Chapter 15
Ste, in her pajamas, stepped onto the balcony. The hurricane was still fierce, but the wind was
noticeably beginning to weaken, while the rain was intensifying. The second floor was entirely
flooded, and water was creeping up to the third floor, causing a flurry of chaos in the building.
She had breakfast, a warm, crunchy sandwich from Arcadia, filled with fried eggs, ham, greens, and
ketchup. The aroma unfurled delightfully on her taste buds. Ste had stockpiled over a hundred of
these sandwiches in Arcadia, enough tost her a good while. Delicious as they were, they were a
bit greasy. She made herself a cup of honey tea, sipping it as she flipped through her second-year
pharmacology textbook.
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At around ten o''clock, there was a knock at the door. She assumed it was Ang, but it turned out
to be the resident from 1801, Jasper.
Ste was surprised. He was usually a loner, a man of few words. Even though Rosie often came to
visit Ste, Ste had hardly spoken to Jasper. Suddenly, Ste was on her guard.
Jasper, with a stern face, looked anxious. "Rosie is ill. Can you help?"
Ste was shocked. “What kind of illness does she have?”
“She has a fever, she''s throwing up, and has diarrhea. She''s talking nonsense.”
Sick people would usually go to the hospital, but with the hurricane going on, it was impossible to
leave. Ste warned Jasper, "I can help, but I only have basic medical knowledge. Don''t put all your
hopes on me."
"Thank you."
Considering that he helped her before, Ste reluctantly agreed to visit Rosie. She returned to her
room and tucked a folded fruit knife into her pocket.
Stepping into apartment 1801 for the first time, she noted the spacious three-bedroomyout with a
good arrangement and good lighting. The living room was furnished with vintage pieces, all neat
and organized, worlds apart from her own messy ce. These days, men who could keep houses
well organized were a rare breed.
She also noticed the new double-zed windows on the balcony and the tripleyered stainless
steel door. The entire apartment was fortified like a castle.
Rosie was not only feverish but also had a rash. Her usually bright eyes were now listless. "Ste."
After taking her temperature and pulse, and examining her bruised body, Ste realized her medical
skills were rudimentary, but they would have to suffice. Ste turned to Jasper. "Rosie is weak.
Moderate exercise could improve her strength and immunity, but she should not be pushed too
hard."
From the bruises all over Rosie''s body, it was clear that she had been pushed too far. High-intensity
training in a short period of time had caused a stress response in her body, lowering her immunity
and causing a cold, hence the vomiting, diarrhea, and rash. Jasper was known to be bad with kids,
but Ste hadn''t expected him to be this terrible.
Upon learning the cause of Rosie''s illness, Jasper''s face was filled with guilt. "It''s my fault. I didn''t
take good care of her."
Looking at Rosie''s bruised body, Jasper was taken aback. Rosie neverined about being
tired, and evenughed off the pain when Jasper massaged her bruises. He handed Ste a
medicine box filled with a variety of drugs, "Ste, which ones can we use?”
If all else failed, they would have to risk going to the hospital.
Ste rummaged through the box, surprised by how well-stocked it was. Most of them were
children''s medicines, too. Rosie’s illness was fairly simple and treating the symptoms would suffice.
Ste selected some medicines for the cold, and for the stomach problems, she put a patch on
Rosie''s belly. "Once Rosie gets better, let her recuperate first before gradually increasing her
exercise."
For Rosie''s bruises, Ste went home and brought back a bottle of balm. "Apply this four to five
times a day and massage it in for better results."
Jasper thanked Ste, "Rosie tends to get bruised easily. I happen to have some medicinal herbs
here. Could you help me see which ones can be used to make herbal wine?”
Despite hisck of childcare skills, he was well-prepared. He brought out tworge bags of
individually packaged moisture-proof medicine herbs from another room.
Ste picked out about a dozen types, all of which were used for promoting blood cirction and
stopping blood stasis. “Put them in a ss jar, add a liter of vodka, seal it, and it should be ready for
use in half a month."
She noticed ginseng among the herbs and singled it out. "This can also be soaked. Drinking it in
cold weather not only warms the body but also replenishes energy and blood. However, it is not
suitable for children."
Rosie fell asleep shortly after taking the medicine but kept talking in her sleep.
The sick child was pitiful, with tears hanging on her eyshes. Her pale little mouth kept
murmuring, "Mommy, I want mommy. Daddy..."
Jasper sat by the bed, gently wiping away Rosie’s tears, andforting her with a guilty tone,
"Don''t be scared, Rosie. Your brother is here."
Ste caught the look in Jasper’s eyes and recognized that he cared for his sister, but his methods
were misguided.
As she was about to leave, Jasper stopped her and handed her a pack of instant noodles. "Thank
you for helping Rosie."
Instant noodles were only a few cents before the disaster, but in these times, they could keep a
person alive for several more days. Ste didn''t refuse and epted it without hesitation.
Upon returning home, she pulled out a ss jar to soak some sugar in vodka. "I''m always advising
others, but always forget about myself." In the extreme cold, enjoying a cup of this mix by the
firece was pure bliss.
She also took out a few pounds of grapes, washed and dried them on her balcony in Arcadia, ready
to make fruit wine.
She could tell that the hurricane was changing again once she’s out of Arcadia. It was not just Ste
who noticed, many people did, and there were even cheers of joy from the windows. Their
excitement was palpable. It felt like the disaster was about to end.
Ste was in a good mood and took out a serving of fish fingers apanied by soft, fragrant rice.
The stic containers she ate from were also reused. Although Arcadia had plenty, these were non-
renewable resources and could be used repeatedly after being cleaned.
She was in the midst of a pleasant nap when the sound of roaring engines woke her. It was a fleet
of rescue boats, manned by firemen in bright orange life jackets. The hurricane had not stopped,
but it was weakening quickly. With careful navigation, they could avoid the waves.
After eighteen long days of being cut off from the world, everyone was on the brink of despair, when
this ray of hope finally arrived. The sight of the rescue boats brought many people to their knees in
tears. "The rescue party is here. The government hasn''t abandoned us..."
They cried andughed, were overwhelmed and excited, wiping away their tears incessantly.
There were only three boats, but they represented the hope of survival for everyone. The
loudspeaker red with the firefighters reassuring residents. "Everyone, please don''t panic. We
won''t abandon anyone in need of rescue. We will do this one building at a time. Please have your
necessary items ready. Priority will be given to the elderly and children."
This rescue mission was only for low-floor residents affected by the flood, but many other residents
also flocked downstairs, surrounding the firefighters. "We still have our homes, but we don;t have
food and water.”
“We’ve been starved for three days and surviving only on rainwater. Can you guys bring us some
food?”
“Yeah, why did youe empty-handed? Doesn’t the government provide aid? We’re taxpaying
citizens, and without our taxes, you wouldn''t have a job!"
The crowd was growing, and theints were getting outrageous. Gratitude had turned into
resentment, and it seemed they wouldn''t let the rescuers leave until they resolved the issue.