Chapter 626: Pig Trotter Soup
Chapter 626: Chapter 626: Pig Trotter Soup
This "compensation" lasted a full two hours. Evelyn Ford looked at Ronan Kendrick, completely drained. ’It’s terrifying how his stamina only gets better with age.’
They say a woman in her thirties is fierce as a tiger, but Evelyn Ford was the exact opposite; she’d become a complete weakling at thirty.
"You go back to sleep. I’m going to head to the shore and cast the net a couple more times. Oh, and I have some soup simmering in the kitchen. Don’t forget to have a bowl later."
Evelyn Ford grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. "You fiend."
Ronan Kendrick chuckled, momentarily at a loss for words. "Felicity, you haven’t been exercising enough lately. That won’t do. Once we reach our destination, I’ll personally supervise your training."
’Is he implying I have terrible stamina?’
Evelyn Ford glared at him. Ronan Kendrick just laughed heartily and ruffled her hair.
"Go on, sleep. Liam Sterling said we aren’t leaving until ten-thirty this morning."
The wind was a bit strong this morning, so he’d deliberately picked out a sweater to wear. Evelyn Ford could hardly bear to watch. Ronan Kendrick owned dozens of identical sweaters, all knitted by her. As Evelyn stared, he preened shamelessly in the mirror, just like a peacock fanning its tail.
Evelyn Ford pulled the covers over her head. ’I’m so tired, I feel completely drained. I think I need a potent bowl of Ginseng restorative soup to get my strength back.’
After Ronan Kendrick left, Evelyn Ford fell asleep again. Two hours later, a knock on the door woke her. She quickly got out of bed and opened it to find Zoe standing outside, craning her neck to look up at her.
"Auntie, the pig trotter soup in the kitchen is ready. My mom sent me to wake you up so you can have some."
’Pig trotter soup? What’s wrong with Ronan Kendrick? Making her pig trotter soup first thing in the morning.’
"Okay, I’ll wash my face and be right there. Have you eaten yet?"
Zoe nodded. "I had a bowl of noodles, a meat bun, a bowl of soy milk, and a bowl of tofu pudding."
Evelyn Ford looked at Zoe’s stomach worriedly. "What if you eat till you burst? You can’t just binge like that, especially for breakfast. Eating too much isn’t good for your digestion."
Zoe patted her stomach. "Auntie, I’m not even full yet! My dad says I’m a huge eater, just like my uncle. Uncle can eat five bowls of rice in one sitting. I’m going to beat his record."
Evelyn sighed in resignation. "Well, as long as you’re happy."
She quickly washed her face, slapped on some moisturizer and sunscreen, and then led Zoe to the dining area.
Everyone else was eating steamed buns, but a large stew pot sat in front of her seat. Evelyn Ford didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry. ’It’s not like I’m in postpartum confinement, so why on earth am I drinking pig trotter soup?’
Ronan Kendrick, Ethan Dawson, and Peter Owens had gone out fishing. Quincy and Miles Vaughn were slumped in their seats, looking half-dead. They had drunk a fair bit last night, and the stench of alcohol still clung to them.
Just as Evelyn Ford finished breakfast, Ronan Kendrick and the others returned. The main group was about to depart, so they needed to get back to camp. Evelyn, Ronan, and Wendy exited the space, leaving the others behind to continue their work.
Back at the camp, people were still fishing in the water. The sun had been rising very early recently; it was already light by five in the morning, and by ten-thirty, the sun was scorching hot.
"Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?" Ronan Kendrick asked in a low voice.
Evelyn Ford shot him a glare. ’Wendy is right behind us,’ she thought. ’Isn’t he afraid she’ll overhear?’
Ronan Kendrick rubbed his nose. "She’s farther back gathering rush pith. She can’t hear us."
"And you’re still talking about it."
"Fine, I’ll stop. We still have a ways to go, and it’s so hot. There are bound to be snakes in the tall grass. I’ll carry you on my back."
Evelyn Ford pinched his side. "Are you trying to announce to the whole world what you did?"
"Why would I let anyone know about something like that?"
"Then why did you make me pig trotter soup? Wyatt Vaughn and Joelle Finch kept sneaking glances at me and snickering all morning."
Evelyn wasn’t actually angry, just embarrassed and shy.
Ronan Kendrick’s ears turned a little red. "I know, I was wrong."
Seeing him admit his mistake so readily, Evelyn shifted uncomfortably for a moment before forgiving him.
When they got back to camp, the team leader was directing people to collect the dried fish. The fishers had already come ashore. Lily West and the other two students were standing near a cargo truck. Even from more than ten meters away, Evelyn could see a clear handprint on Helen Nash’s face. Her clothes were rumpled and looked as if they had been torn. Evelyn rushed over immediately.
"Good morning, Mr. Ford."
Evelyn Ford nodded. "Helen Nash, what happened? Who did this to you?"
Helen Nash shook her head. "I got into an argument with someone last night. It’s been resolved already."
Seeing that Helen Nash was reluctant to tell the truth, Lily West took it upon herself to tell Evelyn Ford everything that had happened the previous night.
"Mr. Ford, it wasn’t like that. Last night, we were on the shore scaling fish when this older woman came over. She knew we were studying medicine under you, so she started trying to cozy up to us. Then she said Helen Nash has a round face and big hips, a sign of good fortune, and that she looked like she could bear many sons. She said her son, who’s twenty-four and also in the convoy, would be a perfect match for Helen and that they should just get together. She even told Helen to ask you to let her son join our medical studies."
"When Helen refused, the woman started belittling her and the rest of us. She accused us of engaging in some shameful dealings to get the team leader to place us under your tutelage. She called us rotten people. Helen slapped her, and the woman flew into a rage, pouncing on Helen and attacking her. After the team leader broke it up, the woman threw herself on the ground, wailing and making a scene, accusing us of bullying an old woman."
Lily West started crying as she spoke. "That woman is just awful. I’ve never met such a venomous old hag. It’s disgusting."
"How did the team leader handle it?"
"After the team leader got the full story, he punished the old woman and her son by sentencing them to one month of gathering firewood. Then, this morning, the captain issued a warning to everyone: harassment of any member of the convoy, male or female, will not be tolerated. A first offense will result in a firewood-gathering punishment; a second offense will mean expulsion."
The outcome was acceptable enough. Evelyn Ford patted Lily West’s shoulder. "Don’t cry. It takes all kinds to make a world. If anything like this happens again, just beat the living daylights out of them. I’ll back you up."
The three students stared blankly at Evelyn Ford. "Mr. Ford, we can’t cause trouble for you."
Evelyn Ford raised an eyebrow. "As long as you’re not the ones starting trouble, it’s not trouble. If someone else is being a contemptible ass, you don’t have to tolerate it. We women can’t always be getting angry; it’s bad for our health and can lead to things like breast cancer. Got it?"
"Thank you, Mr. Ford."
Evelyn Ford waved a dismissive hand. "Get on the truck. We’re leaving any minute now."
Ronan Kendrick exchanged a few words with Evelyn Ford before heading to the driver’s cab. Lily West and the others knew Ronan and Evelyn were husband and wife, but he looked so intimidating that they never dared to say hello to him.
Before they departed, Evelyn Ford visited the cargo truck in the rear. The two new mothers were recovering well. The one who had given birth to twins looked to be in better spirits; although conditions were harsh, her husband doted on her completely. She greeted Evelyn with a wide smile, and her two babies were both well-behaved.
Another pregnant woman was due in the next few days. Evelyn checked her baby’s position and her overall health. The expectant mother seemed somewhat depressed; every time Evelyn came to see her, she was just staring off into space, her eyes vacant and her face gaunt with exhaustion.
"She cries secretly every night. I think she might have depression," the mother of the twins whispered.