Author Archives: Thandar

Ch 31: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Shen Qing thought carefully—his family needed a legitimate business, one that wouldn’t appear too sudden or abrupt. It would be best to start small and gradually expand, allowing those around them to slowly accept their growing wealth.

The human heart was the most unpredictable thing. When one was poor, people’s sympathy and help were genuine. But if one became rich overnight, envy and jealousy would follow, not to mention the many troubles that could arise later.

As for what kind of business to pursue, Shen Qing had gained a lot of knowledge from his time in both the post-apocalyptic world and the county town. He now had plenty of ideas.

First, food was a necessity in any era, and the food business was always viable—as long as one had good skills. If capital was limited, he could do as he had discussed with Miao Xing and Miao Wang: make mantou and stuffed buns to sell at the docks. With hard work and high volume, he could earn a decent sum.

If he had more capital, he could set up a street stall or even rent a small shop. Even in the apocalypse, people were selling street food—tiny storefronts selling tofu pudding, fried tofu, and bean curd sheets; pushcarts selling coarse grain pancakes or savory pancakes. No matter how dire the times, there were always rich people willing to spend. These stalls had plenty of customers, proving the saying: “A skilled craftsman never starves.”

Then, there was the option of looking at his own resources. Many post-apocalyptic shops sold random items, operating more like scavengers under the names of ability-user teams. Like Song Kaiji’s small stall, whatever they found on missions, they would sell. Such businesses often weren’t very profitable, but that wasn’t an issue for Shen Qing—his goal wasn’t to make money but to “launder” it. Even if the business barely broke even or ran at a slight loss, it didn’t matter. He just needed a cover, a way to justify using the wealth he obtained from the apocalypse. As long as he claimed he was making money, who would dare to check his books?

The advantage of this type of business was that he could sell whatever he had, without worrying about sourcing inventory. Right now, what he had the most of was gold, silver, and various jewelry. However, he knew nothing about these items, nor did he have a trustworthy and knowledgeable person to run the shop. That’s why he had been frequenting the Ruyi Pavilion in town—to secretly learn.

Besides, explaining his supply chain would be difficult. While jewelry could be a future option, for now, it wasn’t ideal as his primary business.

Then, there were things readily available in the apocalypse but absent in his world—or rather, things monopolized in his world but easy to obtain in the apocalypse.

This category was vast. In ancient times, skills were livelihoods, kept secret to prevent competition. The more people knew, the more the profits were divided—hence the saying: “Teach a student, starve the master.” Market resources were limited, so craftsmen guarded their trade secrets fiercely.

This secrecy extended from carpentry and textile dyeing to cooking recipes and paper-cutting designs. Every craft could be monetized and passed down as a family trade.

Even accepting apprentices was a strict process. A student had to serve as a servant for years—hauling water, chopping wood, caring for children, even cleaning latrines—before learning anything valuable. And if an apprentice had the misfortune of being under a stingy master, they might never be taught real skills. Many gave up after years of hardship, making all their suffering pointless. Learning a trade was as arduous as a daughter-in-law enduring years to become the head of the household.

Modern times were different. With tutorials, online courses, books, and social media, once-secret crafts were now widely shared. Although the apocalypse had caused network failures, making digital resources scarce, physical books and manuals were still accessible.

After much thought, Shen Qing realized that combining the first and third options would be ideal. After getting familiar with Song Kaiji, the man had treated him to a few post-apocalyptic dishes—foods that Shen Qing had never seen before, at least not in Anping County, yet they were incredibly delicious!

Shen Qing made a list of these foods and asked Song Kaiji to find recipes for him. His plan was to take these ideas to the Miao family and discuss a joint business venture.

He wanted to include his uncles not just to help them prosper but also because his own household lacked manpower. Only now did he truly understand why large families were preferred. Having independence was nice, but when things got busy, there was no one to help.

Miao Shi wasn’t in good health, and Shen Qing didn’t want her to overwork herself. Meanwhile, he needed to travel frequently to the post-apocalyptic world, sometimes staying there for an entire day. If he was going to start a business with trustworthy people, the Miao family was the best choice.

He wasn’t worried about them refusing—right now, they were in desperate need of money! His eldest cousin, Miao Ren, was already engaged, but the wedding was scheduled for next winter. Typically, engagements lasted less than a year, as the groom was expected to send gifts and help with farmwork for his future in-laws. The longer the engagement, the more expensive it became.

No one wanted to keep spending money on betrothal gifts. The sooner they could marry, the better.

The reason Miao Ren’s wedding was delayed was that the bride’s family insisted on a new house before she would marry in. However, the Miao family couldn’t afford to build one right away.

This wasn’t unreasonable—just practical. The Miao family’s house was a typical farmhouse with three main rooms and two side wings, built with quality bricks and tiles. It was constructed when Miao Shi’s father was still alive.

After Miao Shi and her sister got married, Miao Xing took the east wing, Miao Wang took the west, and the main house remained with Old Lady Miao.

Now, Miao Xing and his wife had two sons and a daughter, yet they only had two rooms. One room was for the couple, the other for their two sons. Their daughter, Qiao Niang, shared a room with Miao Wang’s daughter, Xue Niang, in the west wing.

Space was already tight! If they didn’t build a new house, they’d have to split one of the brothers’ rooms in half for Miao Ren and his wife. But that would be too cramped, and a new sister-in-law wouldn’t want to squeeze in with her husband’s younger brothers.

Meanwhile, Miao Wang’s eldest son, Miao Yu, was already fifteen and would soon need a dowry.

Given these financial strains, how could the Miao family refuse a money-making opportunity?

Shen Qing placed a piece of braised pork knuckle into Miao Shi’s bowl and said, “I’ve found a shop in town, in the northern district. The location is a bit out of the way, but it’s close to the city gate. It has four storefronts, a two-story building, and a three-courtyard compound in the back—all for just 180 taels of silver. We can run the business from there, and if it’s too big, we can partition it and either rent it out or hire a manager to run another trade.”

Recently, his frequent trips to town had drawn attention. Changing outfits in the woods wasn’t safe. Buying property would solve multiple problems.

Miao Shi secretly marveled—“just” 180 taels! A few months ago, she wouldn’t have dared to dream of owning a house in their village, let alone in town. But times had changed, and she wasn’t one to hold back. “It’s up to you. The converted silver is all stored in the cabinet.”

Disguising himself as a wealthy nobleman had been convenient for one thing—exchanging his fragmented silver into standardized silver ingots. The silversmith’s clerks were now familiar with him. Unlike the suspicion he had faced at the pawnshop, his current persona made the transactions smooth. They didn’t question why he frequently converted silver; instead, they assumed he was simply a rich young master who disliked handling small change.

As mother and son spoke, there was a sudden knock on the door.

“Qing Ge’er’s mother, is Qing Ge’er home? The village chief is calling for a meeting—he wants Qing Ge’er to join the discussion!”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 30: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

A wealthy young master had recently arrived in Anping County.

This young master was tall and elegant, with striking yet refined features. His entire presence exuded wealth, though it was not ostentatious. However, upon closer inspection, the items hanging from his waist and the ones he carried were far from ordinary—some were things that had never even been seen in this small county.

No one knew where this young master came from or why he had suddenly appeared in Anping County. He often strolled along the streets, frequenting jewelry shops and fabric stores the most, followed by teahouses and pastry shops. His spending was quite generous, often dropping a few taels of silver every so often—which might not sound like much, but for a frugal farming family, a few taels of silver were enough to last an entire year!

Many people were secretly inquiring about this young master’s origins, each with different motives—some were simply curious and enjoyed gossip, some were intrigued by his wealth and good looks and wanted to arrange a marriage, while others harbored ill intentions, hoping to befriend him and swindle some money.

Yet, this young master had quite a temper and wasn’t fond of idle chatter. Even at the fabric shop he frequented, if a shop assistant pried too much, his face would immediately darken, and he would refuse to buy anything, turning on his heel and leaving. After this happened a few times, no one dared to provoke his temper anymore—who would want to drive away a walking fortune?

Recently, however, there were rumors that this young master had entrusted a brokerage house to help him buy properties, seemingly intending to settle in Anping County. The shop owners who had built a rapport with him were overjoyed—ever since he had arrived, their businesses had noticeably improved thanks to his patronage. Who wouldn’t want such a generous customer to stay? Some merchants even tried to bribe the brokers, hoping to introduce him to properties near their shops.

At this moment, Shen The Wealthy Young Master Qing was standing in the main hall of Ruyi Pavilion, outwardly browsing the jewelry in the display case but actually eavesdropping on a shop assistant and the storekeeper as they introduced some newly arrived agate, white jade, and jadeite pieces to a wealthy lady. It seemed she was selecting a decent piece of jewelry to add to her daughter’s dowry.

Lately, Shen Qing had been extremely busy, traveling back and forth between the post-apocalyptic world and Anping County, almost as tirelessly as when he used to chop firewood. He frequently visited jewelry stores and roamed the streets with the primary goal of expanding his knowledge.

The gemstones and jewelry he had brought from the apocalypse—aside from gold, silver, and pearls—were all unfamiliar to him. If he wanted to sell them, he needed to at least recognize their worth; otherwise, he would be easily deceived. If they couldn’t be exchanged for money, those jewels were no different from a pile of rocks sitting at home. Now that he had spent some time frequenting these shops, he had gained a rudimentary understanding of gemstones and was no longer completely ignorant.

More importantly, by observing wealthy customers on the streets, he had gradually learned how to interact with these shop assistants.

The storekeeper had taken out several pieces, but the wealthy lady clearly wasn’t satisfied. Shen Qing then removed a pendant from his waist and handed it over. “Shopkeeper, could you take a look at this piece?”

Since Shen Qing often visited the shop and had previously purchased a pair of silver hairpins, the storekeeper naturally regarded him as a valued customer. He assumed Shen Qing simply wanted to showcase his collection or perhaps flaunt it a little.

How could he refuse to indulge such a guest? However, as soon as he took the pendant, he was genuinely impressed. The polish on this piece was exceptionally refined—what kind of master craftsman had created this? Certainly not anyone from Anping County! Looking closer at the material, it turned out to be an immaculate, vibrantly colored piece of agate.

In ancient times, agate was highly valued. Only the wealthy and noble could afford to wear it, and in some dynasties, it was even restricted to officials. Fortunately, the Great Chu Dynasty had no such regulations. However, due to agate’s high cost, it remained a rare sight among commoners. Even in Ruyi Pavilion, they had only two pieces available, both of which contained many impurities—yet even those were considered rare in a small county like this.

Agate had an extremely high hardness, making it difficult to mine in ancient times. But in the modern era, things were different. Ever since a certain country in the 19th century began using explosives to extract agate, its value had plummeted overnight, turning it into a common jewelry material. In fact, this pendant wasn’t even something Song Kaiji had traded to Shen Qing—it was something he had picked up from a souvenir shop in an amusement park.

“This cloud-patterned agate Ruyi lock is absolutely exquisite! Even in the provincial capital, such a fine piece would be hard to come by! Just the items I have here combined aren’t worth as much as this one piece!” the storekeeper praised sincerely.

The wealthy lady, who had been eyeing the Ruyi lock with interest, was tempted. But upon hearing the storekeeper declare that “an entire tray of goods couldn’t match its value,” she immediately withdrew her gaze.

Shen Qing: …

Maintaining his persona as a wealthy nobleman, he couldn’t just go around selling things like a peddler. And so, yet another attempt to subtly offload his goods ended in failure.

Still, at least he had confirmed that this Ruyi lock was worth quite a lot. That wasn’t a bad outcome. He had several more of these at home, all of which he had picked up off the ground…

Realizing he wouldn’t be making a sale today, Shen Qing casually wandered around the store before leaving without a word, heading next door to the pastry shop. The shopkeeper and assistants were used to his ways by now. In fact, they even felt it made sense—why would someone carrying such high-quality agate bother buying the store’s inferior goods?

This was another thing Shen Qing had figured out—wealthy people didn’t need to be overly polite! In fact, the colder and more aloof they acted, the more the shopkeepers fawned over them.

At the pastry shop, he had the assistant pack an assortment of pastries into a box. Then he stopped by the deli to buy some braised meat before leisurely heading out of the city.

Once he reached a deserted grove, Shen Qing carefully checked his surroundings to ensure no one was watching. Then, he removed his outer robe, revealing the simple attire of a farm boy underneath. He also pulled out a square cloth from his waist and wrapped up the fine robe, along with his pouches and accessories, tying it into a bundle. Lastly, he wiped off the concealer from his brow.

In an instant, he transformed from a wealthy young master into a humble farm boy carrying a bundle, as if he were on his way to visit relatives.

He had become quite skilled at this daily disguise routine. Without breaking stride, he continued his journey back to Lantang Village. By the time he arrived home, Miao Shi had already prepared dinner. Seeing him return with pastries and braised meat was no longer a surprise.

It had only been half a month since Shen Qing first traveled to the apocalypse, yet in that short time, their household had changed drastically. Now that they had ample food, Miao Shi had visibly gained weight. Her complexion and hair had improved, and with her bright-colored, half-new clothes, she looked radiant.

Yet, despite no longer worrying about survival, she had a new concern. “Your uncle sent a message asking about the food business we talked about. We took all those cabbages and radishes, but the workers from Shiqu Village haven’t seen us at the docks selling anything. Did we actually start that business or not?”

Shen Qing took a bite of his egg stir-fry, sighing inwardly. Having no money was one kind of suffering—but having money and not being able to spend it openly was just as painful.

“I’ll visit Uncle in a few days and explain everything,” he said. “Besides, I have another matter to discuss with him.”

He wiped his hands and added, “I got word from Song Ge. The thing I asked him to look into—there’s been some progress.”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 29: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Li Yanzi tensed up, ready to refuse the moment Miao Shi brought up the marriage proposal.

But instead, Miao Shi said, “Qing Ge’er and I discussed it, and since we have a little spare money now, we want to start a small business. I don’t have many skills, but I can cook decently. If I can make some food to sell at the dock or along the main road, maybe we can earn a few extra coins. Isn’t that much better than going up the mountain to chop firewood? I was thinking that since our family planted a lot of radishes and cabbages this year, you could sell us some. Since we already borrowed a cart, we can take them back with us today. I won’t take them for free—I brought money.”

This was something Shen Qing and Miao Shi had planned on the way. It wasn’t exactly a lie; the food wasn’t going to be sold at the dock or the roadside, but rather in the other world.

Li Yanzi was about to refuse out of habit, but then—huh?

She had already started rejecting before realizing that Miao Shi hadn’t mentioned marriage at all! This completely threw her off. She had been certain that this was about arranging a marriage, so how did it turn into buying vegetables? Did the family not plant much radish and cabbage this year?

Miao Wang, however, immediately understood what was going on and shot her a glare. Embarrassed, Li Yanzi fumbled for words before letting out an awkward laugh. “…Big Sister, your life is finally getting better. How could we take money for a few radishes and cabbages? Just take them.”

This left Miao Shi deeply touched. It was only natural for her brothers to look after her, but her sisters-in-law weren’t blood relatives—why should they go out of their way to help? She was always worried that her situation might cause trouble in her brothers’ households, so hearing Li Yanzi’s words made her incredibly grateful. “That wouldn’t be right. If it were just for our own meals, I’d be shameless enough to accept a little. But for business, I’ll be using a lot. Whatever the fair price is, I’ll pay. If I ever run out of money in the future, then I’d appreciate your help.”

“That’s a good point,” Miao Xing agreed, pleased. He had thought the same but hadn’t wanted to decide on his own, as the family hadn’t formally divided their property. Since everything still belonged to both brothers, giving away too much without consulting Miao Wang could cause trouble. But since Li Yanzi had offered on her own, Miao Xing saw her as quite sensible.

He had also been worried about Shen Qing’s safety—going into the mountains every day wasn’t ideal. Now that they were switching to small business, how could he not approve? “You two haven’t even made much money yet, but your hands are already loose with it. Just look at all that nice fabric you bought—how much did that cost? And now you’re still spending more? Just keep it—starting a business requires some emergency funds.”

Speaking of selling food at the dock or along the main road, Miao Xing thought it was a proper and promising trade! Many people from Shiqu Village worked in the city, including those who did inventory at the dock. Since the villagers were literate and could do arithmetic, they didn’t have to do the heavy labor of carrying loads; they only needed to record numbers, and they could easily earn a few hundred wen a month.

Although he had never done the work himself, he had heard plenty from others in the village. “You don’t need to make anything too fancy for the dock—just plain vegetable-filled buns or stuffed flatbreads, and people will rush to buy them. You just need the strength to carry them over. Save your money and trade for some eggs, add in vermicelli and chives for the filling. I remember your chive filling is even tastier than meat.” The dock was just over a mile past the county’s south gate. If you brought too little, the trip wouldn’t be worth it, but if you carried a lot, it was a labor-intensive job. However, considering Shen Qing could haul firewood all the way to the county, this probably wasn’t a big deal for him—it was certainly easier than being a woodcutter!

As he spoke, Miao Xing got up to load the cart. “Aside from what we need to keep for ourselves, I’ll load everything for you. Oh, since you’re here, your sister-in-law wanted you to help ferment two vats of pickled cabbage.”

Miao Shi refused to accept the food for free, insisting on paying, and the siblings tugged at each other as they walked out of the house. Li Yanzi, however, knew that with her eldest brother’s personality, he would never take the money—especially since she was the one who had first refused it. She felt a little heartache over giving away so much cabbage and radish, but when she touched the smooth fabric in her hands, she also felt a bit ashamed of herself for being so petty.

Miao Xing followed through on his words and emptied nearly half his cellar, piling the mule cart high with radishes and cabbages. No matter what, he refused to take Miao Shi’s money. Shen Qing thought about it and decided to let it go. “Alright, we won’t insist on paying now, but when we start making money from this business, we’ll prepare a generous New Year’s gift. You won’t be able to refuse it then.”

After all, they had money now, so they could always make it up later. Since their uncle’s family treated them well, Shen Qing had already started thinking about bringing them along to make money together in the future.

Miao Xing chuckled but didn’t say anything. The New Year was still months away—how much could the mother and son earn from selling food? Still, he didn’t want to dampen the kid’s enthusiasm. If they really brought something too expensive, he could always find a way to send something back to balance it out.

While waiting for dinner, Miao Shi rolled up her sleeves and started fermenting pickled cabbage. She was very familiar with her family’s house since it was built before she got married. She didn’t need help finding things—she simply started working.

Miao Shi had a natural talent for cooking. Some people didn’t need to be taught—they just instinctively knew how much seasoning to add and how to balance flavors. Take pickled cabbage, for example. Some might think all pickled cabbage tasted the same, as long as it was sour. But in reality, every household had its own subtle differences in flavor.

The pickled cabbage Miao Shi made wasn’t just sour—it had a slight natural sweetness. The tender hearts of the cabbage were so delicious they were eaten as snacks. This was because she had the perfect touch when it came to salting: too much salt would make it overly salty and mask the cabbage’s natural sweetness, while too little salt would cause it to spoil or grow mold.

Besides, salt was expensive, so using less was always better. Miao Shi could use the least amount of salt and still make the most flavorful pickled cabbage.

Ever since Miao Shi left, pickling at Old Lady Shen’s house had been taken over by Old Lady Shen and Zhao Aiye. They tried to save on salt, but because they used too little, an entire vat had grown moldy.

If you asked Miao Shi exactly how much salt to use, she couldn’t explain it—it was just something she felt with her hands.

Starting from choosing the cabbages, she was already a step ahead. She picked the firmest, freshest, thickest ones. Before they were stored in the cellar, they had been sun-dried for a few days, so the outer leaves were slightly wilted—perfect for pickling.

She cut off the roots, removed any old or damaged leaves, and then applied her secret technique—quickly blanching the cabbages in hot water. This kept the cabbages from losing too much moisture and prevented them from becoming tough when eaten. After draining the water, she packed them tightly into the vats, layering coarse salt every two layers of cabbage. The cabbages were stacked above the rim of the vat by about an inch before being pressed down with a large stone to compact them.

The leaves that were stripped away—if from a wealthy household—would be fed to chickens and pigs. More frugal families would dry them into cabbage chips for later use.

By the time the pickling was finished, dinner was almost ready. Tonight’s meal was a feast in honor of Miao Shi and Shen Qing. Liu Yue’e prepared a hearty spread: one portion of the pork from the leg was stewed with dried cabbage, another portion was cooked with potatoes and beans, and a large pot of mixed vegetable soup was made. There were plenty of three-grain steamed buns—this was an exceptionally lavish meal for a farming family.

One by one, the children returned home—some from the fields, others from gathering wild vegetables and firewood in the mountains. As they neared home and smelled the rich aroma of meat, they were overjoyed. The younger ones hovered around the kitchen, while the older boys had their eyes fixed on the wild boar leg. Miao Yu was especially excited, his face flushed with admiration as he looked at Shen Qing. “Ge, you’re amazing! You even managed to hunt a wild boar!”

No matter how mature Shen Qing acted, he was still young. Hearing this, he couldn’t help but feel a little proud and started telling the children stories about the mountains—sweet wild fruits left untouched deep in the forest, silly pheasants burying their heads in the snow during winter, and the white-tailed deer that were especially delicious. The kids listened with wide eyes, practically drooling.

Watching all this unfold, Li Yanzi felt a pang in her chest.

Aside from Li Yanzi being preoccupied, the dinner was a lively and joyful affair. Afterward, while there was still daylight left, Shen Qing drove the cart back to Lantang Village with Miao Shi and their load of radishes and cabbages. It was too late to start pickling that night, so they simply stacked the vegetables inside the house for now. Shen Qing returned the mule cart to the village chief and then said to Miao Shi, “Mother, steam a big pot of mantou tomorrow morning and a small batch of stuffed buns. I’m heading over there.”

“There,” of course, referred to the other world. With fresh cabbage at home and some wild boar meat left, cabbage and pork buns were the perfect choice. He would take the mantou to trade for supplies and keep the buns for themselves—saving a couple for Song Kaiji as well.

Shen Qing didn’t even think about why he was setting aside some for Song Kaiji—he just did it naturally. It was the same as bringing pastries for Aunt Guixiang or their uncle’s family. Somehow, Song Kaiji’s presence made the other world feel a little less foreign, a little more familiar.

Miao Shi agreed and immediately went to the kitchen to mix the dough so it could rise overnight. Though she used the same three-grain flour as usual, since the buns were meant for famine-stricken people, she used less refined white flour than she would for their own meals. They only had one bag of white flour, scavenged from Old Lady Shen’s house when they left.

Shen Qing watched thoughtfully and said, “In a few days, we should see if any villagers have extra grain. We should trade for some. If we’re going to make a business out of this, our little stash won’t be enough. We should get some finer grains for ourselves too.”

The autumn harvest had just passed, so most families had extra grain. Trading directly with the villagers would be cheaper than buying from the county and would save effort on both sides. Since they had no farmland of their own and only had what they took from Old Lady Shen’s house, running out of food was inevitable. Now that they had some extra money from the wild boar, no one would question them for stocking up.

“Let’s ask Second Aunt Lian’s family first. I also brought some pastries for them to thank them for their help,” Shen Qing said. Among relatives and neighbors, relationships needed to be maintained. If people helped you often, you should return the favor when you could. “And the rest of the pastries should be kept at home. Mom, if you’re hungry, just have some. I also bought you some brown sugar—make sure to drink some in hot water. It’s good for you.”

Miao Shi rubbed her hands together. “Why did you buy such an expensive thing?”

Shen Qing smirked and pulled out the bag of jewelry. He picked out the plain silver bracelets and used a pair of silver scissors to snip them into unrecognizable fragments. Even if he didn’t take them to the silver exchange, they could be spent piece by piece. “This is nothing. One day, when our money is properly accounted for, you’ll be eating shark fin soup and wearing gold and silver every day.”

Song Kaiji sat cross-legged in front of his small stall, absentmindedly taking bites of a coarse grain biscuit issued by the base.

It’s true what they say—going from frugal to lavish is easy, but going from lavish to frugal is hard. This so-called coarse grain wasn’t the same as the pre-apocalypse healthy, organic grains, carrying the fragrance of the wild. Instead, it was a mix of various crops, ground together without even removing the husks, then pressed into biscuits. Rumor had it there was even ground-up corn cobs mixed in—stuff that had once been used as livestock feed was now considered human food.

Just two days ago, he had eaten the wild vegetable pancakes that Shen Qing had brought him, and now, eating this so-called food again, his stomach might be hungry, but his mouth found it as tasteless as chewing wax.

Maybe his situation hadn’t reached rock bottom yet, Song Kaiji thought. After all, even this kind of food had people around him eyeing it with longing, secretly swallowing their saliva. But then again, he had been lucky enough to run into a wealthy and generous benefactor just the other day.

He wondered when his benefactor daddy would come again… Song Kaiji sighed and stuffed the biscuit away, propping his chin on his hand and staring blankly into the distance. Today, he hadn’t received any odd jobs or missions, and only a couple of people had stopped by his stall to browse, leaving without buying anything. Essentially, he had made zero income.

He could, of course, venture further out alone to hunt zombies, but that was dangerous. Besides, fuel costs weren’t worth it, and biking that far was exhausting. So, he usually relied on missions whenever he could.

Although Shen Qing had said he would return, in the unpredictable world of the apocalypse, Song Kaiji didn’t dare to hold out much hope. Luck like that wasn’t something one could count on every day.

As he was lost in thought, he started to wonder if he was missing Shen Qing (or rather, Shen Qing’s food) so much that he was hallucinating. Wait, that young man approaching in a white hoodie, black tactical jacket, dark jeans, and a high bun, carrying a compound bow—why did he look so familiar?

“Song Kaiji!” Shen Qing called out excitedly, running over. Today, he carried an even larger backpack basket, wider than his shoulders, but it didn’t seem too heavy. Despite the load, he stood straight and tall, like a slender, upright poplar tree.

Shen Qing had taken a proper rest the day before, sleeping in until almost noon. He had been doing heavy labor, chopping firewood daily—it was exhausting, even if he had been pushing through on sheer willpower. Now that he finally had the chance to rest, he made sure to catch up on his sleep.

For lunch, he had eaten the cabbage and pork buns his mother had steamed. The skins were thin, the filling was generous, and one bite overflowed with flavorful, juicy meat. The buns were as big as his palm, and he had eaten four in one go, while Miao Shi had two.

The last two buns were now in the basket on his back, along with half a basket of steamed three-grain mantou and another half filled with sorghum grains packed in cloth sacks.

After lunch, Shen Qing had set off up the mountain while Miao Shi took the green scholar robe, a basket of sewing materials, and two pounds of pastries to visit Second Aunt Lian. She planned to alter the robe into a style suitable for a ger to wear, and chatting with a friend while working was certainly better than sitting alone at home.

The villagers, seeing Shen Qing heading out, were full of concern. “Qing Ge’er, you’re going up the mountain again? Didn’t you hurt your arm? Why rush back to work? You should rest more—these things can have lasting effects. You young ones shouldn’t take your health lightly.”

Shen Qing smiled. He genuinely appreciated this kind of simple, sincere concern. “Thank you, Aunt. I’m not chopping wood, just going up the mountain to pick some fruit and mushrooms. It’s not hard work.”

“So hardworking,” the aunt sighed enviously. Everyone loved wild mushrooms, but no one in their family dared to venture deep into the mountains to gather them—especially not with wild boars roaming around. Good things like that had to be earned with guts, and not everyone was willing to take that risk.

Shen Qing responded to the villagers’ greetings as he made his way up the mountain. When he reached the banyan tree, he carefully checked for any animal tracks—concerned that the scent of blood from before might have attracted predators, or that the wild boar’s family might have come looking for it.

Luckily, everything was just as he had left it. Climbing up the tree and slipping through the cave passage, he changed into his clothes and shoes from the other world, then gripped his compound bow tightly before stepping back onto the land of the apocalypse.

Thankfully, he didn’t run into any zombies or trouble this time. Shen Qing made his way to the southern wall of the base and quickly found Song Kaiji crouched by his stall.

Lifting a small corner of his basket cover, Shen Qing revealed a glimpse of the packed mantou inside. “I want to trade for more silver. Do you still have some?”

Song Kaiji: !!!

He jolted upright, hurriedly pressing the basket cover back down and pressing a finger to his lips. “Shh—come with me!”

Bringing such a massive load of food to the black market outside the base—was he trying to start a riot?! Song Kaiji was just a spatial ability user with low combat power—if a mob tried to rob him, he wouldn’t stand a chance!

In an instant, all the items on his stall disappeared into his space, and he grabbed Shen Qing’s wrist, dragging him into a secluded corner. “How could you just show it out in the open like that?!”

Shen Qing blinked, slightly confused, and discreetly withdrew his hand. “I didn’t, though. I only lifted a small corner and showed it just to you.”

He wasn’t stupid. After understanding this world’s situation, he would never blatantly display food. That would be no different from a child parading gold through a crowded marketplace.

Song Kaiji sighed. This world had people with special abilities, okay? Even if he had only lifted the cover a little, what if someone nearby had enhanced senses or was a psychic who could detect their surroundings without even looking? He cast another glance at Shen Qing, still unsure what kind of background this person had. He was ridiculously rich, yet seemed so sheltered and naive.

And… was it just his imagination, or did Shen Qing’s presence feel subtly different from two days ago? He was wearing the same outfit, but there was something… refreshed about him.

Dragging him a bit further away from prying eyes, Song Kaiji swallowed and asked, “What exactly do you want to trade?”

Shen Qing: …

You didn’t even hear what I wanted, yet you ran off dragging me like this? So sure you had what I needed?

“Silver. I want all silver. What’s the exchange rate between silver and food?” Shen Qing had thought about it and decided that silver was the most convenient form of currency for him. Those simple silver bangles, once cut into pieces, could be used as money directly—no need to go through another round of trading that might draw unwanted attention. Last time, he had been too flustered and inexperienced, trading with Song Kaiji in a rush. This time, he wanted to be thorough.

Song Kaiji didn’t even know how to respond. Silver was basically worthless now—if it fell on the ground, people wouldn’t even bother picking it up. Trading it for food felt like outright scamming. After some thought, he decided to stick to his honest reputation.

“If you were trading for gold, I could at least give you a fair rate. But silver… honestly, just a tiny bit of food could get you a whole lot.”

As he spoke, he rummaged through his space. This time, he didn’t limit himself to jewelry—anything made of silver came out: silver ingots, hairpins, bowls, teacups… Everything that had once been decorative in shops had been collected by Song Kaiji and was now piled in front of Shen Qing.

Shen Qing felt dizzy. Even though he had mentally prepared himself, why did he still feel overwhelmed by this pile of wealth?

After a long moment, he steadied himself and said, “I’ll take all of it. How much food do you want?”

Song Kaiji scratched his head. “Five pounds… or maybe three?” His eyes darted greedily toward the massive food basket. “Are you sure you don’t want to trade for something else?”

He had already brought all this food—was he really going to take it back home unchanged? It looked heavy… Shen Qing hesitated, then asked, “How much for gold? Exchange the rest for gold.” Then he added, “If you don’t have enough, ask around. You can take a cut for yourself.”

Song Kaiji nodded eagerly. He still had some gold in his space, probably enough to exchange for all the food in Shen Qing’s basket… However, at that moment, he realized that his initial judgment of Shen Qing might have been somewhat off.

Before, he had assumed that Shen Qing was just a wealthy Hanfu enthusiast or something similar, which explained his preference for jewelry. But now, it was clear that wasn’t the case—Shen Qing seemed to be solely interested in precious metals, not jewelry specifically. Gold bars, silver ingots—anything would do.

Could it be that the higher-ups in the base had discovered some new use for gold and silver? Song Kaiji’s hands paused for a moment, but then he quickly dismissed the thought. The value of gold in the base wasn’t exactly a secret. If there was a new demand for precious metals, why would Shen Qing be asking him about prices?

He opened his mouth, curiosity gnawing at him, but in the end, he said nothing. It was the apocalypse. Everyone had their own secrets, and no one liked having them pried into. Besides, even if he did find out, what difference would it make? If the person in front of him had some hidden background or unusual circumstances, what did that have to do with him?

He had no power, no influence, and his ability wasn’t even that strong. If he started digging into things he shouldn’t, he’d end up with nothing but trouble—maybe even lose his life. Song Kaiji shook his head internally. Better to focus on the food in front of him. Rather than risk offending Shen Qing by asking too much, he decided it was smarter to just play dumb and secure his gains.

With that in mind, he decided to take the opportunity to strengthen his relationship with this valuable customer. “Will you still need more gold and silver in the future? If so, I can keep an eye out and collect more from others. You can come to me for exchanges anytime, and I’ll make sure to give you a fair deal.”

“I do!” Shen Qing was thrilled. He had already noticed that his current load of food, weighing dozens of pounds, had likely exhausted all of Song Kaiji’s gold and silver reserves. Rather than going through the hassle of finding other traders himself, why not let Song Kaiji act as a broker? He was more than happy to let Song Kaiji take a small cut in exchange for saving him the trouble.

After finalizing the exchange, Shen Qing’s full basket of food was now replaced with half a basket of silverware and a small pouch of gold. Meanwhile, Song Kaiji had stored all the food into his space. Only then did Shen Qing pull out the two meat buns he had placed on top.

“…These are for you,” he said.

Saving the buns for Song Kaiji had felt completely natural, but now, handing them over suddenly felt awkward and unnecessary.

Song Kaiji was stunned. “These… these are too precious. How can I accept something so valuable?” Even a plain mantou this size could be traded for two crystal cores, let alone a meat-filled bun. He didn’t know what the filling was, but the aroma alone was already making his throat tighten, his Adam’s apple bobbing involuntarily.

Shen Qing was already feeling a little self-conscious about the whole thing. Hearing that, he frowned slightly. “If you don’t want them, I’ll just trade them with someone else.” He hadn’t really browsed the market much yet—maybe he’d find something on another stall that Song Kaiji didn’t have.

Song Kaiji froze, and before Shen Qing could react, he swiftly snatched the buns from his hands.

Shen Qing burst out laughing at the empty space where the buns had been. The two of them walked side by side for a while, eventually returning to the area near Song Kaiji’s stall by the southern wall. A few people greeted Song Kaiji, asking why he had suddenly disappeared while doing business. Song Kaiji mumbled some half-hearted responses, clearly distracted.

From a distance, Shen Qing once again noticed the group of young men and women who made a living selling their bodies. This time, however, his attention was drawn to an object in one of the women’s hands.

The woman appeared to have been abused, her body covered in bruises and swollen marks, even on her face. What might have once been a pretty face now looked battered and frightening.

Yet, she fumbled around and pulled out a small bottle. Pressing it a few times, a flesh-colored cream was dispensed onto the back of her hand. She carefully dabbed some onto the bruises at the corner of her lips, and miraculously, the dark blue-purple marks instantly faded.

She continued applying it patiently. Although her skin still had a faint bluish tint, the bruises gradually disappeared beneath her fingertips.

Shen Qing was mesmerized. His hand subconsciously moved to touch the pregnancy mark between his brows.

He had bought that blue silk robe so he could blend in as a man when walking the streets. But if he covered his pregnancy mark with dirt, wouldn’t it seem odd for a well-dressed gentleman to have dirt on his face? It would be strange.

But this miraculous flesh-colored cream was different—it blended seamlessly with the skin. He suspected it was some kind of face powder, though clearly much more advanced than what they had in his world.

Shen Qing had seen young village girls apply powder before, but it only made their faces paler. If they bought cheap powder, it would even have an unnatural grayish tint, making them look lifeless. It certainly couldn’t hide blemishes.

He was fascinated. He wanted to get his hands on a bottle.

Just as he was contemplating how to acquire one, he suddenly felt something cold against his fingertips. Looking down, he saw that Song Kaiji had already pulled out a small tube from his space and placed it in his hand.

“?”

The woman’s product was in a glass bottle, but the item Song Kaiji handed him was in a tube. He didn’t recognize the writing on it and had no idea what it was. But instinctively, he felt he shouldn’t ask. He just held the item in his hand, slightly stiff.

Song Kaiji’s strange feeling about Shen Qing only deepened. However, since he had already decided to respect other people’s secrets, he didn’t pry. Instead, he pointed at the woman and then touched Shen Qing’s brow. “Isn’t this what you wanted? It’s yours.” Then he flashed a bright smile. “Consider it payment for the two buns.”

Shen Qing immediately covered his forehead, glaring at Song Kaiji with a hint of anger—how improper! A ger’s pregnancy mark wasn’t something just anyone could touch!

But then he remembered that in this world, there were no gers. He pursed his lips and let it slide.

“Ah, that was my bad, I shouldn’t have touched you.” Song Kaiji scratched his head sheepishly and quickly pulled out a small mirror, holding it up to Shen Qing. “Here, I’ll hold the mirror for you to make up for it, okay? See if this works. I don’t really understand cosmetics, but I grabbed this because it was a big brand.” He hesitated before adding, “If it doesn’t work well, I have other brands in my space. I’ll swap it out until you’re satisfied.”

Shen Qing, however, was frozen in place.

This was the first time he had ever seen a mirror. The first time he had ever seen his face so clearly.

Back in his world, mirrors were a luxury. They had to be made from polished brass, and even a palm-sized piece would cost several qian of silver. He could never afford one, and he never dared to enter such expensive stores.

He had only ever seen his reflection in the water—blurry, distorted by ripples, and easily broken by the touch of a dragonfly.

The villagers had always said he looked bad. Shen Qing ran his fingers over his sharp, thick brows and his bright, slightly upturned eyes. He had been called too big for a ger, too rough-looking. Eventually, he had come to believe it—he worked in the fields every day, always covered in dirt. It wasn’t surprising if he didn’t look good.

But now, looking at himself alongside the handsome Song Kaiji, two striking faces reflected in the mirror—why did the village say he was ugly? What part of him was ugly?

“You okay?” Song Kaiji noticed something was off. He even thought Shen Qing was trembling slightly. “Are you cold? Or do you not know how to use this?”

Then, before Shen Qing could react, he clumsily smeared the concealer onto the pregnancy mark.

Shen Qing stared at the mirror, then suddenly smiled.

And he realized—he was beautiful.

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 28: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

In the western wing of the Miao family courtyard, Li Yanzi and Miao Wang were in a heated argument.

“I don’t agree! No matter how you put it, this is all for your sister’s sake! Yes, she’s your real sister, she raised you since you were little, so you want to help her with money and grain—I didn’t say anything! But it’s still not enough, is it? Now you’re thinking about dragging our son into this too! Why don’t you just move our entire household over and give it to your sister?!”

Miao Wang lowered his head, his tone weak. “I’m just discussing it with you, don’t make it sound so bad. What do you mean by ‘dragging into it’…? It’s clearly a situation that benefits both sides. Marrying another girl from outside would cost us five or six taels of silver in bride price—is that easy to save up? But if we make a marriage connection with my sister’s family, we wouldn’t have to pay that sum at all.”

Ever since Shen Qing and his mother broke away from the old Shen family, both of Miao Shi’s brothers had been worrying about her future. No matter how they discussed it, her well-being would ultimately depend on Qing Ge’er’s future husband—after all, there wasn’t a single ger in this world who wouldn’t get married.

Miao Xing’s ideal plan was for Qing Ge’er to marry into Shiqu Village. First, because everyone here knew each other well, and second, if Shen Qing ever had grievances in the future, their family could immediately stand up for him. Since they were from the same village, there wouldn’t be another situation like in Lantang Village, where the village chief openly took sides against them.

But Shen Qing had already made it clear—if he was to marry, he would be taking his mother with him.

Shiqu Village was a wealthy place and had no trouble finding brides. Young women and gers from other villages were eager to marry into Shiqu Village, so the eligible bachelors here had plenty of choices. Why would anyone pick Shen Qing—who wasn’t particularly good-looking, had a notorious reputation for being fierce, and came with a mother to take care of?

Even without his mother in the picture, no one would be willing to marry him!

After searching throughout the village, there was simply no one willing to take him. Just as Miao Wang was growing anxious, his wife, Li Yanzi, brought up the topic of their eldest son Miao Yu’s marriage.

Miao Wang suddenly realized that his son was already of marriageable age, and he thought—wasn’t this a perfect match? If Qing Ge’er married someone else and took Miao Shi with him, their status in the husband’s family would inevitably be awkward, and they would have to be mindful of the in-laws. But if his son married Qing Ge’er, then Miao Shi would be living right back in her own family, and everyone in the household would be relatives—how wonderful!

But while he thought it was a great idea, his wife completely disagreed! Li Yanzi never expected that a casual mention of their son’s marriage would lead her husband to such an idea. She almost wished she could slap herself for bringing it up!

She had nothing against Miao Shi—they got along well enough, and Miao Shi was too mild-mannered to offend anyone. But a sister-in-law was a guest in her natal home. When she visited, as a daughter-in-law, Li Yanzi at the very least had to warmly host her, if not outright serve her. That was fine for a day or two, but who wanted to live with their sister-in-law permanently, always feeling a step lower in status?

Putting aside the matter of getting along with Miao Shi, in the future, her care would fall onto her son’s shoulders. He would have to support an extra elderly person—other people might not care, but as his mother, Li Yanzi certainly did!

And then there was Qing Ge’er—he was a wonderful nephew, but as a future husband for her son? Absolutely not!

Shen Qing was four years older than her son! He wasn’t particularly handsome, he was notorious for his fierce personality, and which mother didn’t want a gentle, good-tempered, and beautiful spouse for her child? Most importantly, Qing Ge’er was a ger, and his pregnancy mark was faint—plus, just by looking at his build, it was clear he wasn’t the kind to bear children easily!

In rural families, there were certain unspoken rules when choosing a daughter-in-law or a fulang. The elders always said that broad hips meant good childbirth. This wasn’t superstition but a practical observation—wide hips often meant a wider pelvis, making labor easier and reducing the chances of complications. With the current medical conditions, childbirth was truly a matter of life and death. Every village had stories of women who died in childbirth.

Li Yanzi wanted a spouse who could bear children easily, to avoid any misfortune. And Shen Qing? He had broad shoulders and narrow hips—his body was the perfect inverted triangle. No matter how she looked at it, he was far from her ideal son-in-law.

“I will never agree to this! Don’t even think about it! Xiao Yu is only fifteen. Even if he gets married at twenty, that’s not too late. You think I can’t save up five or six taels of silver in five years? Let me make this clear—forget Qing Ge’er, I will only let my son marry a girl, not any other ger either!”

Li Yanzi glared fiercely at Miao Wang. “What kind of families marry gers? Those with too many sons and no money! The eldest son marries a girl, and the younger brothers marry gers—because even if they can’t have children, at least there are nephews to carry on the family line. But we only have Xiao Yu! And you actually have the nerve to tell him to marry Qing Ge’er? Are you willing to let our family line end just to help out your sister?!”

Miao Wang, thoroughly irritated by her barrage of words, threw the object he was holding onto the bed. “Watch your mouth! What do you mean ‘end the family line’?! What kind of aunt curses her own nephew like that?!”

“What did I say? I only told the truth! Oh, what, now you’re mad? You wanna hit me, is that it? Come on then, hit me right here!…”

The argument grew louder and louder. In the neighboring room, separated by just one courtyard, Miao Xing and his wife sat in awkward silence. Normally, as the elder brother and sister-in-law, they should step in and mediate the fight. But Liu Yue’e glanced at her husband and knew that he, too, secretly supported the idea of marrying Qing Ge’er into the family.

Liu Yue’e, however, felt nothing but relief. Her husband might have had the same thought, but in truth, the best match for Qing Ge’er was their eldest son, Miao Ren, who was slightly older than him. However, Miao Ren had already been engaged in the spring, with the betrothal finalized—his future wife was set to arrive next winter. Miao Xing had his pride; he would never make their son break off the engagement just to marry Qing Ge’er instead.

Their younger son, Miao Shan, was only nine years old, so there was no way he could be considered a match. That left fifteen-year-old Miao Yu as the only candidate.

But she completely understood Li Yanzi. If Miao Ren hadn’t been engaged, she, too, would have fought her husband to the bitter end rather than let her son marry Qing Ge’er!

Everyone had their own self-interest. They could pity and sympathize with Miao Shi and Shen Qing, even lend them a hand, but there had to be a limit. If it meant harming their own children’s future, that was absolutely unacceptable. At this moment, Liu Yue’e could only silently hope that Li Yanzi would win this argument.

But just as she was thinking this, fate seemed to intervene.

Amid the quarrels over Shen Qing and his mother, a voice called from outside the courtyard: “Miao family! Chunlei and her son are back! They even came by cart, carrying a lot of stuff!”

Hearing this, Liu Yue’e’s heart clenched. By cart? Carrying a lot of things? Her first thought was—could it be that Miao Shi couldn’t make ends meet anymore and had decided to move back home without asking for permission first?

In the west wing, the argument suddenly paused. Li Yanzi yanked open the door, her face dark: “Where are they?”

“Just passed the village entrance,” said the woman who had come to report the news, eyeing Li Yanzi and Miao Wang curiously. She was a well-known gossip who loved to poke her nose into other people’s business. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so eager to run around delivering news. “What’s going on? Did you two have a fight? I could hear the shouting from far away.”

Li Yanzi forced a smile. “It’s nothing—who doesn’t argue a little at home? Just a small matter.” But her thoughts were racing. Like Liu Yue’e, she immediately assumed that Miao Shi and Shen Qing had secretly planned this out with Miao Wang and were now coming to formally move in. Pressing her lips together, she straightened her hair. Even if it was a hard battle, she was going to fight it! “I’m going to take a look—why is Big Sister suddenly coming over now?”

As Shen Qing and Miao Shi drove the cart into the village, many villagers greeted them, asking about Miao Shi’s situation. After all, she was born and raised here, and many had watched her grow up. When they had heard about what she suffered in the Shen family, the villagers had been outraged and cursed the old Shen family for their mistreatment of her.

“I’ve never seen such shameless people! And honestly, the whole Lantang Village seems problematic. That Zhao Youdang always makes biased decisions—I say we avoid making any marriage connections with them in the future!”

“Exactly! That village isn’t as good as ours, and yet they dared to bully our village’s daughter.”

“How are things now? Are you managing? If not, why not just move back to our village? Your brothers wouldn’t just sit by and do nothing.”

Li Yanzi arrived just in time to hear that last remark, and she wanted nothing more than to scold the person who said it. Easy for you to say! Do you realize how much trouble you’re causing with just a few words?!

But to her relief, she heard Miao Shi decline, “We’re doing fine. We rented a house for a year, so there’s no need to move back. And my mother’s house isn’t exactly spacious—my nephew is getting married next year, and even they don’t have enough room. I just came to see my mother and bring her some things. I haven’t been able to do much for her over the years, and I feel ashamed.”

The villagers looked at her with sympathy. “That’s not your fault. You married into a bad family—what could you have done? Now that things are better, that’s all that matters. And look at all the things you brought! You’re really filial.”

Seeing the massive pig leg, the two pieces of fine-looking fabric, and even two jin of pastries, the villagers genuinely believed that Miao Shi was doing well. Who had ever seen a married daughter bring such a generous gift back to her family?

Now even Li Yanzi was confused. So… they weren’t here to move in? They really were just visiting?

By the time she returned home, eating the pastries and touching the smooth fabric, Li Yanzi was still in a daze. Miao Shi and Qing Ge’er… looked like they were living better than her own family.

Old Lady Miao was the happiest of all. She touched the fabric Miao Shi had chosen for her, then held her daughter’s hand, so moved that her eyes welled up with tears. “My poor girl, you’ve finally made it through… Back then, it was all my fault. I had no ability, and I was blind—I chose such a family for you.”

If anyone wondered where Miao Shi got her habit of tearing up so easily, it was undoubtedly inherited from her mother. Their temperaments were exactly alike. As soon as Old Lady Miao started crying, Miao Shi’s throat tightened, and the mother and daughter clung to each other, weeping.

They cried for a while before finally pulling themselves together. Miao Shi wiped her eyes and said, “It wasn’t your fault, Mother. Given our family’s situation at the time, the Shen family was actually a good match.”

Although it wasn’t as wealthy as Shiqu Village, even now, the Shen family was considered one of the more well-off households in Lantang Village. It wasn’t one of those truly destitute families. They had five spacious and sturdy main rooms, with three large side rooms on each wing, all built with solid gray bricks and tiles that never leaked, even in heavy rain. That alone put them ahead of more than half the village—who wouldn’t be envious?

Even during his toughest days in the Shen family, Shen Qing at least had his own room. They owned around ten acres of land, raised two or three pigs each year, and kept a dozen or so chickens. How did farmers measure wealth? By these very things.

And to be honest, back when Shen Zhigao was younger, he was considered one of the most handsome men in the nearby villages, tall and well-built. Before their marriage, Miao Shi had secretly taken a look at him and was quite satisfied.

If his conditions weren’t so good, why would Widow Li have specifically chosen him, out of all the men in the village, to seduce?

But who could have foreseen the future?

Not wanting to dwell on such painful topics, Miao Shi took out the light green fabric and handed it to Liu Yue’e and Li Yanzi, steering the conversation in another direction. “I really appreciate all the care you both have given to Mother over the years. As her daughter, I haven’t been able to do much, and it’s been hard on you. Please take this fabric—whether you use it to make a blouse or sew something for the children, I’m sure it’ll be useful. And I’ll have to trouble you to make a padded jacket for Mother with the one I gave her.”

“Oh, thank you, Chunlei,” Liu Yue’e said, genuinely pleased. Unlike Li Yanzi, she had no reservations. The fabric felt far better than anything an ordinary farming family could afford. If she had to buy it herself, she would have hesitated. She herself didn’t need something so bright at her age, but she had a twelve- or thirteen-year-old daughter, and this would be perfect for her. “I’ll take care of Mother’s clothes.”

The fabric was large enough that even after making an outfit for Old Lady Miao, there would be plenty left over—enough to make shoe covers or a small pouch.

Miao Xing and Miao Wang, however, were not so easily distracted by a few gifts and some fabric. Their brows furrowed tightly. “Where did you two get the money to buy all this?”

They knew exactly how much money Miao Shi and Shen Qing had. After all, they had personally gone to Lantang Village to help demand what was owed. The mother and son had been scraping by—where could they have suddenly gotten such a large sum to buy a pig leg and fabric?

Shen Qing quickly explained how he had hunted a wild boar in the mountains. “It was just a lucky break. I dragged it back and sold the meat in the village the same day. This pig leg isn’t even bought—it’s from the wild boar I caught.”

“I was wondering why the meat looked so lean. I thought you’d been tricked by the butcher,” Liu Yue’e said, clicking her tongue in amazement as she circled the pig leg, examining it. These days, people craved fatty meat, thinking it was the best. But wild boar didn’t have much fat. “So it’s wild boar! I’ve never tasted it before. Qing Ge’er, you really have some skills!”

“What?!” Unlike Liu Yue’e, whose attention was on the pig leg, Miao Xing and Miao Wang were focused on Shen Qing. “You actually dared to kill a wild boar? Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”

Shen Qing sighed. “At first, I tried to run, but it kept chasing me. I couldn’t shake it off, so I had no choice but to fight.”

That was the truth. If the boar hadn’t been so relentless, Shen Qing would have just run back to the village instead of dealing with it.

“I knew you couldn’t stay a woodcutter!” Miao Xing slapped his thigh. “You told me the places you went were safe, that there were no wild animals. And now, what, it’s only been how long, and you’ve already run into a wild boar?! And you’re too loose with money! That wild boar could have sold for a lot, but you spent it all on this stuff. You two are really too generous.”

“It was quite a bit of money, but I had already saved some from cutting firewood before. We can afford to spend a little. And it’s been years since we’ve been able to give anything to Grandmother,” Shen Qing said with a smile. “This fabric is second-hand. Wealthy families used it as bed canopies and later took them down and sold them at a discount, so it was really cheap.”

Even if it was second-hand, country folk wouldn’t mind. In fact, they thought Shen Qing was smart to get such a great deal. Liu Yue’e said, “Where did you buy it? Next time you come across something this good and cheap, let me know so I can get some too.”

But Miao Xing shook his head. “I’m just afraid you’re getting used to making quick money and getting bolder. You should stay away from that mountain.”

If he didn’t go into the mountains, how was he supposed to make a living? Were they going to support him? Liu Yue’e rolled her eyes inwardly but said nothing. Instead, she took a knife and cut off a piece of the pig leg, changing the subject. “You all sit and talk with Mother. I’ll make dinner. Chunlei and Qing Ge’er, stay and eat with us tonight. It’s been a long time since our family has gathered.”

Li Yanzi hesitated. Normally, at this point, she would have gone to the kitchen with her sister-in-law since they usually cooked together. But right now, she had too much on her mind. She was afraid she’d miss something, so she stayed put, stubbornly lingering in the room.

Sure enough, after a bit of casual conversation, Miao Shi finally spoke. “I actually have another reason for coming this time—I have a favor to ask of you all.”

Here it comes! Li Yanzi’s heart sank, but at the same time, she felt a strange sense of relief, as if a heavy weight had settled instead of looming unpredictably. Her back tensed, and she ran through a list of polite yet firm rejections in her mind, preparing for battle as soon as Miao Shi finished speaking.

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 27: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

“Qing Ge’er, what’s going on? How did you buy so many things?”

After finally sending off the curious villagers, Miao Shi anxiously tugged at Shen Qing’s sleeve. “I’ve been keeping all the money in the house. Where did you get the money?”

Seeing the brand-new iron pot, the sturdy water vat, and the big pickling jars, Miao Shi couldn’t deny that she liked them and was happy about their new household items. But at the same time, she felt incredibly uneasy.

Shen Qing shut the courtyard door and latched it before pulling Miao Shi into his room. “Mother, I have something important to tell you.”

Hearing this, Miao Shi became even more nervous.

Shen Qing had thought about it the entire way home and finally decided to be honest with Miao Shi—at least partially.

The mountain cave, the other world, Song Kaiji, the gold and silver jewelry—Shen Qing felt these were things he could tell Miao Shi. First, they were the closest people in the world to each other, relying on one another for survival. He had never had any secrets from Miao Shi. Second, he would need to travel frequently between worlds in the future, and there was no way to keep it hidden from her.

Just like today—he had bought so many things. Did he really think Miao Shi wouldn’t notice something was off? Instead of keeping it from her and making her overthink things, frightening herself with wild guesses, it was better to be honest and tell the truth.

However, there was one thing he didn’t plan on telling her—the existence of zombies in the other world. Even if they wouldn’t attack him, they were still terrifying creatures! Miao Shi already worried about him being a woodsman, cried when she heard about him encountering a wild boar—if she knew about the horrifying monsters in that world, she would never let him go back.

But how could Shen Qing possibly give up such a miraculous opportunity?

After thinking it over, he decided to only hide this one detail while being truthful about everything else: the oddly dressed people, the strange-sounding iron horses, the jewelry scattered on the ground with no one picking it up… As for why food was so valuable over there, Shen Qing thought for a moment and decided to say there was a famine in that world.

Shen Qing hadn’t even had the chance to practice the art of talking his way out of things with strangers, yet here he was, already using it on his own mother.

But no amount of words could be as convincing as seeing something with her own eyes—or the power of money.

Shen Qing pulled Miao Shi over to his bed, dragged out the small basket hidden underneath, and dumped all its contents in front of her.

Miao Shi: !!!

Gold gleaming brightly, silver shining brilliantly, jade bangles clinking together, colorful bracelets, and thick, smooth fabric—Miao Shi had never in her life seen so many valuable things all at once. The sight nearly blinded her.

Just as Shen Qing was about to take advantage of the moment to explain everything and propose his plan to continue traveling between worlds, he suddenly saw Miao Shi sway, grabbing onto his arm with trembling hands.

“Qing Ge’er, you…” Miao Shi’s lips quivered as she spoke, “Did you… rob someone on the road?”

Shen Qing: ?

Shen Qing was deeply offended. “Mother! How could you think that of me? Do I look like that kind of person?”

What a coincidence—he had just been suspected of theft at the pawnshop, and now his own mother thought he was a highway robber! Did he really seem like such a terrible person?

Miao Shi hesitated for a moment, opening her mouth but failing to say anything. If she was being honest… he did seem a little like it.

Not that she doubted his character, but Qing Ge’er’s reputation for toughness had already spread throughout the nearby villages. Among boys his age in the village, even two together wouldn’t be a match for him.

It wasn’t that she thought he would rob someone, but if Qing Ge’er did decide to rob someone, he’d definitely succeed…

Shen Qing was exasperated. “No! No! I just stumbled upon something incredible!”

He then told her everything—how he encountered the wild boar, how he hid in the mountain cave, how he discovered a new exit, and how he met Song Kaiji and exchanged goods with him. He left out only the part about encountering zombies.

“I’ve made a deal with him to trade more in the future. He seems like a decent person, very honest and fair in his dealings,” Shen Qing added. And he’s not bad-looking either.

Even though Shen Qing described the entire process as having nothing but benefits, painting the other world as a land filled with wealth and completely free of danger, Miao Shi still felt terrified, clutching her chest in shock. “How can you be so bold, child? A mysterious cave suddenly appeared, and you just walked right in without a second thought? You weren’t even the least bit afraid?”

Shen Qing had heard people say he was brave so many times that he was practically numb to it. But he never thought of it as a bad thing—on the contrary, he was a little proud, lifting his chin slightly. “What’s there to be scared of? They always say, ‘The bold get rich, the timid starve.’ If I hadn’t gone in, would I have all these treasures now? Besides, I was cornered by the wild boar and had no other way out. Luckily, I traded hawthorns and mushrooms on the other side for a crossbow, which I used to kill the boar. Otherwise, with just a hatchet, how could I have won against a wild boar? That crossbow was expensive, though. Otherwise, I could’ve traded those mushrooms and hawthorns for even more silver, maybe even gold!”

As he spoke, Shen Qing rummaged through the pile of jewelry and fished out two gold bangles that Song Kaiji had given him, handing them to Miao Shi.

Miao Shi’s heart was pounding with anxiety. As tempting as the wealth was, her concern for her child outweighed it. Besides, wasn’t this already more than enough? She hesitated, clearly unwilling to let Shen Qing take any more risks. “How about we just leave it at this? Don’t go back there anymore. And stop going into the mountains to chop wood—you might run into another wild boar. Just thinking about how you came down the mountain yesterday, covered in blood, dragging that wild boar behind you—my heart nearly leaped out of my throat! Before, we had no choice, no way to survive, but now we have this whole bundle of jewelry. Isn’t that enough to buy two acres of good farmland? Can’t we just live peacefully as farmers from now on?”

Shen Qing hadn’t expected that, even after he had explained how safe the other world was, Miao Shi would still be worried. But he wasn’t willing to settle for the life of a farmer. This bundle of treasures—setting aside the jade pieces he didn’t recognize—the gold and silver seemed like a lot now, but once converted into money, it was just a few dozen taels of silver. Buying land would use up nearly all of it.

“Mother, since the heavens have granted me this opportunity, wouldn’t it be a waste if I didn’t seize it? Besides, in this village, if someone breaks a bowl or their hen lays fewer eggs, half the village will know about it. If we suddenly have the money to buy land, what will the villagers think? I still need to go up the mountain and chop wood, just as usual.”

Seeing Miao Shi’s worried expression, Shen Qing reassured her, “Now that I have a crossbow, I’m even less afraid. Forget just one wild boar—if a whole herd comes at me, I can handle them too! You should’ve seen how powerful that crossbow is.”

Miao Shi quickly waved her hands, horrified. “Stop talking about wild boars! A whole herd? Do you want to scare me to death?” Then she sighed, “We used to be troubled because we had no money. Now we have money but can’t use it openly—that’s still troubling. What’s the point of having it at all?”

Shen Qing chuckled. “If we can’t buy land or build a house, at least we can eat well. Once the door is shut, who will know how we live? From now on, we’ll eat meat every day!”

He pulled out the secondhand clothes he had bought earlier and showed them to Miao Shi. “Look, I bought these today using the money I got from pawning a few silver accessories. That Song Kaiji doesn’t even treat these jewels as valuable. He kept complaining that I didn’t take enough and just grabbed handfuls of them to give me! Mother, you have no idea how strange the people over there are! The men all shave their heads down to here—” Shen Qing gestured with his hand, “—and the women, while some keep their hair long, don’t grow it out as long as we do. Their clothes are also weird. They don’t have front openings like ours. Instead, they stitch the fabric into a tube and put their heads through it… Ugh, I can’t even explain it properly! Next time, I’ll sneak a couple of outfits back to show you.”

Shen Qing truly believed this was a heaven-sent opportunity—both dangerous and rewarding—and it was granted only to him and his mother. Otherwise, why would the cave suddenly appear right after they left the Shen family? He had always gone into the mountains before, yet that cave had never been there until now!

Only a ger as brave, smart, and kind-hearted as himself could be blessed by the heavens like this! Shen Qing silently praised himself in his heart.

Miao Shi, helpless, tapped his forehead with her finger before reaching out to touch the jewelry on the bed. The initial fear gradually faded, replaced by belated joy—after all, what woman didn’t love jewelry?

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe the heavens really did take pity on us and showed us mercy!” She then confirmed with him again, “There really isn’t any danger over there? They’re going through a famine—there aren’t any riots, right?”

Shen Qing replied nonchalantly, “What danger could there be? Just a bunch of starving refugees. Even well-fed villagers here can’t beat me—what could a bunch of half-starved people do?”

Hearing this, Miao Shi felt somewhat reassured. She had full confidence in Shen Qing’s strength. “Still, you must be careful. Being bold is good, as you say, but you can’t be reckless.”

Shen Qing patted her hand comfortingly. “Don’t worry, Mother, I know what I’m doing.”

The mother and son then began discussing their future plans. Shen Qing suggested that they divide the work—Miao Shi would stay home to steam buns and make flatbreads, while Shen Qing would take them to the other world to exchange for gold and silver. Once they had enough, he would use a clipper and scale to cut up the jewelry and periodically exchange the fragments for silver ingots at the smelting shop.

He showed Miao Shi the indigo silk robe he had bought. “I’ll wear this when I go. I’ll even rub some dirt on my forehead—the pregnancy mark on my brow isn’t that noticeable anyway. Who would ever guess I’m a ger?”

At this moment, Miao Shi truly felt blessed—her son was incredibly clever! No one had taught him, yet he managed to figure all this out by himself. There wasn’t a single child in the village as sharp as her Qing Ge’er. Miao Shi sighed, “What a pity. If you had grown up in Shiqu Village, just imagine how much more accomplished you would be!”

Shen Qing laughed. “What, is the water and soil in Shiqu Village better than in Lantang Village? How would growing up there make me more accomplished?”

“It’s not about the land,” Miao Shi explained. “You know the school in Shiqu Village, right? It was founded by Scholar Miao, the father of Tongsheng Miao. He’s my uncle. Any boy in the village can study there for a year without paying—just offering a bit of grain as a token of gratitude.”

This school was quite large, and many children from surrounding villages attended. Even some from Lantang Village went, though they had to pay a fee.

“If my Qing Ge’er had been able to attend that school, who knows how successful he’d be by now?” Miao Shi said wistfully.

Back when they were still living with the Shen family, no matter how hard life was—being treated like a servant by the Shen household, or being beaten by Shen Zhigao when he got drunk—Miao Shi had always just accepted her fate, thinking she was simply unlucky.

But now, looking at her bright and clever ger, for the first time, Miao Shi felt a deep regret—what if she had never married into Lantang Village? How much better would life have been?

Marriage wasn’t just her second chance at life; it was also the starting point for her child’s entire future. At a glance, Lantang Village seemed only slightly worse off than Shiqu Village, but was it really just a small difference?

Miao Shi stared off into the distance, lost in thought. Meanwhile, Shen Qing rested his head on her knee and softly said, “It’s not too late. As long as I want to learn, it’s never too late. I will make something of myself—just wait and see.”

At the Shen family courtyard.

Old Lady Shen had been in a foul mood all day. Last night, she went to demand pork from Miao Shi and ended up making a complete fool of herself. Her son not only didn’t stand up for her but even blamed her when he got home.

“Mother, you’re old enough to know who in the village you can mess with and who you can’t! You want to curse at Miao Chunlei? Fine, that’s one thing. But Wu Guixiang? Do you think she’s easy to bully? The moment you insulted her, she egged the village chief on to punish me, even talking about giving me a beating! Thanks to you women stirring things up, all the childhood ties I had with the village chief are ruined!”

Old Lady Shen was fuming. “It’s all that wretched Wu Guixiang’s doing! She has no respect for her elders at all—no sense of propriety!”

Shen Zhigao shot her a sideways glance. He was sick of hearing this nonsense. She always talked about being an elder, about rules and customs, but what connection did they even have to the village chief’s family? How was she supposed to be an ‘elder’ to them? Just because she was old? People called her ‘Aunt’ out of courtesy, not obligation.

Did she really think the village ran by the rule of the oldest having the final say? Wu Guixiang was the village chief’s wife!

“Mother, enough already. And stop going after Miao Chunlei and Qing Ge’er. The separation happened—just think of them as dead. They don’t exist anymore. If you go stirring up trouble again and the village chief actually has me flogged, what am I supposed to do then?”

“He wouldn’t dare!” Old Lady Shen stiffened her neck, though her confidence wavered.

Just then, a few gossiping village women passed by her gate, deliberately raising their voices to discuss how Qing Ge’er had returned with a whole cartload of goods. The words pierced her heart like needles.

Shen Zhigao let out a laugh, almost amused. “And why wouldn’t he dare? If he really had me beaten, what could you do about it?”

Forty strokes of the rod weren’t a joke—if the beating was severe enough, a person might not even make it through alive. Shen Zhigao wasn’t about to gamble with the village chief’s mood.

“I—! I…” Old Lady Shen wanted to argue, but no words came to her.

Shen Zhigao waved a hand impatiently. “Enough talk, go make dinner. The food these past two days has been terrible—I can’t even taste anything! And don’t forget to cook two eggs for Jiaofeng. Don’t let my son go hungry.”

At the mention of Li Jiaofeng, Old Lady Shen’s anger flared again. That woman had been the one to push her into demanding meat from Miao Shi, and because of that, she got scolded by her husband and now despised by her son. Yet Li Jiaofeng got off without a scratch and still got to eat eggs!

“Eldest son, is that woman in your house made of gold? Do I have to serve her like some deity? She doesn’t lift a single finger around here, but she sure knows how to eat! If she hadn’t been whining about wanting pork yesterday—”

“Aiya, Mother, what are you even saying? Jiaofeng is pregnant, isn’t she? I’m not young anymore, and I finally have a son on the way. Of course, I have to pamper her a bit!” Shen Zhigao interrupted impatiently. “Now, hurry up and go make dinner.”

Old Lady Shen was stunned. The son she had doted on the most all these years—was this really the way he was talking to her?

“Marry a wife, forget your mother—” Old Lady Shen’s chest rose and fell violently with emotion. Ever since Qing Ge’er and Miao Shi left, this house had slowly changed, and she felt suffocated by it.

Compared to Li Jiaofeng, she even found herself missing Miao Shi.

Back when Miao Shi first married into the Shen family, Shen Zhigao also doted on her for a while, but she never put on airs. She never contradicted Old Lady Shen, always listened, always obeyed.

And now? Li Jiaofeng had turned her son against her. Who could she blame? Who could she complain to?

Old Lady Shen took two deep breaths, grabbed the slop bucket, and headed to the pigsty to feed the pigs. But as soon as she scooped out two ladles of slop, she spotted piles of pig dung in the corner.

She immediately threw down the wooden spoon and stormed over to the west wing, shouting under the window, “How long has it been since you cleaned the pigsty? Do you even have eyes?!”

A weak voice answered from inside, but Old Lady Shen wasn’t done. “And did you cut pig grass? You’re a grown girl now and still can’t do a thing! What, do you think you’re some noble lady? A house full of lazy good-for-nothings! Even the food tastes awful! Did your mother never teach you how to cook before you got married—”

Frustration always needed an outlet.

Outside the window, Old Lady Shen’s voice continued to pierce through the walls. Inside, Zhao Aiye sat in the west wing, clutching his daughter Shen Xiaojun tightly, not daring to make a sound. Tears welled up in his small eyes, hanging on the edge but not falling.

Maybe, in every household, someone had to play the role of Shen Qing or Miao Shi.

Zhao Aiye thought dazedly.

He had lived like that before—when he first married in, Miao Shi was still able to bear children, and Shen Zhang was still alive. But he himself was a ger who had trouble conceiving, and back then, Old Lady Shen treated him terribly.

Shen Xiaojun trembled in his arms. “Ama (ger mother), what’s wrong with Grandma?”

She had never been scolded like this before. Cleaning the pigsty, cutting pig grass—those tasks had always fallen to Shen Qing and Miao Shi. On good days, she would gather wild vegetables with her friends; on lazy days, she embroidered handkerchiefs. She had never once cut pig grass before, so why was Grandma suddenly so furious?

Zhao Aiye wiped away a tear. He had no answer for her. He could endure what Miao Shi had endured—he had no choice. But he would not let his well-raised daughter walk the same path.

Meanwhile, Shen Qing and Miao Shi packed up quickly, planning to take advantage of the borrowed cart from the village chief and visit their relatives in Shiqu Village.

“I only visited your grandmother once this year, on the second day of the new year,” Miao Shi said with a sigh.

Now, she picked out a tea-gold fabric with floral patterns from the materials Shen Qing brought back. “This one looks great! There’s even enough to make a padded jacket. The color suits your grandmother too. I haven’t been able to bring anything home for years—this time, thanks to my Qing Ge’er, I can finally show some filial piety.”

Life at the old Shen household had never been easy for Miao Shi. Forget about sending gifts to her maternal family—just making a trip back home and delaying her work at the Shen family would earn her a scolding from Old Lady Shen. On the other hand, it was always her two brothers who secretly sent her supplies.

Thinking of this, Miao Shi picked out a piece of light green diamond-patterned linen. Though not as high-quality as the tea-gold fabric, its bright color was woven with shimmering golden threads and intricate patterns. “Let’s divide this one between your two aunts. Whether they want to make a jacket for themselves or clothes for their children, they can decide.”

Shen Qing naturally had no objections. He never intended to use these fabrics for clothing himself; he had originally thought of making blankets or mattress covers. But if his mother preferred to use them for clothes or gifts, that was fine too. Next time, he would go further and see if there were any more curtains in other storefronts to take back… or perhaps Song Kaiji had fabric as well?

He hadn’t asked last time, too wary of drawing attention to himself by staring at unfamiliar things for too long. But the fabrics in that world were far finer than what was sold in the county. Shen Qing recalled the soft texture of the hoodie he had worn there—if Song Kaiji had fabric, he wouldn’t need to buy any from the county.

After securing the prepared pork leg onto the cart, he set aside four catties of slot cakes, wrapping them into two bundles of two catties each. After some thought, he said to Miao Shi, “Let’s bring some money too. Uncle’s radishes and cabbages should be harvested by now—we can load some onto the cart while we have it.”

He planned to pickle more sauerkraut and radishes to sell in the other world, which meant he would need a substantial amount. Their family didn’t own farmland, only a small vegetable patch, which wouldn’t produce nearly enough. He would have to buy from others.

And if they were going to pay for produce, they might as well buy it from their own family. They had money now and no longer needed his uncles to secretly help them. Paying fairly ensured his uncles wouldn’t be put in a difficult position with his aunts.

Miao Shi agreed, went inside to retrieve the money pouch, and tucked it into her clothing. Before leaving the village, they made a stop at the village chief’s home. Shen Qing knocked on the door with a bundle of slot cakes in hand. “Aunt Guixiang, I brought some slot cakes from the county—here’s a share for you to try!”

“Aiya, Qing Ge’er, why are you being so polite with me?” Wu Guixiang was in the courtyard picking vegetables, her hands still covered in dirt. She hurriedly wiped them on her apron. “You worked hard for this money, and you’re still thinking about bringing me gifts!”

“It’s only right,” Shen Qing said with a grin, handing her the package. “My mother and I are heading to Shiqu Village to visit my grandmother. We’ll be back before dark, and I’ll return the cart then.”

“Take your time—tomorrow is fine too!” Wu Guixiang readily agreed. “And it’s about time your mother got out of the house—she should visit her mother.”

After her divorce, Miao Shi had felt too ashamed to visit Shiqu Village, worried she would tarnish her maternal family’s reputation.

The three of them chatted cheerfully at the doorstep, the atmosphere warm and friendly. Meanwhile, behind the house, the village chief’s eldest son and his wife were repairing their vegetable cellar. The daughter-in-law, ears perked, had been eavesdropping for a while. She suddenly nudged her husband with an elbow.

“Husband, do you think Mother has her eyes on Qing Ge’er? She might be planning to match him with our youngest!”

Zhao Shi was in the middle of drinking water. Hearing this, he spat out a mouthful, coughing violently. “What?! What did you just say?!”

“Shhh, keep your voice down!” His wife hadn’t expected to be sprayed with water and smacked him angrily a few times. Zhao Shi, thinking she was just helping him recover from his cough, felt quite pleased—except the force was a bit too strong.

While wiping herself dry, his wife lowered her voice. “Haven’t you noticed how often Mom has been spending time with Qing Ge’er lately? And how close she’s suddenly gotten to Aunt Miao? You wouldn’t know, but she used to look down on Aunt Miao.”

Zhao Shi was puzzled. “I never noticed. How did you?”

“It’s obvious! Every time she ran into Aunt Miao, she’d purse her lips and roll her eyes—it was written all over her face. And now she’s suddenly acting all warm and friendly? If she wasn’t interested in Qing Ge’er, why would she change her attitude so fast? I even saw her give Qing Ge’er two bean buns this morning.” She held up two fingers for emphasis. “Two, mind you!”

Wu Guixiang might have seemed generous at the time, but in reality, bean buns were not something given away lightly in their household.

Ever since morning, she had been mulling over this possibility. Honestly, having Qing Ge’er as a sister-in-law wouldn’t be bad at all. He was known for being hardworking and had a straightforward personality—not the kind to be difficult. He could chop wood, hunt, and if he became family, wouldn’t that mean regular meat on the table?

As for his looks and build… well, that was her youngest brother’-in-laws concern, not hers.

Zhao Shi sat there dumbfounded. After a long pause, he scratched the back of his head. “If that’s true… well, our little brother’s life is about to get interesting…”

In the front yard, after Shen Qing and Miao Shi left, Wu Guixiang happily took the slot cakes inside.

Traditional slot cakes were essentially rustic sponge cakes—village folks didn’t care much for fancy pastries. Instead of buying delicate, colorful confections that would disappear in two bites, they preferred the solid weight of two catties of slot cake.

And was Zhao Shi’s wife completely off the mark? Not really!

Wu Guixiang had indeed considered the idea of matching Qing Ge’er with her youngest son.

The village chief and his wife had five children—three sons and two daughters. The eldest four were already married, leaving only the youngest son. Perhaps because he was the youngest, he had been spoiled and turned out rather lazy. Give him a task, and he would drag his feet like a stubborn donkey, constantly finding excuses to slack off.

The family was well-off enough that his laziness wasn’t a huge problem. Even with his faults, he wouldn’t have trouble finding a spouse. But Wu Guixiang had always wanted to find a partner who could whip her youngest into shape and keep him in line.

In the past, she had disapproved of Miao Shi, and even more so of the old Shen family, never once considering Shen Qing as a match.

But after spending time with Qing Ge’er these past few days, she found him to be an excellent choice.

The idea excited her—but then a memory surfaced in her mind.

She recalled when Qing Ge’er was younger, pinning her youngest son to the ground and pummeling him. One beating wasn’t enough—he had even pulled down his pants and thrown them up a tree.

Wu Guixiang fell silent.

As much as she wanted Qing Ge’er as a son-in-law, her youngest was still her own flesh and blood. No matter how hopeless, he was still her child.

Perhaps… she needed to reconsider.

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 26: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Among all the trades, pawnshops had always carried the most authority. In other businesses, no matter how well their goods sold, they still treated buyers with courtesy and welcomed them with smiles. But pawnshops were the opposite—those who came in were there to pawn their possessions, practically begging the shop to offer a fair price, putting them at a natural disadvantage.

The shop assistants were indifferent enough, but the real arrogance came from the appraisers behind the counter. They deliberately acted disinterested, as if whether or not they accepted an item was entirely up to their whim. They would then harshly devalue the item, making it easier to drive the price down.

Shen Qing had accompanied Old Lady Shen to a pawnshop once before. Years ago, Old Man Shen had fallen gravely ill, and their household savings were nearly drained. The crops in the fields weren’t ready for harvest, but the family urgently needed money. After borrowing from every relative and friend they could think of, it still wasn’t enough.

So Old Lady Shen made the decision to pawn two thick cotton quilts to buy medicine. She couldn’t bear to trouble her two sons, so she made Shen Qing carry the burden and follow her to town.

Shen Qing had personally witnessed how the domineering Old Lady Shen, who ruled over their household, suddenly became meek and subservient in front of the pawnshop’s appraiser. He had also seen how that appraiser mercilessly belittled the two sturdy, nearly new quilts, ultimately offering only half of what Old Lady Shen had expected.

In the shop, Old Lady Shen hadn’t dared to argue and could only agree. But on the way home, she vented all her frustration on Shen Qing, scolding him the entire journey.

This time, however, Shen Qing was pawning silver jewelry. Unlike quilts or household items, which had no fixed pricing standard, silver had an intrinsic value. No matter how much the pawnshop tried to undervalue it, they couldn’t possibly offer less than the base price of silver itself—right?

Yet, he had underestimated just how far the appraiser would go.

The elderly appraiser lazily glanced at Shen Qing, then scrutinized the three silver ornaments on the tray. Immediately, he had his suspicions.

Aside from poor families who had no choice but to frequent pawnshops, there was another kind of regular visitor—thieves.

For skilled master thieves, this wasn’t an issue, but small-time crooks who had no connections or means to sell their stolen goods often turned to pawnshops. If they tried to sell stolen goods on the open market and were recognized by the rightful owners or the authorities, they’d be in serious trouble.

Pawnshops, especially those with powerful backing, had their ways of dealing with such items. While they couldn’t openly defy the authorities, they could discreetly swap out stolen goods and transport them far away, making it nearly impossible for the original owners to track them down.

For these “questionable” items, pawnshops ruthlessly slashed the price. If they offered even 20–30% of the item’s true value, it was already generous.

The three silver pieces Shen Qing had brought weren’t particularly heavy, but their craftsmanship was exquisite, and they looked almost brand new. They didn’t seem like something that would belong to someone dressed as poorly as Shen Qing, nor did they appear to be old heirlooms passed down through generations.

Naturally, the appraiser assumed the items had been obtained through dubious means.

And in a way, he wasn’t entirely wrong—these pieces weren’t something Shen Qing had acquired through “normal” means. If not for the strange mountain cave and his unusual fortune, there was no way he could have gotten his hands on such fine items given his family’s circumstances.

This was the sharp eye of an experienced pawnshop appraiser at work. Judging by Shen Qing’s demeanor, he looked like a struggling ger from a poor household, not a seasoned street thief. Perhaps this was just a momentary lapse of judgment on his part.

The pawnshop appraiser raised his stance even higher—not that he was unwilling to accept stolen goods, but he intended to intimidate the young man first, scare him a little, and then casually offer a few coins to settle the deal.

Shen Qing had no idea what the appraiser was planning, but he had already prepared a convincing story. Just like when he dealt with Aunt Zheng at the brokerage, he knew he would have to cover things up multiple times in the future, so he had to start getting used to it now. Aware of his own lack of eloquence, he had thought through every possible explanation in advance:

“This was part of the dowry my family prepared for me a few years ago. However, some things happened at home, and the marriage didn’t go through. Since I won’t be using it anytime soon and someone in my family is sick, we urgently need money, so I brought it here to pawn.”

He had considered saying it was his mother’s dowry, now being pawned because they could no longer make ends meet. After all, Miao Shi did have a silver bracelet among her wedding items, but it wasn’t as heavy or intricately designed as these. It was just a thin, plain silver band weighing only three or four qian, and Shen Zhigao had long since pawned it for money to drink.

Since the two silver bracelets and the pendant lock he had now looked too new to be old heirlooms, it made more sense to claim they were his own dowry. Shen Qing believed he had covered all his bases—any doubts someone might have wouldn’t find any major flaws in his story.

It was common for families who cherished their daughters or Ge’ers to prepare one or two pieces of silver jewelry for their weddings.

Hearing Shen Qing’s explanation, the appraiser clearly didn’t believe him—or rather, he simply didn’t want to accept an answer that didn’t match his expectations. He raised an eyebrow and scrutinized Shen Qing.

“Looking at your clothes and build, you don’t seem like someone from a family that could afford such an expensive dowry.”

Shen Qing had the physique of someone who did heavy farm work. What kind of well-off family would let a Ge’er toil in the fields?

“Besides, I’ve never seen this bracelet design before. It’s not from any of the jewelry shops in our county. Be honest—where did this really come from?”

Their pawnshop had connections with all the jewelry stores in town, and there were only a handful of silversmiths working in the area. Their craftsmanship was limited to a few familiar designs, and none of them had ever produced something like this.

Shen Qing felt frustrated. He had thought his cover story was airtight, but with just a few pointed remarks, the appraiser had exposed its flaws. His lack of worldly experience was showing!

At the same time, he couldn’t understand—this was a simple transaction, money for goods. Why was this man so determined to dig into its origins?

When Shen Qing didn’t respond immediately, the appraiser assumed he had successfully intimidated him into silence. Feeling smug, he pressed on:

“I’ve seen plenty like you before. Just a moment of foolishness, and now you’re stuck trying to get rid of something you shouldn’t have… Hmph. If this item has a questionable background, it’s best you confess now. I can still help cover things up.

As for the price… well, if you keep refusing to tell the truth, and the authorities come knocking one day, it won’t just be your problem—it’ll be mine too!”

This was his usual tactic: a mix of threats and temptations. If it were any other ger, even if the item wasn’t stolen, they would be so flustered and overwhelmed that they’d have no way to defend themselves. At that point, the appraiser could name whatever price he wanted.

But unfortunately for him, he had met Shen Qing.

“What does this have to do with the authorities? Something I shouldn’t have? Say it clearly—what exactly do you mean by that?”

Shen Qing took a moment to piece together the appraiser’s meaning, and once he did, he was furious. This wasn’t just about questioning the origins of the jewelry—this was an insult to his character!

Even when he had been starving, with his stomach growling from hunger, he had never stolen so much as a single cucumber from someone’s field or taken an abandoned egg from a neighbor’s coop. Instead, he had risked going up the mountain to find food.

Even in that other world, he had only taken things that belonged to no one—items left behind by the dead. When he had lingered in front of that storefront, he hadn’t even stepped inside!

Shen Qing had always conducted himself with integrity. Why should he tolerate being slandered like this by a mere pawnshop appraiser?

He let out a short, incredulous laugh. “So what you’re saying is that I stole these? Do you have any proof?”

The appraiser smirked, a knowing, mocking look in his eyes, as if he could see right through Shen Qing without needing to say a word. His silence only made Shen Qing even angrier.

Though furious, Shen Qing knew he wasn’t great at arguing, just as Wu Guixiang had pointed out. Right now, he couldn’t come up with the right words to refute this man. Plus, they were in the city, on the pawnshop’s turf—starting a fight wouldn’t end well for him. He had no choice but to swallow his frustration.

For now.

He clenched his jaw and suppressed his anger, his face dark. “If you think my items are stolen and don’t want to take the risk, then don’t buy them. Simple as that.”

He stepped forward and locked eyes with the appraiser. “This isn’t the only pawnshop in town. I’ll just go somewhere else. I came to do business, not to be insulted.”

The appraiser faltered. He hadn’t expected this ger to remain so composed—and even to push back. Yet, he was still reluctant to let go. He held onto one of the bracelets without returning it, torn between suspicion and greed.

After all, the design was far more intricate than what local silversmiths could produce. While it might not match the highest-quality craftsmanship of elite artisans, in this small county, it was already leagues above the norm. It would fetch a great price.

Seeing the defiance in Shen Qing’s eyes—pure anger without a trace of guilt—the appraiser hesitated. Had he misjudged the situation?

The thought of letting such a valuable item slip through his fingers made him feel like he was swallowing a nail.

Meanwhile, Shen Qing was growing impatient. He found the man’s behavior baffling—if he thought the item was stolen, why was he still holding onto it?

“What’s this? Are you trying to claim my item as stolen and keep it for yourself? Give it back. If you really believe it’s stolen, report it to the authorities—I’m not afraid.

But if you don’t return it, and you don’t report it, then I will! Let’s see how the whole town reacts when they find out what kind of shady business you’re running!”

Shen Qing had stumbled onto something close to the truth. While the pawnshop wasn’t planning to outright steal the items, they had intended to offer him mere pennies and pocket the real profit.

Now that Shen Qing had spoken so boldly, the appraiser knew his plan had failed.

The young man’s stance and words didn’t resemble that of a thief at all. In reality, the appraiser had only been trying to push the price lower—whether or not the item was truly stolen didn’t actually matter to him. But since he had failed to intimidate Shen Qing, he wasn’t about to admit he was wrong.

With a long face, he finally let go of the bracelet. “You think just saying so makes it true? We have to be careful about what we accept. You can’t blame us for asking questions.”

Shen Qing was done playing along. “If you think it’s stolen, then don’t buy it. Go ahead, report it to the authorities. I’ll wait right here.”

“You don’t want to report it? Then stop wasting my time and give me back my things!”

The appraiser opened his mouth to argue, but just then, the shopkeeper, who had been listening from the back, finally stepped in. He had been sipping his tea while observing the commotion, and now that things had escalated, he decided to intervene.

They couldn’t afford to let this escalate further—this ger was too hotheaded. If he really stormed off to report them, the authorities might dig into the shop’s more questionable dealings.

“Now, now,” the shopkeeper said smoothly, stepping forward with a practiced smile. “Let’s all calm down. How about this, young sir—I’ll personally handle your items and give you a good price.”

At the root of it, the problem was that he hadn’t been thorough enough—his attire didn’t match the kind of valuables he was trying to pawn. Even if he went to another pawnshop, he would likely encounter the same issue.

The more shops he visited, the more attention he would attract. If he happened to run into someone particularly greedy and meticulous, they might secretly follow him back to his village to investigate, potentially stirring up even more trouble.

Shen Qing took a deep breath. He suddenly realized that just because he had obtained gold and silver jewelry from another world didn’t mean he could easily convert it into money and seamlessly step into the comfortable life he had imagined. He had underestimated the difficulties—bringing out wealth that didn’t match his identity would make him a target, even if he did nothing to provoke others.

Just like the pawnshop appraiser, who didn’t care how well-prepared his excuse was. No—even if his lie had been flawless, as long as someone wanted to take advantage of him, they would find a way to bite off a piece of his flesh.

This realization left Shen Qing deeply frustrated, dampening much of his excitement from the previous day when he had obtained a whole bag of jewelry, dreaming of his impending fortune. At this moment, he just wanted to finish the transaction quickly. He had no interest in visiting another pawnshop and drawing even more attention, so he told the shopkeeper, “Dead pawn.”

The shopkeeper carefully examined the bracelets again, weighing them on the scale. Both bracelets were just over one tael each, and the silver pendant lock weighed around three qian.

“The silver is of decent quality, and the craftsmanship isn’t bad. If you’re pawning them outright, I can offer three taels of silver in total.” Worried that Shen Qing might still be unhappy about the earlier dispute, he added, “That’s already a high price—I doubt you’d get a better offer elsewhere.”

Pawnshops usually made a habit of devaluing items as much as possible to push prices down, so for the shopkeeper to say that the silver’s quality was “decent” actually meant it was quite good.

In ancient times, metal refining technology wasn’t nearly as advanced as in modern times. Officially, silver collected for taxes and treasury use was called “Household Department Standard Ten-Tenths Fine Silver,” also known as “full silver” or “pure silver.” But despite the name, it only had a purity of about 93.5%, close to modern-day 925 sterling silver, which was still far from the 999 fine silver refined today.

In reality, this “ten-tenths silver” was more of a standardized accounting measure rather than a commonly circulated currency. True high-purity silver was difficult to refine and rarely seen in everyday trade. Most silver used in civilian transactions had a purity of around 70% or 80%, and it was common practice to adjust its value accordingly when accounting for transactions. The same went for gold.

Shen Qing didn’t know these finer details, but he had watched the weighing process carefully. After some quick calculations, he estimated that aside from the raw silver’s weight, the craftsmanship of the jewelry had earned him about an extra hundred copper coins.

Earlier that morning, he had sold four loads of firewood and only made a little over a hundred coins. He wasn’t sure if this was a good deal or not, but it had already exceeded his expectations. Besides, he didn’t have a good impression of this pawnshop—lingering any longer might only cause more trouble. Not wanting to waste more time, he nodded in agreement.

The shopkeeper retrieved a small wooden box filled with broken pieces of silver. He sifted through the pieces before picking out a large chunk—about two-thirds of a five-tael silver ingot—and placed it on the scale, ensuring it weighed exactly three taels.

As a seasoned merchant, he could accurately estimate the weight of silver just by hefting it. His experience in mentally calculating purity and value was so refined that he rarely made an error.

Shen Qing watched him closely during the weighing. Seeing that both the weight and purity checked out, he accepted the pawn ticket and silver piece, tucking them into his chest pocket before quickly leaving the shop.

He hadn’t walked far before he noticed someone following him. It didn’t take much guessing to figure out that the pawnshop had sent someone to tail him. Fortunately, he had spent a lot of time in the mountains and had learned some tracking and evasion skills from an old hunter. Since the person following him wasn’t a professional, it didn’t take much effort for him to shake them off.

Still, the incident only fueled his anger.

Why were there so many vile people in the world? He hadn’t done anything to provoke them—he simply refused to be cheated, to have his price unfairly lowered, or to have his belongings taken from him, and yet he had been targeted and stalked. How despicable!

Was he supposed to just stand there and let them walk all over him? If they wanted to cut the price, he had to accept it? If they wanted to take his things, he was just supposed to hand them over?

And yet, people like that existed everywhere—those who believed that if they didn’t take advantage of someone, they were the ones losing out. If they didn’t manage to scam someone, they felt as if they had been wronged. Some would even become furious if denied the chance to profit off others.

That pawnshop appraiser was exactly that kind of person. He hadn’t managed to swindle Shen Qing into giving up the bracelets for a pittance, and worse, he had been embarrassed by a mere ger. That humiliation had only made him angrier, which was why he had sent someone to follow Shen Qing.

Before long, the shop assistant returned, shaking his head. “Lost him. Gotta say, for a ger, he moves pretty fast. Took a couple of quick turns, and he was gone. Either he was on guard from the start, or he’s really familiar with this area.” He thought for a moment before adding, “But he’s definitely not from around here. A ger with his build and looks? Would’ve noticed him before if he were local.”

The shopkeeper waved a hand dismissively. “Forget it. It’s no big loss. We still made a decent profit on the deal.” He had pretended to offer Shen Qing a generous price, but in reality, he had been bluffing—he knew the true value of such finely crafted jewelry. If they sent these pieces to the provincial capital, they could fetch nearly twice the price they had paid.

“What’s the point of getting worked up over a single ger?” he added.

The appraiser, however, wasn’t willing to let it go.

“That’s exactly why it’s so frustrating! He’s just a ger, and I couldn’t even put him in his place? Humiliating!” He spat out angrily. “Do you really believe that jewelry was his? Even if he didn’t steal it himself, it must have come from somewhere shady! What if he has more?”

That caught the shopkeeper’s attention. While he didn’t care about getting back at Shen Qing, he wasn’t opposed to the idea of gaining a bigger profit. Even if they found nothing in the end, all they would lose was a little manpower—it wouldn’t cost them anything.

But if their suspicions were right…

A glint flashed in the shopkeeper’s eyes. He ordered, “You’re right—gers with his looks aren’t common. Have our people keep an eye out. If he comes back to town, track him down and find out where he’s from.”

If the jewelry was really just a family dowry, then fine. But if there was more to it… well, no matter how tough this ger thought he was, they had ways of making him hand over everything.

Meanwhile, as the pawnshop schemed against him, Shen Qing had already devised his own plan.

At a secondhand clothing shop, Shen Qing picked out two well-made, secondhand outer garments in good condition, both in Miao Shi’s size. The shopkeeper’s wife, cracking sunflower seeds, complimented him, “You’ve got a good eye! These just came in—clean and well-kept, straight from the county magistrate’s estate. Don’t be fooled just because they’re secondhand—servants in rich households still wear better clothes than most common folk!”

If he were to buy two brand-new garments, it wouldn’t be an issue of affordability—he could afford them now. But suddenly appearing wealthy after struggling for so long might raise eyebrows in the village. People would start whispering, wondering how a struggling mother and son had suddenly come into money. That would only bring more trouble.

So, he asked the shopkeeper’s wife to wrap up the two garments he had chosen for Miao Shi and then started looking for something for himself.

He was taller than most men, let alone typical gers. Clothes made for gers were always too short on him. The shopkeeper’s wife noticed his hesitation and also felt a bit troubled. She rummaged through the garments and said, “I don’t think I have anything in your size.” She took out a few men’s garments and suggested, “How about taking one of these and altering it at home?”

The clothing styles for men and gers were quite different. Men could wear short jackets, but gers had to dress more like women. Their tops had to be long enough to cover their thighs or even knees, hiding the shape of their waists and hips. Wearing anything too fitted was considered shameless, an attempt to seduce men. Even the poorest families wouldn’t dare to skimp on those extra inches of fabric.

So, the shopkeeper’s wife wasn’t offering him short coats but rather long robes and scholar’s gowns.

Shen Qing had already considered this option, so when she brought it up, it saved him from having to find an excuse. He took a bean-green scholar’s robe and draped it over himself, making the shopkeeper’s wife’s eyes light up. If not for the pregnancy mark between his brows, with his height and build, he could easily pass for a handsome young scholar!

“This looks great on you! Really great!” she praised. The only downside was that years of farm work had tanned his skin, and the green shade didn’t suit him as well. She pulled out a dark blue linen robe and handed it to him. “Try this one—it’ll make you look fairer.”

But Shen Qing wasn’t interested in linen. Instead, his eyes landed on a deep blue silk tunic that was about six or seven-tenths new.

“That one isn’t cheap,” the shopkeeper’s wife warned kindly. Silk made from wild tussah silk wasn’t as fine as that from mulberry silkworms, but it was still silk. The robe had been pawned off by a gambler who had lost everything—his family had once been quite wealthy, so the fabric and craftsmanship were excellent, and the dye was rich. The price was eight qian of silver. If it had been brand new, it would have cost at least two taels!

Looking at Shen Qing’s patched-up coarse clothes, she doubted he could afford such a luxury.

Shen Qing ran his fingers over the smooth silk. He had never worn silk before, barely even had the chance to touch it. As a child, he had gone with Miao Shi to a fabric shop, but if he dared to sneak a touch, the shop assistants would immediately scold him. Now that he could afford it, he asked, “How much for this one?”

It wasn’t that he was being unfilial, buying himself silk while getting Miao Shi only cotton—but he had his reasons.

If people judged him for wearing ragged clothes and assumed he had stolen jewelry, then wouldn’t wearing finer clothes make his possession of such valuables more believable?

If the world saw gers as weak and easy to bully, then why not dress as a man? If he went about his business in men’s attire, wouldn’t people be less likely to look down on him?

With his height and build, no one would recognize him as a ger if he dressed differently.

Shen Qing thought back to the “strange outfit” he had traded from Song Kaizhi in the other world. If he could use different clothes to disguise himself there, why not do the same in the county?

One’s identity in public was self-made. Shen Qing had never heard this saying before, but he had instinctively understood its truth.

This silk robe seemed perfect for his plan—it was not brand new but still looked refined, suggesting a well-off yet not excessively extravagant background. It would keep people from looking down on him, while also avoiding the attention that a brand-new outfit might attract. He was very satisfied with his choice.

The shopkeeper’s wife looked over the clothes he had picked and made an offer. “This one alone is eight qian, but if you take everything—the two women’s outfits and the green robe as well—I’ll give you a deal. One tael of silver for the lot.”

Sensing he might be worried about the cost, she added, “If you just take these three, it’ll be three qian silver.”

Shen Qing quietly sighed in relief. The way she had talked, he thought it would be much more expensive. If it had been before, spending eight qian on a robe would have been unthinkable. But now, it wasn’t a big deal at all. He pulled out his three-tael silver ingot and handed it over. “I’ll take them all.”

The shopkeeper’s wife was surprised. He was dressed in rags but had silver to spare. Unlike the pawnshop workers, she wasn’t nosy about where his money came from. She was just delighted to make such a big sale.

She quickly wrapped up his purchases and brought out a silver clipper and a precision scale.

Every store on this street had clippers and scales. When customers paid with large silver ingots, shopkeepers usually didn’t give change from their own silver reserves. Instead, they used clippers to cut off the exact amount needed.

This not only made transactions more convenient but also helped detect counterfeit silver, which might have been adulterated with lead or copper. The scales, called dengzi, were highly precise and often used for weighing gold, silver, and medicinal herbs.

Many people who frequently dealt in silver even carried their own clippers and scales. After the shopkeeper weighed the silver, customers would reweigh it to ensure they weren’t shortchanged.

The shopkeeper’s wife was so skilled that she could cut silver with near-perfect accuracy.

Watching her clip the silver, Shen Qing suddenly had an idea. After his experience at the pawnshop, he no longer dared to take any more of his valuables to be pawned or sold. There were three pawnshops in Anping County, and he had no way of knowing if the other two would be any more honest. He had been worrying about this—just last night, he had dreamed of selling his jewelry, building a grand house, and marrying a husband. Now, he was facing obstacles at the very first step. Was he just supposed to sit on a pile of gold and silver, unable to use it?

Before he could figure out a solution, the shopkeeper’s wife had already given him one.

“Aunt, where can I buy a clipper and a scale?” he asked.

She pointed outside. “Up ahead, between Guyi Street and Silken Alley, there’s a small shop that sells silver-cutting tools. All the merchants around here use them—it’s cheaper than taking silver to a money exchange.”

Shen Qing thanked her, took his clothes and change, and made his way to the silver shop.

As the name implied, the shop specialized in cutting and exchanging silver. Merchants frequently broke their silver into smaller pieces for daily transactions, and shops often found themselves with too many small fragments, making storage and counting a hassle. So, they would bring their excess silver pieces to the shop to be melted down into whole ingots for a small fee.

Likewise, those who had large silver ingots but no clippers could come to have them broken into smaller pieces. The shop also sold weighing scales and clippers.

Shen Qing spent two qian silver to buy a set of clippers and a scale. After his experience at the pawnshop, he dared not try to pawn any more valuables. There were still plenty of silver accessories left at home—why not simply clip them into small pieces and use them directly? If needed, he could even break them down further and exchange them for whole ingots at the silver shop. While he might lose a little in the process, it was better to stay discreet.

Two weeks ago, he wouldn’t have dreamed of throwing away a hundred copper coins in transaction fees. But now that he had money, what was a hundred coins?

Now that he had a solution, Shen Qing felt much more at ease. Since earning money would no longer be difficult, and he still had an entire bag of valuables at home, there was no need to pinch every penny anymore. It was time to stock up and finally make the house feel like a real home!

They had enough grain for now, but they lacked proper kitchen tools. The most urgent needs were a good kitchen knife and an iron pot! Seeing how distressed Miao Shi had been over the cracked ceramic pot last night, Shen Qing didn’t hesitate—he bought two iron pots on the spot.

One of the pots was the large iron cooking pot commonly found in the village, used for boiling rice and stews. The other was a small flat-bottomed griddle—Miao Shi had often mentioned that a clay pot couldn’t be used to make flatbreads, and she was quite skilled at making them.

The cabbages and radishes in the vegetable patch were almost ready for harvest, so he also needed large vats for fermenting sauerkraut and big jars for pickling vegetables! Thinking about the situation in the other world, Shen Qing figured he should stock up on extra sauerkraut and pickles this year—people over there would surely love them too.

Without hesitation, he bought two large fermentation vats and five big pickling jars.

To make sauerkraut and pickles, they needed more salt—salt and sugar were both precious commodities. A pound of fine salt cost forty copper coins, while coarse salt was slightly cheaper but still expensive. Shen Qing bought five pounds of coarse salt and also got a pound of brown sugar, so Miao Shi could dissolve it in water and drink it to nourish her body. A spoonful of sugar in hot egg tea in the morning would warm her heart as much as her stomach.

He also bought a set of water buckets and a carrying pole. Right now, they were still fetching water in clay jars, which meant multiple trips to the well every day. They needed a hoe for their vegetable patch too—so far, they had been borrowing one from Second Aunt Lian’s household. Since he was already buying salt and sugar, he might as well add some sesame oil, soy sauce, pepper, and star anise to the list.

Shen Qing also wanted to buy two bolts of cloth and a bundle of cotton to make a few quilts. Right now, he and Miao Shi each had only one old quilt, with cotton stuffing that hadn’t been fluffed in years and barely kept them warm. They didn’t even have proper mattress pads—just thick straw bedding. It was only thanks to the mild autumn weather that they hadn’t been freezing at night.

Since they were making new clothes, undergarments would be needed too—and those weren’t something he could buy secondhand. He also needed a thick cotton-padded jacket. And if they were sewing clothes, they’d need needles and thread… But he was out of money!

Spending money really was fast! The little over three taels he had from pawning the jewelry and selling firewood wasn’t nearly enough to cover everything.

Realizing he needed more funds, Shen Qing had his purchases delivered to Aunt Zheng’s brokerage house and went to a small noodle shop for lunch. He ordered a steaming bowl of braised meat noodles.

A large spoonful of slow-cooked minced pork was ladled over white noodles, topped with chopped scallions and cilantro. The broth was rich and red, with a few drops of fragrant sesame oil floating on top. Stirring everything together, Shen Qing took a bite—the flavor was delicious. As he ate, he thought about bringing Miao Shi to the county town next time so she could taste the local dishes too. She would also be better at picking out needles, thread, fabric, and cotton than he was.

But how would he explain the source of all this silver to her?

With the last of his money, Shen Qing bought ten pounds of coarse pastries and carried them back to the brokerage house. Aunt Zheng was stunned—she knew he was shopping for household supplies but hadn’t expected him to buy so much.

“Goodness! All morning, people have been delivering things non-stop—I almost thought they had the wrong address!”

However, seeing that everything he bought was practical and necessary, she didn’t think too much of it. “The water vats and pickling jars are already tied securely to the cart. Be careful when driving it—these things are fragile!”

Shen Qing thanked Aunt Zheng and took his cartload of goods back to Lantang Village. The moment he entered, he was surrounded by curious onlookers, causing quite a stir.

“Qing Ge’er bought all this stuff?”

“That’s a huge iron pot—how much did that cost?”

“What are you saying? Doesn’t your family have an iron pot too?”

“I thought their family was struggling financially…”

“It was tough,” Shen Qing said as he jumped down from the cart, leading the mule toward their courtyard. “We wanted to buy an iron pot for a while but couldn’t afford it. It wasn’t until we sold some pork yesterday that we finally saved up enough. Otherwise, we’d have had to wait until after the New Year… Last night, with all the commotion, we left food cooking on the stove, and by the time we got back, the clay pot had cracked. We had no choice—we had to get a new one.”

Thinking about the wild boar from yesterday, the villagers found this explanation reasonable. Looking at the items on the cart, they saw that although there were many, they were all everyday necessities. Their initial jealousy and curiosity slowly faded, replaced by sympathy.

Previously, Shen Qing and Miao Shi didn’t even have a proper water vat, bucket, or carrying pole—what kind of life had they been living?

Soon, their chatter turned into complaints about the Shen family.

Only Miao Shi, upon seeing the cart full of goods, looked deeply unsettled. She knew better than anyone that before leaving home this morning, Shen Qing hadn’t asked her for the money from selling the pork. In fact, he had never taken any of the firewood earnings she kept for him either.

So where had Qing Ge’er gotten the money to buy all these things?

Shen Qing glanced back and saw Miao Shi standing there in shock. He quickly pushed her into the courtyard.

“Mother, let’s go inside. I have something to tell you.”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 25: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Anping County was the closest county town to Lantang Village and one of the four counties directly under the jurisdiction of Haozhou Prefecture. It was less than eighty li from the prefectural city, making it a relatively prosperous place. From Lantang Village, it was less than twenty li before the city gates came into view. Local villagers didn’t need to pay an entry fee, but if they wanted to set up a stall in the market to sell goods, they had to pay a few large copper coins as a stall fee.

Shen Qing entered the city but didn’t head toward the market. Instead, he skillfully maneuvered his cart toward a familiar brokerage. This brokerage served as a middleman for transactions, introducing buyers and sellers and earning a commission, while also profiting from reselling goods at a markup.

Most of their business involved real estate and the buying and selling of people, but they also dealt in smaller trades like charcoal, silk, livestock, and even grain and mountain goods. As long as there was profit to be made, there was no business a brokerage wouldn’t do.

The one Shen Qing was familiar with wasn’t a large brokerage; it mainly handled small trades for common folk. The owners were a couple who worked alongside their nephews and a few hired clerks. They were fair-minded and offered reasonable prices, never giving Shen Qing a hard time just because he was a lone ger. Besides, though the brokerage slightly undercut the price of firewood, it was still more cost-effective than paying a stall fee. Today, Shen Qing had other matters to attend to and had no time to sit around waiting for buyers.

“Shen family’s Ge’er, you’re here! It’s been a while—we’ve been looking forward to seeing you,” the brokerage owner’s wife greeted him warmly as soon as she spotted him. Firewood was in high demand during the winter, and Shen Qing’s deliveries were always neatly cut to the same length and thoroughly dried. The moment they arrived, sharp-eyed housewives and husbands would snatch them up.

“These days, firewood prices have gone up again—by two more coins! If you work a little harder and bring in a few more loads, you’ll have a good New Year.”

“Aunt Zheng,” Shen Qing greeted as he let the clerks unload the firewood while he chatted with the owner’s wife. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to bring much. I was unlucky and ran into a wild boar on the mountain. Barely escaped with my life, but my arm got injured and isn’t strong enough for heavy work now.” He rolled up his sleeve to show her the wound. “If I can manage one more trip before the New Year, I’d already be lucky.”

After Wu Guixiang’s “guidance” last night, Shen Qing had been thinking about how to become a “better speaker.” Now that he had such a big secret, he would inevitably have to cover things up in his conversations. Today was a small test.

In the future, he planned to keep making trips to that other world. Naturally, he wouldn’t have time to keep chopping firewood, nor was there any reason for him to continue such exhausting labor. However, if he suddenly stopped chopping wood yet continued heading into the mountains, people in the village would get suspicious. Winter was the slack season for farmers, and with no fieldwork to keep them busy, they had plenty of time to gossip about their neighbors.

So, his plan was to cut some firewood along the way as a cover. Since many people already knew about his injured arm, it wouldn’t be surprising if he started bringing in less firewood.

The owner’s wife clicked her tongue in sympathy when she saw his injury. “Oh my heavens, running into a wild boar is no joke! It’s a miracle you made it out alive. That’s a deep cut—you need to take care of it properly.” She sighed, feeling both relieved and regretful. With firewood prices rising before the New Year, it was unfortunate that Shen Qing wouldn’t be able to take advantage of it. She knew his life wasn’t easy. If his family wasn’t struggling, why would a ger resort to being a woodcutter? Out of sympathy, she rounded up the payment, adding an extra two copper coins. “You should go to a clinic and have that looked at. It may not be easy to get infected in winter, but it’s still a long wound.”

Shen Qing knew his own injury best and wasn’t worried about it. But since she was speaking out of kindness, he nodded in agreement. Then he asked, “Aunt, can I leave my cart here for now? I need to buy some supplies before the New Year, and bringing the cart around is inconvenient.”

“Of course! Leave it here, and if you buy anything heavy, just have the shop send it here. I’ll have the clerks load it onto your cart for you,” the woman replied cheerfully.

With that settled, Shen Qing handed his mule cart over to the clerks and left the brokerage, heading straight for the pawnshop.

On the way, he debated between going to a jewelry shop or a pawnshop and ultimately chose the latter. For one, he had been to a pawnshop before, having accompanied his family to pawn items in the past, so he had some knowledge of how things worked. Unlike a jewelry store, where he would be walking in blind.

Secondly, with his tattered clothes, the clerks at a jewelry shop would likely look down on him and might not even take his items seriously. If the deal fell through, he’d have to endure their condescending remarks. At least in a pawnshop, money was money, and there wouldn’t be too much of a difference in pricing—just a small cut for craftsmanship.

With this in mind, Shen Qing stepped into the pawnshop.

Most of the clientele here were from struggling households. After all, no one would pawn their belongings unless they were in a tight spot. The clerks were used to dealing with people in rough conditions, so they didn’t sneer at his worn clothes. One of them simply led him to the counter.

Behind the high counter sat an elderly man with graying facial hair, dressed in a long robe. He sat on an elevated chair, making him appear even more imposing. Shen Qing placed two jade bracelets and a silver lock onto a tray and pushed it forward.

The elderly appraiser carefully picked up each piece with a cloth, examining them one by one. Then, he narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Shen Qing for a long moment before speaking in a deep, deliberate tone:

“Where did you get these?”

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 24: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Too much had happened in one day. It was only now, in the quiet of the night, when Shen Qing was alone, that he could finally sit down and carefully think things through.

That mysterious cave had been truly miraculous, and the world on the other side of it was even more so. The clothing, speech, and behavior of the people there were beyond Shen Qing’s understanding, and there were also terrifying zombies. But thinking about it, it was precisely because of those zombies that famine had broken out in that world, driving food prices sky-high.

A whole basket of wild fruits and mushrooms, which cost nothing to gather, could be exchanged for so much gold, silver, and jewelry—not to mention a crossbow that could save his life. It was practically like getting rich for free! It wasn’t an incomprehensible phenomenon either. The uncle from the south who had fled to Xiahe Village once told a story: when his hometown was hit by a great flood, even a two-ounce silver bracelet couldn’t buy three to five pounds of rice. A young girl or a ger in their prime, around sixteen or seventeen, could only be exchanged for half a sack of grain. In the most desperate times, some families had even resorted to trading children for food.

And what that world faced was something even more terrifying than a flood—zombies!

The fact that those zombies didn’t seem to attack him was an extra stroke of luck from the heavens! Shen Qing was determined to learn more about that world and seize this rare opportunity.

Once he saved up enough money, he would build a large house in the village. If he wanted to avoid any further entanglements with the Shen family, he could move far away and live with his uncles in Shiqu Village. Or better yet, he could buy a house in the county town! He could also find a husband to marry in.

In this world, not having a man to manage the household made things difficult. A widow and her child, no matter how much they tried to avoid trouble, would still attract it. There was a reason people said, “A widow’s doorstep is never quiet.”

If he had money, then no one would look down on his appearance. He might even be able to choose a decent husband. Shen Qing calculated in his mind—he wasn’t looking for someone particularly capable since he already had enough money to support a household. As long as the man had a good character, was responsible, and would care for his mother with him, that would be enough.

Of course, if he was taller and more handsome, that would be even better.

Shen Qing curled his lips. The village boys disliked him for being tall and refused to marry him, but did that mean he wanted a husband shorter than him? If they couldn’t grow taller themselves, what right did they have to complain about his height?

Someone like Song Kaiji—now, that man had the perfect height and looks! Maybe he could find someone who looked like Song Kaiji…

This sudden thought made Shen Qing freeze for a moment. Then, he silently pulled the blanket over his head.

Better to focus on the present before thinking about the future!

Shen Qing emptied the small bundle onto his bed, spreading out its contents. Besides gold and silver, there were also various jade bracelets and beaded accessories, some from his trades with Song Kaiji, and others he had picked up from abandoned shops. People often said gold had a set price, but jade was priceless—Shen Qing didn’t know how to distinguish the quality of jade, so he decided to keep those pieces for now. Instead, he picked out two finely carved silver bangles and a pigeon egg-sized silver longevity lock, tucking them into his money pouch. He would take them to the pawnshop tomorrow to exchange for money.

With so much on his mind, Shen Qing only slept for about three hours before waking up. Outside the courtyard, he could hear the rustling sounds of people—it seemed some villagers had come early in the morning to buy the leftover pork from last night. Miao Shi hurriedly got up, not even taking time to wash her face before tending to the customers.

Shen Qing also got up and headed to the village chief’s house to borrow the mule cart. He had arranged it yesterday—today, he needed to take a load of firewood to the county to sell.

It was still early, and only Madam Guixiang and her eldest daughter-in-law were awake at the village chief’s house, busy in the kitchen boiling water and preparing breakfast. Seeing Shen Qing arrive, Madam Guixiang immediately stuffed two bean buns into his hands. “Haven’t eaten yet, have you? You barely ate anything last night—everyone else ended up finishing it all. There’s nothing fancy at my place, not like your mother’s cooking, but have some to fill your stomach. I’ll go get the cart ready for you!”

That plate of snow vegetable braised pork last night had completely won over Madam Guixiang. After chatting with Miao Shi and Swcond Aunt Lian for half the night, she felt even closer to them. Now, seeing Shen Qing, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of kinship.

“Thank you, Aunt,” Shen Qing accepted the food, unable to refuse. He made a mental note to buy some sweet cakes from the county on his way back as a token of gratitude. The village chief’s family was well-off, and their bean buns were generously filled—thin-skinned and stuffed with sweet red bean paste. One bite, and the rich sweetness melted in his mouth. It was just as delicious as those fancy sweet cakes!

Through the window, the village chief’s eldest daughter-in-law peeked at the scene and swallowed hard, envious of the treat.

Shen Qing ate one in a few quick bites and tucked the other into his pocket before heading home with the cart. Miao Shi was still at the door, weighing and cutting pork for the customers. Shen Qing handed her the remaining bean bun. “Aunt Guixiang gave me this. Now you don’t have to make breakfast.” There were quite a few customers, and who knew how long she would be busy?

“Oh, you child, always thinking about me. I’m at home, I can always find something to eat,” Miao Shi said, but her heart felt warm. Her son had always been like this—whenever he found something good, he always saved a share for her.

“That’s a good boy, so filial!” The villagers buying meat looked at Shen Qing with admiration. A capable young ger who could earn money, work hard, and was filial—what wasn’t to like, except maybe for his slightly rough looks?

In these times, filial piety was highly valued. People believed that a person who respected their parents was unlikely to have bad morals. Even if he had to support Miao Shi, how much could she really eat? Besides, she was known for her good temper.

Quite a few villagers started considering him in a different light.

Shen Qing, however, was completely unaware of their thoughts. He loaded all the firewood onto the mule cart. He hadn’t been to the county in three days and had accumulated four full loads of neatly bundled firewood. Sitting at the front, he slowly guided the cart toward Anping County.

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦

Ch 23: The Farmer Ger in the Apocalypse

Snow greens are a rare type of wild vegetable that thrives even in winter, highly resistant to the cold. In autumn and winter, their leaves turn red, and they continue growing even under snowfall, hence their name, “snow greens.”

Fatty pork is sliced thin, slightly pan-fried, and then neatly arranged in a bowl with the fatty skin side facing down. It is seasoned with yellow wine, soy sauce, and salt before being topped with a layer of finely chopped snow greens. The bowl is then steamed until fully cooked and inverted onto a plate, resulting in a dish that is incredibly flavorful and delicious.

Miao Shi had great culinary skills and a natural talent for cooking. Aside from using the usual seasonings commonly found in the village, she experimented with additions like ginger slices, wild onions, star anise, and fermented tofu sauce. Even the simplest ingredients, when handled by her, always turned out tastier than others’.

At this moment, the entire courtyard was filled with the rich and enticing aroma of meat, but Miao Shi was extremely frustrated. Because of the commotion Old Lady Shen had caused outside, the steaming process had gone on for too long, and all the water in the pot had long since evaporated. Fortunately, she hadn’t added too much firewood, so when it burned out, the fire in the stove naturally died down—otherwise, the kitchen might have caught fire.

However, the prolonged dry burning caused a crack to form in the clay pot. Despite Miao Shi handling it with extreme care, the pot still broke into several pieces.

When they left Old Man Shen’s house, they only brought one clay pot for boiling water and cooking porridge. This clay pot had been purchased for twenty coins from a potter in Xiahe Village and had barely been used for long before breaking. Miao Shi felt utterly distressed over the loss.

Seeing this, Shen Qing quickly reassured her, “It’s okay, Mother. We’ve made some money from selling the pork, and I’ve also saved up a little. Tomorrow, I’ll go to town and sell our stored firewood, and then we can buy an iron pot.”

In the past, such a loss would have weighed heavily on him. What did it matter if Shen Zhigao was punished to push the mill for ten days? This was a real, tangible loss of twenty coins. However, thinking about the small bundle hidden in his room, Shen Qing knew that as soon as he took a few items to the pawnshop in town, he would have more than enough to replenish everything they lacked—and even enjoy a good New Year!

Most problems in the world could be solved with money.

But Miao Shi was unaware of this unexpected fortune. She only knew that her son had to laboriously chop a full load of firewood to earn forty coins, and now, half of that had vanished in an instant—half a day’s work wasted. Unable to hold back, she cursed Old Lady Shen, “How can she be so evil? She just can’t stand to see us having even a single good day! Every time we run into her, nothing good comes of it! She’s a curse!”

“That’s right! You should scold her more! Even if it doesn’t change anything, at least it’ll make you feel better,” Wu Guixiang said, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe. “Your problem before was being too quiet, and you’ve made Qing Ge’er the same way—he doesn’t even know how to argue properly.”

She was genuinely exasperated. Qing Ge’er was such a capable young ger, always thoughtful in his actions and words, but when it came to quarreling, he was hopelessly inarticulate—he could only resort to brandishing a knife and acting fierce!

The knife was effective, but wielding it too often would only invite gossip and ruin his reputation. Otherwise, why would a nineteen-year-old like Qing Ge’er still have no marriage prospects?

If he was bad at arguing, the blame lay with his mother! He had no good role model—where was he supposed to learn from? Wu Guixiang turned to Shen Qing and said, “You should start learning from your Second Aunt Lian. She’s sharp-tongued.”

Shen Qing scratched his head. He had never thought about this before. He wasn’t exactly tongue-tied, but he did need time to think things through before speaking. If he had to argue or come up with a quick excuse, it was really difficult for him.

Back in that other world, when facing Song Kaiji, he was always terrified of saying the wrong thing and revealing that he wasn’t from their world. So, he simply spoke as little as possible, sometimes not at all. When he did speak, it was only after careful consideration. Fortunately, Song Kaiji wasn’t the type to ask too many questions. If he didn’t answer, Song Kaiji wouldn’t press him.

But who wouldn’t want to be able to handle situations more smoothly? Watching Wu Guixiang put Old Lady Shen in her place today, Shen Qing couldn’t help but admire and envy her. He wished he could be as quick-witted and articulate.

Just then, Second Aunt Lian entered the house carrying a wooden basin. “You might as well say I’m just good at arguing.” Half the basin was filled with cold water. She poured in some warm water from a clay jar and called Miao Shi over. “Wash your face first. It’s cold, and with all those tears, the wind will chap your skin.”

“Being able to argue isn’t a bad thing.” Wu Guixiang leaned against the table, watching Miao Shi wash her face. It was strange—back when they were girls, it was people like Miao Shi who were praised and favored.

When Wu Guixiang was young, she was often scolded for being too sharp-tongued, told that she wasn’t a proper, obedient girl and that her husband’s family wouldn’t like her. Girls and gers were expected to be like Miao Shi—gentle, submissive, and enduring. If they weren’t too opinionated, they’d have an easier time finding a good husband.

But after getting married and living through so many years, she realized the truth. Men who preferred their wives to be gentle and submissive really just wanted someone who wouldn’t resist even when mistreated, who would suffer injustices without complaint. Just look at Miao Shi—she was the epitome of a well-behaved, obedient wife, but what kind of life had she ended up with?

It was better to be tough! But being tough ruined your reputation and made it hard to find a good husband. That was a difficult problem to solve. Unless… one could just pretend to be gentle on the surface.

Before she could think too deeply about it, the rich aroma of meat filled the air, interrupting her thoughts.

Though the clay pot had cracked, the steamed dish inside was still intact. When the bowl was inverted onto a plate, an irresistible wave of fragrance burst forth. Because it had been steamed for so long, the meat was extra tender and flavorful. The glistening, sauce-coated pork slices were layered atop the snow greens, trembling slightly as if teasing everyone’s appetite.

Miao Shi, having washed her face and hands, finally set aside her worries and pulled out a few fluffy white steamed buns from a woven basket. “Come on, dig in! I just traded with Fourth Aunt for fresh wheat flour to make these. They’re fragrant! If it’s not enough, there’s more in the pot.”

Today, Second Aunt Lian’s family and the village chief’s wife had helped them a lot. Since the meal was already prepared, it was only right to invite them to stay and eat. The men had left, but the women and children remained.

The children from Second Aunt Lian’s family were already clutching their chopsticks, eagerly waiting. The adults also started eating. Wu Guixiang, who had never been too fond of Miao Shi before, was tasting her cooking for the first time. The flavors were so rich and delicious that she nearly swallowed her tongue.

Everyone had grown up cooking, yet somehow, Miao Shi’s food always tasted better!

By the time the meal was finished, all prejudices were gone, replaced only by a growing sense of friendship. “You used to keep to yourself too much, but you should come out more often! It’ll lift your spirits and even improve your health!”

Miao Shi lowered her head. “I just don’t want to run into them.”

“Why should you care? They’re the ones who should feel ashamed.”

As the lively chatter continued, Shen Qing, having eaten only one bun to avoid overeating at night, excused himself and went to his room.

He pulled out the small basket hidden under his bed, reaching under the fabric covering a small bundle. In the darkness, his eyes gleamed.

◦°˚(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦