Chapter 288


    No one knew exactly who smuggled them out, but Austin knew that all the fish hatchlings from the


    agricultural department could be acquired if you had the right contacts.


    Austin exchanged for the fish with supplies, probably after some transactions, so it really wasn''t


    cheap. There was some leftover spices from yesterday, so Ste decided to make a fish stew.


    Rosie was diligent, with Dn assisting her.


    When Ste wasn''t looking, Dn slipped a small pack of chocte-covered almonds into Rosie''s


    pocket. Snacks were too precious and Rosie didn''t want any.


    "Rosie, I saved these especially for you. We have more at home." As he said this, he peeled one


    and ced it in her mouth, "Is it sweet?"


    "Mmm." Rosie smiled at him, "You''re so nice, Dn."


    Encouraged by her praise, Dn was overjoyed, whispering into her ear, "I only gave one to the


    others."


    By "the others", he was referring to the adults’ children.


    Rosie, being singled out for special treatment, was pleased. "After dinner, I''ll teach you some


    boxing, Dn."


    "Sure!" Dn squatted next to her, helping with the chores. "The water''s too cold, Rosie. Let me do


    it."


    Father and son, both inept in the kitchen, relished the creamy fish stew, and they were extremely


    content.


    "Dad, the fish head Rosie made is really good."


    Austin corrected his son, "Nonsense, Ste made it."


    "Rosie fried the fish, and I helped with the veggies."


    "Really? You can do that now? You''re amazing, son."


    As they chatted and ate, Austin noticed Ste''s glowingplexion and asked, "Some wealthy


    ladies have been looking for skincare products. So you have a supplier?"


    Actually, she did have quite a few stashed away in Arcadia.


    "What brand do they want?"


    "It doesn''t matter what brand, as long as it''s fragrant and hasn''t gone bad."


    Austin wasn''t well-versed in women''s skincare products, but considering it was four years into the


    apocalypse, finding something usable was already a feat. Regardless of thedies'' pickiness, they


    were constantly lowering their standards.


    A few months ago, he managed to sell a bottle of generic moisturizer. At first, everyoneined


    it smelt worse than manure, but in the end, they nearly came to blows over it. As long as there was


    stock, he could sell it at a high price.


    "I have a few bottles. I''ll let you take a look."


    She had got quite a lot from the supermarket before, and collected another batch from the office


    building. No matter how long theysted, they would be harder to sell in the future.


    "Can you source some condoms?" Austin continued with his requests, "Those are in high demand,


    and everyone wants one."


    In the early years of the apocalypse, many wealthy individuals had indulged themselves with no


    rules, resulting in a myriad of diseases. If it had been before the apocalypse, curing these diseases


    wouldn''t have been an issue. But where would you find medicine in the apocalypse?


    Therefore, they quickly learned their lesson, but it was already toote. Now, medicine was worth its


    weight in gold.


    "Cough, cough."


    Jasper almost choked on a fish bone when he heard Austin asking Ste for condoms at the dinner


    table. His face turned a bit red.


    Austin nced at him, finding his shyness amusing. Ste, on the other hand, surprised them all


    with her response, "I don''t have any, and even if I did, I''d keep them for personal use."


    "Cough, ha-ha, ha-ha-ha." Austin nearly choked again, "That''s a fair point. Jasper, you''re a lucky


    man."


    At the table, Rosie was confused, "What are you guys talking about?"


    This time, Jasper truly choked. Fortunately, it was just on some pickled cabbage.


    She actually could sell some, but she probably wouldn''t be able to trade them for anything she


    wanted. Better to just let it be.


    After dinner, Ste brought down several bottles of unopened skincare products from upstairs,


    "These are what we found when we were out scavenging before. You can try selling them, no loss if


    they don''t sell."


    Austin readily agreed, "Sure, no problem." He was confident he could sell anything.


    Ste also brought down a couple of cigars, "A friend gifted these, but I think they might have lost


    their vor."


    These were the cigars Lukas had given them yesterday. Jasper didn''t smoke, and Arcadia had


    plenty of better choices. There was no need to keep these stale cigars.


    Austin was overjoyed by the unexpected windfall, "What do you guys need in return?"


    "If you can get fresh beef ormb, that would be great."


    Austin, itching to do business again after a few days off, left his son behind in Building 50 and


    departed.


    In the afternoon, Ste thought about taking the children out for a bit since it was the holiday


    season. Jasper didn''t object, so they took the kids and drove out.


    Even during the holidays, they had to be mindful of safety and couldn''t venture into dangerous


    areas.


    They went to the city square, where the weather was sunny, and there were surprisingly many


    people out and about.


    There were security patrols around, so the criminals didn''t dare to cause trouble.


    The government had arranged for festive decorations and performance to celebrate the New Year.


    The Christmas costumes were a bit worn and the team was hastily put together, so the performance


    lacked the grandeur and thrill of the pre-apocalypse era. But it was still a sight to behold.


    Apuse would break out from time to time, and the faces that were usually hardened by the harsh


    apocalypse gradually softened. Some even teared up amidst their joy.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Rosie was curious, "Dn, what''s this?"


    "It''s a tradition during our Christmas celebrations. Many people perform these dances to celebrate."


    Dn had some faint memories of it, "Rosie, when I was little, dad would take me to watch it."


    After watching the dances, it was time for some photos. Cooper locked in the car whined in protest.


    This wasn''t fair!


    They took plenty of photos, and then Dn pulled out his own phone, "Rosie, can I take a picture


    with you?"


    "Sure, Dn."


    They took a selfie together, and Dn quickly hid his phone.


    There was also music ying in the square, with some old and familiar Christmas songs. It really


    felt like the holiday season. Many people started to sway to the rhythm.


    Ste spotted a familiar figure and walked over to lightly tap her shoulder, "Katie."


    Ste would have never guessed that Katie could dance so well. The steps she put forward were


    clearly those of a seasoned pro.


    On the other hand, the other three members of the Moore family were shyly standing to the side,


    waiting.


    "Ste." Katie hadn''t expected to bump into her and excitedly grasped her hand. "You''re too kind,


    my dear. We owe you for the supplies, but you''ve given us even more."


    Her kids were like dummies; despite all the reminders, they still brought back chickens, rabbits, and


    herbs.


    "It''s alright. We just happened to have plenty. If we didn''t give it to you, we''d give it to someone


    else."


    Katie sighed, her withered hand holding Ste''s tightly. "Ste, you''ve taken such good care of us


    over these years, and we owe you so much."


    "Katie, don''t be so formal with me. There aren''t many of us left from Sunrise Sanctuary. Let''s just


    consider it a bond between people."


    Katie was a born optimist. She was a bit thin, but her spirit was still strong. What made her even


    happier was that Mikey was dating someone.