Author Archives: Thandar

Ch 186: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

In the apocalypse, a contract was nothing more than a gentleman’s agreement, laying out the details of an understanding—did anyone really think it held legal weight? On the contrary, if Suo Binhai were truly dead, Shao Nan would likely lose his mind and refuse to cooperate with them.

Shen Qing grew anxious and quickly stepped forward. “What did you do to him?”

He was starting to regret not bringing Qi Zhan along for this mission. Would they still have time to find a healing ability user at Red City Hospital to check on Suo Binhai?

Chen Jiaxi hurriedly explained, “He’s not dead! It’s just… my ability lost control for a moment.”

Ever since she absorbed Feng Hao’s crystal core, Chen Jiaxi hadn’t felt any major abnormalities in her body. At most, her emotions sometimes became inexplicably irritable, but it was nowhere near an uncontrollable level—certainly much less severe than what Ge Bingbing had suffered.

Chen Jiaxi had speculated that the effects might be related to the nature of the crystal core’s original owner. No matter how despicable Feng Hao had been, his deeds were merely underhanded scheming and backstabbing. Compared to Yang Sen, the second-in-command of that cannibal outpost, Feng Hao was practically a decent person. Meanwhile, the crystal core Ge Bingbing had absorbed had likely been condensed from countless human victims.

Moreover, Ge Bingbing’s in-laws were an ongoing source of stress, constantly pushing her to the edge. In Chen Jiaxi’s opinion, with the things Ge Bingbing’s brother-in-law had done, she would have gone insane even without consuming human crystal cores. By comparison, Chen Jiaxi’s home life was much more stable—her husband was supportive, and her children were obedient and sensible, with no complicated relatives interfering. This contrast seemed to have minimized the side effects she experienced.

Yet after absorbing Feng Hao’s crystal core, despite her ability leveling up twice, Chen Jiaxi hadn’t felt a noticeable improvement in its practical use. Earlier, she had wanted to peek into Suo Binhai’s memories. They had suspected that he intended to take action against their small base after securing power in Red City, but it was just a theory. She had tried using her ability to scan his mind, hoping to see what exactly he had planned.

However, Chen Jiaxi’s power could only access “memories”—and since Suo Binhai’s plans were still in the “thinking” stage rather than something he had acted upon, retrieving them was difficult. In her frustration, she had attempted to probe deeper into his consciousness. But in doing so, her ability spiraled out of control…

Shao Nan rushed forward to check on Suo Binhai. He was indeed alive and in decent condition, though his breathing was rapid, and beads of sweat covered his forehead as if he were in pain.

Chen Jiaxi raised her hand, revealing a small, chestnut-sized orb of light at her fingertips, its surface swirling with a shifting, iridescent glow.

“…I think I accidentally extracted his memory.”

Shao Nan’s eyes widened in shock.

In the end, they had to rush Suo Binhai to Red City Hospital to find a couple of healing ability users. The smarter ones had hidden themselves away at the first sign of chaos, but these two had been working overtime at the hospital and hadn’t had the chance to escape. When the incident broke out, they had locked themselves in an office, unable to flee.

After a quick assessment of Suo Binhai’s condition and a hushed exchange, the healers hesitated before saying, “His body is fine. The reason he hasn’t woken up is likely due to the sudden extraction of his memory. The brain couldn’t handle the shock, so it entered a self-protective sleep state. We’ve helped smooth things out a little—he should wake up soon. But we can’t guarantee… whether his mind will be intact.”

“There’s a chance he’ll wake up only missing the memories that were extracted. But if the shock to his brain was too severe… other complications could arise.”

The healers’ words were tactful, but in simpler terms, there was a possibility he could wake up as a complete idiot.

Shao Nan’s glare immediately burned into Chen Jiaxi.

Chen Jiaxi: “…” I didn’t mean to! QAQ

She glanced down at the glowing orb in her fingertips. If she could extract memories, could she put them back in?

Fortunately, at that moment, Suo Binhai finally woke up.

He struggled to open his eyes, his head throbbing as if needles were stabbing into his brain. Large chunks of darkness loomed in his mind. As he looked around at the unfamiliar faces surrounding him, his gaze finally landed on Shao Nan, who seemed somewhat recognizable.

“You’re… the company commander of the Third Company, Xiao Shao?”

He tried to sit up but immediately winced, clutching his head. The pain was unbearable. “What… what happened? Where am I?”

Shao Nan and the healers immediately looked relieved. No matter what, at least he wasn’t completely brain-dead—he could still recognize people!

The two healers hurried forward, their fingertips glowing with white light as they attempted to ease his pain. But the moment Suo Binhai saw them approaching, his eyes widened in terror. He flinched away despite the stabbing pain in his head, scrambling backward.

“What is this?!”

After much effort, they finally pieced things together—Suo Binhai had lost his memory and could only recall events up to before the apocalypse. Everything that had happened in the past year or more was completely gone.

“What? The Commander… Old Wang, Old Zhang… they’re all…?” His eyes widened in disbelief. He rushed to the window and looked outside, only to see the chaos engulfing Red City Base. There was not a single trace of the peaceful world he remembered.

But his reaction was completely different from when Song Kaiji had forced him to look down earlier. This time, his expression was filled with shock, sorrow, and grief for his fallen comrades. A wave of complicated emotions surged through him—his lips trembled, and his sharp eyes even glistened with unshed tears.

For a moment, Shen Qing and the others fell silent, unsure of how to handle the situation.

Chen Jiaxi stared at the glowing orb in her fingers for a long time before suddenly crushing it.

The light fragmented into countless tiny specks, dissipating into the air before they could even touch the ground.

She had originally considered keeping it for research. But now, she felt that whether or not Suo Binhai had planned to eliminate their small base after consolidating power no longer mattered.

With his memory gone, he had also lost his political rivals. He was now the undisputed ruler of Red City Base.

Perhaps, without the weight of past grudges and schemes, he could lead Red City toward a new beginning—a new future.

Shen Qing and Song Kaiji shared the same thoughts. Song Kaiji held up the contract—though it had no legal effect, at this moment, it was proving useful. He turned to Suo Binhai and said, “Now that things have come to this point, you need to pull yourself together. We collaborated on some things before… Anyway, take a look at this contract. It has your signature. Moving forward, we will provide Red City Base with regular supplies of salt, sugar, medicinal herbs, and other strategic resources. We also hope that Red City Base will honor its commitments and fulfill the terms outlined in the contract.”

He pressed two fingers together, a faint breeze swirling around his fingertips as he carefully observed Suo Binhai’s expression. “This is Commander Shao Nan. He has followed you since the apocalypse began and is one of your most trusted subordinates. If you have any questions, you can ask him.”

Song Kaiji turned to Shao Nan. A struggle flickered across Shao Nan’s face, but he quickly made a decision and nodded. “Yes.”

Before Suo Binhai lost consciousness, Shao Nan had been well aware of what Shen Qing’s group wanted—to have him replace Suo Binhai as the highest leader of Red City Base. But Shao Nan had no such ambition. He simply wanted to do his duty as a soldier: protect civilians and follow orders. He also didn’t believe he had the capability. If Suo Binhai couldn’t manage everything perfectly, how could he, a low-ranking officer who had risen through the ranks during the apocalypse, possibly do better? In the end, wouldn’t he just become a puppet for Shen Qing and his people?

Moreover, if he agreed, what would Shen Qing’s group do with Suo Binhai?

The bloodstains on the office floor had yet to dry—that was the blood of the capital’s special envoys whom Suo Binhai had personally killed. Was it only the government’s people who were allowed to bleed?

But what choice did he have? Shao Nan had no doubt that Shen Qing and the others had the power to kill both him and Suo Binhai if they wanted to. They simply chose not to.

Now, however, the situation had unexpectedly resolved in the best possible way. Suo Binhai had lost his memory. Before him stood a version of himself that had never experienced the brutal factional struggles of the post-apocalyptic world. He didn’t know Feng Hao or Lu Yanghui, nor was he aware of Shen Qing’s secrets. He still had the heart of a pre-apocalypse soldier, filled with the ideals of duty and service.

And Shen Qing’s group was willing to give him another chance. All Shao Nan had to do was guide him—tell him what he needed to know, while filtering out the darkness of the past.

Suo Binhai sluggishly accepted the contract from Song Kaiji and flipped through it, his mind a jumble of confusion. Most of the agreement revolved around resource exchanges, and the values seemed fair enough. But military supplies—how could they be freely traded like this? Yet the signature on the document was undeniably his own… The sheer amount of new information was overwhelming. He couldn’t process it all at once, and his gaze anxiously drifted to the chaos below.

“We can’t just leave things like this! Separate those people immediately and restore order!”

The soldiers outside the conference room exchanged glances before hastily following the command. Order was finally being restored in the base. Shao Nan leaned in and whispered to Suo Binhai, “Zombies destroyed the city, so we established the Red City Survivor Base on the outskirts. These are refugees who just entered… As for military supplies, they are now available for sale to everyone. We support both ability users and armed civilians in hunting zombies. The crystal cores in zombies’ heads can enhance abilities…”

Shao Nan even demonstrated his own ability. “You have an ability too.”

It took Suo Binhai a long while to digest everything. He glanced at the contract in his hands again. If the entire population was arming themselves to kill zombies, then trading weapons made sense. The designated land area seemed large, but… wasn’t it normal for developers to want more land before the apocalypse?

He handed the contract back to Song Kaiji, an apologetic smile on his face. “I don’t know what’s wrong with my head… Please bear with me. Since this is my signature, I won’t go back on my word, even if I’ve lost my memory. Let’s proceed as written. I hope we’ll have a good partnership moving forward!”

Song Kaiji rubbed his nose. Just a short while ago, he had taken Suo Binhai hostage without hesitation, yet now, faced with this “naive and pure” version of Suo Binhai, he felt a bit guilty. He shook Suo Binhai’s hand.

“…Looking forward to working together.”

By the time Shen Qing’s group left Red City Base, the military had rounded up the refugees, gathering them in an open area where they were given tarps and watched as they set up tents. Some individuals, their hands shackled, crouched against the wall, their clothes stained with blood—likely those who had wounded others during the earlier chaos, now awaiting punishment.

A few residents stood outside their homes, sobbing and cursing. After a while, others came forward to comfort them and register their losses. For the original inhabitants of Red City Base, this entire event had been an unprovoked disaster.

Shen Qing’s group watched from a distance as the refugees pitched their tents. “I wonder if this was Suo Binhai’s own idea or if Shao Nan suggested it.”

The military had always wanted to provide indiscriminate aid to civilians, allowing everyone into the base. But merely giving them a plot of land for tents wasn’t enough—entry into the base also meant providing food, water, and jobs. Otherwise, what was the difference between living inside or outside the city walls?

Hopefully, this time, Suo Binhai would manage the base’s affairs more effectively.

The outcome of this situation had been unexpected. But overall, it was a good one. Qu Weiwei teased Chen Jiaxi, “Even Jiaxi jie gets flustered sometimes.”

Chen Jiaxi grimaced. “I’m planning to wear these from now on, just in case I accidentally hurt someone again.” She pulled out a pair of ability-restraining cuffs. “Didn’t we collect the research lab’s data? When we get back to our base, we should find some talented researchers to study it. Maybe they can make me a pair of bracelets—something I can take off when I actually need to use my ability.”

She stole a glance at Shen Qing. Maybe this would help him trust her a little more.

“Oh, right—the research data,” Shen Qing smacked his forehead. It was still stored in his spatial ability. They had originally planned to use it as a bargaining chip to negotiate further terms with Suo Binhai, but now…

“It doesn’t matter,” Song Kaiji said with a wink. “As far as Suo Binhai’s memory is concerned, those documents never existed in the first place. We’ll wait until Shao Nan remembers them before bringing it up again.”

The research lab hadn’t been completely useless—after all, it had created ability-sealing cuffs. They would need to sift through the collected data carefully. They could copy anything useful for themselves while erasing any information related to Shen Qing before returning it to Shao Nan.

As they reached the city gates, Shen Qing turned back to look at Red City Base and murmured, “Without the suppression of the government, and with so many refugees flooding in, it’s almost like a reset… Do you think Suo Binhai will turn out to be a good leader for Red City Base?”

Song Kaiji patted him on the shoulder and joked, “If he doesn’t, we’ll just have Jiaxi jie extract his memories again. He looks pretty decent right now—why not let him stay forever young, forever passionate?”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 185: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Song Kaiji dragged Suo Binhai to the window.

The building they were in had been a hotel attached to an amusement park before the apocalypse, standing twelve stories high. At this moment, they were on the top floor. Looking down from the window, they could see that the city gates had been opened, and a massive flood of refugees from outside was pouring into the base.

Song Kaiji pulled Suo Binhai over to the window.

Some of the more timid refugees, upon entering the city, immediately sought out hidden corners to crouch in, fearing that the base’s people might suddenly go back on their word and drive them out again.

But most of the refugees had been living in the camp outside, enduring daily starvation and the constant threat of death. Driven by hunger and survival instinct, they seized the opportunity presented by the chaos to desperately search for food.

Some clung to the city’s original residents, pleading with them. These people, who had been living inside the base, were visibly wealthier. The refugees clutched at their pant legs, kneeling on the ground, their mouths uttering all sorts of desperate words—some reasonable, some not—but no matter what, they refused to let go.

Others had already resorted to force, breaking into the tin houses of city residents and looting whatever they could find.

The patrol squads, which would usually arrive in time to handle such situations, were nowhere to be seen—whether they had been caught in the chaos or were even still alive was unknown.

Some of the ability users, whose homes had been invaded, finally lost patience and retaliated. Sparks of electricity and flames lit up the streets as several refugees were struck down. Though injured and lying on the ground howling in pain, they still refused to let go of the food they had just stolen, cursing wildly through their agony.

Still, the display of power managed to deter some of the looters. Those who could afford the city’s entrance fee and rent—those who lived inside Red City Base—were either ability users or physically strong young men unafraid to kill zombies. The starving refugees outside had no way to compete with them. After a brief standoff, the refugees unwillingly backed away, searching for weaker targets.

An old woman and her young granddaughter pressed desperately against the flimsy door of their tin house. The pillar of their family was nowhere to be seen, and the two of them were utterly powerless against the horde of ravenous refugees. The old woman cried out for help, while the little girl sobbed in terror. But their neighbors were too busy fending for themselves to offer any assistance.

From the rooftop, Song Kaiji flicked his hand, sending a blade of wind cutting through the air. By the time it reached the ground from the twelfth floor, its force had been greatly diminished, leaving only a shallow cut on the hand of one of the looters. But it was enough to scare them. They glanced around warily, assuming that the house’s protector had returned, and cursed under their breath before slinking away.

Inside, the grandmother and granddaughter collapsed behind the door, holding each other as they wept.

“You see, your idea wasn’t as great as you thought,” Song Kaiji said, turning to Suo Binhai. “If you really wanted to do a good deed, you should have put in the effort and resources to organize it properly, rather than letting innocent people suffer. Just like how you managed our base so thoroughly—does this look any better than when the officials were in charge?”

Wanting to save as many people as possible without restrictions was a noble idea, but order had to be maintained. Rules had to be set. A city couldn’t just open its gates and let chaos unfold. Even in their own small base, Chen Jiaxi had to exhaust herself screening every newcomer, ensuring they were trustworthy. The previous government had set entry requirements based on zombie-hunting ability and economic status—it had been harsh and inflexible, but at least it had prevented such disorder.

Suo Binhai’s face turned an ugly shade, darker than pig liver. It wasn’t Song Kaiji’s ridicule that embarrassed him—it was the fact that he couldn’t deny the truth. He didn’t want to admit it, but his governance skills were worse than those of the officials he had just killed.

Yet the reality was clear—different people had different strengths. He was good at strategy, at organizing search-and-rescue operations. But when it came to managing a base…

Song Kaiji continued watching the chaos below. Opening the city gates had been planned in advance. It had been part of Shen Qing and Qu Weiwei’s strategy to enter the base. They had expected the situation to play out this way—but they had made no effort to warn or prevent it.

Because it worked in their favor.

Song Kaiji could feel his heart hardening bit by bit. But then again, should someone in Suo Binhai’s position really need others to point out the obvious?

Or had Suo Binhai already foreseen this outcome? Perhaps he simply didn’t care. As long as the coup was successful, he could clean up the mess afterward. The innocent residents and refugees who died in the chaos—he wasn’t particularly concerned about them.

Or perhaps he usually cared, but not enough to prioritize them over seizing power.

Song Kaiji sighed. He had grown up in an era of peace, where he had always trusted the government and the military. It had taken him a long time to realize that the military was the military, Suo Binhai was Suo Binhai, and Shao Nan was Shao Nan.

Now that communication networks had collapsed and the bases across the country were governing themselves without oversight, could Suo Binhai still be considered a representative of the pre-apocalypse military?

No. He was just a man, with emotions, ambitions, and selfish desires. Could every decision he made truly represent the integrity of the military?

Neither side should be putting the weight of their positions onto individuals.

“This coup… were you planning to get rid of us as well?” Song Kaiji asked softly.

They knew too much. Song Kaiji had needed to eliminate the government officials to sow chaos. Meanwhile, Shen Qing and his group had entered the city unimpeded, without any military personnel guiding or stopping them. They had effortlessly seized the grain stores, the armory, and all of the research data from the laboratories.

If Song Kaiji hadn’t taken Suo Binhai hostage, would Red City Base—regardless of who won the power struggle—really have let them leave so easily?

Even if they hadn’t looted the warehouses, would they have been allowed to leave?

Because in the end, there had never been an intention to let them go.

Suo Binhai’s pupils contracted sharply. After three or four seconds of silence, he forced an awkward smile.

“How could that be? You and Shao have such a good relationship, and you’ve helped us so much before. We’re partners—partners.”

“If it’s a partnership, then it’s only fair that we get a share of the spoils, isn’t it?” Song Kaiji said, resting his hand on Suo Binhai’s shoulder. “I’ve done a lot of work for this, and my hands are covered in blood.”

The commotion outside grew louder. Tang Wenjie waved his hand, transforming the solid metal walls into bars, keeping Shao Nan and the military officers locked out.

Outside, Shen Qing and his group had arrived. Hundreds of mid- and high-tier ability users stood in a standoff against the military. Since Suo Binhai was still in Song Kaiji’s hands, the soldiers dared not make a move. Shao Nan’s face alternated between red and white.

“Is there some kind of misunderstanding, Song Kaiji? Let go of the Vice Commander, and we can talk.”

When the apocalypse had first erupted, half the population had immediately turned into zombies. Red City’s original military commander had been among them. With subsequent deaths from infections, starvation, and casualties, the overall losses had reached seventy to eighty percent.

Several vice commanders had also perished, leaving Suo Binhai as the one to rise to the top as Red City Base’s highest military authority. With so many senior officers dead, young officers like Shao Nan had been rapidly promoted, resulting in the current military structure where Suo Binhai held absolute power.

Song Kaiji exchanged a glance with Shen Qing in the crowd. He tightened his grip on Suo Binhai’s shoulder.

“There’s no misunderstanding. Now that everything has settled, it’s time to sit down and discuss how we’ll divide the spoils, don’t you think?”

After clearing out most of the soldiers and ability users, only a small group remained inside: Shen Qing, Song Kaiji, Suo Binhai, Shao Nan, Tang Wenjie, Qu Weiwei, Chen Jiaxi, and two officers loyal to Shao Nan—just enough to maintain balance.

Shao Nan glanced at Suo Binhai and hesitated before ultimately remaining silent.

Shen Qing, however, shook his head.

“We don’t want Red City Base.”

Instead, they wanted everything outside of it—from the amusement park to the airport—to establish their own base, the Twin Cities of Red City.

Of course, if they didn’t want to trade, that was fine too. Shen Qing’s base, thanks to his ability to bring food and essential supplies from another world, had no need to venture far in search of resources. The people in his base only needed to focus on infrastructure and self-sufficiency. Clearing zombies could be done using abilities and crossbows—having guns and ammunition was a bonus, but lacking them wouldn’t render them helpless.

Suo Binhai remained silent, hesitating. The main issue was that Red City Airport was too important. He also didn’t want to see Shen Qing grow too powerful, securing such a vast territory to build a new base. In his plans, after this coup, Shen Qing’s small base was supposed to come under Red City’s control as well…

But Shen Qing had no patience for his dithering and handed the negotiations over to Chen Jiaxi. Meanwhile, Shen Qing and Qu Weiwei turned to the stunned Shao Nan.

They brought Shao Nan to the window as well.

“I eventually understood why you chose the military over us,” Qu Weiwei said. “If I were in your position and had to choose between Shen Qing and you, I would choose Shen Qing without hesitation. But you need to ask yourself—did you choose the military, or did you choose Suo Binhai? And if it’s Suo Binhai, how much do you really know about him?”

They made Shao Nan look at the chaos below. The power struggle between the government, the military, and Shen Qing’s forces was reaching its conclusion. All the key figures were now gathered inside this building. Meanwhile, the streets were filled with conflict between the newly arrived refugees and the original residents—fighting over food, water, clothes, even shelter.

“Is this what your military wanted?”

Some things weren’t beyond Shao Nan’s imagination—he had simply been subconsciously avoiding them. But now, forced by Shen Qing and Qu Weiwei to confront the turmoil below, he clutched his head in pain, trying to block out the sight.

Shen Qing reached out and pulled his hands away.

“The military doesn’t belong to any one person. Before the apocalypse, Suo Binhai wasn’t even the highest-ranking officer of the Red City military district, was he?”

“For ordinary people, what matters is having a stable life. The military that earns the people’s loyalty is the one that protects them. Who holds the title of highest commander isn’t nearly as important as whether they bring stability.”

“You are also from the military—an officer with a rightful background.”

Shao Nan stood there in a daze, when suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream rang out behind them.

He turned sharply, just in time to see Suo Binhai collapse limply to the ground.

Chen Jiaxi stood there, holding a piece of paper, blinking in mild surprise before finally murmuring, “Ah… I was just testing it out. I didn’t expect this either.”

She absently waved the paper in her hand.

“…But he signed the contract.”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 184: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Recently, the atmosphere at the Red City Base has finally become a bit more uplifting. It’s not because the New Year is approaching, but rather because, with the registration of the surviving population within the base and the restoration of networks and communication with survivor bases in other cities, some people have finally received news about their relatives and friends.

Although the probability of this happening among Red City survivors is less than one in ten, seeing those around them reunited with loved ones fills others with joy and hope as well. For a time, the ordinary civilians who had previously been indifferent to the military or the officials in charge of the base couldn’t help but develop a more favorable view of the special envoys from the capital who had brought this technology.

The military had already been frustrated by the continuous suppression in recent times, and now they were growing even more restless. “There won’t be any mishaps with the agreement we made with Shen Qing and the others, right?”

“There won’t be.” Shao Nan lowered his head slightly, his expression somewhat gloomy. “They have always kept their promises and followed through on their words.”

The only ones who had broken faith were the military.

His superior, Suo Binhai, the highest-ranking military leader of the Red City Base, looked at Shao Nan’s expression and sighed as well. He patted him on the shoulder. “I know you’re not feeling good about this, but in this world, there are always sacrifices to be made. In the face of the greater good, sacrificing the small for the sake of the whole is our duty as soldiers. The people in the refugee camp are also citizens of our country. Now that winter is upon us, do you really want to watch them freeze and starve to death? If we had full control of the Red City Base, of course, we wouldn’t have to hand things over to Shen Qing and his group. But right now, we don’t exactly have a choice, do we?”

“In a few days… once we succeed, we’ll open the outer city to take in refugees, and we won’t make things difficult for Shen Qing’s group anymore.” Suo Binhai was full of ambition. The issue of refugees had been a point of contention between him and the officials for a long time, but at last, things were going to be carried out as he had hoped. “Xiao Shao, you handled the communication and cooperation with Shen Qing’s group very well this time. You’ve been in the mid-ranks for a few years now—once this is over, it’s time for a promotion. I have a good position open by my side, and when the time comes, you’ll follow me.”

Shao Nan’s face did not show the slightest trace of joy at his superior’s promise of promotion. Instead, a hint of confusion flickered across his expression. They were soldiers—sacrificing the small for the sake of the greater good was their sentiment, duty, and mission. He could sacrifice, he could give up on his already hopeless future with Qu Weiwei. But what about Shen Qing and Song Kaiji? They were just ordinary civilians. Their base was privately owned… they had no inherent obligation.

Right now, they were merely relying on Shen Qing’s righteousness and kindness. But human nature was not something that could be gambled on. Shen Qing and the others’ patience and tolerance were not infinite. If one day, they grew tired and disgusted with this situation, if they changed and stopped “keeping their promises” and instead became just as “faithless and treacherous” as the military… what then?

Shao Nan never expected that day to come so soon.

A few more days passed, and the next day was New Year’s Eve. Perhaps it was the ingrained anticipation and reverence for the New Year among the people, but no matter how difficult things were, everyone still tried to buy something they normally wouldn’t afford, just to preserve some sense of ritual. The Red City Base officials, seemingly proud and vindicated at last, and having gained the support of the capital’s government, were uncharacteristically generous for once. They promised that on New Year’s Eve, every registered person inside the city would receive ten vegetarian dumplings, while the refugees outside the city would each receive a coarse grain bun and a bottle of water today.

It might not seem like much, but with two to three thousand refugees crammed outside the city, these people had contributed nothing to Red City Base. The cost added up to a significant expense.

Yet beneath this seemingly peaceful and festive atmosphere, the time agreed upon between the military and Shen Qing’s group had arrived.

The first to be executed was Lu Yanghui. Song Kaiji and Tang Wenjie teleported into the city, and Song Kaiji personally slit Lu Yanghui’s throat. Fortunately, there was no one else in the laboratory at the time. Having learned from the previous incident, Song Kaiji took all the research data from the lab into his spatial storage—most of it was Lu Yanghui continuing Feng Hao’s research, specifically on Shen Qing’s blood samples.

After briefly flipping through the materials, Song Kaiji was seething with anger. These people had been studying for so long and had achieved nothing, yet they kept fixating on his Qingqing. He poured alcohol over the lab and set it ablaze. By the time the research staff noticed, half the lab was already engulfed in flames, and Lu Yanghui’s body had been reduced to a charred corpse.

Next were the government officials who had supported Lu Yanghui and sought to capture Shen Qing in order to interrogate him about the other dimension. Some of them, Song Kaiji recognized. Others, Chen Jiaxi had identified through others’ memories. None of them escaped.

The research facility was on fire, and high-ranking officials were mysteriously dying one after another… Within just half an hour, a sense of fear and horror shrouded the upper echelons of the base. Chaos ensued. No one knew what was happening, nor did they know who—or what—was suddenly attacking. Everyone was terrified that they might be next, yet they had no idea how the previous victims had died, nor how to defend against it.

While the base’s leadership was thrown into disarray, the military made its move. In the previous battle to hunt Shen Qing, much of the government’s military force had already been wiped out by Song Kaiji’s grenades. City defenses had largely fallen into the hands of Shao Nan and other mid-ranking military officers. The officials, believing they controlled the military through gasoline and salt, had let down their guard. Now, caught off guard by the military’s sudden betrayal, most mid-ranking government officials had no choice but to surrender.

At some point, the city gates had been quietly opened. There was no longer an entry fee, and refugees were now allowed to enter. After a brief moment of shock, some bold refugees cautiously stepped inside. When they realized it was real, a flood of refugees surged desperately into the city. Shen Qing, Qu Weiwei, and Chen Jiaxi led over five hundred mid- and high-ranking ability users from their base, blending into the crowd as they made their way straight to the research facility and the warehouses of the three farms.

The research facility and base farms were essentially Chen Jiaxi and Qu Weiwei’s strongholds. Over five hundred powerful ability users swiftly took control of both locations. All research data, experimental results, and newly harvested grain and seeds from the warehouses were taken into Shen Qing’s spatial storage.

Inside the research facility, the fire that Song Kaiji had set had just been put out. A group of trembling researchers was being held at gunpoint, too afraid to move. Chen Jiaxi stared at Lu Yanghui’s charred corpse before sweeping her gaze over the remaining physic-type ability users. Suppressing the surging desire within her, she ultimately forced herself to look away.

Enough was enough. She reminded herself that people should never rely on luck—they had to know when to stop.

“Let’s go. There’s still plenty of time,” Chen Jiaxi said casually as she grabbed two high-ranking military officials and read their memories. Like the captured government officials, they were utterly horrified, unable to comprehend why their supposed allies had suddenly turned on them. Chen Jiaxi chuckled.

“What’s so special about food? Most of the supplies are probably in the hands of the military’s spatial ability users anyway. Even if we take these grains, we can’t use them to control the military. Instead of that, why not secure better benefits for our own base? Let’s try our luck at the military’s weapons depot—now that’s where the real value lies.”

“This is treason! Treason!” The capital’s special envoys were utterly shocked by the upheaval, scrambling to grab their phones to report back, only for a bullet to pierce one of their skulls.

Political struggles had always been ruthless. Suo Binhai blew the smoke from his gun’s barrel, finalizing the incident with a single statement:

“The Red City Base was attacked by a small wave of zombies. The special envoys and some of the base’s higher-ups panicked and fled, only to be tragically overwhelmed by the zombie horde.”

In the apocalypse, wasn’t death just a common occurrence?

The surviving special envoys, their hands tied behind their backs and their abilities sealed, widened their eyes in sheer terror.

“No, no, we won’t say anything! This is an internal matter of the Red City Base! It has nothing to do with us!”

But who would believe that? The power balance at Red City Base had long been an uneasy equilibrium between the military and the officials. It was only after these special envoys arrived that the situation was thrown into chaos. Letting them go meant risking a report to the capital, which could bring further repercussions. Were they supposed to wait for another crackdown from the capital?

From the moment the military had begun planning this coup, the fate of these envoys had already been sealed.

Yet the next moment, Suo Binhai felt something cold press against his neck.

Behind him, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, was Song Kaiji. In his hand was an exceptionally sharp, paper-thin blade that rested against Suo Binhai’s throat, a slight misstep away from drawing blood. Beside him, Tang Wenjie unleashed his ability in an instant, constructing an impenetrable barrier that sealed off all military personnel, including Shao Nan, from the scene.

Shao Nan’s heart sank. The very fear he had once harbored had now become a reality.

“Song Kaiji! What are you trying to do? Don’t be reckless! If you have conditions, we can negotiate!”

His voice barely carried through the thick metal walls. Suo Binhai felt cold sweat rolling down his forehead.

The defenses were already in place. Song Kaiji snapped a pair of ability-restraining handcuffs onto Suo Binhai, then let go, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.

“Having messages relayed through Shao Nan has always been inconvenient. Since we’re all here, why don’t we sit down and have a proper conversation?”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 183: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

The two of them indeed got an upper room at the inn next door for a brief rest. As Shen Qing helped Song Kaiji inside, he found the whole situation amusing. Anping County was small, and they even had a house here—it would take just a quarter-hour’s walk to get there. Yet, here they were, spending money to make a detour.

Song Kaiji, however, was thrilled. Back in the apocalypse, whenever they stayed in a four-star hotel suite, it felt like a fresh experience—now, he wanted the same in ancient times! Fueled by the alcohol, he shamelessly made trouble on Shen Qing, though he held back from going all the way, knowing they still had to visit Magistrate Lin later in the afternoon.

Shen Qing grabbed a fistful of Song Kaiji’s hair at the back of his head and pried him off his chest. Even in the frigid twelfth month, he was drenched in sweat, damp strands sticking to his forehead, his neck and chest flushed red. Shen Qing’s breath was uneven as he complained, “You’re not sleepy at all. You’re not even drunk!”

Song Kaiji let out a cheeky laugh, then stuck out his tongue to lick a few times. Shen Qing couldn’t take it anymore and kicked him off. Only then did Song Kaiji, satisfied, roll onto the bed with his fragrant Qingqing, finally stopping his antics. He obediently wrapped his arms around Shen Qing, burying his face into the warmth of his embrace. “Alright, alright, I’ll sleep now.”

And then he actually quieted down.

But Shen Qing, held in his arms, found himself spacing out for a while before his breathing finally evened out. He adjusted his slightly disheveled clothing and hesitantly asked in a low voice, “Are you thinking about… having another one?”

It wasn’t an unreasonable suspicion! When he was pregnant before, he had stayed in the village to rest, separated from Song Kaiji for months. Now that they were finally reunited, Song Kaiji had been particularly relentless these past few days, as if he had been suppressing himself for too long. Shen Qing himself… also wanted it, so he had let things happen.

But recently, it had become a bit too frequent…

He hadn’t told Song Kaiji that most gers could only have one child. Shen Qing had no strong opinions about only having one—wasn’t it common in the village to have many children? Although gers had difficulty giving birth, Song Kaiji had mentioned something about estrogen and eating tofu for nourishment… Zhao Yu had successfully given birth to a second child, so it wasn’t impossible. Shen Qing wondered, if Song Kaiji really wanted another child, should he start taking care of his health in preparation?

But at the same time, he felt nervous.

His last childbirth had been too dangerous. Though most of that danger had come from external factors, the pain was something real. But Song Kaiji loved children so much—he could hardly bear to let go of Quan Jie’er for even a moment. Would he hope for more?

At this moment, Song Kaiji was actually starting to feel drowsy. He nestled into Shen Qing’s embrace, half-asleep and murmuring, “Why have so many? Only children are great. Sons or daughters, it’s all the same…”

He himself was an only child, having received all of Zhang Sujuan and Li Aiguo’s love, so naturally, he wanted the same for his own child. In his drowsiness, he suddenly wondered if he had been too pushy recently and scared Shen Qing.

Frequent childbirth wasn’t good for the mother’s health. Forcing his eyes open, he reassured Shen Qing, “Don’t worry, next time we go back to the apocalypse, I’ll figure out a way to get some protection. You won’t get pregnant…”

With that, he finally couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore and dozed off in Shen Qing’s arms.

Shen Qing held his fluffy head for a long while before finally pressing a soft kiss to the top of his hair.

So he had been overthinking it. Not everyone wanted a whole bunch of children.

He, too, felt that having just Quan Jie’er was enough.

The two of them napped in the inn for more than an hour. By then, Song Kaiji had sobered up—not that he was ever truly drunk. He had just gotten excited when he heard “get a room” and found an excuse to take advantage of Shen Qing. After freshening up, they headed off to visit Magistrate Lin.

It was the first time Magistrate Lin’s family had met Shen Qing’s husband, and they were all incredibly curious about Song Kaiji. Especially Lin Ning—last time, he had rushed to Lantang Village to catch a glimpse of the excitement, only to miss seeing Song Kaiji. Now, he stole several glances at him.

No wonder Qing Ge’er was completely smitten and even bore him a child. This man was truly handsome! Just as handsome as Qing Ge’er when he dressed like a man—what a perfect match!

Lin Ning cupped his face in admiration. And it wasn’t like he was some foreigner with golden hair and blue eyes—he looked just like them, only with slightly shorter hair. But with a hat on, he blended into the crowd just fine.

Qing Ge’er had such great taste!

While Lin Ning was focused on appearances, Magistrate Lin was more concerned with Song Kaiji’s character and abilities. He pulled him aside for tea and conversation. Song Kaiji started sweating—Shen Qing had severed ties with Shen Zhigao, so he had never experienced a father-in-law’s scrutiny. But now, standing before Magistrate Lin, he got the full treatment.

Meanwhile, Magistrate Lin’s fulang smiled and got up. “Stay for dinner tonight. I’ll personally cook a couple of good dishes.”

He took Lin Zao with him to the kitchen, while Shen Qing and Lin Ning sat together for a private chat. Lin Ning took out a small box filled with delicate trinkets and pushed it toward Shen Qing. “Ou Ge’er got married recently, but we had family matters and couldn’t attend. Help me pass this along to him—wishing him a happy marriage.”

Thanks to Shen Qing, Lin Ning and Lian Ou had some connection. The contents of the box were elegant but not overly expensive, all trinkets that gers liked. Shen Qing glanced inside and accepted it on Lian Ou’s behalf, casually asking, “What happened at home? Is everything alright?”

Lin Ning’s face showed a hint of worry. “People came from my old home. There was a flood—the crops were ruined right at harvest time, and the houses collapsed. Life is tough, and after traveling for so long, they finally arrived in Anping County, hoping my father could help.”

The rest of the villagers were staying in the ruined temple with people from other villages. More than ten people from their village had died, some from their Lin clan, others from different surnames. They had all been neighbors, familiar faces, and suddenly they were gone. Knowing this, Lin Ning hadn’t been in the mood to attend a wedding.

“They also want to send a few promising young men to learn under my father,” he added. But Lin Ning knew very well—it wasn’t just about learning a trade. The village hoped that his father would choose one of them as a live-in son-in-law, keeping the Lin family’s ties to the village strong.

Lin Ning glanced at Shen Qing, full of envy. “You’re impressive—quietly found yourself such a handsome husband, and now you have nothing to worry about.”

Shen Qing didn’t know how to comfort him, but the news of Lin Ning’s home disaster sparked some thoughts in his mind.

After dinner, Shen Qing sought out Magistrate Lin and expressed his willingness to donate a sum of money.

Magistrate Lin was stunned. His hometown was far from Anping County and under a different jurisdiction. Even if Shen Qing wanted to donate, it wouldn’t make sense for him to go through him. In a way, it was no different from bribery.

But at this moment, Magistrate Lin truly couldn’t refuse. He wasn’t a corrupt official and had only been in office for a few years—his savings were limited. Otherwise, he wouldn’t still be living in the back of the government office, unable to afford his own residence.

A few days ago, people from his old hometown had come seeking help. Even after scraping together everything he could, Magistrate Lin had only managed to put together fifty taels. That was already a considerable amount—enough to build two or three brick houses or purchase several acres of land. But compared to the devastation caused by the natural disaster, it was merely a drop in the ocean.

Now, money was needed for purchasing winter provisions, for repairing the village’s houses in the coming year, and for treating those who had fallen ill due to waterborne diseases. Magistrate Lin wasn’t the type of person who would rise through the ranks and then turn his back on his hometown. At this moment, Shen Qing’s offer to donate money was truly a case of delivering coal in the middle of a snowstorm.

Not long ago, he had been sternly lecturing Shen Qing about not attempting to bribe officials, yet now he found himself reluctant to refuse this gesture. It was a bit humiliating. But Shen Qing remained calm. “This isn’t the same as before, and this money isn’t for you personally—it’s for the people of your homeland. It’s not even going into your pocket.”

But those people were his relatives and friends. Magistrate Lin sighed. The money wouldn’t belong to him, but accepting it meant he owed a favor. Glancing at Shen Qing, he finally said, “If you have a request, just say it.”

From the moment Shen Qing arrived, Magistrate Lin had sensed that he had something on his mind.

Shen Qing hesitated slightly but still spoke up. “Last time, when I presented you with the crossbows, I actually had a favor to ask. I didn’t bring it up then, but I will now.” He glanced at Song Kaiji before continuing. “My husband… is from elsewhere. His family used to be merchants, but after his father passed, his family assets were divided among his relatives. He didn’t take anything from them—he just brought his mother and came to find me.”

He carefully observed Magistrate Lin’s expression before gritting his teeth and saying, “Merchants are ultimately of lower status. When you move on to a higher position, if the new magistrate is easygoing, it won’t be an issue. But if he’s difficult, our future won’t be secure. I was thinking… regardless of where my husband originally came from, I hope you can register him with a new household record in Anping County. In the future, if he can obtain a student status or scholar’s title—not necessarily to become an official, but just to have some scholarly rank—he would be treated with a bit more respect and at least have a means of self-preservation.”

After speaking, he looked directly at Magistrate Lin, who showed no great change in expression. He simply sat down and silently drank his tea. Shen Qing held his breath and sat in quiet companionship.

After a long while, Magistrate Lin finally spoke. “Truthfully, even if you hadn’t asked, I had already been considering how to provide you with some protection.”

But his thoughts had been different from Shen Qing’s.

Since Shen Qing had foreseen the difficulties that might come after Magistrate Lin’s promotion, naturally, Magistrate Lin had thought of them as well. In fact, if he did get promoted, six times out of ten, it would be thanks to Shen Qing—high-yield grain, superior weapons…

But once he left Anping County, it would be hard to say how the next magistrate would treat a ger merchant like Shen Qing. Lin Ning was close with Shen Qing, and Magistrate Lin himself had considered strengthening ties between their families. He had no sons, and Lin Ning might rely on Shen Qing’s support in the future.

He had even considered proposing to take Miao Chunlei as a concubine—not that he had any personal interest in Miao Chunlei. He only loved his own fulang. But in this era, taking concubines was sometimes a loophole, a means of crossing class boundaries.

In the military, it was common for dying soldiers to entrust their wives and children to their commanders. If the commander then took the widow as a concubine, the children would legally become the general’s own, securing their future and preventing greedy relatives from seizing their inheritance. For the general, having more children also meant stronger family ties and political advantages. Whether the concubine was actually treated as a wife or simply given a title, who would know what truly went on behind closed doors?

If Magistrate Lin had taken Miao Chunlei as a concubine, Shen Qing would have been officially added to the Lin family genealogy, making him and Lin Ning sworn brothers under the family name. Even if a new magistrate took office, they wouldn’t dare to mistreat him.

However, Magistrate Lin instinctively felt that Shen Qing would likely refuse such a proposal, which was why he had never mentioned it. Later, he had also considered adopting Shen Qing as a foster son—though that wouldn’t carry as much weight as formally joining the family line, it was still better than nothing. Yet Shen Qing, full of integrity, wanted his husband to earn his own scholarly rank.

Registering a new household record and fabricating a new identity—this was both difficult and easy. The process itself was simple, as he had just the right unclaimed lineage slot to make it work. The difficulty lay in the fact that Magistrate Lin would be personally vouching for Song Kaiji. If Song Kaiji later chose not just to obtain scholarly rank but to continue climbing into government office, a false identity could be exposed, and it would implicate him as well.

After deliberating for a while, Magistrate Lin ultimately decided to trust Shen Qing. “My hometown suffered from this disaster, and one of my cousins lost his entire family to illness. He had a son, seventeen years old, who hadn’t yet been betrothed. We won’t need to forge anything—I’ll use some connections to have your husband inherit his identity.”

Several young men from the village were already being sent over to apprentice under him, so blending in an extra name wouldn’t be difficult. “My family has been farmers for generations. This identity won’t hinder him from taking the imperial exams.”

Then Magistrate Lin added solemnly, “However, I hope you will agree to become my adopted son. I won’t claim to treat you the same as Ning Ge’er, but whatever a father would provide for his child, I will provide for you. You may act in my name publicly. And as for your husband—once he assumes this new identity, I won’t question his past. From now on, he will be my clan’s nephew, and I will naturally take care of you both.”

The underlying message was clear: don’t cause trouble. They had agreed that he wouldn’t pursue official rank, so he had better not stir up trouble for him. This was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Shen Qing was stunned. He had expected Magistrate Lin to hesitate before ultimately agreeing, but he hadn’t expected that Magistrate Lin had already planned for his well-being. Being taken as an adopted son meant being able to use Magistrate Lin’s name—this was essentially handing him a prestigious background on a silver platter. Though adopted children weren’t as highly regarded as biological ones, it was still a hundred times better than being a ger from a farming family. The temptation was real.

But after careful consideration, Shen Qing still found it difficult to accept and gently declined.

Magistrate Lin was surprised, but before he could react, Shen Qing quickly explained, “It’s not that I don’t want to be bound to your family.” It was just that he had worked so hard to break free from the Shen family and from Shen Zhigao—he didn’t want another father figure looming over him.

Even if, at present, it seemed more advantageous than restrictive. Shen Qing was all too aware of the weight of filial piety in this society. Fathers had absolute authority, and a single word could dictate a child’s fate. If something ever went wrong, an adopted son would have far fewer options than an unrelated ally.

“I can swear brotherhood with Ning Ge’er, and from now on, I will treat him as my own brother. Or, my mother and your spouse can become sworn sisters,” Shen Qing suggested. But he was adamant about not taking on another father. He had already prepared himself for Magistrate Lin’s refusal.

Fortunately, after a moment of thought, Magistrate Lin did not insist. “I had a feeling you might refuse,” he admitted. He couldn’t even explain why, but based on what he knew of Shen Qing, it made sense. If Shen Qing wouldn’t even agree to be an adopted son, he would have definitely rejected the concubine proposal.

Shen Qing was pleasantly surprised and felt a warm gratitude—Magistrate Lin hadn’t taken offense and was still willing to go through with everything. Binding their families together was already a huge favor. He immediately called Song Kaiji over to offer his thanks.

Song Kaiji was perceptive and immediately addressed Magistrate Lin as “Uncle.” Magistrate Lin waved him off. “Go back first. This will take some effort to arrange. Come pick up your household records after the fifteenth of the first month. That day, I’ll hold a banquet and invite witnesses for your and Ning Ge’er’s sworn brotherhood.”

Before leaving, Shen Qing left behind a thousand taels of silver and a small box. Magistrate Lin’s spouse glanced at him, and though Magistrate Lin frowned, he ultimately allowed him to accept it.

After Shen Qing left, Magistrate Lin and his fulang finally opened the box. Inside, they found a Liu Li glass apple tree—about a foot tall, with numerous tiny glass apples in various colors. Though small, they were exquisitely lifelike.

The magistrate’s fulang widened his eyes. “This… this is made of Liu Li glass? How much is this worth!”

Each apple looked as real as if freshly plucked—calling it a masterpiece of craftsmanship wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

“Our family has no place for such a valuable item. If it gets chipped or cracked, I’d be heartbroken!” the magistrate’s fulang exclaimed.

Magistrate Lin circled around the apple tree, examining it carefully, before shaking his head with a laugh. “This isn’t for us—it’s meant for me to use as a gift to curry favor.” He chuckled. “That Shen Qing!”

Shen Qing believed that binding himself to Magistrate Lin was to his own advantage, but didn’t Magistrate Lin feel the same? Not only would Lin Ning gain extra security through this connection, but Shen Qing also frequently brought out rare treasures—using them to impress his superiors would make his path to promotion much smoother.

They weren’t even officially family yet, and Shen Qing was already helping him rise.

Meanwhile, after leaving the yamen, Shen Qing turned to Song Kaiji and asked, “What did the magistrate ask you earlier?” Before dinner, Magistrate Lin had taken on a father-in-law-like stance, sitting down with Song Kaiji for tea and a serious conversation. Only now did Shen Qing realize that Magistrate Lin must have already been considering taking him in as an adoptive son back then.

Song Kaiji ruffled his hair. “Nothing much.” At first, he had been nervous, afraid of slipping up and revealing something suspicious. But Magistrate Lin hadn’t pried into his past. He had only asked whether Song Kaiji planned to settle permanently in Anping County and what his future aspirations were.

Hearing this, Shen Qing finally relaxed.

The two of them then detoured to check on the northern residence in town, handed out holiday bonuses, and gave their staff time off. Shopkeeper Xiao Miao, Ruyi, and the others had worked hard all year and received hefty red envelopes to enjoy a peaceful and well-deserved New Year’s break.

From the Lesser New Year to the sixth day of the first month, the shop would remain closed. Shen Qing even permitted the young maids and servants to go out together and have some fun—what was the point of earning silver if they had no chance to spend it?

Lian Ye also received a bonus, but he was so overwhelmed that he didn’t know where to put his hands and feet. “I—I only worked for two days! How can I accept this?” Since arriving, he had been recovering from his injuries, resting for days. Ruyi and the others had been incredibly kind, telling him to heal first before doing any work. He hadn’t even contributed yet—how could he take money?

“Take it,” Ruyi said. “Everyone gets one. If you feel bad about it, use it to buy gifts for the people who took care of you while you were healing.”

Only then did Lian Ye, with tears in his eyes, accept it—deeply moved.

With everything settled, Shen Qing and Song Kaiji returned to the apocalypse. Their scheduled meeting with the Red City military was approaching.

This time, perhaps because the New Year was near, their small base had taken on a more festive atmosphere. In the past—especially for those who had struggled to survive in refugee camps—who would have imagined they could one day live so stably, let alone celebrate the New Year?

The craftsmen Shen Qing had nurtured were naturally skilled, making delicate velvet flowers and even a few red lanterns. The base wasn’t large, so decorations could be seen every few steps, filling the air with a strong New Year’s spirit. Those who passed by felt uplifted, as if even in the apocalypse, life still held hope.

Chen Jiaxi was flipping through the account books, reporting to Shen Qing. “In the past while, we’ve added over two thousand people to the base. Our total population is now 9,167. Among the newcomers, 422 are ability users, 261 are capable young adults trained in archery and firearms, and the rest are non-combat family members.”

Qu Weiwei grumbled from the side. “I suspect that bastard Shao Nan leaked our base’s location to the refugee camp. We used to handpick people from the refugee camp—only those we approved could come. But lately, we’ve had several waves of people showing up on their own.”

Their base wasn’t against accepting the elderly, weak, sick, or disabled—but there were limits! They had strict screening processes: criminals from before the apocalypse were rejected, and those who had shoved others into zombies or stolen food after the apocalypse were also turned away.

Chen Jiaxi’s selection process wasn’t just about finding capable people—it was about filtering out those with poor morals who could destabilize the base.

Red City Base had similar concerns about security, which was why they charged an entry fee and reinforced patrols to maintain order.

But now, Red City was offloading people they didn’t want onto them! Infuriating!

Fortunately, while these self-arriving groups weren’t as carefully chosen, at least none of them had serious character issues. They had traveled nearly ten kilometers from Red City Base, risking their lives—some even died on the way. In the end, Shen Qing’s base accepted them.

Shen Qing rubbed his forehead. There was no helping it. As their base continued growing, more people were bound to come seeking refuge. And from a practical standpoint, they needed people. The stronger their numbers, the better their ability to compete with other factions.

“Let’s start constructing an outer city,” Shen Qing decided after some thought.

Red City Base had both an inner and outer city, though their system was based on class division. Most officials, military officers, and powerful ability users lived in the inner city, while ordinary people and low-level ability users were left in the outer city.

Shen Qing’s version, however, was intended as a secure refugee zone.

“All those who come voluntarily will stay in the outer city first. Jiaxi will screen them—if they pass the character check, they can enter the inner city. If not, they stay in the outer city. We’ll provide basic food rations, but they must work in return.”

Their base had plenty of jobs for ordinary people—building walls, constructing houses, harvesting crops… Wood-type ability users could speed up crop growth, but they couldn’t harvest it instantly. Manual labor was still necessary.

As for those who entered the inner city, they could form teams with ability users to hunt zombies. Ability users would kill the zombies, and regular people would dig out the energy cores. With a character screening in place, they wouldn’t have to worry about betrayals or backstabbing within the teams.

Chen Jiaxi hesitated. “But if we do this, eventually, conflict will erupt between the inner and outer city.”

“Yeah,” Shen Qing sighed. “But for now, this is the only way. Once Red City Base stabilizes, we’ll have a proper talk with them.”

Honestly, weren’t they supposed to be the official base? Pushing all these people onto us—have they no shame?

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 182: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Lian Ye trembled all over, as if he were a sieve shaking out chaff.

He felt like his parents had completely lost their minds! What made them think that a noble person would take a liking to him? Just because Qing Ge’er used to be the “ugly” ger that no one in the village wanted to marry, and he himself wasn’t much to look at either?

But even if someone was ugly, people were still different from one another! Even though Qing Ge’er still wasn’t the type of appearance that men favored, the aura he carried, the way he spoke and handled things—standing next to him, one was like the clouds in the sky, while the other was like mud trampled underfoot!

But when he refused to go, Wang Shi picked up the broomstick and struck him. The pain was unbearable. Ever since the family split up, Wang Shi had been dissatisfied with everything, and whenever she was upset, she took it out on him. His body was always covered in fresh wounds before the old ones had a chance to heal. His father never intervened either, just lowered his head and sighed from the side.

Today was Lian Ou’s wedding day. How much he envied Lian Ou, how much he envied Shen Qing. But he had no skills, no mother who cherished him, and no courage to rebel like Shen Qing did.

Then he might as well go, Lian Ye thought. If he didn’t, he’d just be beaten to death sooner or later. Better to go and annoy the nobleman—if he got beaten to death all at once, at least it would be quick and spare him from this slow, drawn-out torment.

But he never expected that the nobleman wouldn’t be angry. Instead, he even bought him. Lian Ye was puzzled and even more terrified—if he was taken back by this nobleman, would Qing Ge’er let him off? Thinking of Shen Qing’s ferocious track record in the village, Lian Ye trembled even harder.

However, Shen Qing only glanced at him twice before pulling Song Kaiji aside to talk. Lian Ye shut his eyes and shivered on the side, feeling as though he was just waiting for death. Every passing second was sheer agony.

After hearing Song Kaiji explain the situation, Shen Qing frowned slightly. Spending ten taels of silver to save Lian Ye wasn’t a big deal, but the way Song Kaiji handled this… “Now that you’ve set this precedent, some people in the village will think this method works. Just wait—more will come clinging to you.” He didn’t doubt Song Kaiji’s feelings for him, but this was just asking for trouble.

Besides, “I was just casually chatting with Lian Ou, and you happened to overhear it.” Shen Qing cast a glance at Lian Ye. “But who knows what’s going on in Lian Ye’s mind? The two households aren’t on good terms, and Ou Ge’er doesn’t talk to Lian Ye much. Lian Ye is pitiful, but maybe despite his suffering, he’d rather stay by his parents’ side.”

Not every pitiable person in this world was like Wang San, who, after a few words of advice from others, could muster the will to stand up and change their fate. More often than not, people struggled in the mire, constantly lamenting their misery to others—yet when someone reached out a branch to pull them out, they shrank back in fear of the world beyond the swamp.

“Why should I care what he thinks?” Song Kaiji wasn’t concerned with Lian Ye’s thoughts—he only cared about Shen Qing’s. Shen Qing wanted to save Lian Ye, so he bought him. As for whether Lian Ye needed help—why should he consider Lian Ye’s feelings? The boy had thrown himself at him, so he simply took the opportunity.

Shen Qing was momentarily stunned, a little dizzy from Song Kaiji’s way of thinking. He wasn’t sure whether to find it comforting or amusing. But since Lian Ye had already been bought, Shen Qing took the deed of sale that Song Kaiji handed over and asked, “Then why didn’t you take him back with you? Why wait for me out here in the cold?”

“How could I take him back?” Song Kaiji said urgently. “Then I’d really be in trouble like you said—I’d never be able to clear my name in the village. Who knows how many people would start eyeing me and throwing themselves at me? I didn’t argue with those two earlier because I was afraid they’d realize what was happening, but now that we have the deed of sale, what’s there to be afraid of? Just find an open position in some business and send him over. Whatever you do, don’t let him step into our home.”

A man’s reputation was his best dowry! He had no intention of letting the villagers think that aside from Qingqing, anyone else could do!

“You’re not that stupid after all.” Shen Qing was amused by his anxious, restless expression—like a puppy whose bone had just been snatched away. Song Kaiji immediately put on a smug look, as if saying, “Of course!”

Shen Qing thought for a moment and decided he should talk to Lian Ye first. He didn’t know him well and had no idea what kind of person he was. If he was going to help, he needed to see whether Lian Ye was worth saving. As he walked toward him, Lian Ye instinctively wanted to run but then remembered that his deed of sale was already in Shen Qing’s hands, and his parents had taken the money. Where could he run? So he forced himself to stay put, lowered his head, and waited for his fate.

The slap he expected never came. Instead, Shen Qing’s voice, despite the bitter cold of the twelfth lunar month, carried a trace of warmth. Lian Ye heard him say, “I heard from Ou Ge’er and Second Aunt Lian that you were pitiful, so my husband took the chance to buy you. But you should know, becoming a concubine in our household is impossible. This is a deed of sale, not a marriage contract. If you’re willing, I can send you to a shop in the county to work. After a few years, if you manage to become a foreman, you can either marry or take your deed of sale and live independently—it’ll be up to you. But if you choose this path, you’ll have to cut ties with your parents completely. If you’re unwilling…”

Shen Qing frowned slightly. If Lian Ye turned out to be someone who didn’t understand his own situation, he would have him stay at Second Aunt Lian’s house for a few days and then find a decent family to send him to—he would have done all he could. The only problem was that staying with Second Aunt Lian might bring her some trouble.

Fortunately, before he could finish speaking, Lian Ye had already burst into tears and knelt before him. “I’m willing! I’ll do whatever you ask! Qing Ge’er, please send me away! Even if you didn’t say it, I don’t want anything to do with them anymore!”

He lifted his sleeves. Despite the harsh winter, he was wearing only a thin jacket, and his fingertips were purple from the cold. But even that paled in comparison to the bruises on his arms—layer upon layer of black-and-blue welts, clearly marks from being beaten with a cane. “Ever since the family split, my mother… whenever she’s upset, she takes it out on me. Even Lian Bao doesn’t get treated as well as before, so he cries all the time. When his crying annoys her, she just beats me instead… I never thought about being a concubine—I just couldn’t take the beatings anymore. No matter where I go, I’ll probably end up dead anyway…” Lian Ye sobbed.

In the past, Wang Shi had thought that having a son made her a great contributor to the Lian family, showing off Lian Bao every chance she got. But when the family split, the old couple followed the second branch and didn’t give her much inheritance. That was when she finally realized that her so-called great contribution was nothing more than her own delusion.

Or rather, when faced with cold, hard silver, having a son meant nothing.

Faced with this massive disappointment, even Lian Bao was no longer as important to her. But since the child had been spoiled rotten by Wang Shi, he would throw endless tantrums when things didn’t go his way. When Wang Shi got fed up with his crying, she took it out on Lian Ye instead.

As Lian Ye sobbed and sniffled, Shen Qing quickly helped him up. When his hand touched Lian Ye’s arm, the boy trembled again.

This was what happened when a family had too many children—there wasn’t even parental love anymore. Even wealthy households didn’t treat their servants this cruelly. Shen Qing sighed and took Lian Ye to the neighboring workshop, where many guests were resting after drinking too much at Lian Ou’s wedding banquet.

Shen Qing scanned the crowd and found Tieshan. “Brother Tieshan, could I trouble you to take Lian Ye to my shop in the city later? Just hand him over to Ruyi and let her arrange a place for him to stay. After two days, he can start working with Mudan and the others.”

Tieshan hiccupped. He wasn’t particularly close to Shen Qing and Lian Ou growing up—after all, they were gers, and boys and gers didn’t usually play together. But they had always been on good terms. At today’s wedding, the merchants from Miaoqian Village had been drinking heavily, and Tieshan and Lian Shi had been helping block the drinks for the groom. His head was still muddled, and his tongue was heavy as he said, “Lea-leave it to me.”

Lian Shi was already passed out nearby, sprawled out in a drunken mess.

Shen Qing: “…” That wasn’t very reassuring.

Just then, a few aunts brought over a pot of hangover soup and started ladling it into the drinkers’ mouths. One of them smiled at Shen Qing. “No rush, Qing Ge’er. There’s still time—let them sleep it off for an hour first.”

Some of the guests had caught wind of the situation and were eyeing Shen Qing and Lian Ye curiously. One of them boldly asked, “Didn’t the nobleman buy Lian Ye…”

Shen Qing shot him a look, and the man immediately shut up.

“Wasn’t it that wretched couple’s doing? What decent family would force their own ger to be a concubine?” Shen Qing said coolly, clearly rebuking Wang Shi and Lian Laoda while also warning others who might have similar schemes. “My husband saw how pitiful Lian Ye was and bought him out of kindness. You see, he didn’t even take him home—he came straight to me.”

Shen Qing dusted off his sleeves. “Not just anyone can step into our household.”

The room fell silent, even the sound of the drunkards snoring seemed to lessen. Shen Qing knew that once this spread, those who had harbored thoughts of taking advantage of the situation would start gossiping. But was he afraid of some idle chatter?

He had already seen through the village’s fickleness. When he built a workshop that benefited the villagers, he was their beloved Qing Ge’er. When he shot Zhao Youwei’s gang in the legs, he became a feared demon. When he handed out porridge on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, he was praised as the benevolent Shen. He had always been Shen Qing—whether his reputation was good or bad depended only on whether people could profit from him.

Of course, those who coveted his husband and couldn’t get what they wanted would badmouth him.

Before long, Lian Lao’er arrived with Wu Guixiang’s mule cart. “No need to wait for Tieshan, Qing Ge’er. I’ll take Lian Ye to the city.”

As they sent Lian Ye away, Shen Qing and Song Kaiji returned to the estate. Song Kaiji took Shen Qing’s hand and, fidgeting slightly, asked, “Just now, in front of the villagers… what did you call me?”

Shen Qing was momentarily stunned.

Song Kaiji circled around him. “Say it again! Say it again~~~ When we first met, you called me Song ge. Now we even have a child, and you’re still calling me Song ge? Don’t you think that’s a bit too much?”

Shen Qing’s face turned a little red. “I’m just… used to it.” Suddenly changing the way he addressed him felt awkward. He only occasionally… in bed, when things got heated, would call Song Kaiji’s full name. Compared to Song Kaiji’s sticky-sweet “Qingqing,” Shen Qing realized he didn’t really have any special nickname for Song Kaiji.

But what was wrong with calling him Song ge? Even Zhao Yu called Lian Shi “Shi ge,” and that was already considered close. Plenty of married couples in the village called each other that. Some even just called their husband “the father of their child.” Was he really supposed to call him “husband” or “darling” all sweet and mushy? That would make the whole village laugh their heads off.

“Oh, now you’re afraid of being laughed at? Weren’t you the one who said you don’t care what the villagers think? But when it comes to me, suddenly you care!” Song Kaiji stood in front of him with his hands on his hips, pretending to be angry. “I don’t care! I don’t care! I want it, I want it!”

Shen Qing had no way to deal with him. Seeing that there was no one around, he could only stand on his toes and give Song Kaiji a quick peck, whispering, “Husband.”

“Hubby~~”

Ah, that was kind of embarrassing.

But Song Kaiji was utterly delighted, as if he had just taken a dose of excitement. His ears turned visibly red, and Shen Qing found it amusing. Acting on impulse, he lightly nibbled on his ear.

Half of Song Kaiji’s body went numb. He suddenly felt like he had endless energy and, in a flash, hoisted Shen Qing onto his shoulder and took off running toward home.

Meanwhile, in the estate, Zhang Sujuan was awkwardly trying to explain to Miao Chunlei. She knew her son well—Song Kaiji wasn’t the type to mess around with other people. Their family had never raised such a child. But why did he have to act so shamelessly in broad daylight?

“Dear in-law, listen to me! Kaiji must have his own reasons—he would never betray Qing Ge’er! If he dares, I’ll be the first to beat him!”

Miao Chunlei took a deep breath. “I know.” If I didn’t know, I would have beaten him myself! But even as his mother-in-law, she was a little upset by Song Kaiji’s behavior!

Just as they were speaking, Song Kaiji came rushing back like the wind, carrying Shen Qing over his shoulder, both of them laughing like silver bells.

And behind them… there was no sign of Lian Ye.

Miao Chunlei and Zhang Sujuan: “…”

Well then. They had worried for nothing. The couple was just fine.

With that, the matter was settled. Ruyi didn’t know the full details, but since her master gave the order, she followed through. She had Lian Ye rest in a residence in the north of the city for two days. When they lifted Lian Ye’s clothing, the maids and young servants were all shocked at the state of his injuries. Ruyi quickly sent someone to fetch a doctor.

Lian Ye became nervous. “These… these are just flesh wounds. It’s nothing, no need to waste money.” Seeing a doctor cost a lot, especially when they had to call one over. He had already cost Shen Qing ten taels of silver and was staying in such a good place with a proper job lined up. He didn’t dare let them spend any more money on him.

“It’s fine. It won’t cost much—we know the doctor well.” Ruyi reassured him. She had someone heat up water and gently cleaned the wounds. The doctor she referred to was the same old physician who had delivered Shen Qing’s child, later staying to deliver Zhao Yu’s child and treat Song Kaiji’s injuries. Over time, they had built a good relationship. They didn’t even need the doctor himself—just one of his apprentices. Since Ruyi and the others ran a fried snack shop, they often got burns and would have these apprentices tend to them for free.

As the maids and young servants looked at Lian Ye’s wounds, some recalled their own pasts.

“I used to get beaten like that at home too,” one murmured. “Old wounds hadn’t even healed before new ones piled on.”

“My parents weren’t watching my little brother, and he fell. My father came out and kicked me, saying I should have been looking after him.” A young maid lifted her pant leg slightly. “I hit a rock that day—there’s still a scar.”

“When I was first sold, I was terrified. If my own parents treated me like that, who knew what kind of life I would have after being sold? But I ended up here and actually have a good life.”

“That’s right.” A maid gently took Lian Ye’s hand, comforting him. “Don’t be afraid. Life here is good. Master never beats anyone. If you make a mistake, Sister Ruyi will scold you a little, but she never hits anyone. Now that you’re here, you’ll never be beaten again.”

Lian Ye sniffled and let out a soft “mm.”

Meanwhile, Wang Shi and Lian Laoda gleefully counted their silver, fantasizing about how Lian Ye’s newfound favor would push Shen Qing out of the picture. But by the time they realized what had happened, Lian Ye had already been gone from the village for days. They were completely dumbfounded when they found out that he hadn’t even set foot inside Shen Qing’s house and had been sent away immediately, let alone been favored by the nobleman.

They tried to storm Shen Qing’s house, but they couldn’t even get through the gate—several strong young men and servants guarded the estate. They thought about going to Miao Hexiang’s house to make a fuss, but what did this have to do with her? Worse still, Lian Ou had returned home to visit, and Old Lady Lian, embarrassed to lose face in front of her grandson-in-law, came out and scolded Lian Laoda and Wang Shi harshly.

“I never thought our Lian family would stoop so low as to sell their own child! Back when Old Lady Shen sold Shen Xiaojian, I spat at her! And now, my own grandson has been sold off!”

Lian Laoda and Wang Shi were ashamed, but they were still unwilling to let it go. They wandered the village aimlessly like headless flies until Wu Guixiang, the village head’s wife, stepped in and gave them a harsh scolding.

“You two sold your child. Do you even know what that means? When the Shen family sold Shen Xiaojian, that meant she belonged to her buyer. She never came back, and they never had the right to ask about her again! You sold Lian Ye to Qing Ge’er’s household, which means Qing Ge’er can do whatever he wants with him—whether that means keeping him, selling him, or even worse! Who do you think you are, trying to meddle in how someone handles their own servant?”

“We didn’t sell him to Shen Qing! We sold him to the nobleman!” Wang Shi stubbornly argued. “The nobleman wanted our Ye Ge’er as a concubine, but Shen Qing got jealous and sent him away! Why can’t we seek justice?”

“Justice?” Wu Guixiang sneered. “Justice is that the nobleman is Qing Ge’er’s husband. They’re a family. That means the nobleman bought a servant for Qing Ge’er’s household. You think just because you say he’s a concubine, it makes it true? Buying a concubine requires a proper contract—do you have one? What you have is a deed of sale for ten taels of silver. If you’re so unhappy, return the ten taels, and I’ll go talk to Qing Ge’er about voiding the contract so you can take him back.”

Wang Shi made a scene for half the day, but no one paid her any mind. Returning the money to take Lian Ye back was out of the question! A ger’s bride price wasn’t as high as a girl’s—five or six taels at best. Not everyone was as fortunate as Lian Ou, who had gotten a bride price of twenty taels.

Between ten taels and five or six, of course, she chose ten.

After this whole ordeal, many people in the village put away their little schemes. Qing Ge’er was not to be trifled with. Even if someone did become a concubine in his household, he could sell them or send them away at will without even consulting their maiden family. What would be the point then?

Meanwhile, Shen Qing and Song Kaiji spent their days peacefully in Lantang Village. When the New Year approached, Shen Qing prepared some gifts and personally took Song Kaiji to visit Magistrate Lin, along with Gold-Tooth to pay respects to the registrar and Clerk Yang.

Song Kaiji accompanied him through two rounds of drinking. He wasn’t much of a drinker before—at most, he’d have some rice wine dumplings or a bit of pineapple beer, barely even touching regular beer. But the alcohol in this era was ridiculously weak. Even after drinking quite a bit, when he stepped outside, his face was only slightly flushed, and he remained completely clear-headed.

Shen Qing cupped his face. “Are you okay?” They had visited Clerk Yang first since they were more familiar with Magistrate Lin and planned to spend more time there in the afternoon, leaving it for last. But showing up at the magistrate’s house drunk would be impolite. “Do you want to get a room at an inn, rest for a bit, have some hangover soup, and then go visit Ning Ge’er’s house?”

Song Kaiji was about to say he was fine, but at the words “get a room,” the lingering effects of the alcohol made his thoughts wander. “Mm… Mm, that sounds good too.”

He leaned into Shen Qing’s shoulder, rubbing against him. “Qingqing, I feel so dizzy.”

Gold-Tooth was still standing nearby. He had arranged the meeting with Clerk Yang and had accompanied Shen Qing. Seeing Song Kaiji’s behavior, he quickly averted his eyes, pretending not to see anything, and promptly cupped his hands to bid farewell. “I won’t accompany you to the magistrate’s house—I have matters at home to attend to, so I’ll take my leave first.”

Shen Qing felt a little embarrassed, but he still held onto Song Kaiji and nodded. “In a few days, I’ll prepare a generous gift and visit your home personally, Brother Jin.”

Gold-Tooth fled as if his feet were greased. Young Master Shen’s husband was actually this kind of person?! Even with Young Master Shen’s imposing physique, he could still act spoiled like this? Truly… truly admirable!

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 181: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Shen Qing watched as Old Lady Wang walked away, a wave of emotions stirring in his heart. The son she had cared for the least now lived a life a thousand times better than hers and never looked back. Meanwhile, she could only continue struggling in the village—likely with even more turmoil at home now that Wang San was gone, as fights over who did more or less work must have escalated. In a way, this was a lesson for her as well.

He pulled Song Kaiji’s hand away and noticed a red mark near the base of his thumb. With a hint of irritation, he scolded, “You just had to make trouble—did you burn yourself?”

Originally, Shen Qing hadn’t planned on helping carry the pot of porridge, but Song Kaiji had insisted on coming along. However, he wasn’t skilled at the work and had ended up burning his hand. Worried he would burn himself again, Shen Qing had taken over the task.

Song Kaiji only grinned foolishly in response. Shen Qing blew gently on his injured hand, and seeing his expression, he didn’t have the heart to keep scolding him. Instead, they walked back to their room hand in hand to apply medicine.

As for Old Lady Wang, Wang San, and all those past events that weren’t so long ago, they seemed to dissipate like the steam rising from the hot porridge, fading into the cold winter air.

Early in the morning, Shen Qing descended the mountain to keep Lian Ou company in his room.

A few other gers, close friends of Lian Ou but not particularly familiar with Shen Qing, were also there. At first, they felt nervous in his presence—after all, Shen Qing had quite the reputation for being formidable, and his battle records spoke for themselves.

However, they were all of similar age, and since it was Lian Ou’s big day, Shen Qing intentionally kept the atmosphere light. Before long, everyone relaxed, and the group fell into cheerful chatter and laughter.

Today, Wu Guixiang had been chosen to act as the All-Blessings Madam—a role reserved for a woman whose parents were still alive, who had both sons and daughters, and a harmonious marriage. To Miao Hexiang, Wu Guixiang’s status as the true leader of the village made her even more enviable, so she insisted that Wu Guixiang be the one to perform the traditional face-cleansing and hair-combing ceremony for Lian Ou.

Wu Guixiang, flattered by the recognition, readily agreed. Now, she was rolling a boiled egg over Lian Ou’s face to cleanse it, followed by using two fine threads to pluck away the soft hairs on his skin.

The effect was immediate—his face appeared whiter and smoother, though mostly due to the absence of fine hair. However, redness quickly spread across Lian Ou’s freshly plucked skin.

The watching gers, including Shen Qing, sucked in their breaths in sympathy. “Ou Ge’er, does it hurt?”

Lian Ou thought for a moment before replying, “Not really, but occasionally, when a hair gets pulled too hard, it stings a bit. But it’s bearable.”

The other gers instinctively cupped their own faces, as if imagining the sensation.

Wu Guixiang glanced at Shen Qing’s face and smirked—his fine hairs were still intact. And yet, he claims to have been married already?

Amused, she teased, “Qing Ge’er, when you hold your wedding banquet in the village, why not have me do this for you, too? Let your mother invite me as the All-Blessings Madam, and I’ll pluck your face as well.”

What was there to be embarrassed about? Even if they held another ceremony, who in the village would dare say anything against it?

Shen Qing froze, his face turning pink despite not having been plucked. “I-I’ll go ask first.”

Just then, Lian Shi carried out several dowry chests and placed them in the courtyard for guests to see—those close to the family would also add gifts to the dowry.

Seeing this, the gers inside grew restless, and Shen Qing quickly took the opportunity to escape outside, eager to change the subject.

Though Miao Hexiang had claimed there wasn’t enough time to prepare a proper dowry, she had still managed to put together quite a bit. Large furniture items hadn’t been custom-made in time, but since Ming He had bought Shen Qing’s former small courtyard at the mountain’s foot, it already came with a heated brick bed, tables, chairs, and cabinets—all of which Shen Qing had left for them.

With just the two of them in the household, they wouldn’t need much more.

Miao Hexiang focused instead on the smaller essentials. She provided pots, bowls, chopsticks, ladles, and even a descendant basin and descendant bucket—symbols of fertility. She also prepared six thick and thin quilts, which was a substantial dowry for a farming family.

What stood out the most, however, were the two bolts of satin, shimmering brilliantly under the sunlight.

The guests and other gers watching couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

“I wish my parents had given me such a generous dowry when I got married.”

“My parents would never buy me satin. My mother isn’t as doting as Second Aunt Lian.”

“Ungrateful brat! Did you even see how much betrothal silver his husband gave? No one in ten villages around here has ever seen a groom pay this much for a ger! If you can find a man who’ll offer that kind of betrothal gift, I’ll gladly give you this much dowry, too!”

“You know, for a former monk, he sure has a lot of money…”

Though there was a slight hint of jealousy in their voices, the general sentiment was one of goodwill and admiration.

The gers also presented their gifts—now that Shen Qing’s workshop had improved everyone’s livelihood, they could afford to give more. Some offered hair ribbons, others embroidered pouches, and one even presented a pair of hand-sewn shoe uppers.

Shen Qing observed everything but refrained from bringing out his own gift, feeling it didn’t quite match the handmade sentiment. Instead, he quietly returned to the room and slipped two heavy silver bracelets onto Lian Ou’s wrists.

Lian Ou gasped, “Qing Ge’er, this is too much!”

“Take them,” Shen Qing said firmly, stopping him from taking them off. “Back when I was giving birth, you and Second Aunt Lian stood guard at my door. No amount of silver bracelets could ever be enough to repay that kindness.”

Lian Ou touched the bracelets on his wrist, his eyes misting slightly as memories of that perilous time resurfaced.

“Don’t cry now,” Wu Guixiang quickly interjected. “You’re about to have your makeup done—if you ruin it with tears, you’ll regret it!”

She had been watching from the side, but she felt no jealousy at all.

Qing Ge’er had always been someone who repaid kindness with kindness, never one to shortchange those who had helped him.

“Wait until after you eat before putting on makeup!”

As she spoke, Lian Rong emerged from the kitchen carrying a bowl of steamed egg custard drizzled with fragrant sesame oil and topped with minced meat. “Second Brother, eat this before getting your makeup done, or it’ll smudge.”

Lian Ou had a long day ahead—wearing wedding attire, going through ceremonies, and barely having time to eat. Soup or watery dishes weren’t practical, so Lian Rong had woken up early to prepare a bowl of steamed egg custard with shrimp skin from the betrothal gifts, making it even more delicious.

Lian Ou lowered his head and ate, while Lian Rong took out a small, red satin pouch embroidered with gold thread—a wedding gift from her to her second brother. Inside, she had wrapped two pastries in oiled paper before tying it to Lian Ou’s waist. “If you get hungry later, eat this!”

Lian Ou smiled warmly and nodded. Dressed in a bright red wedding robe, though not made of satin, the finely trimmed floral edges made it look exceptionally elegant. The delicate pouch added an extra touch of charm.

After finishing the steamed egg, Wu Guixiang prepared to comb Lian Ou’s hair and apply makeup. At that moment, Miao Chunlei arrived, shaking her head at Wu Guixiang’s lack of finesse and stepping in to help style Lian Ou properly.

As she entered, she said, “Xiao Song and your mother-in-law have arrived. They’re sitting next door at the banquet.”

Shen Qing acknowledged her and stepped outside.

The Lian family hosted the midday banquet first. They had good standing in the village, and with Miao Hexiang being from Shiqu Village, many relatives from there had also come to celebrate. Their house wasn’t large enough to accommodate everyone, so they borrowed several neighboring homes to fit everyone.

Since it was midwinter, they couldn’t seat guests outside in the courtyard.

The event sprawled across ten tables, with Shen Qing’s family seated quite close, just next door.

If not for wanting to support Shen Qing and observe the wedding customs of this world, Zhang Sujuan wouldn’t have come down from the mountain. She felt uneasy in this unfamiliar environment. However, no one dared approach her—after all, she was the mother of a nobleman. If Zhang Sujuan was nervous, the villagers were even more so. They kept their distance, sneaking glances at her when they thought she wouldn’t notice.

Zhang Sujuan had dressed elegantly for the occasion, wearing two false hairpieces adorned with several hairpins. She sat there stiffly, staring at the empty table in front of her, her posture straight and reserved. Only when she saw Shen Qing enter did her expression soften into a smile.

“Qingqing!”

“Mother.”

Shen Qing walked over, briefly squeezing Song Kaiji’s hand before sitting beside Zhang Sujuan. Seeing her staring at the table, he asked, “Mother, are you hungry? The banquet will start soon.”

“…No,” Zhang Sujuan said quietly. “It’s just that people keep looking at me. I don’t know where to look, and I’m afraid I’ll accidentally make eye contact with someone. It’s awkward.”

Shen Qing couldn’t help but chuckle. He reassured her, “Everyone here is a close friend of the Lian family, and most of them have good relations with me as well. Let me introduce you.”

Scanning the room, his eyes landed on someone. “This is Aunt Yan. She was good friends with my mother. Back when I was struggling, she used to secretly give me food. Now, her son, Brother Tieshan, works as a constable at the magistrate’s office. He’s done quite well for himself.”

Aunt Yan laughed. “Not at all! It was only thanks to Qing Ge’er’s help that he landed that position.”

They exchanged a few words, but the conversation remained somewhat awkward, with both sides unsure of what to say. Finding an excuse, Aunt Yan slipped outside and immediately began whispering to others.

“Qing Ge’er’s mother-in-law is so dignified. You can tell at a glance she’s from a wealthy family. Even the way she speaks is different from us.”

“Exactly! When Qing Ge’er wanted to introduce me, I got so nervous. I didn’t know what to do with my hands and feet in front of such a noblewoman!”

“But she seems kind and treats Qing Ge’er well.”

“Of course, she’s nice to us—because of Qing Ge’er. If not for him, would a noble lady ever talk to villagers like us?”

The group muttered amongst themselves, but Zhang Sujuan’s goal had been achieved—everyone in the village now understood that Qing Ge’er’s mother-in-law was a refined and affluent woman, but more importantly, she cherished Qing Ge’er deeply. She was even willing to engage with common villagers for his sake!

Dishes began arriving one after another when the main branch of the Lian family finally showed up.

As the closest relatives, they should have arrived early to help, but after the bitter family split, relations had grown cold. If not for the fact that it would have been disgraceful for immediate family to skip the wedding, Miao Hexiang wouldn’t have invited them at all.

Even so, showing up right when the banquet was starting was inappropriate.

The moment Wang shi arrived, she wandered straight to the courtyard to inspect the dowry.

Lian Rong kept a sharp eye on her, worried she might pocket something—after all, Wang shi wasn’t above such behavior.

However, with so many guests watching today, Wang shi restrained herself. Instead, she merely observed and scoffed, “A ger getting married with such a lavish dowry—more than what some people give their own sons.”

She was referring to Lian Laoda, but no one paid her any attention.

Wang shi fumed silently. At first, she had been gleeful, thinking Lian Ou was being hastily married off to a monk. But who would have thought that the monk was not only rich but also valued Lian Ou immensely?

At first, there had been gossip in the village, but the moment the betrothal gifts arrived, all that remained was admiration and envy.

Seeing that no one was engaging with her, Wang shi sulked back to her seat.

The banquet tables were adorned with two cold appetizers—salted duck eggs and preserved century eggs on one plate, and a mix of gluten, dried tofu, shredded chicken, and meat aspic on another.

Next came two vegetarian dishes that were, in fact, flavored with meat: braised tofu with scallions and pork slices, and stir-fried vermicelli with celery and dried shrimp. The dried seafood had come from the betrothal gifts—just a small amount, but enough to show how generous the groom was. What other ger’s betrothal gifts included such rare items? Most families simply bought some pastries from town!

The main courses were four extravagant dishes.

A whole braised pork shank in rock sugar glaze.

Stewed pork trotters with “Immortal Chicken.”

A large red-braised carp.

A massive pot of sauerkraut and pork ribs with blood sausage.

Just these four dishes alone had the villagers praising the Lian family’s wealth. Even after splitting from the main branch, they were thriving!

Listening to all the compliments, Wang shi felt even worse.

Lian Laoda gave her a nudge. “Just behave yourself, will you? Haven’t you caused enough trouble?”

Wang shi sulked. She knew that if she wanted an easier life, she had to lower her pride and curry favor with Miao Hexiang and Shen Qing. But how could she stomach it?

She should have been better than Miao Hexiang in every way…

And it was all because of Shen Qing. His constant favoritism toward the second branch had allowed them to surpass her!

Wang shi’s eyes darted around until they landed on Shen Qing, sitting at another table with his strikingly handsome husband and his elegant mother-in-law.

The villagers were happily eating, singing Lian family’s praises, as if the main branch had ceased to exist.

Then someone joked, “Eat as much as you can now! Tonight, the groom might only serve vegetarian dishes!”

More laughter erupted.

“He’s already renounced monkhood and taken a fulang—of course he eats meat!”

As the meal wound down, the groom arrived to escort the bride.

A group of gers gathered around the beautifully adorned Lian Ou, who, with his makeup on, looked indistinguishable from a stunning young woman.

Seeing him, Ming He could only giggle sheepishly, his face flushed bright red.

Amidst the lively chaos, Lian Ou was finally lifted into the sedan chair, and before long, they arrived at his new home.

Initially, they had assumed that since the groom was an orphan with no family to help manage the wedding, the gathering would be small. However, the number of guests was just as large as at the Lian household. The neighboring workshop had even lent space for additional seating. Many young monks from the temple had snuck out, and most of the attendees were merchants from Miaoqian Village—people who had good relations with Ming He and knew Lian Ou. They had all come to celebrate and even helped with the wedding arrangements.

A group of gers accompanied Lian Ou to his new home, but Miao Hexiang and her husband could not follow. They simply stood at their doorway, watching from afar.

Shen Qing also put down his chopsticks. “I’ll go with them. Once you’ve finished eating, you and mother can head back first.”

Song Kaiji nodded. Their family was close to the Lians, but they didn’t know Ming He well. It made sense for Shen Qing to accompany Lian Ou, but bringing their whole family to the groom’s feast would be inconvenient. Miao Chunlei also stayed behind.

Song Kaiji planned to escort their mothers home after the meal, then return later to pick up Shen Qing.

However, after the banquet, Miao Hexiang couldn’t shake her unease—her son had just gotten married, and she already missed him. She pulled Miao Chunlei aside and chatted for a long while.

By the time they finally left the Lian house, quite some time had passed.

Just as they stepped outside, a young ger came stumbling toward them, shivering as if heading toward his doom. With his eyes squeezed shut, he ran straight at Song Kaiji.

Song Kaiji: “……”

Did this person think he was blind?

Song Kaiji merely shifted slightly to the side, and since the ger had been running blindly, he missed his target entirely and ran right past him.

Song Kaiji: “……”

Miao Chunlei: “……”

Zhang Sujuan: “……”

Wang shi, unable to contain herself any longer, rushed over and grabbed the young ger, pointing at Song Kaiji with trembling hands. “Someone help! In broad daylight, he’s taking advantage of an innocent ger!”

Miao Chunlei felt an instant rush of fury. “Wang Shi, are you insane? Open your damn eyes and see—did my son-in-law even touch him?”

If she had a knife in her hand right now, she would’ve slashed Wang shi on the spot!

Miao Hexiang also stormed out of the house. She had already been in a bad mood, and now Wang shi was asking for trouble.

But Wang shi wasn’t willing to give up so easily. Song Kaiji rarely came to the village alone without Shen Qing by his side. She had made up her mind, and she wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip away.

She forcefully shook Lian Ye several times, making him lift his head.

Wasn’t this nobleman rumored to have a peculiar taste, preferring ugly gers? Well, her Lian Ye wasn’t exactly good-looking either!

To her surprise, Song Kaiji actually paused when he saw Lian Ye’s face, deep in thought.

Meanwhile, the Miao sisters were furiously cursing at Wang shi, ready to tear her apart.

But before the fight could escalate further, Song Kaiji suddenly said, “I know what you’re trying to do.” His tone was calm and indifferent. “Just so we’re clear—he never touched me, and there were plenty of witnesses.”

“Let’s make a deal,” he continued casually. “Ten taels of silver, and I’ll buy this ger from you. Then we can drop the matter.”

Wang shi had been acting out of desperation, but hearing that Song Kaiji was actually willing to buy Lian Ye, she was ecstatic.

She knew it! This nobleman really liked ugly gers!

She automatically assumed that Song Kaiji wanted Lian Ye for that kind of purpose.

Miao Chunlei hesitated, her anger momentarily halted by confusion. She turned to look at Song Kaiji, her emotions battling within her. In the end, she remained silent.

Miao Hexiang, however, did not. She immediately lunged at Wang shi and slapped her twice across the face. “Do you have any shame?! Throwing your own ger at someone to be a concubine?!”

Wang shi had originally planned to negotiate the price, but after getting slapped, her temper flared, overpowering her reason. “And what if I am? The nobleman likes our Lian Ye—what’s it to you? You’re just jealous!”

Miao Hexiang shot a murderous glare at Song Kaiji but didn’t dare raise a hand against him.

Wang shi smirked in triumph. Song Kaiji raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. Instead, he scanned the crowd and spotted Zhao Youdang. “Village Chief, would you mind drafting a contract?”

Wang shi suddenly felt that something was off. She hesitated and mumbled, “Shouldn’t there be a formal ceremony? At least a sedan chair to pick him up…”

She was already picturing a future where Lian Ye became favored, and their family would rise in status, surpassing even the second branch of the Lian family.

Song Kaiji, now visibly impatient, simply said, “Then forget it.”

“Sell! Sell! We’ll sell him to you right now!” Wang shi panicked. An opportunity like this wouldn’t come twice!

Song Kaiji glanced at Lian Laoda, who had remained silent throughout the ordeal. “You have no objections?”

After a long pause, Lian Laoda finally nodded.

Miao Hexiang launched into another furious tirade, this time directed at Lian Laoda. They truly were a perfect match—both utterly shameless!

Song Kaiji leaned toward Zhao Youdang and whispered a few words. Zhao Youdang nodded and fetched a brush and paper, quickly drafting the contract.

Neither Lian Laoda nor Wang shi could read, but since it was written by the village chief, they didn’t question it. Happily, they both pressed their thumbprints on the paper. Lian Ye was also forced to sign.

Song Kaiji retrieved ten taels of silver from his sleeve and tossed it to Wang shi before dusting off the contract. “From now on, this ger has nothing to do with the Lian family.”

Wang shi wasn’t entirely satisfied with that wording—how could he have nothing to do with them? His maiden family would always be the Lians! If he gained favor with the nobleman, he would naturally have to take care of his parents and siblings.

But before she could argue, Lian Laoda subtly tugged at her sleeve.

No point in upsetting the nobleman now.

Once Lian Ye gained favor and secured the nobleman’s heart, then they would reap the benefits.

At that time, Shen Qing, that ugly ger, and Miao Hexiang, that wretched woman, would get what was coming to them!

Meanwhile…

By the time Shen Qing emerged from the small courtyard—now the Ming family residence—he was met with an unexpected sight.

Song Kaiji was waiting outside, standing beside a shivering Lian Ye.

Shen Qing: ?

Frowning, he turned to Song Kaiji. “What’s this?”

Song Kaiji beamed and ran up to him like an eager puppy. “Qingqing! You told Lian Ou last time that he was pitiful because he couldn’t escape his parents’ control, right? Well, I bought him!”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 180: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

It wasn’t until Shen Qing and Song Kaiji hastily dressed Zhang Sujuan in ancient clothing and carried her near the estate that she started to feel a sense of reality.

The buildings before her were the kind she had only seen in television dramas and historical towns—gray bricks, black tiles, arranged in an orderly manner. The archway at the entrance exuded an air of antiquity and solemnity. A young ger, around sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed in traditional short robes, stepped out from a side door, carrying a bucket of wastewater to dump.

When he looked up and saw Shen Qing, his face lit up with joy. “Master is back!”

He called into the courtyard, and immediately, two young men brought out a simple sedan chair, preparing to transfer Zhang Sujuan off of Song Kaiji’s back.

Feeling incredibly awkward, Zhang Sujuan quickly protested, “No, no, it’s just a few steps. I can walk on my own…” Being carried around? In modern times, that was simply unacceptable!

Meanwhile, Shen Qing glanced back at the path they had taken. When he first built the estate, he hadn’t known that others wouldn’t be able to see the cave entrance, so he had deliberately placed some distance between the cave and the estate to prevent servants from wandering in by accident. The cave was about a ten-minute walk from the estate, and they had to climb down from a banyan tree to reach it. Since Zhang Sujuan had a bad leg, Song Kaiji had carried her.

In the future, it would be best to construct a proper path and stairs to make the journey easier. He had bought the entire East Mountain area, and the villagers of Lantang had grown accustomed to staying away from this side.

Since Zhang Sujuan refused to sit in the sedan chair, the young ger quickly handed the bucket of wastewater to the two other men and attentively helped her inside.

Miao Chunlei had already received word and came out to greet them with Quan Jie in her arms. She beamed warmly. “Ah, this must be my in-law! We finally meet!”

Zhang Sujuan’s gaze immediately fell on the baby in her arms.

She looked just like Song Kaiji when he was a child!

There was no doubt about it—this was her son’s biological child. The feeling of unreality surged within her again, but even more than that, she felt overwhelming joy and excitement.

She had long come to terms with the idea that Song Kaiji and Shen Qing wouldn’t have children, and while she had always said that her son’s happiness was what mattered most, deep down, there had been a tinge of regret. But now, seeing Quan Jie, even that last trace of regret vanished completely.

“Oh my goodness, in-law, let me see my precious granddaughter!”

The two mothers immediately became absorbed in fussing over Quan Jie, and any initial awkwardness between them quickly faded. Neither of them were difficult people to get along with, and even if they struggled to find other topics to talk about, Quan Jie alone was enough to keep the conversation going endlessly.

“I only found out today—I’m already a grandmother.” Zhang Sujuan’s eyes welled up with tears.

Since the apocalypse, she had lost more and more of her family, leaving her with only Song Kaiji. Quan Jie’s birth wasn’t just the continuation of her bloodline—it was a newfound hope for the future.

Her granddaughter.

Zhang Sujuan gently stroked Quan Jie’s chubby face, feeling a pang of sorrow. Old Li had never gotten the chance to see his granddaughter before he passed. What she didn’t know was that, in some mysterious way, Li Aiguo’s lingering will had once saved both Shen Qing and this very child.

Miao Chunlei had long prepared a room for Zhang Sujuan in the third courtyard. She moved into the east wing, while Miao Chunlei shifted to the west. Every piece of furniture and decoration had been meticulously arranged.

That first night, afraid that Zhang Sujuan wouldn’t adjust well, Song Kaiji stayed with her, chatting for a long time.

“I finally understand why Qingqing had so many secrets he wouldn’t tell you at first,” Zhang Sujuan sighed. She had been here for almost a day, yet she still felt completely overwhelmed. If she had been in Shen Qing’s position, she would have been just as cautious, if not more.

But now, Shen Qing had shared everything with Song Kaiji, even given him a child, and had brought her here.

Holding Song Kaiji’s hand, she earnestly advised, “I was wrong before. Qingqing treats you wholeheartedly, and you must treat him well in return.”

“Mom, my love for Qingqing has nothing to do with how he treats me,” Song Kaiji said with a tender smile. “I love him, so I treat him well. Even if he didn’t love me as much, I would still love him the same—because that’s my choice.”

Zhang Sujuan was left speechless at the sheer amount of affection she was witnessing.

She knew her advice was unnecessary—it was just something she felt she had to say. It was obvious that her son’s heart belonged entirely to Shen Qing.

“…Well, in that case, I suppose you should spoil Qingqing even more.” And she meant that in a very public way—so that everyone could see it.

“I wasn’t here before, and Qingqing suffered a lot of grievances.”

Song Kaiji then told her about the rumors in the village—how people had gossiped about Shen Qing being pregnant out of wedlock.

Zhang Sujuan immediately understood.

An unmarried woman suddenly becoming pregnant—no, wait, an unmarried man—no, a ger… Zhang Sujuan still wasn’t fully comfortable with the concept of gers, much less the idea of a man giving birth.

Regardless, the situation must have been awful! In ancient times, such gossip would be just as vicious as it had been back in the 1980s—enough to drown someone in public scorn. Zhang Sujuan had grown up in a village herself; she knew exactly how cruel those rumors must have been.

“That’s right. You need to give Qingqing face in front of others—to show that our family values him. Otherwise, when Quan Jie grows up, people will look down on her just the same.”

“Who would dare?” Song Kaiji scoffed. “Qingqing is incredibly capable here.”

Despite his confidence, they still agreed that Zhang Sujuan would make an appearance at Lian Ou’s wedding to publicly support Shen Qing.

Mother and son talked late into the night before Song Kaiji finally returned to their room.

Inside, the candles burned brightly, and Shen Qing was sitting at the table, picking through a few pieces of jewelry. When he saw Song Kaiji, he waved him over.

“Come help me choose a gift for Ou Ge’er’s wedding.”

There weren’t many families in the village he was particularly close to, and Lian Ou was now a genuine friend. But if he gave something too extravagant, it might be inappropriate.

Song Kaiji took it seriously, even rummaging through his own spatial storage for more options. His choices, however, earned him several judgmental looks from Shen Qing.

“…Forget it, forget it. Stop messing with me. Your taste is awful. Just go to bed.”

“My taste is great!” Song Kaiji protested, wrapping his arms around Shen Qing and refusing to let go. “If my taste was bad, would I have chosen you? My vision is exceptional.”

Shen Qing couldn’t help but laugh.

In the end, after sifting through countless options, he picked out a pair of heavy silver bracelets. “Let’s go with these. Second Aunt Lian is still worried that the monk won’t treat Ou Ge’er well. If anything happens, at least Ou Ge’er can sell these for money.”

Second Aunt Lian’s concerns were understandable—the wedding had been arranged hastily, squeezing everything into a short period. The betrothal gifts arrived on the fifth of the twelfth month, with the wedding scheduled for the ninth.

But when the gifts arrived, the entire village turned out to watch.

Because the betrothal gifts were too extravagant!

Two men carried heavy loads, full of tea leaves, sesame, dried seafood, and seasonal fruits. There were six rolls of fine cotton fabric and two large jars of quality wine.

By tradition, the groom’s mother or senior relative was supposed to present the bride with a decorative hairpin. Since Ming He had been abandoned at a monastery as a child, he had no family, so he begged the abbot from Miaoqian Village’s temple to take his place.

The old abbot, his face flushed red, was clearly uncomfortable. He never expected that after all these years as a monk, he would be dragged into something like this. But this was a child he had raised, someone who had done so much for the temple.

In the end, the abbot gave in.

He sat at the place of honor, looking rather reluctant, while Lian Ou knelt at his feet.

The villagers burst into laughter at the sight—then gasped in shock.

The abbot pulled out a hairpin from his sleeve.

A gold hairpin!

It was a small phoenix design, with a pearl delicately nestled in its beak. Though modest, it was far beyond what rural folks were used to seeing.

Judging by the size, it had to weigh at least two taels.

One tael of gold was worth ten taels of silver—meaning the hairpin alone was worth twenty taels.

And in the betrothal gifts, Ming He had also included twenty taels of silver, wrapped in red cloth.

Just this one event had already cost them at least fifty taels of silver.

When Miao Hexiang saw the golden hairpin, her expression finally softened, this time genuinely. Not to mention, the old abbot personally inserted the hairpin into Lian Ou’s temple hair, his voice calm yet firm as he said, “Although Ming He has left my temple and is no longer a man of Buddhism, I raised him, gave him his surname, and today he has asked me to officiate his marriage and recognize me as an elder. If he ever treats you poorly, just come to the temple and tell me.”

Lian Ou’s face turned as red as blood, but he endured his embarrassment and nodded in agreement.

Miao Hexiang, too, let out a deep sigh of relief. Later, she told Lian Ou, “It’s not that I look down on him for being a monk who returned to secular life. But first, he’s much older than you, and I worried that he might deceive you with his life experience. Secondly, he’s an orphan with no family or roots. If he mistreated you, your father and I wouldn’t even have anyone to seek justice from.”

Marriages in the village were usually arranged within the local area, precisely so that families knew each other well. If a marriage turned sour, at least the bride’s family knew where to go to settle the matter. But this monk had no roots—if he just walked away one day, who could they turn to?

Now that the old abbot had made a promise, Miao Hexiang felt reassured. If Ming He ever wronged her son, she would have no hesitation in turning the whole Miaoqian Village upside down.

Lian Ou rested his head on his mother’s lap. “Mother, I know you’re only thinking of me. But Hui Ming—no, Brother Ming—I know he truly cares for me.”

After that day in the woods when they confessed their feelings, Ming He had told him that he had liked Lian Ou for a long time. But knowing that he was older and a monk, he had always felt unworthy and had kept his distance, only secretly escorting Lian Ou and Lian Rong home from afar. It was only after Wang shi’s nephew had bullied Lian Ou, tarnishing his reputation and making it difficult for him to find a good marriage, that Ming He finally considered leaving monastic life.

And of course, the rumor about Qing Ge’er’s husband being a former monk had given him the final push.

Miao Hexiang stroked Lian Ou’s hair. “From the betrothal gifts he sent, your father and I will keep the food items to eat, but as for the silver and jewelry, we won’t take a single coin—you’ll take them with you. I’ll keep two rolls of fine cloth for your two nephews’ clothing and exchange two rolls of satin to add to your dowry.”

She then turned around, opened a storage chest, and took out a small box containing loose silver coins and two silver promissory notes. After counting, she divided the money into three portions and handed Lian Ou one share.

“This was all too rushed, and we didn’t have time to prepare a proper dowry. Take this silver as your dowry. If you find yourself lacking anything after marriage, use this money to buy it. But don’t spend too much—Ming He has no roots in the village, so you both need to be frugal and invest in farmland instead.”

Lian Ou’s eyes welled up with tears. He knew his mother had been against the marriage for his sake. “Mother, don’t worry. I will live a good life. Brother Ming told me that since he has no family, he will treat you and Father as his own parents and take care of you both with me.”

Even though she had claimed the dowry was hastily prepared, Miao Hexiang still decorated the house with plenty of red silk and paper, making the home festive.

Ever since the upheaval in Lantang Village following Shen Qing’s childbirth, when many people were taken away by the authorities, the village had been shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere. But with Lian Ou’s wedding, the village finally regained some vitality.

A marriage was always a joyous occasion.

The First Year of Quan Jie’s Life

With a child of his own, Shen Qing had grown softer and even a bit superstitious. Wanting to accumulate good fortune for his daughter, he donated a few taels of silver to distribute Laba porridge on Laba Festival, both in town and beneath the archway bearing his name.

In Anping County, porridge was distributed near the Blooming Sausage Shop, available to both beggars and townsfolk. Near the archway, it was meant for the poor in the surrounding villages—so long as they weren’t bringing entire buckets, anyone with a bowl or a small pot was served to the brim.

The households in Lantang Village that had grudges with Shen Qing were, of course, excluded. But poor folks from the neighboring villages were full of praise for him. Some even traveled from farther villages, like Xiaoji Village and Xiahe Village, arriving in groups to receive the porridge.

As soon as one large pot was emptied, another fresh batch was brought out. When there was a delay, people even formed an orderly line to wait.

It was during this time that someone whispered, “Hey, isn’t that Old Woman Wang from Xiaji Village? How does she have the nerve to come and take porridge from the Benevolent Shen?”

“She can’t even feed her family—why would she care about dignity? The question is whether the Benevolent Shen will actually give her any.”

“He will, probably. The Benevolent Shen is kindhearted. Even that Widow Li, his former stepmother, came by earlier, and she still got her share. He’s not a stingy person.”

“Shh! Watch your words. Former stepmother? the Benevolent Shen doesn’t even acknowledge her. She’s just another villager from Lantang now.”

Old Woman Wang kept her head down, hearing every word around her. She was terrified that Shen Qing would recognize her and refuse to give her porridge.

Ever since Wang San left, her household had been struggling. Her four sons, after being punished with beatings, couldn’t work in the fields, and everyone they had wronged before took the chance to get revenge.

Spring planting had been delayed, the harvest was poor, and they were now on the verge of starvation.

Meanwhile, Shen Qing’s life only seemed to get better. He had once planned to start a chicken farm in their village to supply fried chicken to Shiqu Village, but that plan had quietly disappeared. The village chief, fearing that their family’s bad reputation had angered Shen Qing, nearly expelled them from the village entirely.

Old Woman Wang was truly afraid now. She no longer resented Shen Qing—she didn’t dare. Looking at the archway bestowed by the county magistrate, at the well-dressed maids distributing porridge, at the noble husband who was said to be far superior to her own sons… her heart was filled with bitterness.

They were simply not on the same level anymore. Even dreaming of clinging to his coattails was delusional.

After a while, Shen Qing helped two young gers carry out another large pot of porridge. It was made of eight ingredients—white rice, glutinous rice, millet, red dates, red beans, black beans, chestnuts, and peanuts. There were no extravagant ingredients like lotus seeds, longan, or snow fungus, but the porridge was thick, hearty, and cooked to perfection, its sweet aroma drifting several meters away.

People eagerly gathered, offering blessings as they received their share.

Behind Shen Qing stood a strikingly handsome man who fussed over him constantly—wiping his sweat one moment, massaging his shoulders the next. The villagers couldn’t help but stare in amazement.

Someone whispered into Shen Qing’s ear, and he glanced briefly in Old Woman Wang’s direction.

Her heart sank.

Their household was at rock bottom, surviving on nothing but turnips and cabbage. The last bit of grain had been set aside for the New Year.

But when her turn came, Shen Qing said nothing. He didn’t even look in her direction. Instead, he stood with his husband, chatting intimately.

The maid ladling the porridge, her cheeks flushed from the cold, filled Old Woman Wang’s pot with two generous scoops.

Carefully carrying the porridge home, she knew that in this freezing weather, the thick porridge could be portioned and stretched for days by adding water.

Maybe it was the cold wind, but her nose suddenly stung, and tears rolled down her face, falling into the porridge.

Meanwhile, Back at the Estate

“Our Qingqing really is the Benevolent Shen,” Song Kaiji teased as he snuggled against him.

Shen Qing flushed, a little embarrassed by the nickname. These villagers truly had no reservations about saying the most saccharine things. He was just trying to accumulate blessings for his daughter. It wouldn’t feel right to distribute porridge while picking and choosing who deserved it.

Besides, he had once met Wang San before…

By now, Shen Qing’s business had begun expanding toward the provincial capital.

After getting familiar with Shen Qing and Lin Ning, the Jie siblings had approached him with a request—to advance their wages and ask Magistrate Lin for help in redeeming their relatives.

Some of their family members had been sold elsewhere, their whereabouts unknown, but two of their sisters had been taken to the Jiaofang Division in the provincial capital.

If they had not yet officially entered the division, there might still have been a chance to intervene—just as the chief registrar had previously intercepted their group and handed them over to Gold-Tooth.

But once their names were registered in the Jiaofang Division, they became government courtesans, and redemption was nearly impossible. A county magistrate like Lin had no authority to interfere at that level.

Still, he was able to arrange a meeting between the Jie siblings and their sisters inside the division. The reunion was heartbreaking, with the family embracing and weeping together.

Seeing this, Shen Qing and Lin Ning felt a pang of sympathy. They discreetly gifted the brothel madam a few valuable items in exchange for ensuring that the Jie sisters were assigned clean, respectable work.

One thing led to another, and unexpectedly, a new business opportunity arose.

Was this not a case of good deeds bringing good fortune?

Back in the post-apocalyptic world, Shen Qing funded several skilled hair ornament artisans. They crafted ronghua (velvet flowers) and jizhu (beaded hairpins), which were both exquisite and affordable.

To no surprise, the women of the Jiaofang Division adored them.

Thus, Shen Qing established a trade channel, allowing the Jie siblings to supply the brothel with accessories. It gave them a reason to see their sisters regularly, and through the Jiaofang Division, Shen Qing also gained business connections with flower houses (high-end courtesan establishments) in Anping County and several neighboring counties.

Now, the Jie sisters no longer had to serve guests at; they only assisted the madams in purchasing jewelry for the brothel. This was only possible because Shen Qing had spent silver and gifted the madams presents to secure them this easier job.

It was at a brothel in the provincial capital that Shen Qing encountered Wang San.

Wang San was delivering wine, dressed in a clean, brand-new set of coarse cloth clothing without a single patch. A woman from the brothel, seemingly his lover, came out to see him off, whispering a few intimate words before heading back inside.

The moment Wang San spotted Shen Qing, his entire body tensed up. He quickly grabbed Shen Qing and pulled him away from the brothel, taking him to a teahouse across the street. “What are you doing in a place like this?”

Shen Qing smiled at him. “I’m delivering goods, too.”

Wang San stared at him for a moment before his tense posture suddenly relaxed.

Back when he first ran away from home, he had once fantasized about making something of himself, earning money, and returning to marry Shen Qing—he had been somewhat obsessed with that idea.

But seeing Shen Qing again today, Wang San suddenly realized it wasn’t about wanting to marry Shen Qing. He had treated Shen Qing as a sort of mental anchor. If a ger could be so brave and build a life for himself, then he, too, could learn from him and carve out a better future.

And now, his life had improved.

He had arrived in the provincial capital with just a bit of silver, starting as a laborer carrying heavy loads and making deliveries. Because he was hardworking and dependable, he eventually caught the eye of the owner of a wine shop, who hired him as a shop assistant to handle deliveries. Now, he never had to worry about food or drink, had saved some money, and could even afford to visit a brothel to see his lover.

Seeing Shen Qing again at this moment, Wang San understood—marrying Shen Qing no longer mattered to him. He realized that he preferred women, like the one he had met in the brothel.

And besides—Shen Qing had told him long ago that he was never interested in him in the first place. Wang San had been the one clinging to a self-imposed obsession.

But now, he was finally at peace with it.

He sincerely thanked Shen Qing. “I really should thank you. If not for what you said back then—” Wang San chuckled, knowing those words hadn’t been kind. “If you hadn’t woken me up, I’d still be stuck in that muddy pit of a life. I’d never have made it to where I am today.”

Shen Qing shook his head. “That was all you. You have a good life now because you were willing to work for it. I didn’t help you at all.”

For some reason, every time Shen Qing saw people like Lian Ou, Ruyi, Li Jiaofeng, and Wang San breaking free from their past struggles and moving toward a better life, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

They exchanged a few more words, but since they had never been close to begin with, there wasn’t much to say.

Before parting, Shen Qing said, “You live in the provincial capital, so it’s easier for you to move around. There are two sisters in that brothel with the surname Jie. If there’s ever anything small you can do to help them, I’d appreciate it.”

Wang San straightened, looking at Shen Qing seriously before giving him a slight bow. “Don’t worry. I’ll remember this.”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 179: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Shen Qing and Song Kaiji’s expressions immediately darkened.

When it came to Shao Nan, if they had ever considered him a friend, that would have been too naive—giving themselves too much credit. Shao Nan was a key figure in the military, highly valued with limitless potential. They, on the other hand, were just a privately operated ability-user squad with some money, hoping to gain some protection in the base by aligning with the military.

At the very least, though, they had been cooperative partners, right? From their very first encounter, it was Shao Nan and his team who had sought Shen Qing’s squad for help in entering the hospital. Later, they handed over seeds, taught them the metal cage strategy—Shen Qing’s team hadn’t just sat around waiting for military protection; they had contributed a great deal.

And what did the military do in return? Not only did they fail to uphold their end of the bargain and offer protection, but when the research institute tried to capture Shen Qing, they even got involved. Shen Qing understood that Shao Nan might have had his hands tied—he was just a middle-ranking officer, not someone with decision-making power in the military. Orders from above were beyond his control. It was understandable that he chose to follow the military’s directives over siding with them.

But from that moment on, Shen Qing and the others had no reason to treat him kindly.

Besides, their new base was still under construction, and they didn’t want to be discovered by Red City Base so soon.

“What is he here to talk about?” Shen Qing asked.

Sensing the coldness in his tone, Yu Le shrank her neck and shook her head. “Sister Weiwei and Sister Jiaqian didn’t say. They were waiting for you two to make the decision.”

Shen Qing and Song Kaiji headed upstairs. The entire second floor was an office space, with a suite converted into a meeting room. Qu Weiwei and Chen Jiaqian were casually chatting while examining a few bottles and jars, paying little attention to Shao Nan. He sat awkwardly on the couch, and when he spotted Shen Qing and Song Kaiji approaching, his eyes immediately lit up.

He had been here several times, waiting for an opportunity to talk, but Shen Qing and Song Kaiji had been absent. Chen Jiaqian had only given him vague responses, saying she couldn’t make decisions—which was true. But Red City Base couldn’t afford to wait any longer, and Shao Nan was growing desperate.

He quickly stood up and took two steps forward but hesitated when he saw the unfriendly expressions on Shen Qing and Song Kaiji’s faces. Awkwardly, he stopped in his tracks and said, “I’ve come several times. Finally, I’ve caught you.”

This time, Shao Nan wasn’t just here for cooperation—he was here seeking help.

The arrival of the special envoy from the capital had completely changed the power dynamics in Red City Base. The military and the government had always been secretly struggling for control, not just in Red City Base but in other bases and even in the capital itself.

For the capital, it was naturally preferable if the bases below were controlled by their own people. That way, they could maintain influence and support them accordingly.

Previously, the government faction in Red City Base had controlled the food supply, using it to suppress the military. That arrangement suited the leadership in the capital just fine. But now, things had changed.

The military had set up its own farms outside of Red City Base. After exposing the corruption in the Third Farm, they had eliminated several mid-to-high-ranking officials in the government faction, seized control of the Third Farm and half of the research institute, and gained significant leverage.

Moreover, the success of the metal cage strategy had earned the military recognition across multiple bases, giving them an edge over the government faction.

Seeing this shift in power, the capital had sent a special envoy to intervene.

They weren’t just here to deliver supplies and connect the network system—they were here to quietly tip the scales. At first, they were subtle, merely excluding the military from discussions and issuing orders without consultation. But now, their intentions were clear: they couldn’t control the military with food anymore, but there was still salt, sugar, medicine, and gasoline—things the military couldn’t produce on its own.

The military frequently needed fuel for its missions. They also rescued survivors from the city, but many couldn’t afford the entrance fee, leaving them stranded in refugee camps outside the base. As the camp grew, so did the burden on the base, and occasional conflicts arose among the refugees. This had long been a source of contention between the military and the government, but now the government had found an excuse to restrict the military’s fuel supply. Their argument? It had been over a year since the apocalypse—there were hardly any survivors left in the city. The military didn’t need to keep sending teams in; instead, they should focus on clearing zombies around the base, making expansion easier and increasing security.

Of course, while rescuing survivors, the military also collected supplies from the city—one of their primary sources of income. The fuel shortage was a massive blow to them, not to mention the scarcity of salt, which was essential for survival.

That said, the government wasn’t looking to completely sever ties with the military. The base’s security still depended on them. However, the people in power needed to establish hierarchy—they wanted the military to return to its previous role as a subordinate force, taking orders rather than acting independently.

But the military had no intention of going back. They had tolerated the government’s actions, even made concessions on several issues, because they believed humanity’s survival in the apocalypse should take precedence over internal struggles. But now, even the military’s higher-ups had reached their limit.

“I know you have salt,” Shao Nan said. He wasn’t sure how Shen Qing had acquired it—whether through a trade with the Lan Province Base, by scavenging, or if the rumors were true and Shen Qing really had access to another world.

He had been aware of this small base for a while but had kept it secret. It had been running for several months, rapidly growing from a few hundred people to over seven thousand. For comparison, even with both government and military backing, Red City Base had only around ninety thousand registered residents—not counting the refugees outside the walls.

Song Kaiji and his team had frequently traded for fuel, diesel, generators, solar panels, and weapons on the black market—but never for food or salt.

“If you’re willing to supply us with salt and sugar, then once this is over… Chen Jiaqian will be the highest-ranking officer at the research institute. She will have full control over its direction, and Lu Yanghui’s fate will be entirely in your hands. Moreover, on behalf of the military, I can promise you that no one will ever investigate your secrets again.”

The military had never fully supported the operation to capture Shen Qing.

If Shen Qing had originally belonged to this world and carried an innate zombie virus antibody, then forcing him to cooperate with research—while inhumane—could be justified as a means to end the apocalypse and save humanity. It would have been a temptation hard to resist.

But it had already been proven that Shen Qing had no such antibodies. Capturing him wouldn’t contribute anything to vaccine development. The only reason left was to uncover his other secrets.

And even if Shen Qing truly was from another world, what exactly would capturing him achieve? What did they intend to do if they reached the other world? Would they simply trade for supplies?

The military did not support this.

A hundred years ago, their country had been invaded. Even if there was no outright invasion now, what if large numbers of people fled to another world to escape? Who could guarantee they wouldn’t bring the zombie virus with them?

Even with strict entrance screenings at the base, there were still cases where people with extremely long incubation periods slipped through the cracks. If even one infected individual reached the other world… it would be dragging an entire world into hell.

Chen Jiaqian hesitated. Before coming to this base, she had very much wanted to lead the research institute. But now, she suddenly realized she didn’t want to leave this small base at all.

It was still the apocalypse, yet the atmosphere here was completely different from Red City Base. Everyone worked hard, but outside of that, there was no sense of constant impending doom. People were exhausted, but it was a secure exhaustion.

She felt it, too.

She was about to refuse, but Shen Qing spoke first. “You think too highly of yourselves.”

Shao Nan was stunned.

“Lu Yanghui is someone we were planning to kill anyway. We don’t need your military’s charity to do it. And as you can see, we have our own base now—we don’t necessarily need to return to Red City Base. The positions you’re offering us hold no appeal.

“Salt is incredibly valuable in the apocalypse. And for the price of one Lu Yanghui and one research institute, you expect me to provide you with salt, without offering anything in return?

“Besides, your credibility with me is already nonexistent. Why would I fall for the same trap twice?”

Before Shao Nan could respond, Shen Qing continued, “I can sell you salt. But don’t talk about cooperation—this is a pure transaction. Cash for goods. The military isn’t completely out of bargaining chips, is it?”

“As for Red City Base… if you want to overthrow the government while we want Lu Yanghui dead, we can coordinate our actions. But that’s just mutual benefit—it doesn’t mean we’re allies.”

Despite his composed demeanor, Shen Qing’s palms were already sweating.

He wasn’t a native of this world. He didn’t fully understand how the military operated here. And even if he had known, this was the apocalypse—who could say if the military still followed the same principles as before?

Could anyone guarantee it?

Logically, agreeing to the deal was the safest option. The military had over eleven thousand soldiers, more than half of whom were ability users, including many high-ranking ones. They were Red City Base’s primary force.

Now that his own base had been exposed, if they turned hostile, the military could easily mobilize these eleven thousand troops to crush them and take over their base. Shen Qing’s seven thousand people included many elderly, weak, and disabled individuals. They wouldn’t stand a chance.

Of course, they could retreat to Lantang Village—but they couldn’t bring everyone with them. The base they had painstakingly built would be lost.

For now, they had to agree. But Shen Qing planned to use Shao Nan’s guilt and his own resources to negotiate for the best possible terms.

Shao Nan felt a hint of unease but still asked, “What do you want in return?”

Shen Qing looked at him. “Weapons.”

The military might be lacking in other supplies, but from the beginning of the apocalypse, they had established their own arms factory within Red City Base.

Shen Qing’s team primarily relied on abilities for combat, using crossbows as support, but their supply of firearms—especially bullets—was severely limited. Abilities might be enough to deal with zombies, but against other humans? Not necessarily.

Right now, Shen Qing’s team had around ten machine guns, six sniper rifles, twenty-something assault rifles, fifty handguns, about two thousand bullets, and a crate each of grenades and explosives. It seemed like a lot, but with a base population of seven thousand, it was nowhere near enough.

Originally, Shen Qing had planned to eventually take over Red City Base, but he hadn’t intended to act so soon. Given their current situation, that goal was still at least a year or two away—his newly recruited low-level ability users still needed time to grow.

But now, the military was offering him an opportunity.

Instead of rushing to take over Red City Base, Shen Qing thought, why not use this chance to strengthen his own base? Build it up to rival Red City Base first.

“I can provide you with salt on a long-term basis,” Shen Qing said. “Sugar too. Even grain, if we negotiate. But you need to supply me with equivalent-value weapons. And you must promise peaceful relations with my base—no conflicts.”

Shao Nan hesitated. He didn’t have the authority to make that decision.

His superiors were shrewd—they preferred to dangle empty promises. If they could lure Shen Qing back to Red City Base and recruit him into the military, then promotions and raises would keep him in line. Once he was part of the system, would there even be a need to split resources?

But now that Shen Qing refused to be used by them, if they had to offer real compensation, Shao Nan wasn’t sure if his superiors would agree. “I… I’ll have to report back and discuss it with my higher-ups.”

He said this, but Shen Qing could see the hesitation on his face—most likely, the answer would be no.

Shen Qing didn’t expose him and simply said, “If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t matter. It’s not like I have to establish my base here. If we really can’t work together, we’ll just kill Lu Yanghui and leave everyone here behind. We’ll go to Lan Province, to Chi City, to places where no one knows my past—”

Shao Nan didn’t know that Shen Qing’s cave entrance was right next to Red City Base.

Shao Nan shuddered, finally realizing that they had no real leverage in these negotiations. It was the military that desperately needed salt. And Red City Base wasn’t the only base in the world. As for this base—were these “Shen Qing’s people”? No, they were just ordinary Chinese citizens. They were people the military should have been protecting!

The military hadn’t been able to resist the government’s influence, forcing many civilians to live outside the city in refugee camps. Now, Shen Qing had taken in some of these people, given them food and shelter—was the military really thinking of using these people as leverage against him?

Shen Qing had no obligation to them!

The military hadn’t been able to eliminate the city’s entry fees, but Shen Qing was already doing it!

Shao Nan wiped his face and said, “I understand. I’ll do my best to make this deal happen.”

Shen Qing and Song Kaiji stayed the night at the new base.

They were in a suite of a four-star hotel. Shen Qing had never stayed in such a well-decorated place before. Compared to the plain apartments and villas they had rented at Red City Base, this was a completely different experience. The huge round bed, the luxurious bathtub, the floor-length mirrors, the colorful mood lighting—everything was new and exciting!

Song Kaiji watched him bounce on the big round bed and suddenly felt a secret thrill—there was something exciting about staying in a fancy hotel. He hesitantly crawled over.

“I kind of miss Quan Jie,” Shen Qing murmured, wrapping his arms around Song Kaiji’s neck and watching the crystal chandelier sway above them. “Do you think Shao Nan will agree to my terms?”

Song Kaiji thought for a moment. “Probably. But I bet they’ll try to shortchange us—give us low-quality goods at a discount.”

Shen Qing had lost trust in the military, but in truth, the military had also lost trust in him. Even if they had been the ones to betray him first, they would never hand over large amounts of weapons to someone they were no longer on good terms with. Shen Qing was wary of them, and they were equally wary of him. They wouldn’t let him grow beyond their control.

Shen Qing nodded and sighed. “If only the cave entrance could be moved, I wouldn’t even bother staying in Red City. Let them fight amongst themselves. When they realize they can’t handle things, they’ll come crawling back to me.”

As he spoke, he suddenly sat up.

Song Kaiji had been lazily leaning against him, enjoying the moment, and almost got pushed off the bed. “What’s wrong?”

“Did you notice how he looked at Weiwei?” Shen Qing asked.

A cold glint flashed in Song Kaiji’s eyes. “Not a chance. He can keep dreaming. Weiwei may seem carefree, but she holds grudges. Just look at how she handled the Third Farm.”

Especially in an apocalypse, where survival was harsh—if you wanted to win someone’s heart, you had to genuinely prove yourself. Shao Nan had been completely ruled out the moment he sided against them.

Besides, Weiwei was beautiful, strong, and had high-level abilities. Of course, many people would be interested in her. “Plenty of people look at Weiwei that way,” Song Kaiji added.

Shen Qing lay back down, unsure whether he wanted them to end up together or not. He sighed, “Love is such a complicated thing.”

Song Kaiji laughed and pinned him down on the bed. “You should focus more on your own love life.”

The Next Morning

Shao Nan returned bright and early, dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn’t slept all night. This time, he brought someone with him—a spatial ability user.

Shao Nan gestured for his companion to take out some sample goods. “Our leaders agreed, but since this is the first trade, we can only offer this much for now.”

He stated a number and the amount of salt he was asking for. Chen Jiaqian didn’t even need to calculate—she immediately recognized that they were offering only about 70% of the market price.

Just as Song Kaiji had predicted, they were stingy.

The guns they provided were outdated models. They were still functional, but it was hard to feel satisfied with the deal.

Yet Shen Qing didn’t say anything—he simply agreed without hesitation.

Shao Nan quietly exhaled in relief. He knew the price was unfair and had been afraid Shen Qing would refuse to cooperate. Their team had already been rationing salt, using only half the usual amount in cooking. The shortage was severe, but for some reason, his superiors insisted on playing hardball.

Luckily, Shen Qing didn’t make a fuss about it.

After discussing some final details and setting a date for action, Shao Nan left. Shen Qing and Song Kaiji prepared to take Zhang Sujuan back to Lantang Village.

Zhang Sujuan was confused about why her son was taking her somewhere. Qu Weiwei and Tang Wenjie were also curious—running off by themselves was one thing, but why bring his mother along?

Only Chen Jiaqian seemed to realize what was happening. Shen Qing had likely found a way to bring Song Kaiji—and now Zhang Sujuan—through the cave.

But she didn’t pry further.

Since arriving at the new base, she had noticed a stark difference. It was a tiny settlement, lacking in resources, nowhere near as developed as Red City Base. But despite this, her family’s standard of living had improved drastically.

Why had she and her husband fought so hard to climb the ranks? Just to ensure their child had enough to eat.

But with Shen Qing, there was no need to struggle like that, and they still had a good life.

She had never refused the idea of following Shen Qing—it was just that he hadn’t given her the opportunity before. Qu Weiwei and Tang Wenjie had been living comfortably for a long time, and she had envied them.

It wasn’t until she had been imprisoned and tortured at the research institute—steadfastly refusing to betray Shen Qing—that she finally earned a place by his side.

Should she blame him for not accepting her earlier? Their first meeting hadn’t been pleasant. Shen Qing had a sharp eye for people, and back then, she had indeed harbored selfish thoughts—she had even secretly peered into his memories. That was something naïve fools like Qu Weiwei and Tang Wenjie would never do.

Shen Qing had judged her correctly. If she had a harder time than Weiwei, it was no one’s fault but her own.

This was the price of being too clever.

But now, she had finally earned her place. She had lost her career in Red City Base and even risked her family’s safety to prove her loyalty. She wouldn’t take it for granted. She wouldn’t make the same mistake as Shao Nan—once trust was broken, it was nearly impossible to mend.

As long as she followed Shen Qing, she would be fine. She didn’t need to steal supplies from the other world—Shen Qing would bring them over himself.

Shen Qing and Song Kaiji arrived at the cave with Zhang Sujuan. As expected, she could see the cave entrance right away.

She peeked inside curiously. “What is this place? Why bring me here? What’s with all the secrecy?”

Shen Qing and Song Kaiji led her inside and finally told her the truth.

“Mom, Qingqing isn’t from this world. This cave leads to his world. We’re taking you there to live.”

Shen Qing pulled out a set of ancient-style clothing.

Zhang Sujuan froze. Wait, the research institute’s suspicions had been correct?

Thanks to those earlier rumors, she wasn’t too shocked. But Song Kaiji’s next words left her completely stunned.

“Qingqing’s world is ancient. That’s why you need to change into these clothes. We live in a village, but our house is a large estate up in the mountains. You won’t have to interact with the villagers if you don’t want to.”

“There are servants at home. Later, we plan to bring Weiwei and Wenjie over too, along with Aunt Tang, so you’ll have company. Qingqing’s mother is already there, and…”

Song Kaiji took a deep breath, his smile widening uncontrollably.

“This world has three genders—men, women, and gers. Qingqing is a ger. The reason he was gone for months… was because he was hiding here to give birth. To my child.”

“We have a daughter named Quan Jie. She’s your biological granddaughter, and she’s absolutely adorable! You’ll see her soon.”

Zhang Sujuan, who had initially been surprised but somewhat intrigued, gradually fell into complete shock.

What the hell? A child? Shen Qing gave birth to one?

A man… giving birth???

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 178: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Getting a household registration these days isn’t actually difficult, especially since Wu Guixiang has become the actual chief of Lantang Village. Whatever requests Shen Qing makes, Wu Guixiang wouldn’t refuse. The imperial court also welcomes registering more people—many families, in order to reduce their head tax, even underreport their children when they have too many. At that time, casually registering a vagrant as a settled resident wouldn’t even be a concern.

But the kind of household registration Shen Qing wanted was different. Especially since, to participate in the imperial examinations, one’s lineage had to be traced back three generations—father, grandfather, their places of origin, and occupations all had to be clearly recorded. If an ancestor had committed crimes or had been an actor, monk, Taoist priest, beggar, or government clerk, they wouldn’t qualify for the exams. Even if Wu Guixiang helped register a household record, it would only classify them as vagrants. However, Shen Qing hoped that in the future, Song Kaiji could obtain an official title—not necessarily to become an official, but at least to pass the entrance exams and earn a scholar’s title, gaining some respectability. That way, their lives would be smoother, and they could avoid many troubles.

It all depended on whether Magistrate Lin was willing to help.

That night, when Song Kaiji came over, Shen Qing brought up the matter with him. Song Kaiji had studied for over ten years, yet even after surviving the apocalypse and arriving in another world, he still had to start over by learning traditional characters. His expression immediately turned bitter, but seeing the expectation in Shen Qing’s eyes and the soft, fragrant, chubby baby girl in his arms, his sense of duty as a husband and father surged: “I’ll study! I’ll take the exams! I must!”

He didn’t have to become an official. Given his modern mindset, being an official was dangerous—having been raised in an egalitarian society, who knew if he might accidentally say something inappropriate in this feudal system? The bureaucracy was full of scheming people! Especially since his household record had to be forged. If he truly became an official and someone investigated his background, both he and Magistrate Lin, who handled his registration, would be in serious trouble. But holding a scholarly title, gaining the status of a gentry member, and earning some respect from others—that was worth considering.

Their family had too many secrets and wasn’t suited for drawing too much attention. It was better to quietly amass wealth in a small place. “If Magistrate Lin refuses, we’ll bribe him heavily.” Based on Shen Qing’s descriptions, Song Kaiji had a rough understanding of Magistrate Lin’s personality—he had the arrogance of a scholar and disliked receiving money and material bribes.

But everyone had something they loved. The key was to give gifts that aligned with his preferences. Magistrate Lin clearly valued political achievements. “He was already delighted with some improved grain seeds and modified crossbows. If we offer him the methods for gunpowder, cement, or steel refining, wouldn’t he have a clear path to promotion? And wouldn’t that ensure he helps us?”

After staying in the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain for only two or three days, they moved the whole family to their estate in East Mountain. The house had simply become too cramped. There were only two main rooms, without even a side chamber. Before Song Kaiji arrived, Shen Qing and Haitang shared a room—Shen Qing and the baby slept on the bed, while Haitang slept on a nearby couch. If Quan Jie’er cried for food at night, Haitang could help care for her.

Miao Chunlei shared a room with Xique, who handled all the household chores, including washing clothes and diapers. When Song Kaiji arrived, it was no longer appropriate for Haitang to stay in the western room, so she had to find a temporary place in the nearby workshop. But with so many people coming and going, it wasn’t safe or convenient for a young ger to stay there.

Now, Shen Qing and Song Kaiji shared the western room with Quan Jie’er, but caring for the baby at night made any intimacy between them difficult.

The estate in East Mountain was much more spacious. Gold-Tooth had overseen its construction with great care, using high-quality bricks, tiles, and wood. It was a three-courtyard residence with a wide garden, built against the mountain—a good omen, according to Gold-Tooth.

When digging a well, they even uncovered a small natural spring. Though it wasn’t a hot spring, it created a living water pond in the garden, adding both aesthetic appeal and convenience.

It was only then that the villagers learned that the East Mountain estate actually belonged to Qing Ge’er’s family. It turned out that the mysterious noble who bought East Mountain was Qing Ge’er’s husband? Some even speculated that the estate had always belonged to Qing Ge’er. After all, hadn’t the county magistrate personally rewarded him with a memorial archway after the wolf hunt? Regardless of ownership, now that they were a married couple, the estate was theirs.

Many villagers, even those who had no past grudges with Shen Qing, were still struggling to process it. They had watched Qing Ge’er grow up—his appearance was far from attractive, barely distinguishable from a man. In their village, which wasn’t short on brides, no family had been willing to marry Qing Ge’er. Even after he became wealthy, those who took interest in him only cared about his money, not him as a person. Who would’ve thought that a wealthy noble would have such picky tastes?

On moving day, many villagers came to watch the commotion and help out, only to be utterly stunned. Qing Ge’er’s husband never took his eyes off him, staring at him with such intensity that it sent shivers down people’s spines. Who would’ve thought a man could look at Shen Qing that way? And he treated their daughter like a treasure, holding her tightly in his arms. In the village, men typically valued grandsons over sons and rarely doted on daughters. Who had ever seen a father so attached to a baby girl?

What was even more shocking—this man wasn’t just keeping Qing Ge’er as a concubine or an informal partner. He openly declared that he would formally marry Shen Qing as his legal spouse, and they would hold a wedding feast in a few days!

The villagers gossiping weren’t necessarily ill-intentioned toward Shen Qing; they were just completely bewildered. This went against everything they had known since birth.

Some who prided themselves on being well-informed, having listened to storytellers in town, scoffed, “You lot are ignorant. The wealthier people are, the more extravagant their tastes. Some rich men don’t like women or gers—they prefer men! Strange, isn’t it?”

The gossipers gasped. What? A man liking another man? The men present instinctively glanced at their friends beside them, then quickly averted their eyes. The thought of kissing or touching another man made their skin crawl.

“How could anyone do that?”

The well-informed man chuckled, “You just don’t understand. Some rich men are exclusively into this! What’s it called? The love of Long Yang? You all say Qing Ge’er looks like a man—he’s taller and stronger than many of the young men in the village, and he can even have children. Isn’t that like striking gold for someone with such tastes?”

After hearing this explanation, the villagers, though still shaken by the idea of two men being together, finally understood why the noble took a liking to Qing Ge’er. Even those who had once considered scheming against Shen Qing dismissed the thought—after all, if that noble was only into this kind of thing, their families didn’t have any gers who looked like men!

After moving into the East Mountain estate, Shen Qing brought in some servants from town to live in the first courtyard, ensuring security and handling household chores. He and Song Kaiji lived in the second courtyard with Quan Jie’er, while Miao Chunlei stayed in the last courtyard. At night, Shen Qing could even have the maids take Quan Jie’er to another room to sleep, finally giving him and Song Kaiji some privacy.

As for the small courtyard at the mountain’s base, Shen Qing originally planned to renovate it into a school. However, Lian Ou hesitantly approached him.

Behind Lian Ou stood a figure wrapped tightly in a hooded cloak, face completely hidden. Shen Qing curiously observed them for a while before asking, “Why do you want to buy that courtyard?”

Lian Ou now supplied Shen Qing’s shop in the county and sold some imperfect products at village markets, earning quite a bit of money. Under Shen Qing’s guidance, he even recruited a few skilled village girls and young gers to help with basic weaving, allowing him to refine their work with secondary processing, saving both time and effort while increasing profits. He could certainly afford to buy the courtyard. But with the Lian family having just built a new house, why would he want another one?

Lian Ou nodded, then shook his head. “Not me, it’s… it’s…” He stepped aside to reveal the person behind him.

Shen Qing was a little curious. That small courtyard at the foot of the mountain wasn’t particularly good—barely had two rooms and was in a remote location. If he and Miao Chunlei hadn’t been hurriedly driven out by the old Shen family back then, they would have rather spent a little money through the village chief to buy land and build a house to their liking. Why insist on buying an existing house? Was there some urgent need?

Lian Ou’s face turned even redder, but after sneaking a glance at Shen Qing and hearing Song Kaiji coaxing the child outside, he thought about Qing Ge’er’s personality and felt that his own matter probably wouldn’t even be a big deal in Qing Ge’er’s eyes. So, enduring his embarrassment, he said, “Hui Ming and I… no, Brother Ming and I have already convinced my mother. He’s left Miaoqian Village, and it’s not convenient for him to return to the temple. My family also can’t take him in. He has nowhere to stay, and besides… we want to settle things before the new year. Building a house now would be too rushed.”

The monk Hui Ming removed his hood, revealing a head covered in a short layer of fuzz.

Shen Qing: ????

Lian Ou glossed over the matter with a few words, but only he knew the difficulties involved. When Hui Ming left the temple, the abbot didn’t make things difficult for him—there was no talk of breaking his legs or anything like that. Hui Ming himself didn’t even know which village he had come from. Some family, unable to afford too many children, had abandoned him at the temple gate. Of the young monks in the temple, eight out of ten had a similar origin.

They had grown up in the temple out of necessity, not out of true devotion to Buddhism—they simply had no choice. So when Hui Ming wanted to leave monastic life, he had an honest conversation with his master, and the abbot, being an understanding man, allowed him to go.

Moreover, the marketplace in Miaoqian Village had been entirely established by Hui Ming. He was a capable person, having come up with various ideas even as a ten-year-old. He had no other choice but to be resourceful—the temple was too poor, the incense offerings sparse, and even having enough to eat was a challenge. Yet, as just a half-grown boy, he had managed to turn the struggling temple into the center of a thriving market. Every vendor had to pay a stall fee to the temple.

Thanks to Hui Ming, the temple had been able to improve its living conditions. The abbot, in gratitude, allowed him to continue managing the market even after leaving the monastery, splitting the earnings evenly with the temple. He also granted him the surname “Ming,” so he no longer had to use his monastic name, Hui Ming.

Hui Ming chose to call himself Ming He—“He” sounding like “lotus,” subtly matching Lian Ou’s name.

That was exactly why Miao Hexiang was so displeased! Her ger, Ou Ge’er, was only seventeen, in the prime of his youth, yet this monk was already twenty-six or twenty-seven—practically an old man! Who would’ve thought that a monk, instead of following monastic discipline, would use his years to secretly seduce her son? But Lian Ou was dead set on being with him, and this ex-monk even took out a great sum of money to prove his sincerity, swearing that he would ensure Lian Ou lived a good life.

The standoff lasted for quite some time. Lian Ou lost a significant amount of weight before Miao Hexiang finally, though unwillingly, agreed to the marriage.

A ger marrying an ex-monk—this was bound to be the talk of the village. And what made it even more sensational was that this wasn’t an arranged marriage; it was a love match. Shen Qing never expected Lian Ou, who had always been so well-behaved, to do something like this. But he was genuinely happy for him—being able to choose one’s own partner, even if it was considered unconventional, was something to celebrate. Without hesitation, he agreed to sell the small courtyard to Lian Ou and Ming He, practically giving it away.

That good mood lasted well into the evening, even making Shen Qing’s steps a little lighter. Song Kaiji found it amusing. “Why are you so happy? Just because someone else found their soulmate?”

“I never imagined I could live a life like this,” Shen Qing replied. In the past, marriages in the village were always arranged by parents—finding someone “suitable” was all that mattered. No one talked about love, and even mentioning it felt embarrassing. Shen Qing himself had always been pessimistic about love, especially after witnessing Shen Zhigao’s betrayal. Seeing Lian Shi and Yu Ge’er had only reinforced his doubts.

But after choosing Song Kaiji for himself, he had come to understand just how wonderful it was to love and be loved in return. Naturally, he wanted the same happiness for his friends and other gers, hoping they could all find someone who truly cherished them.

Love was love. They had the freedom to love, the confidence to embrace it, and the security of a future to rely on.

He kissed Song Kaiji lightly on the lips, his eyes bright with joy. “It’s really wonderful.”

Song Kaiji, caught off guard, blushed down to the roots of his ears. With Quan Jie being taken care of by the maids in another room, it was just the two of them alone in their quarters. The candlelight flickered, and Song Kaiji tentatively slid his hand inside Shen Qing’s clothes. “You… you’re feeling better now, right?”

Shen Qing gave a low hum of agreement and pulled at Song Kaiji’s belt.

On the second day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhao Yu finally went into labor. This was his second child, and the birth was smooth—after just two hours, he delivered a healthy baby boy. Miao Hexiang, ecstatic, couldn’t stop grinning. Her bad mood from dealing with Lian Ou’s marriage had finally lifted as she cradled the newborn, reluctant to let go.

“I’m not one to favor sons over daughters. My Ou Ge’er and Rong Jie’er are both stronger than most of the village boys put together. But still, not having a son in the family always felt unsettling.” She also hadn’t forgotten how Wang shi had been running her mouth outside, saying Zhao Yu’s round belly was a clear sign he was carrying a daughter and that he wasn’t destined to bear sons. The second branch had fought so hard to split from the main family, but without a son, they’d eventually have to pass their inheritance back to the main branch.

The villagers all knew Wang shi was spewing nonsense out of jealousy, but hearing such talk still stung. “Let her see for herself! If she was hoping for our downfall, she can keep dreaming! She coddled her son Lian Bao like a treasure, but even now, he still stumbles when he talks and walks. Who can’t give birth to sons? My Yu Ge’er can just as well!”

Miao Chunlei inwardly agreed. Qing Ge’er didn’t care about whether a child was a boy or a girl, but how many in the village could compare to Qing Ge’er’s capability? Most people still had to live by the old traditions. If Zhao Yu hadn’t given birth to a son, then in the future, Rong Jie’er might have had to bring in a husband to continue the family line. Otherwise, if the lineage truly ended, the main branch really might try to shamelessly claim the inheritance. Such things were common in rural areas.

After discussing the newborn for a while, the conversation turned back to Lian Ou’s wedding. At the mention of it, Miao Hexiang’s face soured as if someone owed her a fortune. Reluctantly, she said, “The monk’s master picked a date—twelfth month, ninth day, right after Laba Festival.”

Wu Guixiang looked at her expression and tried to console her. “Since you’ve already agreed, don’t look so sour. If your new son-in-law sees it, it might upset him and strain their relationship.”

“He wouldn’t dare!” Miao Hexiang huffed but then deflated. It wasn’t the monk part that bothered her—if he had been a fresh-faced eighteen-year-old, she wouldn’t have minded. But Ming He was almost ten years older than Lian Ou! Miao Hexiang herself wasn’t even forty yet, meaning she was barely ten years older than that monk!

Not to mention, he was a seasoned figure in charge of a major market. He was far more scheming than Lian Ou. Miao Hexiang couldn’t shake the feeling that this old man had swindled her naive ger.

Still, he had shown sincerity—offering a large betrothal gift, immediately buying a house, and pledging to let Lian Ou control their finances.

She glanced at Miao Chunlei, her resentment easing. If Ming He turned out to be a bad man, they wouldn’t be afraid—Lian Ou had skills and a strong family to back him up. If needed, they could just divorce!

And with that thought, Miao Hexiang couldn’t help but smile. Life really was different now—who would have dared take such risks with a ger’s marriage in the past? It was all thanks to Qing Ge’er.

Since they were talking about weddings, they couldn’t avoid mentioning Shen Qing’s.

Miao Hexiang nudged Miao Chunlei. “Qing Ge’er’s husband is back now, and his injuries have mostly healed. Young people have strong bodies—before, he looked like a bloody mess, but now you can’t even tell. When are they holding their ceremony? I think they should hurry up.”

Even though there was no one else around, she still lowered her voice slightly and pursed her lips. “There are some shameless ones in the village eyeing your son-in-law. He’s handsome, rich—just the other day, Wang Liuzi’s wife was egging on her in-laws, trying to sell Wang Liuzi’s younger sister to your son-in-law.”

Miao Chunlei was speechless. “They want to sell their daughter, fine, but why are they fixated on our family? Just because they decided to sell her, does that mean my son-in-law has to take her?”

Miao Hexiang clapped her hands together. “Exactly.” At the end of the day, these people still looked down on Shen Qing. Deep down, they believed Qing Ge’er shouldn’t be living such a good life, that he wasn’t worthy of such a nobleman. If Qing Ge’er could do it, then surely their daughter was more than capable. Even though Shen Qing had already far surpassed them, they still clung to their outdated views, trapped in the past.

Miao Chunlei sneered and didn’t take it to heart. She had seen clearly what kind of person Song Kaiji was—his heart was completely tied to their Qing Ge’er, and he never spared a glance at anyone else. The way they acted as a couple was enough to make Miao Chunlei’s teeth ache from sweetness. Not to mention, the maids in their household—each one was more attractive than Wang Liuzi’s sister. Yet, Song Kaiji never so much as glanced at them. He was a true gentleman, unlike those pathetic men in the village who practically glued their eyes to any pretty girl or ger they saw.

She casually said, “Probably after the New Year. My son-in-law said he wants to bring his mother over first. How can they have a proper wedding without the elder present? Maybe they’ll even hold it together with Quan Jie’s hundred-day celebration. There’s still some time.”

At this moment, Shen Qing and Song Kaiji were indeed preparing to make a trip to the post-apocalyptic world to bring Zhang Sujuan over.

This time, Song Kaiji brought blood samples from Zhang Sujuan, Qu Weiwei, and Tang Wenjie. These three were people they absolutely trusted. The only other person was Mother Tang. Their plan was to bring Zhang Sujuan over before the New Year so they could have a proper family reunion and let her meet Quan Jie—Zhang Sujuan still didn’t know about the existence of the other world. Song Kaiji was extremely tight-lipped; since he had promised Shen Qing he wouldn’t say anything, he was waiting for Shen Qing to tell Zhang Sujuan himself.

Naturally, she also had no idea about Quan Jie.

After the New Year, they would gradually introduce the existence of the other world to Tang Wenjie and Qu Weiwei. If they could accept it well, they would first bring Mother Tang over to live here, minimizing any vulnerabilities in the post-apocalyptic world. The only thing they were hesitant about was Tang Wenjie’s relationship with Qi Zhan.

“I can’t even imagine how happy my mom will be when she sees Quan Jie,” Song Kaiji said, full of anticipation. Back when he gave the jade pendant space to Shen Qing, Zhang Sujuan had been a little reluctant, but in the end, she couldn’t argue against him. Now, with a safe environment and a chubby granddaughter, how could she possibly feel like she lost out? She’d be absolutely over the moon!

Shen Qing poured Zhang Sujuan’s blood onto the large blue stone. The stone showed no reaction, making Shen Qing uncertain about whether their hypothesis was correct. “Let’s go. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get back. We might even make it in time for Second Aunt Lian’s grandson’s three-day bath ceremony.”

This time, when they returned, they exited the cave, and Song Kaiji first teleported Shen Qing to the highway before driving toward the new base. The closer they got, the better the road conditions and the fewer zombies they saw. Shen Qing even spotted several teams in metal cages nearby, systematically hunting zombies.

Through careful planning and numerous trials, they had established an efficient system for zombie hunting. The new base encouraged ordinary people to join hunting squads to extract crystal cores. A few ability users would attack in waves while teams of ordinary people quickly retrieved the cores, significantly improving efficiency.

Along the roadside, spatial ability users regularly collected zombie corpses and transported them far away for incineration. The closer they got to the base, the cleaner and more organized it became. Even the faint stench of rotting flesh had nearly vanished.

It was completely different from Red City Base.

There was also no massive refugee camp stretching for miles outside the new base. Within a two-kilometer radius, not a single zombie was in sight. Plant ability users strolled through the fields like pre-apocalyptic farmers, accelerating crop growth. Near the city gate, groups of ordinary people and earth ability users worked together to reinforce and expand the city walls.

It looked just like the civilized world Shen Qing had seen in pre-apocalyptic videos. Their base was far better than Red City Base—this realization only strengthened Shen Qing’s determination to take over Red City Base.

As Song Kaiji drove through the base, many people paused to watch, some even enthusiastically greeting him. Some newcomers, unfamiliar with Shen Qing, curiously asked others about his identity.

When Song Kaiji pulled into the parking lot, he noticed a vaguely familiar yet unfamiliar car nearby. He glanced around and saw Yu Le discussing plans for new housing construction with a group of people. The base’s population had grown rapidly, now exceeding seven thousand people, with about two thousand ability users. The rest were family members and a small number of skilled non-ability fighters proficient with crossbows and firearms. The original two hotels were already overcrowded, even with ten people crammed into each room, so they were planning to construct additional apartment buildings.

Yu Le’s eyes lit up when she saw Shen Qing. It had been a long time since they last met, and as an old employee, she knew that Shen Qing was the real boss behind the scenes. “Little Boss Shen!”

Song Kaiji pointed at the unfamiliar car. “Whose car is that? Did an outsider enter the base?”

“It’s Shao Nan,” Yu Le said. “He’s been coming here a lot lately—always alone. Right now, he’s upstairs talking with Weiwei and Jiaqian.”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦