Chapter 159


    Besides food, the most scarce resource during extreme heat was water.


    Ste''s Arcadia was equipped with water and electricity, so water was the least of her worries.


    Don''t be fooled by the well drillers that were busy drilling all day and night. They had once found


    water, but before they could even pull out, the water source disappeared.


    Yes, the surface water was disappearing at a rate that was visible to the naked eye.


    The residents of the street where Sunrise Sanctuary was located were lucky. They didn''t have to


    wait long before their turn to drill a well came up. Every day, they could get a bucket of water with


    their IDs.


    But with the water level dropping steadily, they could only get half a bucket a day.


    Now, even half a bucket was hard toe by.


    At first, Ste would still make a show of carrying a bucket out, but now she didn''t even want to


    pretend. With so little water each day, there was barely enough to cover basic human needs, let


    alone washing dishes or watering the sweet potatoes.


    Jasper seemed thoughtful. "Sell water?"


    "Or potatoes." Thest batch of cold-resistant potatoes hadn''t been sold yet, and they had quite a


    few growing in The Garden. In any case, there would be something suitable for the survivors.


    Jasper didn''t object to the idea, but he insisted they proceed cautiously. After all, there were plenty


    of shady dealers out there.


    So, as the sun set, Ste led Cooper and Rosie downstairs, intending to leave them with the Moore


    family.


    Upon reaching the door, she saw Ambering back with a full bucket of water and she couldn''t


    help but wonder. "You managed to get that much water?"


    Amber managed a grim smile. "The well on our street has dried up. This is seawater I bought. A


    pound of potatoes can exchange for a bucket of water. If you need any, hurry up and go. It''s just at


    the street corner. If you dy, I''m afraid it might run out."


    Seawater? Who in their right mind would sell seawater!


    Upon hearing the voices, Katie opened the door, weing both of them into the house and giving


    Ste some life tips. "Ste, seawater is a good thing. It might taste salty and bitter, but there''s a


    way to drink it.


    "You just cut open a bottle, make a few small holes at the bottom, line it with clean cloth, and fill it


    with clean sand and charcoal. They can absorb harmful substances. Layer it several times and you


    can filter the seawater."


    As she spoke, she took out a bottle she had prepared earlier and demonstrated it to Ste. "The


    filtered water still tastes bitter, but it''s much better than before. You have to mix it with some fresh


    water and boil it before drinking."


    Two years into the disaster, even the salt they had been hoarding ran out, but they could extract it


    from seawater.


    In reality, if they had a choice, who would want to drink seawater? But they had no choice. They had


    to find a way to survive.


    Katie was experienced in life, and Ste nodded and thanked her. "Thank you, Katie. I''ll go and get


    a bucketter."


    After leaving the Moore family, Ste and Jasper stepped into the twilight, heading for Peace


    Square. When they reached the street corner, they indeed saw a spray truck selling water.


    Ste was curious, so she went over to watch themotion. And sure enough, there were people


    lining up to buy water, exchanging all sorts of goods for it.


    If even seawater could sell well, wouldn''t fresh water sell even better?


    "Hello, are you here to buy water too?" a surprised voice sounded.


    Uh, Monkey seemed to be everywhere, a true professional.


    Monkey came over with a grin. "Do you live nearby?"


    "Just out for a walk. Just passing by." Ste got straight to the point. "How do you sell seawater?"


    "It''s free."


    Ste was taken aback, not getting what he meant immediately.


    "It''s free for you." Monkey was still all smiles. "It''s a favor."


    Seawater wasn''t expensive to begin with, so he wouldn''t lose much by giving it away to her.


    Ste was serious. "How do you really sell it?"


    Seeing that she didn''t look like she was short of water, Monkey told the truth. "A bucket of water for


    half a pound of rice, or a pound of potatoes or sweet potatoes. Other goods are also eptable."


    Ste pretended to be shocked. "Why don''t you just rob people?"


    Monkey didn''t like this. "Don''t say things without knowing the whole story. We have to drive more


    than seventy miles to Swan Hill to get seawater, and the car needs fuel. We also have to pay tolls


    on the way. We''re earning our keep through hard work. Go ask around. Our prices are the most


    reasonable. Other dealers charge more than twice what we do."


    "Look at you, all pitiful." Ste patted his shoulder and left.


    Monkey was rmed. Was she nning to steal his business?


    Ste and Jasper walked towards Peace Square and on the way saw several individuals carrying


    pots and pans, with their belongings on their backs, moving in a distant and numb manner.


    Griffith was a coastal region without a sea, sandwiched between Swan Hill and Mount Barker in a


    triangr pattern. Both beaches were within an hour''s drive.


    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Judging by the direction they were heading, they were going against the base, probably heading for


    the nearest beach to survive.


    Monkey''s words reminded her, seeking survival at the beach wasn''t easy either. There were tolls to


    pay along the way.


    Thinking back to her past life, it was both agonizing and painful. It was truly not easy to survive. This


    time, she felt lucky to have Arcadia, and people who were willing to share her hardships.


    As dusk fell, Jasper held Ste''s hand, leading the way to the market square with a shlight.


    The market still had quite a few people, but it alreadycked the liveliness of the past. Apart from


    death, there was also the departure, and countless workers. This quietness was to be expected.


    Beyond food, water was the mostcking.


    One could go without food for seven days, but without water, they could onlyst three. There were


    very few willing to trade it.


    Bottled water and beverages were avable, but they could be finished in a few gulps, not solving


    the major issue.


    The two of them walked around but didn''t find any antique or paintings for sale. Instead, they saw


    people stealing water and running away with it. By the time the stall owner caught up with them, the


    water was already finished. Even if they were beaten to death, they couldn''t vomit it out.


    It seemed selling in small quantities wasn''t effective. The things she needed weren''t in the hands of


    the lower-ss survivors. She had to find a way to locate those who had the goods.


    With no significant gains and a bit worried about the two they had left behind, they didn''t waste time


    and took a shortcut home.


    Taking the shortcut was risky. Jasper held Ste''s hand tightly, and was on high alert.


    "Ahh..."


    A scream echoed from a distance. Without a doubt, it was a robbery.


    Such things happened every day, if not every moment. Knowing the risks, if one still chose not to


    take the beaten path, well they needed to prepare for the consequences.


    Ste and Jasper continued on their journey, not stopping for anything.


    "You blockhead!" a deep, triumphant voice echoed in a foreignnguage, tauntingly. "You''re a piece


    of trash. Aren''t you going to drop dead yet?"


    Ste paused in her tracks, slowly turning around.