On the third day after they returned to the small island, the patrol team appeared on the road outside once again.
They dispatched more people this time. The search and rescue dogs barked frantically on the road, scaring the small birds in the woods into a panicked flight.
Evelyn Ford had already instructed everyone to cover the windows. That way, even if they turned on the lights, no light would leak out, and no one would discover that people were living here.
They had sprinkled a special powder around the small island. Its scent masked the human presence, preventing the search dogs from finding them.
"They’re faster than I expected. I thought it would take a week before the patrol team expanded their search area this far out."
Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick were sitting on the covered porch. Between them was a plate of sunflower seeds, a fruit platter, and a pot of tea. The kerosene lamp cast a weak, dim yellow light through its soot-stained glass shade. Evelyn pulled her coat tighter around herself.
"They’ve probably spent the last two days turning the base and the refugee camp upside down. When they can’t find anyone, they’ll give up after a while and the whole thing will blow over," Ronan Kendrick said, pouring a cup of tea and pushing it toward Evelyn Ford.
The porch had a railing, just like the cottage itself. It was furnished with a table and chairs. With the door closed, no one could see what was happening inside. Evelyn Ford took two oranges and placed them on the brazier—a new way of eating them: roasted oranges.
"We can use these few days to rest up. The rice in the space is ready to be planted, and all the medicinal herbs have been harvested. Let me see... what else needs to be done?" Evelyn Ford took a sip of tea, resting her chin on her hand as she thought.
Ronan Kendrick held a wooden rack, turning the oranges over the brazier. Once the peels were charred black, he peeled them and held a segment to Evelyn Ford’s lips.
"Do you have any more bamboo seedlings or seeds?"
Evelyn Ford took a bite of the orange and looked at Ronan Kendrick, puzzled. "I do. I planted bamboo seeds back when we were in the safe zone. We even used the bamboo for water pipes and weaving baskets later on. What do you need seedlings for?"
"I want to plant some by the pond in the space. They should be useful in the future."
"Okay." Evelyn Ford leaned back in her chair, humming a little tune she couldn’t name. Ronan Kendrick went back to roasting the oranges.
"You two are really taking it easy." Quincy pushed the door open and plopped down on a nearby chair. He then poured himself a cup of tea and downed it in one gulp.
"This tea is really sweet."
Evelyn Ford shot him a glance. "I put some amla fruit in it, that’s why it’s sweet. Weren’t you guys playing cards? What are you doing here?"
"I was about to lose my shorts! I can’t beat them, especially Ethan Dawson. I seriously suspect he used to be a professional gambler. He wins every single hand. If I’d played one more round, I’d have been stuck with next month’s chores."
Evelyn Ford chuckled. "Wow, you guys are something else, betting with chores."
Come to think of it, after she put that gold chain into the space, it seemed to have triggered some kind of hidden function. The space now had a day-and-night cycle.
Before this, the space had been perpetually bright. To give the animals in the husbandry zone a regular schedule, Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick had built several large shelters to block the light. Now, things were much better. The husbandry and planting zones had a day-and-night cycle. It was a 24-hour day in there, too. At 8:00 PM, the space would automatically turn dark, and at 8:00 AM, it would become light again.
The storage area, however, remained in a state of temporal stasis, unaffected by the other zones.
"What can I say? We don’t have money to bet with, so we have to bet our labor. What’s this? Can you even eat an orange after roasting it like that?"
Quincy snatched the orange Ronan Kendrick had just finished roasting. As he peeled it, a fresh, fragrant aroma wafted out, and rich juice dripped down. It was as if Quincy had just discovered a whole new world.
"Evelyn, can you roast apples?"
"You can only roast things with a thick peel, like bananas, durians, or pomelos." Evelyn Ford tutted. "Are you an idiot?"
"Actually, you can also charcoal-roast or boil walnuts, but only freshly shelled ones. Charcoal-roasted walnuts are especially good—they’re sweet and have a soft, chewy texture, even better than chestnuts."
Quincy was skeptical. "Walnuts are bitter. They don’t taste good."
"Only improperly dried walnuts are bitter. The ones that are thoroughly dried are just crispy and fragrant. But dried walnuts aren’t as good as fresh ones."
’I should plant a few walnut trees in the space,’ Evelyn Ford decided. ’When they bear fruit, I’ll let them try boiled walnuts.’
"Speaking of food, Mr. Graham is the real expert now. He can not only cook dishes from all eight major cuisines of China, but he’s also mastered Western food," Quincy said, eating a segment of orange and leaning back in his chair just like Evelyn Ford.
"Those people outside are still searching. What a waste of manpower and resources."
Evelyn Ford snorted. "Let them search. I bet they’ll give up and retreat in another three days."
Quincy stroked his chin. "I bet seven days. Ronan, are you in?"
"I bet five," Ronan Kendrick said, placing the teapot on the brazier and adding a few more pieces of charcoal.
"We really have zero chemistry, huh? But I think I’m going to win. If I do, you two... hehehe."
Seeing Quincy’s lecherous grin, Evelyn Ford knew he was up to no good. "Spit it out. What do you want?"
"Evelyn, I want a Gatling gun."
Evelyn Ford rolled her eyes and ignored him.
"My one and only wish in this life is to own a Gatling gun. If I don’t get one, I won’t be able to rest in peace," Quincy said with a look of utmost sincerity.
"You have only one wish? Please. Besides, even if I gave you a Gatling gun, you couldn’t carry it. It’s incredibly heavy. If you just want to show off, it’s completely unnecessary. If you want to go on a killing spree, you don’t have the skills."
Evelyn Ford patted Quincy’s shoulder. "Your luck with gambling is terrible. You’re definitely going to lose this time, too."
Quincy... ’Talk about rubbing salt in the wound.’
Ronan Kendrick was snickering on the side. When Quincy noticed, he rushed over and shook Ronan’s shoulders.
"There’s no way I’ll lose! Fine, I’ll change the stakes. If I win, Ronan will be my lackey for a month, and Evelyn will be my handmaiden for a month."
"Quincy, you’ve got some nerve. I admire your courage. Good luck."
Evelyn Ford gave Quincy a thumbs-up. Ronan Kendrick swatted his hands away, not even sparing him a glance.
"I have a feeling I’m definitely going to win this time. They’ll retreat in seven days. You two just wait and see—you’ll be serving your master soon enough."
’Classic gambler’s talk.’
Evelyn Ford smiled. "Alright then. I bet three days. If I win, you two will be on bathroom cleaning duty together for three months."
Quincy was in disbelief. "I can’t believe you’d be so harsh on me, but how could you be so cruel to Ronan, too? The heart of a woman is indeed the most venomous. I’m impressed, truly."
"Ronan, name something even harsher! If you win, we’ll make Evelyn clean the bathrooms for half a year."
Ronan Kendrick frowned. "How could I possibly make Evelyn do something like that?"
Quincy’s hands trembled. "You lovestruck fool! She just sentenced you to cleaning toilets, and you’re still worried about her?"
"If I win, Quincy cleans the bathrooms for half a year."
"And what’s Evelyn’s punishment?"
Ronan Kendrick chuckled softly. "I haven’t decided yet."
’Quincy couldn’t believe the cruel trick he’d come up with was now being used against him by Ronan. Had he just shot himself in the foot?’