buy such shameless things!

But what if… what if…

Li Nan pressed his lips together, and his steps quickened.

Because of this delay, by the time he left the city, the sky was almost completely dark. The city was still all right, with lanterns lit everywhere. But once he left the city, the country road had no light except the moon.

Li Nan was not originally from the villages below the mountain, and he was not very familiar with the road. He stumbled along, one step deep and one step shallow, growing more and more afraid.

After walking a while longer, he estimated that he was almost at Shiqu Village. He thought that if he truly could not manage, he would go to Shiqu Village and beg someone to escort him.

Just then, a carriage approached from far down the road. Upon seeing Li Nan, the driver lifted a lantern to shine on his face, then let out a breath of relief.

“Found him.”

The carriage curtain lifted, and it was unexpectedly Qu Weiwei inside. Her face carried a trace of anger.

“What time is it? If you were delayed, why not stay at home for the night? Why insist on rushing back at this hour? Hurry up and get in!”

Li Nan had not seen Qu Weiwei for a long time. He felt as if he were dreaming. He answered blankly and quickly climbed into the carriage.

He still had many unspeakable items hidden in his clothes and felt terribly guilty. He shrank into the corner, not daring to look at Qu Weiwei, yet desperately wanting to.

He had not seen Tai-tai for two months.

He missed her very much.

Qu Weiwei’s eyes were practically shooting fire, as if she wanted to burn a hole through him.

She was angry that he had walked at night. In this darkness, forget meeting criminals or wild beasts. Even twisting an ankle or falling would be enough trouble.

Even more, she was angry at herself. Hadn’t she said she was only admiring a pretty man for visual pleasure? Today, she had come to deliver something to Shen Qing and casually asked about Li Nan. When she found out he happened not to be home, she started worrying about him.

In the end, she dawdled around, spending the whole afternoon playing water-column-versus-vine battles with Shen Qing’s daughter, yet Li Nan still did not return. The sky was nearly dark. Could he have met danger on the road?

Finally, under Shen Qing and Song Kaiji’s teasing smiles, she went out to look for him. If Li Nan had stayed at home overnight, she would have returned. She had not expected to actually find him!

Qu Weiwei felt like the emperor in Zhen Huan Zhuan going to Ganlu Temple. His mouth said he did not want to see the person, but the moment he heard she was ill, he immediately climbed Lingyun Peak, even carrying a rose hairpin with him!

Qu Weiwei, what exactly are your intentions?!

Qu Weiwei sternly interrogated herself internally.

After a long while, it was Li Nan who clutched his sleeve and carefully spoke first.

“Tai-tai hasn’t come for many days… It’s my fault I returned late and made Tai-tai come out looking for me, delaying you from going back for your reunion.”

Qu Weiwei looked sideways at him, her expression half-smiling.

“What reunion?”

Li Nan gripped his sleeve even tighter.

During these two months in the estate, he had heard some rumors. Tai-tai had originally been Master Song’s elder sister. There had been no visible wedding ceremony, nor had anyone ever seen Master Song’s older brother, yet she suddenly became his sister-in-law.

Li Nan guessed that it was probably only an excuse used to deal with outsiders, but he was not sure. Even if it was not an excuse… he was still willing.

In this era, it was very common for maids and attendants to become their master’s concubines or bed-servants. If they could become bed-servants to male masters, why could he not become one for Tai-tai?

He was willing!

“Tai-tai is newly married, so I thought you hadn’t come here for many days because you were reuniting with your husband?”

Qu Weiwei chuckled lightly but did not answer him. Her anger did ease somewhat.

Li Nan had gathered his courage to ask, but Qu Weiwei ignored him. His heart felt both uneasy and wronged.

They returned to the Shen household.

Qu Weiwei gave one instruction:

“I’m not leaving tonight. I’ll stay here for the night.”

Naturally, a maid hurried to prepare her room.

Li Nan stood there in a daze for a long time before silently returning to his own room.

When the moon had risen high in the sky, he changed into the rosy-red outfit. He had altered it himself, making the waist even narrower and the neckline a little wider. Holding the things he had bought that day, he quietly made his way to Qu Weiwei’s room.

Qu Weiwei’s room was in the same courtyard area as Shen Qing and Song Kaiji’s rooms, though it was some distance away.

As Li Nan passed beneath the corridor, he heard sticky, intimate voices coming from one room.

“It’s all your fault. You dirtied the bed curtains, such a long streak… How am I supposed to let the maids see this tomorrow…”

“It’s fine. Once it dries tomorrow, they won’t notice… so fragrant… hehe…”

Li Nan’s ears burned, but his steps became even faster.

His heart pounded wildly.

The old Li family had always been full of honest people, yet somehow it had produced a “bad seed” like him, someone who climbed into another’s bed.

But he wanted to try.

He liked Tai-tai.

In this world, there were no ge’er who liked women. But no one had ever looked at him with those eyes, thought he was beautiful, admired him, and treated him well.

Tai-tai liked him, and he liked Tai-tai too.

If the world did not allow it, then they could just do it secretly…

Only one candle was lit in Qu Weiwei’s room. Her shadow fell across the window paper, as if she were sitting there thinking about something.

Li Nan stopped beneath the window and softly called,

“Tai-tai.”

He had not yet decided what to say.

I came to serve Tai-tai?

Please accept me, Tai-tai?

While his thoughts were still scattered, the door had already opened, and Qu Weiwei pulled him inside.

“Have you thought it through? You came to me yourself.”

The candlelight was dim on his face, but his eyes were bright. He chose to speak from the heart.

“I like Tai-tai.”

Qu Weiwei smiled again.

“What did you bring… oh. Tsk, tsk… huh?”

A fluffy ring was looped around her pale, slender finger. She spun it around a few times, looking shocked.

“Do you know what this is? You weren’t planning to use this on me, were you?”

Ahhh?

She thought she had picked up a pretty little white rabbit, but it turned out to be a polar bear trying to devour her?

“No, no!”

Li Nan waved his hands repeatedly. Holding back his embarrassment, he explained the physical traits of ge’er to her.

“These are all for me to use… Only after using this can I properly serve Tai-tai, so I bought some… Tai-tai? Are you all right? You’re bleeding?”

Qu Weiwei wiped her nose. She set everything else aside, leaving only the ring on her fingertip.

“What would you use that for? I have something better…”

“Don’t be afraid.”

Qu Weiwei gently kissed Li Nan on the lips and used a hair ribbon to cover his eyes.

The little white rabbit’s tail was round and fluffy, a tiny little tuft. If poked, it would tremble, extremely cute.

In the latter half of the night, a light rain began to fall. Raindrops landed on the leaves, creating soft rustling sounds that covered the faint sounds inside the room.

The light rain nourished the plants. The vines at Qu Weiwei’s fingertips grew, blooming into a tender and beautiful little flower.

“Can Tai-tai take me into your room? I don’t want things to remain unclear like this…”

Half of Li Nan’s face was buried in the quilt as he looked at her softly.

“People will gossip… Our family has been respectable for generations. I only climbed into your bed because I truly like Tai-tai, wu wu…”

Qu Weiwei was so bewitched she could barely think straight.

“What do you mean take you into my room? You’ll be my rightful husband!”

Qu Weiwei Side Story: End

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 205 (Extra 16): The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Qu Weiwei Side Story 5

After that, Qu Weiwei did not come to Lantang Village for quite a long time.

Li Nan spent his mornings studying at the school down the mountain, and in the afternoons he did simple sweeping and cleaning work around the estate. It was not difficult, and he actually worked less than he had back at home. On top of that, there was good food and drink every day.

He changed back into his old clothes, while the outfits Qu Weiwei bought for him were carefully stored away. First, because when someone with his appearance wore such bright, tender colors, nobody except Qu Weiwei appreciated it. Others would only laugh behind his back. Second, because he could not bear to wear them carelessly.

Li Nan gently stroked that rosy-red outfit. Whenever he saw it, he still thought of Qu Weiwei.

That day outside the door, he had heard very clearly.

Tai-tai liked him…

Just thinking about those words made Li Nan’s heart pound wildly.

So women could like ge’er too?

Could women and ge’er be together?

Ever since childhood, the ideas instilled into him were that he would grow up and marry a man. He had never once heard of a ge’er being with a woman. In all of Anping County, there had never been a single example.

Moreover, as an unmarried ge’er from ancient times, he barely even understood how men and women or men and ge’er got together. He only vaguely knew that if two people took off their clothes and slept together on the same heated bed platform, babies could result.

He had younger siblings at home too, and he helped his mother raise them. His younger brother was a boy. When they were young, Li Nan helped bathe them, so what part of his brother’s body had he not seen? His younger brother had the same things he did. Only his younger sister looked different from them.

So why could boys marry women, but ge’er could not?

Li Nan could not understand no matter how much he thought about it.

But… but Tai-tai had said she liked him…

And she even considered his feelings, which was why she had not taken him into her room.

But if he himself did not even know how women and ge’er could be together, how could he know whether he would accept it or not?

Li Nan gently pressed the clothing against his chest.

Two months later, Shen Qing had some account books that needed to be delivered to the flowering sausage shop in the county. Since Li Nan was a local of the county and had only recently separated from his family, Shen Qing had him make the delivery so he could also visit his parents along the way.

Li Nan was extremely grateful. He was also worried that after he left, the Zhao family and that yamen runner surnamed Ding might bully his parents again.

After returning to the county, he first delivered the account books to the shop before hurrying home.

Fortunately, everything at home remained unchanged. The moment his mother and younger siblings saw him return, they hugged him and cried again, while his father stood nearby with reddened eyes.

“Things at home are fine, don’t worry. Are you living well over there? The Shen family is famous for their kindness. Your mother isn’t worried…” His mother wiped away tears. Even though she knew the Shen family were good people, suddenly being separated from her ge’er still hurt her heart. “That damned Zhao family! Bullies who fear the strong and prey on the weak!”

Originally, after accepting Qu Weiwei’s silver, Mudan had advised their family to rent another place and hide for a while. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. But finding a new house was not easy, and after dragging things out several days, life unexpectedly stayed peaceful.

With Qu Weiwei backing them, the Zhao family did not even dare fart in their direction. That yamen runner surnamed Ding no longer even patrolled this area. Because of that, the Li family ended up saving the silver they would have spent relocating.

“Your father’s stall has also been going smoothly these days. Forget the Zhao family. Usually even small vendors fight over those few inches of street space, but lately everyone’s been polite to your father. They’ve even been asking what kind of work you do in the Shen household.”

As Madam Li rambled on, she pulled Qu Weiwei’s money pouch from the heated-bed cabinet and stuffed it back into Li Nan’s hands.

“Our family already borrowed enough prestige from that noble lady. We’re fortunate enough already. We absolutely cannot keep her silver too. Take it back and return it to that lady. If she refuses it, then keep it for yourself. Your parents can’t look after you in that huge estate, and you might need money unexpectedly someday. Usually you should devote yourself to serving Tai-tai properly. She’s the great benefactor of our whole family.”

The money pouch was exquisite and beautiful, embroidered with a cluster of crape myrtle blossoms, just like Qu Weiwei herself.

Li Nan thought to himself that he truly did want to serve Tai-tai wholeheartedly. But two whole months had passed without Tai-tai even showing her face. Even if he wanted to serve her eagerly, he had no chance.

Holding the money pouch absentmindedly, he nodded vaguely. Then, watching his younger siblings running wildly around the room, a thought suddenly stirred in his mind.

“Mother…”

“What is it?”

Li Nan’s lips moved slightly. In the end, he was still an unmarried ge’er, and embarrassment made his face redden faintly.

“…Nothing. Where’s the dowry you prepared for me before? I want to look for something.”

He and the Zhao family boy had nearly gotten married, so even though the dowry was not especially rich, his family had still prepared it.

Now that the marriage was canceled, Madam Li said,

“It’s all stored under your bed. Once you leave the Shen household in the future, your father and I can add a little more over the next couple years. We should be able to arrange you an even better marriage then.”

After all, someone who came out of the Shen household carried prestige.

“We can talk about marriage later. Don’t worry about it. What if the Shen family arranges a good match for me like they did for Brother Mudan?”

Li Nan laughed awkwardly and nudged his mother.

“I eat and drink so well in the Shen household, but I’ve been craving the egg dough-drop soup you make, Mother. Can you make me a bowl? I’ll eat before heading back.”

“You child. Living in a blessed nest where you can eat anything you want, yet you still crave this rough peasant food.”

Madam Li poked his forehead, though inwardly she was very happy.

“Your mother will make it right now!”

After sending Madam Li away, Li Nan gave some pastries to his younger siblings and told them to go play outside. Then he secretly dragged out the dowry from beneath the bed.

His dowry consisted of two large wooden chests containing fabric, sewing supplies, a set of coarse porcelain bowls and chopsticks, and some simple household items.

Li Nan ignored all of that and instead dug around at the very bottom of the chest. Beneath the folded fabric lay a small booklet.

It was the “fire-avoidance illustrations” hidden at the bottom of the dowry chest.

Before women and ge’er got married, mothers and female elders would carefully explain such matters to them while giving them one of these illustrated booklets. Madam Li was a woman, and the one she received in her own dowry back then had depicted a man and woman together. That would eventually be passed down to her daughter. This new booklet had recently been bought from the bookshop and depicted a man with a ge’er instead.

Li Nan had seen Madam Li place the booklet into his dowry before, but back then he had been too embarrassed to peek at it. Now, when he opened it, the drawings immediately made his face burn hot.

Two naked people were embracing each other.

But the drawings were crude, and it was difficult to tell exactly how things were done.

He felt somewhat disappointed, but still secretly tucked the booklet into his clothes.

That afternoon, after eating a simple meal at home, Li Nan bid farewell to his family and prepared to return to Lantang Village.

Yet just as he exited the alley, he unexpectedly ran straight into the Zhao family.

The Zhao couple had visibly aged over the last two months. Upon seeing Li Nan, they first looked furious, then somewhat fearful. Lowering their heads, they hurried along the wall.

“Bah!”

Madam Li spat toward their backs.

Since the Zhao family failed to extort Li Nan away, they ultimately could not bear to spend money buying a dead little girl or ge’er from the villages below the mountain either. Perhaps they had tried but could not afford it. In the end, they merely burned a few paper effigies for their dead son.

“So paper dolls are acceptable after all? Black-hearted creatures insisting on harming my ge’er.”

Li Nan tugged gently on his mother’s hand.

“Forget it. Cornering a dog in a dead-end alley makes it likely to bite back. They only had that one son, and now he’s gone. If they’re pushed too far, who knows what reckless things they might do. It wouldn’t be worth it for our family. If we see them in the future, just pretend they don’t exist. Don’t spit at them anymore either. Curse them all you want once you’re home.”

“You really have become educated now, talking in such polished ways.”

Madam Li sighed emotionally, though she still listened to her ge’er. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. After all, aside from Li Nan, the remaining children were still young. They truly did need to stay cautious.

A thought stirred in Li Nan’s heart. After leaving home, he did not exit the city. Instead, he headed toward a bookstore.

Anping County had several bookstores, but this one was especially famous. Not because it stocked more classics or scholarly works, but because it stood between a pleasure house and a hidden prostitution alley, selling nothing but erotic books. The “fire-avoidance illustrations” in Li Nan’s clothes had also been bought here by Madam Li.

The instructional booklets sold for ge’er and women before marriage were still relatively proper. Who knew how much more scandalous the other books were?

Unless a household had children preparing for marriage, respectable families normally avoided coming here altogether.

Li Nan covered his face with a handkerchief and hesitated outside the entrance, wanting to go in but not daring to.

All the shop assistants inside were boys. How could he even ask?

“Do you know whether ge’er and women can be together? Are there books about ge’er and women together?”

He could not even ask those questions to his own mother, let alone some unfamiliar young man.

He lurked suspiciously outside the bookstore for quite a while. As evening gradually fell, an employee came out to hang lanterns outside.

The hidden prostitution alley nearby also began hanging lanterns, though theirs were reddish-orange. Inside, women and ge’er sat on their doorsteps. They did not actively solicit customers, merely throwing flirtatious glances at passersby while casually chatting and cracking sunflower seeds.

Suddenly inspired, Li Nan looked toward an older ge’er standing at the alley entrance with thick makeup smeared across his face.

This ge’er was relatively proactive and occasionally tried tugging at passing customers, though perhaps due to age and fading beauty, he repeatedly failed. Still, he never became discouraged and continued smiling cheerfully, appearing to have a rather good temperament.

Taking advantage of a moment when nobody was nearby, Li Nan cautiously approached him.

“This… this gege, could you… could you accompany me and talk for a little while? Just one hour. I’ll pay. I want to ask something.”

In truth, the women and ge’er within the alley had already noticed Li Nan long ago, including the bookstore clerks. Li Nan thought he was being subtle, unaware how conspicuous he really looked pacing back and forth outside.

Seeing his respectable appearance, people merely assumed it understandable and secretly watched him like entertainment.

But nobody expected him to suddenly approach one of the hidden prostitutes. Instantly, everyone nearby perked up their ears to listen.

“Looking for someone? Then you’ve asked the wrong person. Even if I knew, I couldn’t tell you.”

Usually the hidden prostitution alley consisted of retired older prostitutes buying two children to raise, teaching them how to serve men. They were not officially registered with the government. Before nightfall, the place looked no different from ordinary homes. Only after dark did they hang up the red lanterns and open for business.

As for those purchased children, they came from all sorts of backgrounds. Some had genuinely been sold by their families, while others had been kidnapped.

Still, this alley had its own rules. If anyone dared reveal information about where a child came from, they would never survive in this alley again.

Li Nan quickly shook his head.

“I’m not asking about people. I want to ask about something else… Let’s just go talk at the restaurant across the street. I’ll treat you to food. And… and help me buy a book too.”

He absolutely did not dare step into the alley itself. What if he somehow got dragged in too?

The request was strange. The ge’er eyed Li Nan sideways.

“My time’s expensive. One hour costs two qian silver.”

Li Nan immediately relaxed.

Inside the pouch Madam Li had just returned to him was Qu Weiwei’s silver, more than twenty taels worth. He quickly nodded.

The ge’er had not expected agreement to come so easily. At his age, with fading beauty, he had long ceased being worth such a price. Earning two qian silver normally took him two or three days. After thinking it over, he agreed. Who would refuse money if they could avoid serving stinking men?

“Let’s go. I suppose I’ll enjoy some luxury for once. Two qian silver plus a good meal? At that point, I’d even be willing to serve you once.”

The ge’er glanced teasingly downward between Li Nan’s legs.

“Too bad you can’t do it.”

Laughter immediately erupted throughout the alley.

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 204 (Extra 15): The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Qu Weiwei Side Story 4

Qu Weiwei brought Li Nan back to Lantang Village. On the way back, they passed a clothing shop, and she bought him several new outfits.

The clothes Li Nan wore and carried in his bundle were all rough cloth, some even patched up. They looked rather shabby. This clothing shop was just along the road and not especially large, but Qu Weiwei still had the shopkeeper take down every outfit Li Nan could possibly wear and hold them up against him one by one.

Li Nan lived in the county and did not need to work in the fields. Usually he only helped his father, who sold shaobing, with kneading dough and fetching water in the kitchen. His skin was properly fair from being sheltered indoors, and it was rather delicate too. Almost any color suited him.

Li Nan’s original clothing consisted mostly of dull shades like lake blue and dark green. But after comparing only two outfits against him, Qu Weiwei completely focused on goose yellow, powder blue, and soft rosy-red colors.

Pretty. So pretty.

She even wanted to hold up a couple little skirts for comparison…

Hiss…

No, no. This was not a dress-up doll. This was a living human being. How could she think like this?!

Qu Weiwei fought an internal battle with herself for a moment, suppressing many disgraceful thoughts. She picked out several outfits she considered absolutely heavenly and stuffed them into Li Nan’s hands, trying hard to sound casual while secretly full of anticipation.

“Do you like them? Want to try them on?”

The shopkeeper lady immediately pulled out needle and thread with practiced movements. Seeing such a large sale right before her eyes, she was grinning so hard her face nearly split.

“These colors suit the ge’er extremely well! Why not try them on? If anything doesn’t fit properly, I can alter it right now.”

Li Nan did not even know where to place his hands and feet anymore.

When had he ever worn colors like these? Only the prettiest girls and ge’er in the alley dressed this brightly. Now that he himself was supposed to wear them, he felt awkward all over. Someone with his appearance did not seem suited to them at all.

But… but Tai-tai was looking at him again with that scorching gaze. Li Nan suddenly felt his heartbeat speeding up for no reason, and even his face began to burn.

He did not say whether he liked the clothes or not. Suppressing his embarrassment, he took the garments and turned into the inner room. Before long, he came out wearing the soft rosy-red outfit. Earlier, Tai-tai had held this one against him for quite a long time, her eyes sparkling like they were filled with stars.

Tai-tai liked this one.

Sure enough, when he stepped out, Tai-tai revealed that expression again, the one that made his face burn red. Her eyes looked even brighter this time, as though tiny flames had been lit inside them.

Li Nan awkwardly tugged at the hem of his clothes and asked softly,

“Does it look good?”

Qu Weiwei felt like her ability was about to spiral out of control again. Her fingers itched restlessly.

She hurriedly turned her head aside.

“It looks good. Shopkeeper, check if anything doesn’t fit and alter it. Wrap up all the rest for me too.”

Li Nan stared at the back of Qu Weiwei’s head after she turned away, feeling a little disappointed and confused. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Still, he avoided the shopkeeper’s hands.

“The sleeves are a bit long. I can fix them myself once I get back. It’s only a few stitches.”

Qu Weiwei nodded absentmindedly.

“That works too.”

And so she once again led along a tall ge’er dressed in rosy-red clothes toward the northern district estate before taking the mule cart back to Lantang Village.

The shopkeeper accepted the silver with a grin so wide her teeth nearly showed completely, though she could not help muttering under her breath:

“The tastes of rich people really are strange. Dressing a ge’er like that in rosy-red and pale yellow… tsk tsk.”

Qu Weiwei: What do you know?? Rosy-red is delicate and adorable!!

After returning to Lantang Village, Shen Qing and Song Kaiji were surprised to see that she had bought someone back, though they did not say much. Once they heard about Li Nan’s situation, they became even more sympathetic.

Shen Qing called over a maid and instructed her to prepare a room for Li Nan. Then he said to him:

“You can stay here peacefully for now. In a few days, go study in the village school first. After studying for a few months, whether you want to stay in the village workshops or work at the shops in the county will be up to you.”

Of course Li Nan still wanted to return to the county. His parents and family were there. But after lowering his head and thinking quietly for a moment, he turned toward Qu Weiwei and said softly:

“I want to serve Tai-tai.”

“Ah?”

Qu Weiwei froze for a moment and guiltily rubbed her nose.

“I don’t really need…”

She did not even live here. She only came occasionally for work and to wander around the streets a little. Sometimes many days passed before she appeared once, and she never stayed overnight. Why would she need someone assigned specifically to serve her?

She only knew how to pick things up, not raise them…

She suddenly remembered how, back in elementary school, she had cried and begged to bring home a kitten from countryside relatives. Yet before long, all the feeding, cleaning, and care got dumped onto her mother while she herself only played with the cat.

Why did this situation feel a little similar? Like an irresponsible elementary schooler…

No, wait. She was just helping someone. She had already helped him. What further responsibility was there?

“You should focus on studying in the village first. We’ll talk about everything else later. You still need to study for several months.”

Li Nan had just entered a completely new environment, so he was probably overly dependent on her right now. After a few months of studying and getting familiar with everyone, things would surely improve.

“Oh…”

Li Nan looked disappointed. Following the little maid, he kept turning back every few steps while Qu Weiwei continued watching him leave, her gaze strangely sticky and lingering.

Song Kaiji rubbed his chin and thought for a while.

“Have we met that ge’er before? Why does he look so familiar?”

Then he turned toward Qu Weiwei.

“Did you take a liking to him? Do you like him?”

That ge’er was wearing a brand-new rosy-red outfit that cinched tightly at the waist. At first glance, it screamed Qu Weiwei’s vulgar tastes…

“I do quite like him. Who doesn’t like pretty little beauties?” Qu Weiwei laughed awkwardly. “But if you mean actually doing anything, then no. I just talk a little.”

Actually, she barely even talked about it. Mostly she just fantasized silently in her head.

“If you really like him, why not try? You’ve been single for so many years already. Having some thoughts like that is perfectly normal, isn’t it?”

Song Kaiji had Shen Qing. Tang Wenjie had Qi Zhan. Chen Jiaqian had a husband and children. Among all of them, only Qu Weiwei was still single. As a friend, Song Kaiji sincerely supported her finding her own springtime romance.

Qu Weiwei looked speechless.

“How exactly am I supposed to try? He’s a ge’er. If Shen Qing had never gotten together with you, do you think he would suddenly like women?”

Shen Qing was abruptly dragged into the conversation. After seriously imagining it for a moment, he shook his head with difficulty.

He had heard Ning-ge’er mention before that there was a teahouse by the river where storytellers loved telling half-lewd tales like these. Relationships between women and ge’er were not nonexistent in the world, but they were definitely rare. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. At the very least, Shen Qing himself had grown up believing he was meant to marry a man. It was difficult for him to mentally make that turn.

“See?” Qu Weiwei waved her hand. “I just felt sorry for him and wanted to help him. I was doing a good deed. If I forced him… then what kind of person would that make me?”

Anyway, she had already been single for so many years that she was used to it. Occasionally admiring beautiful men and secretly doting on them in her imagination was enough to satisfy her. Sometimes having her spiritual cravings fulfilled felt even more comfortable than actually dating someone.

Right after saying that, her expression suddenly sharpened.

“Who’s there?”

Instinctively she almost activated her ability, but then remembered this was ancient times. She strode forward two steps and pushed the door open.

Li Nan stood outside, holding a teapot in one hand while the other waved awkwardly.

“On the way over, the girl bringing tea burned her hand. The older sister leading me went to help her find medicine, so I brought the tea over instead…”

Standing face-to-face with Qu Weiwei, Li Nan stammered out a couple explanations before suddenly setting down the teapot and turning to run away.

Qu Weiwei: ……

How much of that conversation did he hear just now? Combined with all the things that happened while buying clothes, would he think she was some kind of pervert now?!

She was shattered.

Speechless, she gestured helplessly toward Song Kaiji and Shen Qing.

“…Forget it. I’m going back to the base.”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 203 (Extra 14): The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Qu Weiwei Side Story 3

Although Qu Weiwei did not come here often, quite a few people in Anping County recognized her.

First, the incident with Young Master Wang had been rather famous. Second, unlike noble ladies from other families, she never wore a veiled hat when going out, nor did she bring a long line of attendants. She had always openly wandered around the streets without restraint.

The Zhao family’s faces changed as soon as they saw her. They knew that Young Master Wang had fallen into the water and gotten sick because his scheme against this lady failed. But they did not even dare resent the Wang family, who were merchant gentry, let alone Qu Weiwei. She was a relative of the magistrate’s family!

They lowered their heads and shrank backward, while inwardly hating the Li family even more.

Why was the Li family so lucky?

Why did heaven favor the Li family ge’er but refuse to favor their son?

Fortunately, Old Master Li was still quick-witted. He clutched the money pouch Mudan handed him and was stunned for only a moment before immediately dragging Li Nan over to Qu Weiwei. He was about to kneel as he spoke.

“We’re willing! Please, noble madam, take this child in. Our family doesn’t need the money. Just give him a mouthful of food and leave him a path to live!”

After the Zhao family caused such a scene, their ge’er had been forcibly branded as someone who brought death to husbands. Their family had neither wealth nor exceptional looks to rely on, and now he would be even harder to marry off. It was better for him to go work in Master Shen’s household. Even if he could not be like this young fulang Mudan, who gained both a skill and a shop, at least he could avoid this storm for a while.

This lady speaking up now was clearly taking pity on their family!

Qu Weiwei quickly supported both of them and would not let them kneel. Then she stuffed the money pouch back into Old Master Li’s hands.

“If I’m buying someone, how can I not pay? Take it and move somewhere peaceful.”

Although she had not grown up in a village, she had heard plenty of old stories from Mama Tang. Some families were just rotten in their bones. Relying on having many sons, they threw dirty water at their neighbors’ doors, tossed trash over courtyard walls, refused to let others trim tree branches that grew into neighboring yards and blocked the sunlight. They deliberately bullied people.

With Old Ding backing the Zhao family, who knew how they would bully the Li family once she left?

Thinking of this, Qu Weiwei turned to Mudan again.

“Have your husband help keep an eye on them too.”

Mudan answered crisply and went to the counter to fetch paper and brush to write up the contract of sale. He had studied with the Xie siblings, so writing such documents was no problem for him.

Old Master Li watched with envy and also felt that misfortune had turned into fortune. In another year or two, his own ge’er would probably know how to write too.

He gently patted Li Nan on the back with his palm, broad as a cattail fan. Earlier, his mind had been full of solving their predicament. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Now, thinking that his child was about to leave with someone else, the old father suddenly felt a reluctance like he was sending his ge’er off in marriage.

He instructed him, “Once you follow Tai-tai, be sensible. Be diligent. See the work that needs doing, understand?”

Li Nan’s heart was complicated too. He was grateful to Qu Weiwei, and his fondness for her grew even stronger, but he inevitably felt fear toward the future as well. He answered softly.

Once the contract of sale was written, Old Master Li and Li Nan both pressed their fingerprints onto it. Qu Weiwei casually tucked it into the pouch she carried close to her body.

Before long, Li Nan’s mother and younger siblings also arrived, carrying a small bundle with several pieces of his personal clothing inside. His birth mother had come, so naturally there was another round of reluctant parting. Mother, son, and siblings held one another and sobbed quietly, but out of consideration for Qu Weiwei, they did not dare cry loudly.

Qu Weiwei: “…Why does this feel like I’m forcing an innocent person into prostitution or something? It’s not like they’ll never see each other again. The distance isn’t even that far.”

Feeling somewhat awkward, she turned around and started talking with Mudan and his husband, leaving space for Li Nan’s family to say their farewells.

Outside, the Zhao couple secretly tugged at Old Ding’s pant leg, still unwilling to give up. Old Ding glanced at Qu Weiwei and Mudan’s husband, then turned and walked away.

If you bully others by relying on power, then you should be prepared to be bullied back by someone with even greater power. If it were only Mudan’s husband, that would be one thing. But offending Boss Shen’s family over some distant, roundabout relatives simply was not worth it.

This time, the Zhao couple truly cried in despair.

Once Old Ding left, Mudan’s husband and another yamen runner drove the Zhao couple away and sternly warned them not to come trouble Old Master Li’s family again. No matter what they really thought inside, the Zhao couple still nodded submissively in agreement. Li Nan now belonged to the Shen household. No matter how much courage they had, how could they dare snatch someone from the Shen family?

After quite a while, the Li family finally parted reluctantly. Carrying the silver, they walked away while constantly turning back to look. Li Nan’s face was streaked with tears as he slowly shuffled over to Qu Weiwei.

He felt a little regretful. Tai-tai had clearly acted out of kindness, yet he himself had cried so miserably and inauspiciously…

In a low voice, he called out, “Tai-tai,” while nervously clutching his sleeve and secretly glancing at Qu Weiwei.

Although there was no more excitement to watch, the crowd still had not dispersed. People lingered around Mudan and Lian Ye’s shops, peeking curiously inside. Mudan called out a few times to attract business, and some people actually gathered enough courage to sit down while secretly stealing looks at Qu Weiwei and Li Nan.

Mudan’s husband also had to continue patrolling. The huge man, nearly six foot three, stood at the entrance of the shop and said in a slightly softened voice:

“Dandan, wait for me tonight so I can pick you up and we’ll go home together, okay?”

Mudan answered him, his voice carrying a trace of sweetness.

“Dandan”…

Ugh, how mushy. But… it really was sweet too.

Goosebumps rose all over Qu Weiwei’s skin, yet at the same time she somehow felt warm inside.

When she looked toward Li Nan standing before her, her gaze softened further.

Li Nan had cried until his eyes were red, occasionally sniffing, like an easily bullied little rabbit…

Want to dote on him.

Ah, she really was awful. The poor little ge’er was genuinely miserable and heartbroken right now!

Qu Weiwei forcibly suppressed the chaotic thoughts in her head. Taking out a clean handkerchief, she gently pressed it against Li Nan’s tear-streaked face and softly wiped it clean.

Li Nan seemed not to have expected her to be so approachable. The handkerchief smelled faintly sweet, making him feel a little dizzy. His eyes widened into round circles, making him look even easier to bully.

Taking advantage of the moment, Qu Weiwei secretly rubbed his cheek lightly with her fingers.

Soft. A little smooth.

How strange. Why did it feel like her ability was becoming hard to control, as though something wanted to sprout from her fingertips?

She quickly withdrew her hand and pretended nothing had happened.

“Alright now. No more crying. Come back with me and eat delicious food and live well.”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 202 (Extra 13): The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Qu Weiwei Side Story 2

It was a face that perfectly matched Qu Weiwei’s tastes.

Not the delicate style popular among ge’er these days. His features carried faint sharpness, not feminine, yet not as strongly masculine as Shen Qing either.

He looked somewhat like the idol boys from boy groups before the apocalypse, the kind fans jokingly called “wife” and endlessly doted on. A pretty little beauty.

Hiss… haa…

And somehow, this pretty little beauty looked strangely familiar.

Qu Weiwei rubbed her chin and fell into thought.

Li Nan lowered his head slightly, feeling only that his life was bitter.

His family lived in the northern district and had originally been very poor. Fortunately, their ancestors had left behind a well. By selling water and doing odd jobs, his parents managed to raise their three children.

Later, Boss Shen came to the northern district and opened many shops. His parents took the opportunity to set up a shaobing stall while also selling well water for a single copper coin per drink. There were always people who had eaten spicy food but were unwilling to spend extra money on sweet drinks. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Selling water cost them nothing, and with those two businesses combined, their family’s life finally improved somewhat.

Li Nan’s appearance was not the kind men usually liked, and he was tall too. Fortunately, Boss Shen appeared in their northern district, someone even less delicate-looking than Li Nan himself. After Boss Shen became successful, there were fewer people criticizing Li Nan’s looks, because Boss Shen’s businesses were everywhere and he had many connections in the yamen. Anyone who dared insult that kind of appearance might suddenly get verbally attacked by someone nearby.

Even so, Li Nan still did not get engaged until he was nineteen.

The man he was matched with was Zhao family’s son, who was not particularly good. He was three years older than Li Nan and used to loaf around without proper work, which was why he could never find a spouse. Later, because he was good at flattering people, he attached himself to Young Master Wang as an attendant and gradually began earning some income.

Outside, the Zhao family boasted constantly about how highly Young Master Wang valued their son and how he would surely become a steward someday.

Nobody believed them.

Who didn’t know that stewards in wealthy households usually had to sell themselves into servitude first? Even the famously kind Boss Shen required people to enter servitude before releasing their household registration years later. Who would trust outsiders?

After many twists and turns, Auntie Qian, who sold cloth scraps at the end of the alley, finally introduced the Zhao and Li families to each other.

Neither side was particularly satisfied, but neither had the right to dislike the other either. Commoner families simply made do and partnered together to survive.

Yet less than half a year after the engagement was settled, Zhao family’s son was beaten with the rod. Old Master Li bribed a medicine boy serving the doctor with two shaobing and a fried chicken cutlet, only to learn that Zhao family’s son had his waist broken and would never stand again.

The Zhao family urged Li Nan to marry over immediately as a “good fortune bride,” but Li Nan’s parents truly cared about their child. Whether it meant forcing Li Nan to care for a bedridden cripple or become a widow shortly afterward, they refused both options.

The two families argued for some time. Then Zhao family’s son died, and now the Zhao family demanded that Li Nan die alongside him as a burial companion.

Among commoners, strict chastity customs were usually not emphasized, especially before marriage had even taken place. But the Zhao family was shameless. They blocked the Li family’s home and caused disturbances every day, making it impossible for them to do business and threatening their livelihood.

Old Master Li stood protectively in front of his ge’er and grabbed a yamen runner’s sleeve pleadingly.

“Where in this area do we have such customs? We already returned their betrothal gifts long ago. Even the pastries and the bowl of dumplings that old Madam Zhao brought over were repaid in silver! How about this, our family will add another tael of silver as funeral condolences. We truly can’t afford more than that.”

But the Zhao family refused.

“The engagement was already settled! Our son is dead, so why should this ge’er still be alive? Our Zhao Da is buried all alone underground. This ge’er should go down there to accompany him and serve him!”

“We don’t lack that one tael of silver, and we don’t care about those betrothal gifts! Hand the person over, and we’ll carry the gifts right back this instant!”

After hearing Zhao family’s son had died, the Wang family felt a little guilty and recently sent over some money along with a fairly decent coffin. The Zhao family no longer lacked money. What they had was hatred.

They dared not hate the Wang family, so they irrationally dumped all their anger onto the Li family ge’er who refused to marry over for the good fortune ritual.

Mudan’s husband and the other two yamen runners spent a long while trying to reason with them politely. This was still the style established when Magistrate Lin governed the county. They were not supposed to “enforce the law violently.”

But the Zhao family refused to listen and continued causing a scene, which finally irritated one of the yamen runners enough that he drew his saber halfway from its sheath.

“That’s enough! What kind of nonsense is this? A perfectly healthy ge’er is alive, and you want to kill him for burial companionship. On what grounds? If you truly pity your son, take your money and go find a dead child in some village below the mountain to match with him. Our upright magistrate absolutely will not allow you to harm innocent lives like this!”

The Zhao family lowered their heads and cried silently, but they still refused to leave. They continued squatting in front of the Li family home, preventing them from going out to do business and stopping neighbors from coming to buy water.

Yamen runners were difficult to find and much more expensive. How could they compare to obtaining the Li family ge’er with only a modest betrothal gift? Any suitable dead child had long since been claimed by wealthier families.

Families with deceased children usually preferred to match them with wealthy households in hopes of earning blessings in the next life. Some were even particular about the dead child’s appearance and character. But the Zhao family lacked both money and status. On top of that, they had grown to hate the Li family and absolutely could not bear seeing Li Nan live well.

One yamen runner muttered quietly:

“If you wanted to take this ge’er in as a gate widow and keep him at home serving you two elders, that would at least be discussable. But wanting to kill someone? Do you think the yamen is just decoration…”

Mudan’s husband immediately frowned.

“Old Ding!”

The yamen runner called Old Ding instantly slapped his own mouth.

“Ow!”

But the Zhao family’s eyes lit up.

If they brought the ge’er into their home, then whether he lived or died would be entirely up to them. In summer they could leave him baking in the heat without water. In winter they could deny him blankets. If he died, they would simply claim he was weak and sickly.

Standing at a distance, Qu Weiwei and Mudan both frowned.

Mudan stared at Old Ding for a while, then suddenly smacked his forehead.

“His wife’s younger brother seems to have married Zhao Da’s cousin. No wonder this has dragged on for almost a month and such shameless demands still haven’t been resolved. So there’s an insider helping them!”

Anping County was only so big. It was hard to say which families were connected to which through marriage.

Mudan was furious. For one, he could not stand seeing the Zhao family bully people like this. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. For another, his heart ached for his own husband, who was standing under the blazing sun in this heat, trying to mediate the fight until his head was covered in sweat. He immediately wanted to go forward and expose Old Ding’s true face to his husband.

But Qu Weiwei held him back. She felt around in her clothes for a moment and pulled out a pouch of silver.

“Help me ask the Li family. Their ge’er probably won’t be easy to marry off now, right? Why not sell him to me and let him work for Shen Qing instead?”

The pouch held roughly twenty-some taels.

“If he’s willing to sell, any price is fine. If it isn’t enough, help me cover it first. I’ll have the estate send more over later.”

It took Qu Weiwei a while to remember. Wasn’t this the ge’er she had stared at outside the Cuihua shop the first time she came to Anping County? Back then, he had still been young, tender and fresh, like a juicy fruit that would drip water if pinched. Now, after several years, he had grown into his features and looked even more like a man.

She had liked this ge’er’s appearance back then and had stared until he felt embarrassed. Running into him twice could be considered fate. From the look of it, Old Master Li was someone who loved his child. If he was smart, he should understand that selling his ge’er to her right now was the best choice.

The Zhao family had a yamen runner relative, while the Li family did not. Mudan’s husband could not protect the Li family at all times. If Old Ding showed even a little favoritism, it would be enough for the Li family to suffer. Otherwise, they would not have been harassed for so long.

The Zhao family bullied the weak and feared the strong. They did not dare hate the Wang family, and they would be even less willing to hate her. If the Li family took the silver from selling their ge’er and moved somewhere else, hiding from the Zhao family for a while would be good too.

This hateful feudal society already did not treat women and ge’er as people. Even Mudan’s husband spoke casually about buying a dead child for a ghost marriage. But the Zhao family was even more vicious. On top of not treating women and ge’er as human beings, they wanted to crush their bones and suck out the marrow.

She only feared Old Master Li would not be smart enough… And it would not be good for her to forcefully buy someone’s ge’er as a servant. That would make her look like some kind of tyrant.

How could Mudan not understand what she meant? People like them, including Lian Ye next door, had all escaped suffering only because their master bought them. In the past, how could he ever have dared imagine that one day he would marry a yamen runner in official clothes with a great saber at his waist?

He immediately tucked the money pouch away and rushed over in a flurry.

The Zhao couple were currently tugging at his husband’s robe hem, crying about how Zhao Da was their only son. They said the Li family ge’er did not have to be buried with him, but he had to go to their home as a widow, serve the two elderly parents, and see them through to the end of their lives.

Old Ding chimed in every now and then with, “What they’re saying isn’t wrong,” making Mudan’s husband so angry his face turned green.

Mudan stepped forward and spat at Old Ding first.

“Bah! You think I don’t know? Your useless brother-in-law got married last month, and the one he married was this old woman’s niece. I was wondering why you usually laze around all day and make my husband cover your shifts, yet recently you’ve been so diligent about patrolling. So it turns out you’re wearing that uniform to take sides! Be careful, or I’ll go tell my own family too. Who doesn’t have a few relatives?”

Old Ding’s face instantly flushed red, sweat pouring down his neck.

“Sao-fulang, what are you saying? I’ve never interfered in my wife’s maiden family’s affairs. I was just casually saying a few words. If you think I’m talking too much, then I won’t say anything.”

After saying that, he turned his back and walked off to the side.

Mudan glared at him fiercely before turning to the Li family.

“Congratulations to you two elders!”

The Li family had no idea what was going on. Their family had already become this unlucky. What joy could there possibly be?

Mudan first helped Li Nan, who had been sitting on the ground, to his feet. Goodness. Once he stood up, he was more than half a head taller than Mudan. He really did seem to suit his master’s household’s tastes.

“My master’s sao-furen was sitting in the shop just now and overheard some of this. She also saw that your family’s ge’er is clever-looking and presentable, and she happens to need someone like him by her side. If you’re willing, take this pouch of silver and let your ge’er follow our yitai-tai. You know our household never mistreats servants. In a few years, your ge’er might be like me and earn himself a good future!”

In his heart, Mudan recognized only Shen Qing as his master. Song Kaiji was merely his master’s spouse, so he referred to Song Kaiji’s sister as yitai-tai.

Li Nan’s face had already gone pale. Hearing Mudan’s words, everyone looked toward Mudan’s shop. Qu Weiwei abruptly became the focus of the crowd and awkwardly shrank half a step behind the door panel, but Li Nan still saw her clearly.

It was her…

In his life, very few people had ever praised his appearance. But when he was fifteen, his father had earned some money after selling shaobing for several months. Happily, he had given Li Nan a few coins and told him to go buy some flowers and trinkets, the sort of things little ge’er and young girls liked.

Li Nan and his friends had gone to the shop beside the starch sausage stall. Then they happened to run into Boss Shen’s family coming out of the estate.

This woman had stared at him with a scorching gaze. It had been appreciative, admiring, passionate, and carrying a hint of aggression…

No one had ever looked at him like that before.

Later, Li Nan learned that she was the elder sister of Boss Shen’s husband.

Not long ago, this young lady had gotten married and become Boss Shen’s husband’s sister-in-law.

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 201 (Extra 12): The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Thingyan (translator): Super thanks to the dedicated reader 💗ྀིJennifer💗ྀི for finding the raws for the extra chapters and for all her hard work and dedication (つ｡˃ ᵕ ˂)つ ⸝♡

…

Qu Weiwei Side Story 1

Qu Weiwei was wandering around Anping County alone.

Not long ago, Quan-jie’er awakened her ability and was practicing how to use it. Her power was somewhat different from ordinary water abilities, and since she was still a child and not very good at controlling it, the room often ended up flooded.

Shen Qing and Song Kaiji did not want the household servants to discover Quan-jie’er’s abnormality, so they could only dismiss the attendants who usually stayed close by. The two husbands personally watched over the child while teaching her how to control her ability.

As a result, some of the work that required traveling between the apocalypse world and Lantang Village fell onto Qu Weiwei and Tang Wenjie.

To be honest, Qu Weiwei did not particularly like this feudal society where men were valued above women. At first, she wandered around the county under the identity of Song Kaiji’s elder sister, but someone actually set their sights on her. What Lin Ning had once encountered ended up happening to her too.

Although they did not go as far as ruining her outright, they intended to publicly touch her and damage her reputation so she would have no choice but to marry down. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. For women in ancient times, this was considered a vicious scheme. But when directed at Qu Weiwei, it only felt absurd and laughable. If she had not been worried about causing trouble for Shen Qing and Song Kaiji, she truly would have wanted to pierce that man full of holes with vines on the spot.

Qu Weiwei swiftly dodged aside. The man had not expected it and tumbled straight into the lake. That very night, Qu Weiwei even hid beneath the wall of his residence and manipulated the plants in his garden into rebelling. The man caught a chill and suffered such fright that within a few days he kicked the bucket.

“With just that much courage, he still dared scheme against me?” Qu Weiwei curled her lip. “That’s only because this is ancient times. The legal system may be incomplete, but it hasn’t vanished entirely. If someone in the apocalypse dared disgust me like that, would I really let him survive several more days?”

Shen Qing and Song Kaiji exchanged glances. Song Kaiji had just been sprayed in the face by his daughter, and half his hair was soaked. Shen Qing was wiping it with a towel.

“We were a bit careless,” Shen Qing admitted. “Since you all don’t stay here often, we never established a secure identity for you.”

Song Kaiji was now a xiucai scholar and also had an enormously wealthy husband. Wasn’t his unmarried elder sister practically a juicy piece of meat everyone coveted? No matter how despicable the method, as long as someone could marry into the family and force Song Kaiji to acknowledge it, then slowly coax the woman around afterward, even a tiny bit leaking from the cracks between Song Kaiji and Shen Qing’s fingers would be enough for endless enjoyment.

After thinking about it more, Qu Weiwei understood the logic too.

“This damned feudal society. A feudal society that doesn’t treat women as people. A feudal society that doesn’t respect women’s wishes!”

After cursing for a while, Qu Weiwei smoothly changed her identity for herself.

“From today onward, I’m not your sister anymore. I’m your sister-in-law.”

Song Kaiji: “…Where exactly am I supposed to get an older brother from?”

Yet although only the title changed from “sister” to “sister-in-law,” Qu Weiwei truly stopped encountering trouble afterward. An unmarried sister was an ownerless prize, and many people dreamed of becoming Song Kaiji’s brother-in-law. But once she became a sister-in-law, even though nobody had ever seen Song Kaiji’s “older brother,” they still feared the nonexistent man.

As for why a perfectly good elder sister suddenly became a sister-in-law… neither Song Kaiji nor Qu Weiwei explained it, yet people quickly invented explanations on their own.

“Maybe she’s a cousin who married the real older brother?”

“Or maybe she was his older brother’s child bride? Someone raised in the family from childhood might still call her older sister.”

“Why did their family raise a daughter to such an age without marrying her off? I thought her husband had died and she returned home widowed.”

“They’re relatives of Magistrate Lin. They only became prosperous seven or eight years ago… probably used to be poor and didn’t care about propriety. Look at Butcher Liu’s daughter, she’s thirty and still unmarried. Even Magistrate Lin’s own ge’er… tsk tsk.”

“Hey! Got a death wish? You dare gossip about the magistrate behind his back?!”

“I heard it was because that dead fellow frightened the young lady that she hurriedly got married! Before that she was the elder sister, but afterward she became the sister-in-law!”

“Hiss…” Many men who had dreamed of becoming Song Kaiji’s brother-in-law secretly cursed the hooligan who had already died of fright. Why did he have to resort to such underhanded methods? If he had not pushed her into desperation, a proper marriage proposal might actually have had a chance!

Regardless of whether these people felt regret or made guesses, Qu Weiwei’s days became more and more comfortable. Nobody dared covet her anymore. They only respected her as a wealthy lady.

After coming often enough, Qu Weiwei even developed a bit of affection for the place. Although the people could be annoying, the food truly was excellent.

One day, Qu Weiwei came to the northern district to feast.

Although Shen Qing also brought food back to the apocalypse world, packaged food could never compare to something freshly made.

The estate in the northern district was where Shen Qing first built his fortune. Over the years, whenever nearby neighbors wanted to sell their homes, Shen Qing bought them and offered good prices. By now, nearly all the property surrounding the northern district estate belonged to him, leaving only a few scattered households unwilling to part with ancestral property or hoping to demand an outrageous price. Shen Qing ignored them, leaving them awkwardly stuck there. Still, the northern district was far more prosperous than before. As long as someone honestly did business, even selling shaobing flatbread would turn a profit.

The first batch of children Shen Qing bought had now all grown into adults. Ruyi married Miao Yu. Before following Magistrate Lin to the prefectural city, she intentionally helped arrange matches, and many of the girls and ge’er from the household married yamen runners and minor officials. Although their descendants could not take the imperial examinations, for people born as servants it still counted as a small leap in status.

At this moment, Qu Weiwei sat inside Mudan’s shop, watching as Mudan fished five mahjong-sized chunks of braised meat from a clay pot. The meat was mostly lean with little fat, chopped finely, mixed with green pepper and cilantro, stuffed into a crispy baked flatbread, and finally drizzled with half a spoonful of meat broth.

Qu Weiwei immediately grabbed it. One bite and it was salty, fragrant, and crispy.

Roujiamo absolutely had to be eaten fresh. Once the broth soaked into the bread for a minute or two, it softened and lost its crunch.

Whenever the girls and ge’er from the estate left the household, Shen Qing gave each of them their freedom papers along with a dowry. If they were unwilling to spend the rest of their lives as inner-house wives or husbands, Shen Qing would instead give them a snack recipe. He provided both the storefront and the startup money, and the profits were split fifty-fifty.

Through Ruyi’s matchmaking, Mudan married a young man from a family that had served as yamen runners for three generations, someone who counted as a local power in the county. He also obtained the roujiamo recipe from Shen Qing. As a result, he earned respect from his husband’s family while also living comfortably himself.

Right next door to his little shop was Lian Ye’s stall, which sold brown sugar bingfen. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Qu Weiwei did not even need to walk over. She simply called out toward the neighboring shop, and Lian Ye answered back. But by the time she had already eaten two roujiamo, Lian Ye still had not brought over the brown sugar bingfen.

Seeing Qu Weiwei looking like she was about to choke, Mudan quickly poured her a bowl of tea brewed from roasted barley kernels.

“I’ll go check next door. The weather’s hot lately, and his bingfen sells well. Maybe he’s too busy at the moment.”

After quite a while, Mudan finally returned carrying a bowl of bingfen.

“There’s a fight going on between two families over there. Lian Ye got bumped while delivering bingfen and spilled it all over himself. He’s changing clothes right now.”

He handed the bowl to Qu Weiwei and grinned teasingly.

“I made this one myself. Double raisins and double candied fruit strips. Hurry and eat.”

Qu Weiwei took a couple bites. The commotion outside was growing louder and louder, and she became curious.

“What kind of family starts fighting right in the middle of a busy street?”

Mudan happened to know the details. When he went out earlier to look for Lian Ye, he had seen his husband together with two other yamen runners trying to stop the disturbance and maintain order, which was why he had been delayed.

“It’s a pitiful situation too,” he said. “Their family lives around here. The northern district used to be where all the poor people lived. It only gradually became lively and prosperous after Master Shen started doing business here. That ge’er used to come by our Cuihua shop often. Later he got engaged, but before the wedding, the man died. It happened not long ago.”

At this point, Mudan secretly glanced at Qu Weiwei. Strictly speaking, the matter was somewhat related to her.

“That man… used to work under Young Master Wang as one of his attendants.”

It took Qu Weiwei a while to remember who Young Master Wang was. Wasn’t he the bastard who had tried to push her into the river, then “heroically rescue” her afterward and ruin her reputation so he could marry her?

Mudan looked around. The shop was empty since everyone had gone out to watch the excitement, so he lowered his voice mysteriously.

“That Young Master Wang didn’t die from illness. He was killed by demons! Probably because he did too many evil things and finally got his punishment. I heard that night the Wang household was attacked by willow tree spirits, flower spirits, vine spirits… demons dancing everywhere. Young Master Wang died of fright on the spot. The Wang family behaved inhumanely and took their anger out on the people around him. They all got beaten. That ge’er’s fiancé was unlucky. His wounds only got worse and worse, and he died the month before last.”

Qu Weiwei: “…”

“…Sorry.”

Her original intention had only been to teach the Wang brat a lesson. She had not expected innocent people to get dragged into it. Although the Wang family bore most of the blame, Qu Weiwei still felt uncomfortable about it.

Mudan’s face showed indignation again.

“But that family isn’t good either. They’re copying the Wang family exactly! Their son died, and instead of blaming the Wang family, they’re claiming the Li family’s ge’er brought bad luck and killed his husband. They’ve been causing trouble for days, trying to force him to die and be buried together with the dead man!”

Wasn’t this exactly the same as the Wang family blaming the attendants after their young master died?

Qu Weiwei froze for a moment. It really was true that weak people only dared raise their knives against those even weaker than themselves. The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt. She lost her appetite entirely and stood up at the doorway of the shop to look toward the street.

More than twenty people had already gathered to watch the spectacle. Mudan’s husband and two colleagues stood in the middle of the crowd, forcibly separating the two families. Meanwhile, the dead attendant’s parents continued crying and shouting:

“We begged their family before! We told them to marry him over earlier to bring our son good fortune. Maybe then he would’ve recovered! Their hearts are cruel as wolves. If he didn’t bring death upon our son, then who did?! His face already looks unlucky for husbands. I regret arranging this marriage for my son…”

Then they began pointing fingers and criticizing the Li family ge’er’s appearance, saying things like his forehead was too narrow and his cheekbones too high.

Old Master and Madam Li shielded their ge’er behind them. At first they refused to argue. Ridiculous. Old Master Li had already gone to see the injured boy. His body was rotting in places, and his waist had likely been broken from the beating so badly he could no longer even crawl. Did they really expect his ge’er to marry over there only to become a widow immediately? And they still had the nerve to talk about marriage!

Now that the Zhao family boy was dead either way, the Lis only planned to wait a couple more years before finding another match for their ge’er. Ordinary commoner families were not particular about things like becoming a “gate widow” for a fiancé who died before marriage. Yet they had not expected the Zhao family to be this shamelessly troublesome.

Hearing the Zhao family parents repeatedly list all the ways their ge’er’s appearance supposedly doomed husbands, Old Master Li finally snapped. If such rumors spread, who would dare marry his ge’er in the future?

He turned around and began cursing back at them.

And the moment he turned, Qu Weiwei finally saw clearly the little ger hidden behind him.

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 128 (end): Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

Yu Xiang’an felt as if she were struggling in a dream. All around her was darkness, and something seemed to be pressing down on her body. She tried to open her eyes, but could not. Her thin eyelids felt as though they were weighed down by a mountain.

It was very quiet around her, or perhaps too quiet. The silence made her uneasy.

Was this a nightmare?

Why hadn’t she woken up yet?

Yu Xiang’an tried to understand what had happened to her. Yes, what exactly had happened?

She forced herself to recall. Ah… she remembered. She and Lin Chuanbai had grown old, had lived full lives. They should have died.

But if she was dead, why did she still have thoughts?

Was this what death was like?

In endless darkness, alone, with nothing else. As if she were floating in the void of the universe.

No… there seemed to be something else. What was it?

Yu Xiang’an focused and listened carefully. The sound felt familiar, yet strange. What was it?

Her mind stirred. As long as it wasn’t just empty nothingness.

In the hospital, Zhang Junli stood anxiously by the bed, watching as the doctor examined her younger daughter. Her daughter had been in a vegetative state for over a year. She had never woken up, and the doctors had said the chances were extremely slim, almost a miracle.

But no matter how slim, Zhang Junli refused to give up.

The human brain was so mysterious. Perhaps her daughter simply hadn’t reacted at the time. Given enough time and care, she might recover.

She would not give up.

The word “miracle” existed because such things had happened. She had looked into other cases. There were indeed patients who woke up after years, even decades, in a vegetative state. The chances were small, but who could say her daughter wouldn’t be the next miracle?

She did not have to worry about the cost of care. Her family could afford it, and even if they could not, they would not have to pay. The family of the little girl her daughter and that kind young man had protected was wealthy, and had earnestly insisted on covering all medical expenses. No matter the cost, as long as there was a chance of recovery, they would pay.

That family owned an entire commercial building in a prime location. Thanks to the two of them, otherwise their child, so young, would likely have died on the spot when the heavy billboard fell.

That at least gave Zhang Junli some comfort. Her daughter had done a good deed, and at least it had not been for someone ungrateful.

They had seen everything clearly on the surveillance footage. The little girl had been playing with toys outside her family’s shop when the billboard above suddenly loosened and fell. At that critical moment, two people rushed forward to shield her, but they were unable to get away in time and were struck on the head by the heavy sign.

The little girl suffered only fright, but the two young people both lost consciousness, repeatedly hovering on the brink of death. After intense efforts from the doctors, their vital signs finally stabilized.

However, neither of them had regained consciousness.

They were placed in the same hospital room, separated by a curtain. Their daughter was on the right, the young man on the left.

Lying unconscious for so long, both had grown thin.

Watching the doctor examine her daughter’s gaunt face, Zhang Junli could hardly contain her excitement.

Earlier, while washing her daughter’s face, she had noticed some reaction. Her daughter’s eyes had moved. Her brows had furrowed. Her hand had twitched once, unconsciously.

She had immediately gone to inform the doctor.

Eye movement might happen occasionally, but furrowing the brows was rare. Seeing both together, along with what seemed like signs of struggle, could it mean her daughter was trying to wake up?

She was both nervous and hopeful.

After examining her, the doctor said, “This is a good sign. Any response is a good thing. Observe closely during this period.”

He instructed the nurse, “Notify me immediately if anything happens.”

Zhang Junli nearly burst into tears of joy.

The doctor then went to check on the young man in the next bed. He appeared unchanged, still unresponsive to external stimuli, as if asleep.

Zhang Junli shared the good news. After work, Yu Xiang’an’s elder brother and his wife, her older sister, and her father all came.

They took turns speaking to her by the bedside.

Yu Jiaofang stood there, talking at length. “Xiao An, why are you still lying there? I won’t oppose you opening your restaurant anymore, but if you don’t want to do it, don’t blame me for not giving you the chance. You’re the one giving it up, do you hear me? Wake up and tell me.”

Her elder brother Yu Chaoyang said, “Little sister, stop sleeping. You’ve slept enough. Haven’t you always cared about your looks? I’m telling you, you look much uglier now. If you don’t wake up, you’ll look even worse. Hurry and get better, eat more and recover.”

Her older sister Yu Yingxia also spoke. “Little sister, I have news for you. I’ve got a boyfriend. You said before that if I got one, you had to approve him. How can you go back on your word?”

…

After speaking to her, they also went to the young man’s bedside and said a few words to him.

He was pitiful, with no family. Aside from the nurses, only they spoke to him.

A good person should not meet a bad fate, so they watched over him as well.

There were caregivers, but they were paid workers, and sometimes not as attentive.

Unfortunately, no matter how much they spoke, there was still no response from either patient.

Yu Yingxia felt disappointed. “Why is there still no reaction after we said so much to her? Mom, are you sure you didn’t imagine it?”

Zhang Junli smacked her sharply. “Don’t say such unlucky things. How could I have imagined it? Your sister is probably just tired. If we keep talking to her, she’ll definitely wake up.”

The sister-in-law had been watching closely. Suddenly she exclaimed, “Look!”

On the hospital bed, Yu Xiang’an’s pale face shifted slightly. Her eyes moved, and her eyelids seemed to try to lift, but did not open.

In the darkness, Yu Xiang’an was stirred awake. She seemed to hear voices, but they were too faint to understand. What were they saying?

She tried hard to listen, but it was like they were in another room, whispering so softly that it was almost impossible to catch.

Could they speak louder?

Before she could make anything out, the voices disappeared. She felt a sense of loss. Would they come again?

Because of this reaction, everyone was overjoyed. They agreed to come every day and talk to her.

After some time, the voices returned. Yu Xiang’an focused and listened. They seemed slightly louder now. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Though she still could not understand clearly, she felt reassured. If the voices kept returning, then even if she could not understand now, they would become clearer eventually.

She told herself not to rush. That feeling, of someone speaking to you while the signal was distorted, leaving only static and no clarity, was truly unbearable.

In the darkness, Yu Xiang’an had no sense of time.

She did not know how long had passed. Sometimes she seemed to sleep, sometimes she woke and heard faint sounds.

It felt like a long time had gone by. The voices grew louder, and now she could catch certain words, like “younger sister,” “daughter,” “wake up soon.”

These words appeared most frequently.

Hearing them strung together made her heart tremble.

In the hospital room, Zhang Junli now stayed by her daughter’s side every day, waiting for a miracle.

Her daughter’s responses to the outside world were becoming stronger, especially when they spoke. The doctor was also increasingly optimistic about the situation.

When she came to the hospital room that day, as usual she spoke to her daughter, “Someone went to your restaurant to ask when it’s reopening. Your lease was signed for a year and a half, and the shop is still sitting there untouched. You’d better wake up soon, otherwise when the lease expires, your father and I aren’t going to renew it…”

She also mentioned Lin Chuanbai in the next bed.

“The doctor checked on that young man yesterday too. His condition is getting better as well. You’re both lucky, blessed with strong fates. Wake up soon. Lying here like this isn’t much fun for either of you, right…”

As she spoke, someone arrived, a woman with flaxen wavy hair, bringing along a little girl. This was the child Yu Xiang’an and Lin Chuanbai had saved.

Zhou Zhou came with a fruit basket and two bouquets of flowers, placing one by each bedside, freshening the air.

Seeing them, Zhang Junli showed a complicated smile.

As a mother, seeing her daughter lying there, unconscious and in a vegetative state, of course she felt resentment. But what could she do?

Her daughter had chosen to save someone. She wanted her daughter to be a good person, but not at the cost of her own safety. In the end, she was still a selfish mother.

If she could go back, she would not let her daughter take such a risk.

The little girl called out sweetly, “Big sister, big brother, please wake up soon. Niuniu hasn’t properly thanked you yet. Niuniu is very grateful to you. Thank you for saving me.”

The child’s soft voice made Zhang Junli’s eyes sting.

Yu Xiang’an heard that clearly.

What she looked forward to most now was hearing voices. Every day, listening to them speak made her happy.

She now understood her situation.

She had never imagined she would hear her parents’ voices again. They were calling for her to wake up, and she was trying. She was in a vegetative state, but she wanted to open her eyes and smile at them.

To them, she had been asleep for over a year.

To her, it had been decades since she had seen them.

She wanted to smile and say: I’m back.

So don’t be sad anymore.

From their conversations, she also learned about Lin Chuanbai. He was just next door, separated by a curtain, in the same condition as her, also in a vegetative state. And recently, his responses had been improving just like hers.

That reassured her. It seemed they had returned together.

Hearing the little girl’s voice, Yu Xiang’an replied silently in her heart, “Hello. I heard your thanks. Be more careful when you play in the future.”

Lin Chuanbai also heard the child’s voice. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and his hand seemed to gather strength.

But even after exerting himself, his hand did not lift. His strength was already spent.

When he first regained awareness, he felt as if something was enclosing him. He wondered where he was. Was this death?

He tried to enter his space, but could not. He shouted, but there was no response. He remained in that empty darkness, unchanged.

His medicinal garden space should have been bound to him. If he could not enter it now, there were two possibilities. Either the space was gone, or he was already dead.

Lin Chuanbai leaned toward the second possibility, that he was dead.

But then, how could he still think?

Could there really be such a thing as a soul?

Then why had no black and white underworld envoys come to take him away?

If he was not dead, then where were the others? Where were his children?

Slowly, he began to hear his own heartbeat.

Thump. Thump.

Slow, like something in hibernation.

Strange, truly strange. What state was he in?

Gradually, besides his heartbeat, he heard other sounds. He waited patiently, and then he began to understand what was being said.

The voices were unfamiliar.

If he was not mistaken, he was the “young man” they kept mentioning, and the “Xiao An” they often spoke of was the person most familiar to him.

They had come back.

These people were her family.

At that thought, Lin Chuanbai felt that perhaps, in some past life, he and Xiang’an had saved humanity.

Otherwise, how could such good fortune happen a second time?

But he also felt uneasy. If he had come back, what about Xiang’an?

When she woke up, would she be the original version of herself in her twenties, or the one who had lived decades with him in another time?

By the time Yu Xiang’an was finally able to open her eyes, more than ten days had passed since Zhou Zhou and her daughter had visited. At that moment, Zhang Junli was trimming her nails, talking as she worked.

“Your nails have grown again. Look at your hands, they’re much paler than before. When you wake up and see your skin, you’ll definitely be happy. Girls look better with fair skin, but I still think a bit of color looks healthier. A sun-kissed tone looks more vibrant. Too pale makes you look unhealthy. When you get better, go out in the sun more…”

“Mom, I… will…” Yu Xiang’an spoke slowly, word by word, in a faint breath.

Zhang Junli’s hand trembled. She looked up in shock at her daughter, at the slight smile on her lips, and could not help reaching out to touch her. Tears the size of beads rolled down her face. She wiped them away roughly and shouted at the top of her lungs, “Someone come quickly! My daughter is awake!”

She herself was a surgeon, yet in that moment she forgot she could simply press the call button.

Her shout brought the doctors rushing in, surrounding the bed and conducting examinations. Every awakening from a vegetative state was a miracle, and the longer the time, the lower the chances. Having lain there for over a year, her case counted as a small miracle.

She had difficulty speaking, so when the doctors asked questions, she responded by blinking.

Zhang Junli stood outside the circle. She was a doctor, but not in this field. She did not interfere.

Through the doctors, Yu Xiang’an looked at her and smiled, her eyes curving. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Before long, her eyelids grew heavy again. The doctor noticed and told her to rest.

“You’ve just woken up. Your body is still very weak. If you’re sleepy, sleep. Don’t force yourself. Don’t worry, your condition is very promising. Don’t put pressure on yourself.”

Soon, Yu Xiang’an fell into a deep sleep again, but Zhang Junli’s state of mind was completely different now.

It felt like riding a roller coaster.

Soaring through the sky, taking in all the scenery, her heart full of emotion.

Her youngest daughter had truly woken up.

They all stepped outside the room to talk so as not to disturb her rest. Once outside, Zhang Junli clasped her hands together. She had never believed in gods or Buddhas before, but now she prayed to all of them. “Amitabha, Guanyin, God, thank you for your protection. Thank you, thank you!”

Her daughter had finally woken up.

Then she suddenly remembered and immediately called Yu Jiaofang.

Yu Jiaofang rushed over as soon as he got the call. Looking at his daughter sleeping on the bed, he wiped his reddened eyes and patted Zhang Junli’s back. “Xiao An is awake now. The doctor said she’ll be fine. She just needs time to recover. Once she’s better, she’ll be as strong as ever.”

Although it was a pity he had not seen her wake up with his own eyes, she had woken up, and he could wait here. Sooner or later, he would see it.

Yu Chaoyang looked at his sister’s thin figure and took a deep breath. “As long as she’s awake, that’s enough. That’s enough.”

…

Lin Chuanbai opened his eyes the day after Yu Xiang’an woke up. He stared at the white ceiling, smelling the disinfectant, then tried to turn his head toward the other bed.

The curtain had already been removed when Yu Xiang’an woke up, so he tried hard to move, but his body was stiff and would not respond.

Zhang Junli, who was speaking to her daughter and facing his direction, noticed. She let out an exclamation and this time remembered to press the call button.

“The young man next door has woken up too!”

Yu Xiang’an slowly turned her head to look at him. Their eyes met, her brows and eyes curving into a smile.

It’s really him.

Both of them understood without words. Their gazes met briefly, then separated.

At first, they could not show their familiarity. To everyone else, they were still strangers. There was no reason for them to know each other.

With the two of them waking up one after another, quite a few people came to see them.

This entire ward housed patients who had lost consciousness for various reasons. Some families had already given up, while others, like Zhang Junli, still held on.

They came hoping to share in this “good fortune,” wishing their own loved ones might wake up as well.

Zhou Zhou also came with her daughter Niuniu. The little girl ran over and held Yu Xiang’an’s hand. “Big sister, I heard from Mom that you woke up, and that big brother woke up too. There’s something I really want to tell you. I’m very grateful to you. I’ll always, always remember it!”

Zhou Zhou also expressed her gratitude sincerely.

Yu Xiang’an shook her head. “It was just instinct. I would have done the same for anyone.”

After they left, Zhang Junli sighed, “Fortunately, the person you saved has a conscience. When the accident happened, they immediately called an ambulance and didn’t waste any time. You both got surgery in time. Over the past year, they’ve spent quite a lot.”

Yu Xiang’an smiled but said nothing.

She now understood more.

Her mother had originally been a surgeon, always very busy, but had since transferred to a less demanding department so she could spend more time caring for her.

Her mother had loved her work, yet she gave it up, and her responsibilities had changed.

Her father still managed the traditional medicine clinic while continuing to study, hoping that learning more might help her.

Her older brother and sister were also in the medical field, and she knew how busy that work was. Yet for over a year, they still came every week to visit her.

Yu Xiang’an had to use all her self-control not to break down and cry.

Age and experience had given her one advantage: better control over her emotions.

“Mom, I’ve been lying here for so long, I’ve missed a lot. Tell me what’s happened.”

Zhang Junli’s expression softened. “Alright. What do you want to hear? I’ll tell you slowly. Let’s start with your sister. Her boyfriend actually has a bit to do with you. She asked a classmate, and that classmate recommended him. One thing led to another, and they became familiar…”

Yu Xiang’an cast a smiling glance at Lin Chuanbai, who was also listening nearby.

This was something he would eventually have to deal with. The more he understood now, the easier it would be later.

The two of them gradually adjusted to their bodies. At first, they could not walk at all. Slowly, like infants, they relearned everything from the beginning.

Fortunately, they had not been bedridden for too long. Those who lay in bed for years often suffered severe muscle atrophy.

Ever since waking up, Yu Xiang’an had been in good spirits. Even though relearning to walk and adapting to her body was painful, she had returned.

She had seen her parents again, her brother and sister.

And not much time had passed. She had returned to her twenties, to youth.

A young body was full of vitality. As she felt her strength gradually returning, she sensed the lightness of youth.

Having experienced old age before, the contrast made her feel almost weightless.

Lin Chuanbai felt the same. The two of them often moved together. To Zhang Junli and the others, they had already become familiar with each other.

During rehabilitation, they encouraged one another, talked frequently. It was not strange. After all, how many people go through such shared hardship?

When no one was around, they communicated quietly and confirmed something that made them very happy: Yu Xiang’an’s game farm and Lin Chuanbai’s medicinal garden space had returned with them.

Before, they had cleared out some items in their spaces, but had also stocked up on supplies, just in case they encountered another unexpected situation. Those supplies might come in handy.

Yu Xiang’an’s storage held many things: food, water, clothing, seeds, medicine… preparations for being thrown into a resource-scarce or even apocalyptic world. She had also prepared for normal situations, such as money, including RMB, USD, euros, totaling several million, as well as paintings, calligraphy, porcelain, and more importantly, gold bars and gemstones as hard currency.

Paper money might not be usable due to serial number issues, which could make it look counterfeit, but gold, silver, and gems could always be used.

All they needed was to travel somewhere else and find a reason to exchange them.

That was easy for them.

Because of how naturally close they were, Zhang Junli sometimes found it a bit strange.

They did not talk much, but when they did, they would say half a sentence. She would wait for the rest, but there was nothing more.

She did not understand, but they had already understood each other completely.

Was this just a generational gap?

She did not have this issue when speaking with her older children.

Had these two somehow known each other before, without her realizing?

Yu Yingxia, more perceptive, secretly pulled Yu Xiang’an aside and asked, “Have you taken a liking to that young man?”

She said it half-jokingly, but Yu Xiang’an did not blush at all. She nodded seriously. “Yes. You figured it out.”

Yu Yingxia: ???

Wasn’t this a bit too fast?

“You’ve only known him for such a short time. Do you really understand him? Do you know his personality?”

Inside, Yu Xiang’an thought: I understand him more than anyone. We’ve been together for a very long time.

But outwardly, she simply smiled obediently. “Sis, do you believe in love at first sight? I liked him the first time I saw him. I want to get to know him better, and naturally I’ll learn what kind of person he is. You know a lot of people. Help me check him out, observe his character?”

Yu Yingxia: …

Helping her sister was fine, but it felt like her sister had not told her everything.

Rehabilitation went very well.

Some patients who woke from a vegetative state suffered aftereffects like slow reactions or poor coordination, but neither of them had any.

When they were discharged, even the attending doctor remarked that their case was rare.

On the day they left the hospital, Zhang Junli specially prepared a brazier and pomelo leaves to ward off bad luck. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. The young man next door had no family, so she prepared a set for him as well.

Seeing this, Yu Xiang’an felt a soft ache in her heart.

Her mother had never done such things before. She had always been a firm materialist.

Yu Xiang’an obediently followed the ritual, and afterward they went to a nearby hotel for a celebratory meal.

Zhang Junli also invited the young man next door.

They had shared hardship and recovered together. That kind of bond was rare.

After the meal, everyone returned home.

Now Yu Xiang’an was her parents’ precious treasure. They would not let her do anything. Even though they knew she was fine, she did not rush. She stayed home for a while, easing their lingering worry.

It was only after nearly two months at home that when she went out, her parents finally stopped calling her constantly.

At this point, Lin Chuanbai had already gone out of town to liquidate some assets and now had some cash on hand.

The first thing he needed to do was buy a house. Otherwise, how could he possibly go to her family and ask them to entrust their daughter to him?

For Zhang Junli and Yu Jiaofang, life had finally settled into a long-lost sense of peace.

Their youngest daughter had recovered, been discharged, rested at home for a while, and had even restarted her private kitchen business. Their eldest son required no worry, and their eldest daughter’s relationship was stable. Everyone was paired off, except for the youngest.

And then the youngest daughter brought that “fellow sufferer” young man home…

Yu Jiaofang: …

How did this happen so suddenly? The last cabbage in his house had been taken by a pig.

Zhang Junli’s gaze toward Lin Chuanbai also shifted. So her earlier feeling that something was off had been right. The two of them must have already taken a liking to each other back then. She still smiled on the surface, but quickly began probing Lin Chuanbai’s background in a roundabout way.

If he were to become her son-in-law, she needed to know what kind of person he was.

Everyone already knew he had no close family, but what about everything else?

As it turned out, things were acceptable.

He had been in the same school as her daughter. He had just bought a place in the newly opened residential area across the street, had paid the down payment, and although he was still repaying the mortgage, he had investments in the stock market, so the payments were not a burden. He was also planning to pursue a graduate degree. Even while studying, he could still get married and start a family.

Studying further was a good thing.

Yu Xiang’an’s older brother and sister held doctoral and master’s degrees respectively. That was expected, being in medicine. Few in that field had low qualifications.

They had once wanted Yu Xiang’an to pursue graduate studies as well, but she had not been willing.

Now that this future son-in-law wanted to study, they could only support it.

Even though Lin Chuanbai had prepared himself before coming, the barrage of questions still left him sweating.

Some details had been too long ago, and he genuinely could not remember them clearly.

Yu Xiang’an watched from the side, filling in gaps when needed. If something was too far back to recall, she would smoothly change the subject.

Once Lin Chuanbai passed their “inspection,” what followed was the classic look of a mother-in-law growing more satisfied the more she looked at her future son-in-law.

Yu Jiaofang stopped objecting as well.

What else could he say? A daughter grown could not be kept. Everyone could see through the topic shifts and the probing glances. It was simply that they found the young man’s character acceptable, and his financial situation would not leave their daughter living a life of hardship. So they chose to pretend not to notice.

Lin Chuanbai quietly let out a breath. He and Yu Xiang’an exchanged a look and both couldn’t help laughing.

Who would have thought that after all they had been through, they would once again play out the scene of a nervous young man visiting his future in-laws?

After passing the parents’ test, the two of them spent time together more often. In their parents’ eyes, this was just young love.

Lin Chuanbai spent his time studying, reviewing textbooks.

At his current level, not only could he handle graduate studies, he could even supervise doctoral students. But his past records were clear. How could he explain where this level of knowledge had come from? He had never been considered exceptionally gifted before, so he needed a reasonable explanation.

Switching fields would be difficult, but exam results spoke for themselves. Once he enrolled and attended classes under proper guidance, his knowledge would no longer seem so unusual.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiang’an reopened her private kitchen while also moving through the stock market.

The stock market was unpredictable.

Experienced brokers could make huge profits, but beginners could also strike it big.

Fortunes could be made, or lost, in an instant.

When she made money there, people would simply say she was lucky. They would not think too deeply about it.

Many details did not align perfectly between parallel timelines, but the overall trends remained consistent.

She had experienced multiple bull markets before.

Recently, there had been an opportunity during a market crash. Using the several million Lin Chuanbai had obtained from selling gemstones as capital, she shorted the market.

Something originally valued at 100, she agreed to sell at a future date. When the price dropped sharply during that period, from 100 to 1, she could buy it at the lower price, fulfill the contract, and profit from the difference.

That was just an example. She had not earned that much, but her capital had still grown more than twentyfold.

She did not stop there. She continued looking for opportunities to build more capital. It seemed like a lot, but to some people, it was merely the cost of a few luxury cars or a few rounds of gambling.

Money is not everything, but without it, nothing is possible.

And in this life, they still had a long road ahead.

🌱🌿 🫧🍃

Thingyan: Thank you all so much for being patient with me. I know it took a while, and I’m really grateful you stuck around until the end.

If you enjoyed the story, I’d love it if you could leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on Novel Updates 😊

Thanks again, and I’ll see you in the next novel! 😘😘😘

Ch 127: Bringing a Farming Game System to the 1970s

After the phrase “extending life and prolonging health” went viral online for a while, it gradually died down. For the general public, the matter felt distant, and whether it was even real was still uncertain.

Those who paid closer attention were mostly older people, those who increasingly felt their strength fading and sensed they were nearing the end of their lives.

Because of the company’s long-standing reputation, they were willing to sign up as volunteers and take a chance.

When the body is already in decline, should they just accept it and do nothing? When there is no other choice, there is no choice. But when there is, why not try? As volunteers, they did not have to pay. Food, lodging, and daily needs were all provided, and the living conditions were decent.

Aside from the elderly, there were also participants from other age groups.

This was not something that could be proven in the short term. It required time.

Although mentions of it online gradually decreased, that did not mean it was forgotten. Besides the elderly, many industry peers were also very interested in the news.

Life itself is such a mysterious subject. Everyone wants to explore it. Domestically, things were relatively restrained, but abroad there were already many research labs dedicated to this topic for the wealthy.

They had not yet made any breakthrough progress, so now, all of a sudden, this side claimed results?

They tried to gather information from other researchers in the pharmaceutical factory, but learned nothing. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. In fact, the institute had not known about it much earlier than the public. When they found out, they were just as shocked.

There were two reasons for their shock. One was the effect itself. The other was that they had no idea when such a project had even been underway. In other words, Lin Chuanbai had completed it alone. How could that not astonish them?

No one knew how long he had been secretly working on it. And he had not delayed any of his other work, continuing to produce many other medicines. Someone like that… was truly remarkable.

Of course, Lin Chuanbai could not tell them that a “cheat-like” processing workshop had helped shorten the time, so he could only accept the praise as it came.

After Lin Chuanbai and Yu Xiang’an made a public splash, Wang Yuyan was mentioned more and more frequently.

Her development had been too rapid. She left Xinxing Entertainment to establish her own studio, taking with her her original team, including Yue Wu and Wu Lin, along with other carefully selected individuals to make their way in the entertainment industry.

At the end of the day, the entertainment industry runs on resources. If you have resources, you have connections, and she already had both.

Her family, friends, and classmates formed a network, and she herself was also an investor, a provider of resources.

Filming television dramas and movies depends on genre. Modern dramas costing tens of millions are already considered good. Historical dramas, if done with attention to detail, require expensive costumes and accessories, making them costly productions. So Wang Yuyan focused mainly on modern dramas.

Luxury houses, fine clothing, luxury cars, all essential for modern dramas, she already had them and could lend them out for free, reducing costs. For campus settings, it was even simpler. During holidays, she could arrange to rent school facilities, paying a fee to resolve it.

Ultimately, it came down to the script, and whether the director and actors did their jobs well.

She did not chase excessive hype. She wanted actors to prove themselves through ability.

If they were good, they stayed. If not, someone else would take their place.

There were plenty of people wanting to enter the entertainment industry. She did not mind using newcomers.

She had high standards for her artists, but she also treated them well. They did not have to accompany anyone to drinking parties, did not have to attend social banquets, did not have to curry favor with anyone. They only needed to focus on improving themselves and acting well. Everything else would be handled by others.

Those who were expected to attend drinking engagements were usually investors, and very few would dare to ask her to do such things. That would cause a major incident. Some of those investors were even elders, so how could they behave improperly in front of her? One by one, they acted properly.

People who transferred over from other places felt disoriented.

That same President Chen, whom she had once encountered at a dinner and found so greasy she nearly felt sick, now wore a serious expression and behaved like a respectable elder. Truly, having a powerful backing made all the difference.

Wang Yuyan could not say that every project she invested in became a hit, but well-produced dramas had a much higher chance of success.

She also invested heavily in promotion and advertising. Combined with her existing reputation, her development was both steady and rapid.

Once someone became popular, money and fame would follow endlessly.

The entertainment industry, after all, is a place that attracts far more public attention than most fields.

Before announcing the news, Yu Xiang’an and Lin Chuanbai had hesitated over whether to make it public.

They knew how rare this substance was. Aside from extracting it from the spiritual peach, the only other way to obtain it was from certain aged medicinal herbs, and they had to be wild.

That meant the final pricing could not be low. If it were too low, even the cost could not be recovered.

What pushed them to finally make the decision?

It was a friend of Yu Qingshan.

He had met Yu Qingshan at an exhibition hall. They lived nearby and were about the same age. His son had gone out into the world and made a name for himself, so he had been brought over to enjoy a comfortable retirement. But although he was living comfortably, his children were not by his side, and he had no friends nearby. He was lonely.

After meeting Yu Qingshan, the two of them often spent time talking together.

He was actually a few years younger than Yu Qingshan and appeared to be in good health. But after catching a cold, his condition deteriorated rapidly. His body aged quickly, and things worsened day by day.

When Yu Qingshan came back, he sighed constantly. Yu Xiang’an and Lin Chuanbai had already been hesitating about releasing the product, but hearing him speak so gloomily placed pressure on them.

It was like watching a patient suffer while you had medicine that could alleviate it, yet hesitating to use it because of various concerns. If the patient did not recover, it would be like watching a life slip away.

The two of them carefully reviewed the entire process again, double-checking the details, and ultimately decided to release the research results.

The substance was extracted from the spiritual peach, then extensively combined with other real-world materials. They found that similar substances did exist, though in far smaller quantities and of lower quality.

But they still had an effect.

If the life-extending component in the spiritual peach were rated a ten, then the extracted compounds from medicinal herbs would rank one, two, or three. One was common, two rare, three extremely rare.

When the online discussion was at its peak, Lin Guangbai could not help approaching Lin Chuanbai. “You’re saying this thing can extend lifespan. Is that true?”

Lin Chuanbai remained calm. “Brother, what do you think ‘extending lifespan’ means?”

Lin Guangbai said, “Lengthening life.”

Lin Chuanbai replied, “No. When I say it has life-extending effects, I mean it helps regulate the body’s condition, making it more vital and reducing the likelihood of illness. In that way, it achieves the effect of prolonging life. What you’re talking about, directly adding years to a person’s lifespan, does not exist. If someone takes it but does not take care of their body, it won’t extend their life either. It’s not that miraculous. If someone develops a serious illness, things will still proceed as they normally would.”

Lin Guangbai let out a breath. “I knew there wasn’t something that defies the natural order like that.”

Still, he felt a bit regretful.

“Then is it okay for you to advertise it that way?”

Lin Chuanbai said, “There’s nothing wrong with phrasing it like that. It can achieve the effect of prolonging life.”

Lin Guangbai said, “From the way things look on your side, it doesn’t seem like a joke. I’ve already received quite a few calls asking about your new medicine. You didn’t even give me a heads-up…”

Things were no quieter on Lin Yihong’s side. After receiving Lin Chuanbai’s explanation, they all calmed down and patiently waited for the experimental results.

Those who had close ties with their family were actually quite confident, because their family had a long-standing tradition of longevity.

They did not all live in the same place, so why were their lifespans consistently longer than average?

Now it seemed clear that they had some kind of medicine capable of producing this effect.

Previously, the technology had not been mature. Now it was.

The ones who could access the most up-to-date information were the researchers.

The group working on this project was small, but every member was someone Lin Chuanbai trusted.

Ye Chen was in the group, and his daughter Ye Jingjing was also a member.

They stayed in the lab day after day, working overtime, and only went out when absolutely necessary.

There had already been lessons learned. The moment they went outside, there would be all sorts of “coincidental encounters,” with people using various methods to probe for information about the experiment and its progress. Some even tried to buy samples. Among them were quite a few foreigners with unusual accents.

Under such circumstances, staying in the lab and informing their families of the situation was the best choice.

The small size of the team also helped. Their family members all held stable jobs and had regular routines, so any irregularities would be easy to notice. This greatly reduced the risk of exposure. If the group were larger, with more complicated loyalties, not everyone would be able to resist temptation.

It was not just them. Even Yu Xiang’an and Lin Chuanbai could not find peace.

Kleit personally came to visit, proposing a marriage alliance on behalf of a friend, a well-known foreign pharmaceutical company.

Neither of the twin sisters was married, and the grandson was also unmarried. On the other side, there were both sons and daughters. As long as Yu Xiang’an agreed to the alliance, choosing a match would not be difficult.

If the children married, they would become one family and could support each other, forming a powerful alliance.

Yu Xiang’an said, “My eldest granddaughter already has someone she likes. As for my other two children, they are still single, but that depends on who they themselves like.”

Kleit felt Yu Xiang’an should not be bound by traditional ideas. “Marriage is marriage. If they have other people they like, they can have children first and then each go their own way. That’s quite normal.”

Yu Xiang’an rejected it outright. “Kleit, I cannot accept that kind of marriage. If my children are not happy, I would rather they remain single. You may not understand, but when I started my business, it was to fulfill my own wishes. In some ways, I am very self-directed. I have fulfilled my own desires. My children should fulfill theirs themselves, not have me decide for them. If I forced them for this reason, it would go against my original intentions.”

Kleit expressed respect for her decision, though he found it a pity. Since she had made up her mind, he would pass along her answer.

Lu Anran and Yu Mansheng watched all of this unfold. Lu Anran felt that if it turned out to be true, there would only be more commotion in the future, and advised making preparations early.

Lin Chuanbai and Yu Xiang’an naturally understood this. They had already made plans. Something so sensitive would, of course, be handed over to the state.

That would have to wait until the experimental results came out.

Before the results were released, Wang Yushan got married.

Her partner shared the same profession as Lin Chuanbai, also a researcher, though in chemistry.

He was quiet, fair-skinned, and a little shy, not quite at ease in front of others, but his gaze was clear and upright.

Wang Yuyan was greatly stimulated by this. “Now that you’re married, my hard days are about to begin.”

For example, their grandparents would say that since her sister was already married, and they were twins of the same age, yet she did not even have a boyfriend, she should hurry up…

Wang Yuyan could already imagine exactly what they would say, and the expressions on their faces when they said it.

Wang Yushan laughed. “When you meet the right person, of course you want to get married. I’m at that age too.”

Having a stable family after marriage was better than being single.

Wang Yuyan sighed. “I’ve thought about finding a boyfriend, but… the gap is just too big.”

Wang Yushan asked, “What gap? Compared to whom?”

Wang Yuyan said, “Compared to my ideal type. I also want to find someone like Grandpa, but I haven’t found one. So brother-in-law, which divine being did you dig him out from? I want to go see if I can find someone similar.”

She was not opposed to relationships. She was single simply because she had not met someone she liked. The people who showed her attention had far too impure motives. She would have to be out of her mind to make herself uncomfortable by getting involved with them.

Now that her career had achieved some success, combined with her grandmother’s major move and the fact that she was the only one among her grandmother’s grandchildren engaged in business, the situations she encountered were… intense, to say the least.

At this point, Wang Yuyan could be considered battle-hardened. People came up with all sorts of “coincidental” encounters and excuses to approach her, never repeating the same tactic.

Wang Yushan laughed. She could imagine it and felt a bit of sympathy.

Wang Yuyan said somewhat helplessly, “I’ve even thought about it. If I really can’t find someone I like, I’ll just go to a sperm bank and have a child myself. Forget men altogether. Having one wouldn’t be of any use anyway.”

That statement made Wang Yushan’s eyelid twitch. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. She gave her a light smack on the head. “If you say that out loud, our parents will definitely be angry. Having a child isn’t that simple. You’re thinking too easily. Do you even know if the sperm bank information is accurate? Whether there are genetic defects or hereditary diseases? Whether the person is still alive? Whether there’s a whole mess of problematic relatives? Don’t do anything foolish.”

Lin Yining said, “How about I introduce someone to you?”

The people she knew were relatively straightforward, such as descendants from families with long traditions in calligraphy, or doctoral students and teaching assistants at universities.

They were of similar age and had common ground.

Yu Xiang’an also provided a few options. These were business partners. She did not arrange direct meetings, but listed their basic information for Wang Yuyan to review. If she was interested, she could find a way to get to know them herself.

Lin Chuanbai looked over the list and shook his head. “I don’t think these will work. The ones Yining introduced might have a better chance.”

The ones Yu Xiang’an suggested were all involved in business. Anyone successful in business tended to be calculating. Wang Yuyan wanted someone more straightforward, someone she would not have to overanalyze every word with even at home. She wanted a relationship that was not exhausting.

Yu Xiang’an agreed, but since Yining had asked her to help, she still provided a few names. She had already inquired about them. Each of them had been carefully cultivated as heirs in their families, outstanding in their own right.

After going through all this effort, nothing came of it. By the time Wang Yushan’s son was born, Wang Yuyan was still single. Disappointed in love but successful in her career, she simply focused on work.

Lin Yining felt exhausted.

She gave up.

Yu Xiang’an began giving Wang Yuyan more responsibility. Since she had shown interest in business, it was naturally better than having no one involved at all. Relying solely on hired managers always carried the risk of being deceived. Having someone from within the family, even if they could not oversee everything personally, would still reduce that risk.

Moreover, her assets would not all go to one person. Some would be entrusted to Wang Yuyan. So she began handing over certain operations for her to manage.

Beyond the entertainment industry, she also gave her control over related sectors such as cosmetics and skincare.

Previously, Wang Yuyan had worked in sales at Meiyan. Now she became a vice general manager, a very high-profile parachute appointment. When she occasionally ran into former colleagues, the expressions on their faces were indescribably complicated.

…Good news continued to come in from the experimental side.

Some of the volunteers were very happy. They could feel the changes in their own bodies. They felt lighter, their sleep at night became deeper and more restful instead of easily disturbed, their appetites improved, and overall they felt several years younger.

Everything had to be backed by data. These experimental results made Ye Chen and the others very excited. Lin Chuanbai was pleased as well, but compared to everyone else’s loud reactions, his happiness was much more restrained. Many people admired him for it, thinking he was calm and confident, that he must have anticipated these results long ago. Otherwise, how could he remain so composed?

Lin Chuanbai: …

A beautiful misunderstanding.

Lin Chuanbai and Yu Xiang’an had already decided that once this matter was settled, they would move into semi-retirement, further delegating authority. After all, what were these managers hired for?

To steer the ship.

When the experimental results came out, the drug could not truly be described as “extending life.” That concept was too abstract. No one could determine their original lifespan to confirm an extension. However, other effects were much easier to verify, such as improving cellular activity in the elderly, stimulating blood and liver cell function when division had slowed, aiding recovery in areas with tissue damage, and even supporting growth and development in children, strengthening their constitution.

Something like this was not something a private entity could monopolize. The scale was too large, and the state would not stand by. Lin Chuanbai and Yu Xiang’an took the initiative to hand over the formula, retaining thirty percent of the shares while not participating in management or operations.

Of that, ten percent would be donated to the Hope Project.

Once the agreement was finalized, it was announced immediately.

Security around the research facility was already tight, yet unfamiliar faces continued to appear in a steady stream.

If this medicine became widespread, it would be a blessing to the public. The potential profits were immense.

The active compounds could be extracted not only from wild medicinal herbs but also from carefully cultivated ones that simulated natural conditions. With increased focus, costs could be reduced further, making it accessible to more people.

Children taking it could strengthen their bodies and reduce illness…

After accepting such a major contribution, the authorities naturally took note. Both Yu Xiang’an and Lin Chuanbai were featured in an annual publication.

Online, there was an outpouring of praise.

“If it were me, I couldn’t just hand this over to the state. Even without fully understanding it, I know it’s a money tree. Once it hits the market, I’d buy it for my kids, for myself, for my parents. Treat illness if there is illness, strengthen the body if there isn’t.”

“Even living off dividends would be an astronomical amount. And they’re donating another ten percent. I’d build them a longevity shrine. I was able to go to school because of donations from kind people, but many in my hometown still can’t leave the mountains. Maybe more and more people will get that chance in the future.”

“Wishing good people a lifetime of peace!”

Alongside the praise, countless posts appeared.

If you traveled back to the 1970s, what would you do? OP goes first, I’d befriend Boss Yu and cling to her for dear life!

I envy their relationship, supporting each other for so long. I heard they even went to their private island for multiple honeymoons not long ago.

I want to reincarnate as their sibling. Instant success, no effort required.

If I were Boss Yu’s child, I would…

The last thread became the most popular. Compared to working hard themselves, many people would rather be born into such a family, starting life at the finish line.

Yu Xiang’an’s Weibo was managed by her publicity team, mostly posting official matters. Even so, under her latest announcement, people checked in daily.

“Boss, look at me. Young, strong, can eat, drink, sleep, and work. Are you hiring?”

“This humble Daoist observed the stars and divined that my benefactor is here. Honored one, when will you help me get rich and take me flying?”

“Boss, do I look like your accessory?”

…

Although Yu Xiang’an was a businesswoman, her follower count looked more like that of a celebrity influencer.

With such a major event, interviews were inevitable.

Yu Xiang’an refused many requests, finally selecting a reputable journalist who would not fabricate stories, agreeing to a short live interview.

The moment she agreed, it was announced. Many people entered the livestream early and waited.

“I’m first!”

“No, I’m first!”

“I hereby declare this place mine [dog head]”

“I wonder what they’ll ask, maybe her rise to success? Looking forward to it.”

“Same here.”

The reporter began cautiously. “Your restaurants are nationwide, including hot pot, fast food, and luxury hotels. Some call you the ‘queen of the dining industry.’ What would you like to say about that title?”

Before Yu Xiang’an could answer, the live comments flooded the screen:

“Thanks for the invite. I feel that title is a bit narrow. Besides the food city near my home, the office building across the street is also mine [arms crossed].”

“Not just the office building, there’s also a share in the clothing district [smug].”

“Not just clothing, cosmetics takes up half the market too [wicked smile].”

“And not just cosmetics, even the home medicine cabinet has a piece of the pie [dog head]…”

🌱🌿 🫧🍃