Chapter 678: Chapter 678: Working in the Fields

After finding Zoe, Evelyn Ford took the two children home. On the way, Zoe excitedly shared everything that had happened today with Evelyn—eating, using the restroom, taking a nap... Everything seemed new and fun in her eyes. Evelyn and Annie listened intently, praising her from time to time.

"Auntie, the teacher also taught us how to make fire by drilling wood today. My hands are almost raw from rubbing. We obviously have lighters at home, so why do we have to drill wood to make fire?"

"Because not everyone has lighters and matches. Do you have a lighter on you right now?"

"No."

Evelyn looked at the two of them and said seriously, "If you’re ever in danger and don’t have a source of fire, the first thing you must do is make one. Otherwise, you won’t be able to eat and you’ll freeze. Learning how to make fire is very important. You need to practice well when you get home, understand?"

"A fire source is so important! Auntie, from now on, I’ll definitely carry a lighter and matches with me everywhere."

Evelyn stroked Zoe’s hair. "Okay. When we get back, I’ll crochet a little pouch for you and Annie to keep your important things in. Annie, what color do you like?"

Annie thought for a moment. "I like blue."

"And you, Zoe?"

Zoe grinned. "Auntie, I like pink."

"Alright, I’ll crochet the pouches for you as soon as we get home."

When she got back to the courtyard with the children, Quincy had already finished cooking. Since they were going to live outside, they had built a stove in the kitchen. Evelyn would bring out fresh vegetables and meat for them every day.

"Should I bring the Pallas’s cat out for you? This courtyard is too big, and it feels too empty with just the four of you living here. You should raise a small animal."

"Sure, but a Pallas’s cat is too conspicuous. If someone sees it, they might steal it. I’ve seen some neighbors buy chicks from the base. Why don’t you give us a couple of chicks for the two kids to raise? It would also help cultivate their patience." Quincy had no objection to this, but Wyatt Vaughn was worried that raising chickens would make the courtyard dirty.

"The Pallas’s cat is very well-behaved. It usually just sleeps inside the house. Wyatt is right—chickens are too noisy and poop everywhere. Zoe really likes the Pallas’s cat, so bringing it out would give her a companion."

With Evelyn’s final word, the matter was settled. She immediately entered her space and brought out the Pallas’s cat. It was getting late, so she grabbed her medical kit and went back into the space.

Inside the space, Ethan Dawson had brought fifteen laborers back from the mining area to plant rice. At this time, everyone was still working in the fields. Evelyn put on her waders and went in to help. She didn’t come out of the paddy and hurry back to the cabin until Taylor Vance used a megaphone to call everyone back for dinner.

"Once the rice has grown a bit bigger, we can put some fish fry in. Two mu of land will be enough." Evelyn stood with her hands on her hips, looking at the rice paddies. ’The seedlings are so neat, even better than if they’d been planted by a machine.’

"Won’t they ruin the rice plants?"

"No. Rice paddy fish are raised right in the paddies. They taste even better than fish raised in a pond."

On the way back to the cabin, Evelyn told everyone about her plan to treat her colleagues to dinner.

"Tomorrow at 5:30 PM, in the courtyard. Do you guys want to come out? It’s just four people—one colleague and three apprentices. We’ve worked together for over half a year, and since I resigned so suddenly, I feel I should treat them to a meal."

"Of course! How many dishes do we need to make?" Officer Graham was the first to respond, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Just some simple, home-cooked dishes will be fine. If it’s too lavish with all sorts of meat and fish, they’ll feel pressured."

"Should we prepare some alcohol?"

Evelyn waved her hand. "No need. Just make some corn juice and sour plum soup. They have to work the next day, and drinking could cause problems. Dr. Turner has to take care of his elderly parents, and Yolanda Lawrence and the others are still young girls. Even though the base has soldiers on duty, it’s still a chaotic place with all sorts of people. I can’t let them drink."

Back at the cabin, everyone quickly washed their hands and ate dinner. Then, they started discussing the menu for tomorrow. Everyone was happy for Evelyn that she had made friends on the outside, and they even started giving her suggestions for what gifts to give her three apprentices.

"I think you could give some vitamins. Being a doctor is exhausting, and vitamins can boost their immune systems."

"How about some snacks? The girls are only fourteen or fifteen; that’s the perfect age for loving snacks."

"I suggest giving them the sunscreen Evelyn makes. The sun has been really strong lately—it’s hot and scorching. Sunscreen would be perfect."

It had to be said, Joelle Finch’s suggestion was the most practical.

"Then let’s go with the sunscreen. For Dr. Turner, we’ll give vitamins. The two elderly people in his family could probably use them."

"Should we cook the food in the space tomorrow and then take it out, or should we cook it outside?"

"Let’s cook it in the space and take it out. The kitchen in the courtyard is tiny; there’s no room to work."

"How many dishes should we make?"

"With the fifteen of us, that’s nineteen people in total. Let’s make eight dishes. We’ll make large portions; they don’t need to be fancy, the main thing is the quantity."

Once the discussion was over, everyone went back to their rooms to sleep.

Ronan Kendrick was in a very good mood today. Before bed, he hugged Evelyn Ford and acted cute. Starting tomorrow, Evelyn wouldn’t have to go to work anymore, so she could be with him every day. If he had a tail, it would have been wagging off the hook.

"This happy, are you?"

"Mhm. You won’t have to leave early and come home late anymore."

Evelyn pinched his cheek. "Why are you so clingy? Little Kendrick, this won’t do. You need to grow up."

"But I want to be clingy with you, can’t I?" His face, perfect from any angle, moved closer to Evelyn, his puppy-dog eyes fixed on her. How could Evelyn possibly say the word "no"?

"Fine. I want to be clingy with you too. Ronan, hug me."

Held tightly in his arms, Evelyn closed her eyes, a smile gracing her lips.

—

The next day at breakfast, Wendy proposed moving to live outside in the courtyard. It would be more convenient for her to go to work in the morning and return at night, as she wouldn’t need Evelyn Ford or Ronan Kendrick to let her in and out of the space. Besides, she would eat with Quincy and the others; they were all one family, so there was no need for formalities. Officer Graham didn’t stop her, only reminding her to be careful commuting to and from work. After Wendy left for work, Evelyn went to the fields to work with everyone else. The day’s task was still heavy, leaving no time for chatter. Picking up a bundle of seedlings that had been tossed into the paddy, Evelyn bent down and started working.

After working all morning, Evelyn felt like her back was about to break. Taylor Vance and Zion Lowell brought lunch over in a pushcart. Everyone ate on the ridges between the paddies before heading back to work in the fields.

As for the laborers, Ethan Dawson had appointed several team leaders. When it was time, they would go back to cook and eat on their own, requiring no supervision or direction.

After another three hours of work in the afternoon, Evelyn told everyone to call it a day.

"Miles Vaughn, kill three rabbits. Ethan Dawson, go slaughter two ducks. Peter Owens, you go catch two chickens. Joelle Finch, you go pick the vegetables. I’ll go check on the fruit."

Seeing the idle Ronan Kendrick, Evelyn pulled him along with her.

Officer Graham gathered the gloves everyone had taken off and carried them to the river to wash.

"Ronan, what fruit do you think would be good to pick? The base is growing a lot of watermelons now, too. Maybe we should just pick two big watermelons to serve them."

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