Chapter 47
After receiving a sweet kiss from his owner, Cooper was so ted that he started spinning in
circles, nearly wetting himself in excitement.
Rosie, not to be outdone, clung to her arm, "Ste, it''s so scary outside. There''s water everywhere.
It''s flooding the houses, but Rosie isn''t scared."
"That''s my brave girl."
Rewarding the two with a piece of candy each, Ste headed downstairs to assist in carrying
firewood. The water tank was massive, and it took the strength of three men to hoist it up to the
roof.
After securing the intable boat and rubber raft upstairs, Ang unzipped herrge backpack to
reveal a stic bag containing a snake and two wild rabbits.
"We had to travel far, to Ivywood Estates. The ce is almost entirely submerged underwater. The
water tank was Jasper''s idea. We nned to head straight back after getting it but Cooper dashed
off into the hills."
Fearing for Cooper''s safety, they hurriedly pursued him, only to find him engaged in a battle with a
snake. With quick reflexes, Jasper managed to decapitate the snake with a military shovel.
The group was thrilled about the extra food brought in by the snake, but Cooper was still not ready
to leave.
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Unable to argue with the dog, they continued to collect firewood as they ventured deeper into the
hills, where Cooper found a rabbit burrow.
"Ste, you’ve struck gold. This isn''t just a dog. It''s practically a godsend."
Ste chuckled, "Cooper has spent years surviving on the streets. He’s much stronger than us."
Ang was amazed, "I''ve never seen a dog so smart. He even climbed trees. If it hadn''t been for
Jasper, we wouldn''t have been able to control him. He was so unwilling to return home even after
dark."
Greed was a dog''s nature; only a dog that had experienced hunger would have the desperate urge
to hoard food. Thinking back to the pig they huntedst time, it was no wonder Cooper was
reluctant toe back.
Ste didn''t go out, but she contributed by guarding the home, and her dog was a great hunter, so
they agreed to share the spoils equally. She didn''t want to take advantage of the situation, but
Ang and the others insisted, "Cooper is one of us. He''s contributed as much as any of us have. If
you feel bad, then take charge of the cooking. We''ll assist."
In the end, Ste didn''t cook, instead, she guided Jasper in the kitchen.
The snake was skinned and gutted, then stewed with a bowl of ck beans in the pressure cooker.
The two plump rabbits were prepared two ways: one braised, and the other grilled. They also had a
stir-fry of fresh vegetables and a bowl of mixed grain rice. Everyone was thoroughly satisfied.
"Ste, we''re nning to head out again tomorrow," Cody asked, "Would you like to join us?"
The wealthy residents of the vi had already relocated, so there wouldn''t be any food left, but
much of the furniture was made of solid wood and could be chopped into firewood.
In addition, the water tower on the roof was a great asset, and they nned to bring back a couple
more. Each household could then have one, eliminating the need to collect rainwater from the
balcony.
Jasper suddenly suggested, "There are quite a few water towers over there. Why don''t we bring
back more? Even if the rain stops, the water supply won''t resume immediately. We need to n for
water storage."
Cody and the others were taken aback, but soon agreed with his proposal. Jasper and Ste both
had strong survival skills; it wouldn''t hurt to listen and follow their advice.
Ste had no objections, "Ang, we need to leave one person behind. Who do you think would be
best?"
Ang was restless staying at home all day, "I''ll go, but we have to bring Cooper."
"Woof!" Cooper agreed.
"I''ll go too," Rosie eagerly raised her hand, "I can help collect firewood."
Jasper wanted her to experience the outside world, "Alright, but no crying."
"I won''t cry," Rosie rubbed her bottom, "I fell today and didn''t cry."
So, it was decided that Ste would stay behind at base camp, and Cooper would fight on her
behalf.
In the middle of the night, a loud noise suddenly came from downstairs. The noise continued for a
while without stopping. Ste was awakened by the noise, but seeing Cooper lying in his doghouse
motionless, she rolled over and went back to sleep.
In the morning, she was still in bed, but Cooper already excitedly pulled at her nket. It was time
for the Ste to clean up after him. They had work to do.
Ste got up, yawning, and fed him chicken breast mixed with dog food. She applied some ointment
to his skin rash, put on his raincoat, and packed a simple lunch of cereal and dog food in a thermos
for him.
Cooper grabbed the bag and opened the door, not forgetting to look back at her. It was as if he was
saying: Hey, I''m going out to earn our keep. You stay home and behave.
Steughed and gave him a hug, "Alright, be careful and don’t overdo it."
The door to Jasper''s room opened, and Rosie came out in her raincoat, "Ste, I want a hug too."
Jasper must have talked to her, as the little girl was bing more confident in expressing her
feelings. She greeted Ang and the others one by one, a stark contrast to the shy and scared little
girl they first met.
Cooper was thest to leave, ncing back at her with a hint of reluctance. The only difference was
that after training with Jasper, he seemed to carry an additional sense of responsibility.
Ste closed the door and walked to the balcony. After a while, she saw the group paddling away in
the intable boat.
No sooner had they left, Drew''s team followed in their rubber raft. Not only Drew, but Hector and
others also followed, along with residents from other buildings.
Unknowingly, the 18th floor had be a beacon. They were all puzzled. They were all going out
to find supplies, so why was it that the 18th floor always managed to return with a bounty, while they
couldn''t even find firewood?
How could there be such a gap between people?
Well, if they couldn''t beat them or join them, they would just have to try to keep up.
Ste counted the rafts; there were quite a few who were secretly following.
Although they were being watched, she wasn''t worried. Jasper would be able to shake them off.
After breakfast, she continued to read medical books. Around ten o''clock, Katie came up for
acupuncture. After several days of treatment, her back pain had significantly improved, and she no
longer needed help climbing the stairs.
Katie was in a good mood, holding Ste''s hand, "Ste, the woman’s house was broken intost
night. It''s karma."
She was talking about the same woman who hade to Ste for medicine, causing a scene. Her
house was broken into in the middle of the night. She was knocked unconscious with a heavy blow,
and all the food in her house was taken.
She was hysterical when she woke up and went toin to Drew in the morning, demanding
that each household open their doors for her to search.
How would Drew agree to her demand and organize a search? Especially when he heard how
much food she had lost, he almost fainted.
She had over 200 pounds of grain, not to mention the oil, meat, pickles, and other items.
"Most likely she exaggerated. Who would hoard so much food at home?"
Katie shook her head repeatedly, "Those who kindly lent her food are furious. They rushed up to
fight, saying she''s the heartless one. She deserves to have her door pried open."
Ste cautioned, "You gotta be careful too."
Katie was sharp, "My pantry is bare too. These days, I just get by with lunch. That barely fills up a
quarter of my stomach."
It was soon noon and the group had not returned. Fetching water from the tower shouldn''t take this
long. Ste was worried sick about Cooper and was itching to give him a call, but there was no
signal. Every fifteen minutes, she found herself standing on the balcony, scanning the horizon.
Finally, at three in the afternoon, she spotted Jasper.
She quickly counted the heads – everyone was there, and their dog was standing proudly at the
head of the intable boat, like a triumphant warrior sailing home.
She went downstairs to lend a hand, but as the boat neared, Ste sensed something was off.