Chapter 43


    Luckily, Cooper was very loyal and as soon as he returned, he would dive right into Ste''s arms,


    even fetching his dog bowl every time they went out.


    There was no way around it. Jasper''s cooking skills were so bad that even the dog would eat the


    food he made, so Ste had to prepare dog food in advance.


    Observing Cooper''s dramatic transformation, Ang sneered at Lukas and Cody, "Look at you


    guys, you can''t evenpare to a dog."


    Despite the constant rain, no one was idle. Ang was also relentlessly training these two weak


    ones. Whether their physical fitness had improved was uncertain, but Ste acknowledged their


    resilience as they bore bruises and swollen faces.


    Feeling a little yful, she decided to test them herself. The boys dodged her attack like sly foxes,


    "Really? You want to hit us? No way!" Theirughter echoed.


    Unlike the cries of despair from other floors, all the members on the 18th floor were improving,


    including Rosie who was now learning to read and write English, practicing with a children''s story


    about a crow drinking water.


    The hydroponic vegetables were a sess. Looking at the line of lettuce on the balcony, Ste


    couldn''t help but smile.


    The hybrid vegetables had a strong vitality, grew quickly with the added nutrient solution, and were


    muchrger than ordinary vegetables. Every day they were closely observed and so far, no pests


    had been detected.


    After finishing outside, Ste went into Arcadia to cut Timothy hay to feed her rabbits. The hay was


    brought back from Griffith Mountain, along with a bunch of wild grass and small tree seedlings.


    Anything useful was nted, everything else stored.


    The garden was filled with countless pieces of furniture and building materials, but there was still


    some ck soil left. However, Ste didn''t use it to nt vegetables or grains, as they had enough


    of both and nting was too time-consuming.


    What shecked wasn''t food, but time to freely stay in Arcadia. Thus, she nted fruit trees on the


    remaining soil, which required minimal maintenance.


    Just as she stepped out of Arcadia, she noticed Cooper scratching at the door. Someone was


    calling her from downstairs.


    As Ste descended, she was met by a young man supporting an olddy, "Hello, do you know how


    to treat illnesses?"


    Through the iron gate, she could see the olddy in pain. Ste inquired nonchntly, "What''s


    wrong?"


    "My grandmother sprained her back, but the hospital ran out of medicine. They suggested we seek


    alternative medicine."


    The young man, Mikey, wore sses and seemed polite and refined, "I heard you studied


    acupuncture. Can you help my grandmother?"


    "I do know some acupuncture, but I''m not particrly skilled. Are you okay with that?"


    The olddy, in pain and unable to sleep, had no choice but to agree.


    Ste was initially reluctant but eventually agreed, "I can try, but I can''t guarantee her recovery.


    Also, there will be charges."


    "Can we payter?" Mikey asked, "All my money is in the bank and I can''t withdraw it now. I


    promise to pay you back as soon as the flooding subsides."


    To ensure she agreed, he added, "You can charge interest."


    Ste didn''t agree, "You can pay with food."


    Hearing this, the olddy, Katie, quickly stopped her grandson, "I''ve lived long enough. It''s not worth


    it."


    Despite her words, she was only in her sixties. Survival was a human instinct, but she didn''t want to


    burden her grandson.


    Mikey reassured his grandmother and asked Ste if they could exchange something else of value.


    "I have a mountain bike, bought for $1800, only ridden a few times."


    Ste agreed, "Okay."


    So Mikey brought up the bike, "See, it''s almost new."


    The deal was made, covering ten treatments.


    Ste took the bike but didn''t allow Mikey toe up, "Come back in an hour and a half."


    After carrying the bike, he helped Katie upstairs.


    Katie was in severe pain, but was quite gentle and kind, "Thank you, youngdy."


    "No need to thank me, I''m getting paid."


    Ste didn''t let her in; she checked Katie in the hallway. It was a lower back injury from overwork


    and a sprain, not a serious illness, but it would be very ufortable for the next few months.


    She got a soft,fortable tail stool from Arcadia and brought it to the hallway for Katie to lie on.


    Since Katie was in so much pain, Ste massaged her with some herbal wine to relieve blood


    stasis. Her technique wasn''t skilled, but it brought Katie some relief.


    After the massage, she took out silver needles and began acupuncture. With previous practice in


    school and recent review, Ste was confident and steady in her technique.


    Katie, who had been in pain for several days, even fell asleep during the treatment. She woke up


    when Ste removed the needles, feeling significantly less pain, "Youngdy, I didn''t expect your


    medical skills to be so good."


    Ste advised her to rest well, especially given the long-term humidity.


    Arcadia had painkillers and sters that could speed up Katie''s recovery, but Ste didn''t offer


    them. She was worried that if she gave them to one person, everyone would know she had


    medicine.


    "Can I discuss something with you?" Katie asked, taking off her gem bracelet, "That bicycle is my


    grandson''s favorite. Can we exchange it with this?" The gem bracelet was of good quality and


    should be worth a lot.


    Ste wasn''t greedy, "Your injury won''t be healed in ten treatments. When the floods recede, he can


    redeem his bike with money."


    Hearing this, Katie was relieved. Their family was actually quite well off, but the younger generation


    had the habit of not using cash, which was why they were caught short.


    As they finished up, Mikey came to pick up his grandmother. Seeing her in better shape, he thanked


    Ste politely.


    After they left, Cody opened the door, "Ste, you''re amazing. You''re earning money through


    practicing medicine now."


    "It''s not a big deal, just practicing."


    In this post-apocalyptic world, skills were essential for survival. This was why Ste didn''t give up


    her studies. If they had to live in a base in the future, this would be her means of survival.


    Lukas was envious, "You made a good choice with your major. Unlike me who studied software


    programming. It ispletely useless now."


    "That may not be the case. One day it mighte in handy."


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    Lukas was driven to train with Ang after realizing how powerful Ste was. Although he couldn''t


    use his academic skills, he could at least improve his physical fitness.


    The humid weather made everything more ufortable. Ste was doing physical training in the


    living room, sweating profusely after two hours.


    There was a knock on the door, and Cooper, hearing the sound, rushed to the door.


    Jasper hade to pick up Cooper, but upon seeing Ste in the middle of her boxing routine, he


    paused before walking in. "It’s not like that," he noted, "Your punches need to be a bit higher."


    Coming from a professional, his advice sounded much more credible than any video tutorial. Ste


    didn''t take offense. Instead, she adjusted her stance, lifting her fists a little higher. "Like this?"


    Almost perfect. Jasper stepped in to adjust her fist slightly upward.


    After shepleted her routine, he pointed out a few more ws. It was rare to see a woman


    boxing with such strength and grace outside the military. Intrigued, Jasper couldn''t resist the urge to


    challenge her. "How about a friendly match?" he suggested.