Chapter 411 - 362: Oolong Contract
Chapter 411: Chapter 362: Oolong Contract
The group returned to Villa Three. Once they found out which villa Jack Locke was in, Annelise Locke quickly swam over.
Flora Bloom let Luna Thorne and the others pick out houses they liked. Micah chose the villa closest to Flora’s, while Mervin Warren and Luna Thorne picked the one right behind his.
That evening, a large, modular round table had been set up in the shared courtyard of the three villas. From the looks of it, it was a style Flora Bloom had never seen before.
Sherman Lynch told her that because their group was so large, some people always had to stand during meals. So, they went out, found an ancient tree with a massive trunk, and after a great deal of effort, sawed it down. Then, they commissioned a carpenter from the base to make it into a table large enough to seat more than twenty people at once.
Ethan Monroe, Jade, and a few others were in the kitchen preparing the dishes, while the round table in the courtyard was already filled with people.
Flora Bloom, Cynthia Grant, Robin Grant, Mark Sterling, Falkyew, Selina, Sherman Lynch, and Annelise Locke were all there. Not counting Ethan Monroe and Jade, who were still bringing out food from the kitchen, that already made eight people—and this was with Lex Cross and his thirteen special forces soldiers absent.
Soon, Mark Sterling, Maeve Preston, and Joel Bloom were bustling in and out, helping to bring the dishes from the kitchen. Once all the food was served, everyone sat down together.
The tabletop was huge, but with so many dishes, it didn’t feel empty. On the contrary, with over a dozen people gathered around, the atmosphere was boisterous and festive.
Just like a party before the apocalypse, Flora Bloom once again took some beer out of her space. This time, however, she had an announcement to make.
"Let me make things clear, everyone. My supply of alcohol is almost gone. Once we finish this crate, plus this one bottle of strong white liquor, we won’t have any more booze!" Of course, Flora wasn’t counting the dozen or so jars of vintage rice wine stashed away in her space. Caleb Bloom and Jade, who were in on the secret, didn’t expose her little fib.
Instead of discouraging everyone, Flora’s announcement had the opposite effect. Jade stood up, went to the kitchen, and returned with a large jar, which she placed on the table.
When she opened the lid, a familiar, sweet-and-sour aroma wafted out.
"Is this rice wine?" Flora Bloom asked in surprise.
"You gave me a lot of wheat, didn’t you? I used some of it to brew beer, white liquor, and rice wine. The beer and liquor aren’t ready yet, but the rice wine is. Please, don’t hold back. Drink as much as you like! There’s plenty more in the kitchen!
"Later, I’m also making sweet wheat dumplings boiled with the fermented rice. Everyone should have some—the round dumplings are a good omen for reunion and togetherness."
In this post-apocalyptic world, the luxury of drinking alcohol was an unobtainable dream for most. Many would pay a steep price for it, some even resorting to despicable acts.
Flora Bloom knew this all too well, but fortunately, Villa Three possessed the strongest security and defensive power in the entire Morhaven Base. No one dared to trespass without permission.
The fashionably late Selene suddenly appeared and sat down right next to Flora Bloom.
"Hey, Flora, you’re back and you didn’t even say anything! Here, this is for you."
Flora took the object Selene handed her. It was clearly an egg, about the size of a grown man’s fist. The shell was covered in a dense pattern of red and green markings; it definitely wasn’t from any ordinary chicken, duck, or goose.
Flora turned to look at Selene. ’Good grief.’ The girl’s face was covered in scrapes, and she was so filthy she looked like she’d taken a bath in a mud puddle.
"What is this?"
"It’s an egg! Can’t you tell? A hatchable one!"
Flora was exasperated. "I know it’s an egg! The question is, why are you giving it to me?"
"Monkey One said you like to collect eggs."
"Who told you I have a weird hobby like that?!" Flora roared in frustration, then suddenly froze. "What did you say? Monkey One?"
Selene nodded. "Monkey One and his brothers, plus the two peacocks and the pangolin, go into the forest every day to find eggs, all for you."
"I mean, Monkey One told you this himself? He can talk?"
Overhearing their conversation, Maeve Preston chimed in, "Oh, you didn’t know, Flora? Monkey One can talk now. He disappeared for a day, running wild somewhere, and when he came back, he could suddenly speak. It’s absolutely adorable."
After eating her fill, Flora announced she was heading back to her room. When she got there, however, she found a boy and a girl—two little ones as beautiful as porcelain dolls—asleep in her room.
Stirred by the noise, the two little ones suddenly opened their eyes. Upon seeing Flora, they seemed overjoyed and gestured at her for a long time, making little "SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK" sounds. Finally, the two of them pointed at her, then at the bed, and then they actually joined forces and pushed her out of the room.