Chapter 668: Chapter 668: Kite

"Okay, what time are we leaving for the grasslands tomorrow? Evelyn, can we invite Ryan Rowe?"

"Of course. Let’s say four in the afternoon. The sun won’t be as strong then. Lately, it sets around six-thirty, so we can catch the sunset. After it gets dark, we can enjoy the night view. We should be able to see the last quarter moon tonight."

"I want to fly a kite," Zoe said, struck by a sudden whim.

"We don’t have any kites, but there are some colorful balloons in the storage room. Zoe, Mama can blow them up and tie them together for you. Would you like to fly balloons tomorrow instead?"

Quincy disagreed. "Balloons are a bit too conspicuous. This is the twelfth year of the apocalypse. Anyone with common sense knows that balloons couldn’t possibly have been preserved for this long. Zoe, Dad will make you a big dragonfly kite tonight. But we can’t take it outside to fly it. We can only fly it just outside the wooden house. Kites and balloons fly very high, and other people could easily spot them. If we’re seen, people might wonder where our things came from, and that would mean trouble for us. Understand?"

Zoe’s eyes reddened. "I understand, Dad. I’m sorry. Did I do something wrong?"

"You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re still little, so there are some things you don’t understand yet. But that’s okay. We’ll teach you everything."

’Zoe is still young, but she can’t live inside the space forever. She’ll grow up. Keeping her confined to this little world would be like raising a delicate flower in a greenhouse.’ After some self-reflection, Quincy made a decision.

"Evelyn, I want to find a job at the base and take Zoe out with me. I want to let her integrate into life there."

Everyone looked at Quincy in surprise. After all, he had always been the overprotective father who wanted to keep Zoe under his watchful eye at all times.

"Why? The kid’s so little, and the base is full of people. It would be so easy for something to happen. It’s much safer in the space. When she’s older, at least Wendy’s age, it won’t be too late for her to integrate into the outside world." Surprisingly, Miles Vaughn was the first to object. It was worth noting that he had been the one most against Quincy and Wyatt Vaughn adopting Zoe in the first place.

Officer Graham, on the other hand, was the first to support Quincy. "Children have to grow up. Different environments lead to different abilities to handle problems, resolve conflicts, and manage relationships when they’re older. If we wait until Zoe is thirteen or fourteen to let her integrate into society and this era, she’ll be a blank slate. The only people she’ll have ever met are us, her family who adores her. The only world she’ll have ever seen is this little pocket dimension. A simple, kind-hearted little girl who knows nothing of the world’s hardships or the existence of good and evil... The price she’d have to pay to grow up then would be much greater. I support Quincy’s decision. We need to protect our children, but more importantly, we need to let them adapt to the survival rules of this era as early as possible."

"I agree. This era demands that a person’s life skills and survival abilities be honed. Not to mention, at thirteen or fourteen, a child is in their adolescence. Forcing her to integrate into such a harsh era at that age would only push her into an abyss. There’s another thing, a crucial point: if she doesn’t adapt to this era and learn about the light and dark sides of human nature early on, she’s very likely to run into bad people in the future."

Miles Vaughn’s brow furrowed. "That was shortsighted of me. People who are too naive really are more likely to run into scumbags and con artists. They trust too easily."

’Since Evelyn chose to tell everyone the secret of the space, they all had to be worthy of that trust. They couldn’t tell any outsiders. If someone was deceived by a con artist and revealed the secret, the consequences would be unimaginable.’

"Zoe is our child. I’ll find a job outside too. We’ll accompany her as she grows." Wyatt Vaughn took Quincy’s hand and looked at him with determination.

Annie, who was standing nearby, had an envious look in his eyes. Evelyn Ford patted his shoulder. "Annie, you should move out too. We’re going to start a school in the small courtyard. In a few days, I’ll send you there to study. Would you like that?"

Annie’s eyes lit up. "I would!"

"Alright, that’s settled then. For now, let’s talk about the picnic tomorrow."

...

「The next day was the weekend.」 Both Evelyn Ford and Wendy had the day off, and for a change, Evelyn decided to sleep in.

"What time is it?"

Ronan Kendrick had just come in from outside with a handful of fresh flowers. He was arranging them in a vase on the table in front of the window. When Evelyn opened her eyes, she saw Ronan trimming the flower stems.

"Nine o’clock. Still sleepy?"

Evelyn shook her head. "Not sleepy. I just don’t want to get up."

Ronan had excellent taste. Three yellow ranunculuses, two purple asters, a stalk of bamboo, and a few sprigs of wild grass... he had somehow managed to arrange them into a stunning bouquet.

"Since when do you have the time for flower arranging?"

Ronan chuckled softly. "It’s not about having the time. I just thought seeing this when you woke up would put you in a good mood."

"My mood is already through the roof just from seeing you. Ronan, come here."

He tossed the trimmed stems into the trash can and wiped his hands clean before walking over to Evelyn’s bedside.

"Bend down. I want to kiss you."

Remembering she hadn’t washed up yet, Evelyn only gave him a peck on the cheek. Ronan’s gaze darkened. "That’s it?"

"Mhm. The rest is for tonight."

He raised an eyebrow. "Alright."

Evelyn stretched languidly and had Ronan pull her out of bed.

"We still have the picnic today. I’m going to the storage area to get some spices. I heard Mr. Vance say yesterday that the kitchen was out."

Ronan picked up a comb and began to brush her hair. "I already got the spices for him. We’re not leaving until four this afternoon. You can rest a little longer. It’s still early."

"I’m not going back to sleep. I’m going to take a bath. Where is everyone else?"

"They went to butcher the argali. It was too noisy, so I slacked off. I was planning to come back and watch you sleep, but I didn’t expect you to be awake."

Evelyn’s face grew warm. "Why would you watch me sleep? You creep."

"Mhm, I’m a creep." He, however, accepted the title with perfect contentment.

Evelyn coughed. "Kendrick, be serious. If you keep this up, I’m going to have to punch you."

"You haven’t punched me in a long time. Let’s start now." He actually looked expectant. ’I’m going crazy,’ Evelyn thought. ’Where did this creep come from? Mom, I’m scared.’

Evelyn went outside the wooden house. Everyone was busy butchering the freshly killed argali and red deer. Zoe and Annie were each holding a kite, chasing each other playfully around the yard.

Wyatt Vaughn and Joelle Finch had gone to pick vegetables. Evelyn stuffed her hands in her pockets, leisurely watching everyone work.

"There must be over three thousand argali, too many to count. And there are even more rabbits. The breeding area is just overrun with them."

"Didn’t Rhys Chase take ten of them? I wonder if the base can even keep them alive."

"Rabbits are easy to raise. Aren’t ours free-range? Not a single one has gotten sick."

"Are you comparing the environment outside to the space? Rabbits are one of the hardest animals to raise. They get diarrhea if you’re not careful for a second. The rabbits in the space only stay healthy because the ecosystem is high-quality and free of pollution."

Evelyn slowly walked over. "Don’t you worry. The rabbits at the base are doing great. They’ve already had babies."

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