Chapter 301: Varden 3

After his haircut, Ronan Kendrick went to take a shower. Evelyn Ford headed to the kitchen, where the steamed buns were ready and Officer Graham was slicing meat.

"We can finally eat some steamed buns." Quincy and Miles Vaughn walked in as well.

"Are we having stir-fried meat tonight?"

"Stir-fried pork, braised ribs, and steamed cassava."

Quincy immediately clapped. "What a feast! Is it New Year’s already?"

"We’ve been working so hard for so long, everyone deserves a good meal. Let’s bring out the sweet potato wine, too," Taylor Vance said as he took the steamer off the stove, washed the wok, and began to stir-fry the meat.

Evelyn Ford went to get the sweet potato wine, which had a strong aroma. Just then, Langley walked over, carrying a bundle of firewood. Evelyn invited him to stay for dinner, but Langley declined.

"Times are tough for everyone. I shouldn’t impose. Here’s some dry firewood for you all; it’ll make starting a fire easier."

Langley carried the firewood into the kitchen, and Taylor Vance invited him to stay for dinner again.

"Langley, don’t be a stranger. It must be fate that we ran into you right after arriving in Varden. Besides, we’d also like to ask you a few things."

Unable to refuse their hospitality, Langley finally agreed to stay.

Evelyn Ford returned to the bedroom to find Ronan Kendrick had already washed up. He had taken the rare opportunity to remove his colored contacts, and seeing his unusual eyes, Evelyn was momentarily stunned.

She didn’t snap out of it until Ronan Kendrick leaned in and kissed her.

Evelyn Ford shot him a glare. Ronan Kendrick just chuckled softly and ruffled her hair.

"Here to call me for dinner?"

"Yes. Hurry up and put your contacts in."

Ronan Kendrick grabbed his colored contacts and quickly put them in. Seeing his eyes turn black, Evelyn Ford felt he looked even more dangerous.

"Holy shit."

The moment they stepped out of the room, Quincy froze when he saw Ronan Kendrick.

"You’re always so bundled up I’ve never paid much attention, but how the hell do you seem to be getting younger?"

Quincy even reached out to touch Ronan Kendrick’s face, but Ronan dodged him.

"Tired of that hand?"

Quincy was still in shock. "I’m already getting gray hairs, but you still have the face of a twenty-year-old. Evelyn hasn’t changed much either, come to think of it."

Evelyn snorted. "Is twenty-six that old?"

Quincy corrected her, "Shouldn’t you be turning twenty-seven soon?"

"Not for a long time," Evelyn said, pulling Ronan Kendrick closer. "Men don’t show their age as much anyway. Besides, Ronan is only twenty-six. You’re making a big deal out of nothing."

Quincy...

"Why are you so defensive? You’re really protective of him."

Evelyn raised a fist. "I’ll punch anyone who bad-mouths Ronan. So what if I am?"

Quincy was so exasperated his chest ached.

Evelyn pulled Ronan into the living room. Dinner was already on the table. With firewood crackling in the fireplace, everyone felt so warm they had taken off their coats and hats.

"Langley, this house of yours is really well-built. The insulation is excellent."

Langley smiled. "My dad’s a carpenter. The house uses mortise and tenon joints—no nails, all wood. That’s why it holds heat so well. All the houses around here are built like this."

"How many people are in your family?"

"My parents, my two older brothers and their wives, and two younger sisters. My sisters aren’t married yet."

"That’s a big family. Are you married?"

Langley’s expression fell. "No. I had a girlfriend in college, but we were long-distance. We lost contact after the apocalypse hit."

Quincy patted his shoulder. The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy.

"I believe she’s still alive. As long as we’re both alive, I know I’ll see her again someday."

Langley took a drink of wine, and his spirits seemed to lift. "Everything I told you today is true. Frelia’s population is at capacity. It’s rich in resources, so droves of people are heading that way. I heard they’ve even set up wind turbines. But if you go there now, most people just end up mining coal."

He glanced at the group. "You don’t have many able-bodied men in your team, and you have young women and children. You should be careful. I’d suggest you go to The Southward. It has a desert, but it’s a bit more comfortable than Frelia."

Taylor Vance smiled. "We believe you, and we’ll definitely give it some serious thought. What’s the situation like here in Varden?"

Langley shook his head. "Varden’s terrain is complex and the soil is poor. There are no ancient, towering trees in the mountains, and the resources can’t compare to Frelia. The order is decent, though. The population is lower, but you’ll find a village every few kilometers. The game in the mountains has been hunted to extinction."

"And this little ice age isn’t going to end anytime soon. It’ll be at least seven or eight years, maybe even twenty."

Everyone looked at Langley. "How do you know that?"

"The old fortune-teller in our village told us. He’s dead now, but he was the one who said we should put down roots and wait it out. He said that as long as we survive the little ice age, good times will follow. That’s why my family never left."

Afraid they wouldn’t believe him, Langley grew agitated. "This fortune-teller from our village was the real deal! Before the apocalypse, he told everyone in the village not to sell their grain and to hoard it instead. Thanks to him, no one in our neighboring villages starved to death."

In truth, judging by the expressions on the faces of Taylor Vance and the others, they already believed most of what Langley had said.

The more powerful and influential people were, the more they tended to believe in such things.

"So when did he die?"

"He died in the second year of the apocalypse. Right after he died, there was a sudden earthquake and a huge downpour. His grave was completely washed away."

Everyone ate and drank to their heart’s content. Langley got a bit drunk, so Miles Vaughn and Quincy escorted him home.

Everyone sat warming themselves by the fireplace when Taylor Vance suddenly looked at Evelyn Ford.

"Evelyn, Ronan, what are your thoughts on Frelia?"

Evelyn was silent for a few moments, her gaze sweeping over the others. Everyone was waiting for her decision.

"I’ve decided to stay in Varden. Ideally, near the border between Varden and Kryll. With everything we have, heading to Frelia isn’t a good idea."

Taylor Vance nodded. "That makes sense. I did a quick count. Right now we have two Mammoths, four moose, eighty-eight argali sheep, twenty-two horses... oh, and eight Red Deer and two roe deer."

"I’d rather die than hand all of that over."

"We could find a village near the mountains, build our own wooden houses, and even start a business."

Everyone looked at Taylor Vance. "What kind of business? Like Lenny’s Inn? Should we open a hotel?"

Taylor Vance nodded. "An inn could work, but it’s a bit risky. After all, not all refugees will have food to trade."

"Then we could do what Langley does, and travel to Frelia to trade for supplies."

Everyone started voicing their opinions while Evelyn rested her chin on her right hand, listening.

"Most importantly, I don’t want to go mine coal," someone said. "Even though I’m drawn to the life in Frelia—Langley said they’ve restored the power supply, so life must be much more convenient there."

Quincy readily agreed with Wyatt Vaughn. "I don’t want to be a miner either."

After a full discussion, the group reached a consensus: they would stay in Varden.

"Evelyn, what do you think about opening an inn?"

Evelyn shook her head. "I’m clearly not cut out for the service industry."

"Then what do you want to do?"

Evelyn crossed her arms, a smile playing on her lips as she looked at the others.

"A post-apocalyptic general store merchant."

"You mean taking the Mammoths to Frelia to trade for goods?"

Evelyn shook her head. "Why go through all that trouble? Can’t we just open a general store right here at home?"