Chapter 238
Ste returned to Apartment 5 early after a day''s work, drawn to the verdantndscape that
stretched before her.
The folks of Eastwood Eden were hard at work, tilling and sowing thend tirelessly for the past
fortnight.
Corn was sprouting. Lush green vegetables promised a bountiful harvest in a week''s time, but they
were too precious to be consumed. Instead, the seedlings were carefully re-nted, nurtured to
grow, and then sun-dried. The dried veggies could be consumed or traded for points.
The strength of the human spirit was evident in their toil. Not only did they cultivate the barrennd
within the neighbourhood, but they also ventured beyond its borders.
Patrol duties increased, but no oneined.
After two days of rest, Ste decided to gather firewood from the forest. The nearby woods had
been stripped bare, forcing her to venture deeper into the wilderness. A round trip was no simple
task.
They had to spend the night in the forest, returning only when she had gathered enough wood.
This time, she not only took the dog but also the rabbits.
She took only the first and second generations and the yet-to-grow babies. The fully grown rabbits
that had reached a certain weight were ughtered and stored in Arcadia.
She made sure not to do this in front of Snowy and Smoky. The deed was done in the next room.
Snowy and Smoky couldn''t speak, otherwise, they would have protested against Ste. Damn it,
they thought. They were always the ones to get the short end of the stick, while the dog was
pampered and taken care of.
She stored the important stuff in Arcadia, put the rabbits in the trunk, and drove the Hummer to
gather wood.
After much consideration, she decided to go to Ivywood Estates at the city''s edge. The forests along
the way were bare. Ivywood Estates had been destroyed in an earthquake.
Memories flooded back as she looked at the ruined vis. During the initial flood period, her team
from the 18th floor often came here to gather resources. The fish they stored in Arcadia were still
there, almost three yearster.
How things had changed, she thought.
After climbing seven or eight mountains with the rabbits, she was breathless.
Standing at the peak, she could see the vast dead forest in the distance. The outskirts were not
safe, forcing her to venture deeper into the forest. After almost a day of trekking, she finally reached
the uninhabited depths of the forest.
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The deeper she went, the more she could feel the miracle of life. Many of the dead trees were
sprouting green buds, nourished by the rain.
She chose a t forest area and started working with her tools.
Ste had an electric saw, while Jasper had a fuel-powered one.
Rosie, unable to help with the chopping, was sent to keep watch from a high ground with the dog.
They worked until sundown. Ste then started gathering the chopped branches, storing them in
Arcadia under the cover of dusk. The branches were also valuable, tied together and stored to be
used as firewoodter.
It was dark before they finished working. They had originally nned to bring the trailer, but what if
someone else was also gathering wood in the forest? Better to be safe, they thought, and set up a
two-bedroom tent.
Rosie had set up tents before, so Jasper let her do it alone this time.
In the deep forest under the starry sky, they lit oilmp andid out a hearty meal to reward
themselves for the day''s hard work.
The rabbits were also rewarded with fresh hay and a bowl of crispy peanuts.
After dinner, they sat in the tent watching TV shows.
Cooper kept an eye on the tablet while his ears stayed alert to the sounds outside. Jasper had set
up a tripwire outside the tent, with bells attached to it. If someone intruded at night, they would trip
the wire and trigger the bells.
When it was time for bed, they turned off the lights.
It was colder in the mountains. Halfway through the night, Ste felt cold. Jasper covered her with a
thin nket, and then went to the next room to check on Rosie.
They woke up early the next day, had breakfast, and continued with the previous day''s work. They
didn''t clear the entire forest, leaving the trees that had sprouted green buds.
Once they were done with one area, they moved to the next.
While passing a brook, Ste''s eyes were drawn to a green nt.
Jasper asked, "What''s up?"
"It''s honeysuckle."
The nt was barely a few inches in height, with its leaves still not fully grown. If she hadn''t
repeatedly read the medicinal herb book, she wouldn''t have recognized it. Finding a honeysuckle
seedling was a stroke of luck.
She carefully dug it out, soil and all, and ced it gently in her bag.
The brook area was quite damp, with green buds sprouting among therge patches of withered
shrubs and grass.
Seeing this, Ste lost interest in chopping wood and started identifying the nts, hoping to find
more medicinal herbs to nt in Arcadia.
Jasper and Rosie, unfamiliar with herbs, continued chopping wood nearby.
She found several types of medicinal herbs. They weren''t rare or widely used medicinal herbs, but
to Ste, they were a delightful surprise.
After half a day, she had found more than a dozen types of herbs. At noon, she found a cool spot
and called Jasper, Rosie, and Cooper over for lunch.
Jasper''s hands were covered in dirt, and he was holding a piece of grass with a smile on his usually
cold face. "Ste, I found it."
"What?" Ste asked. Jasper was usually quite calm and cold, so this smile was a rare urence.
"I think it''s this herb. It can cure the liver and lung diseases caused by the smog virus."
He found it under a tree. It was quite unremarkable and took him a while to identify.
Ste took it from him and stared at it for a while. Ste was stumped. She didn''t recognize this
either. After lunch, she didn''t rest and instead pulled out a treasured copy of herbal medicine book
that she had taken from the school library.
Jasper sat next to her and helped her go through the book.
After almost an hour, he pointed at a picture. "I think it''s this one."
Ste stared at him. "You need to be 100% sure. Misidentification could be fatal."
He replied, "It looks simr, but not quite the same."
Dragonlily, a herb that could cleanse the liver and lungs and kill bacteria. It was mainly found in the
southern mountains and required specific soil and water conditions. No wonder it wasn''t widely
cultivated - it was hard to grow.
Stepared the real thing with the picture, the picture showed a fully-bloomed tulip, but the
comparison was worlds apart. There wasn''t the slightest resemnce.
"It must be this one. Seedlings differ greatly from mature nts."
Seeing this nt, Jasper''s hazy memories gradually became clear. He remembered asking his
professor to make sure it was the right nt before picking it. However, he still felt that there was a
difference between the photograph and the real thing, "Could it be possible that the nt has
mutated?"