Chapter 305: Varden 7

Ronan Kendrick’s expression only softened when he heard the words "made for each other."

Outside the door, everyone was dumbfounded.

"What’s gotten into Quincy? Did someone spike his breakfast with laughing gas or something?"

Evelyn Ford nodded with a straight face. "He’s having a fit."

"Evelyn, have you seen Quincy?"

Wyatt Vaughn returned from outside carrying a bucket. She looked all around but didn’t see Quincy anywhere. She was puzzled. "I have no idea where that guy went."

"He’s inside."

"Inside? What are you guys doing out here?"

Evelyn Ford coughed. "Listening to Quincy laugh."

Just then, the door opened. Ronan Kendrick and Quincy came out, one after the other. Quincy was holding back his laughter, not daring to look up, afraid he’d lose it and burst out laughing the moment he saw Evelyn.

"Quincy, didn’t you say you were coming right over to get the ice? I’ve been waiting for half an hour, what took you so long?"

Startled, Quincy quickly apologized. "My bad. It’s all Ronan Kendrick’s fault. He had something to talk to me about, and that’s what held me up."

Wyatt Vaughn snorted. "Knew you were unreliable. Evelyn, let’s go see what’s happening. The mobile vehicle is right in the village."

Then, she glanced at the men and lowered her voice. "You gentlemen should probably stay inside."

The two left the inn and ran into Langley’s mother.

"Are you two heading into the village?"

"Yes. Are you going too?"

Langley’s mother waved her hand dismissively. "Don’t go. I’m telling you, you really shouldn’t go over there."

"Why not?"

"This time, it’s not just women who’ve come. There are quite a few men, too. You know, *those* kinds of men."

Wyatt Vaughn was confused. "*Those* kinds of men? What kind? Patrol soldiers, or the bodyguards escorting them?"

"No. Honestly, child, how do you not know this?" Langley’s mother leaned in close to them and whispered an explanation of who those men were. Wyatt Vaughn was dumbstruck.

"Evelyn, maybe we should just go back."

Evelyn Ford nodded. It was Wyatt Vaughn’s first time encountering something so sordid, and she was clearly scared stiff. After bidding farewell to Langley’s mother, the two immediately returned to the inn.

"When I passed by earlier, I didn’t see any men, just three young women. They were going door-to-door, asking if ’services’ were needed. The village women were cursing them out, calling them shameless, and some men were gathered around, haggling. I found it so unbelievable at the time because the women just kept smiling. They weren’t angry, and they didn’t seem embarrassed at all."

"And they were dressed so plainly. I would have expected them to be wearing mink coats or something."

Evelyn Ford chuckled. "The kind of women who wear mink coats wouldn’t show up in a place like this. Let’s go back."

Back at the inn, everyone was sitting in the living room, looking at the two of them.

"So, did you see all the excitement? Are those people gone?"

Wyatt Vaughn shook her head. "No, Langley’s mom said some men came, so she told us to hurry back."

"Men?" The men in the living room were all stunned.

"Yeah, not just women, but men too. And they’re young, apparently."

As she spoke, a knock came from the inn’s front door. A young man in a black overcoat stood outside. Seeing there were women in the room, he gave a slight nod in greeting.

"Excuse me, are you in need of any services?"

Ronan Kendrick pulled Evelyn Ford behind him, while Wyatt Vaughn stared wide-eyed at the man in the doorway.

"Did you just arrive?"

The man nodded. "I came from the base. Are you in need of services?"

"No, we don’t."

The man nodded, looking slightly disappointed. "None of you?"

He looked at the other men. Miles Vaughn and Peter Owens shrank back. Ronan Kendrick stared coldly at the man. "Get out."

"My apologies." Intimidated by Ronan Kendrick’s presence, the man left quickly. Only after he was some distance away did everyone relax.

"My God, male escorts making house calls? Has the base gone insane? To actually organize something like this... That guy looked so young, too. Why would he do this kind of work? Are these people out of their minds?"

Miles Vaughn was already speaking without a filter.

"It’s to survive, what’s so strange about it? Besides, he looks so young. If you put yourself in his shoes—between mining coal and doing this job, what would you choose?"

Miles Vaughn glared at Wyatt Vaughn. "I’d choose mining coal."

"It’s not easy, just to scrape by." Zion Lowell looked grim.

Just then, the door was knocked on again. A young woman stood outside. Though she wore a drab, dusty overcoat, she also had a hat and gloves, and her face was scrubbed clean.

Even from a distance, you could smell the scent of soap on her.

"Excuse me, are you in need of services?"

This time, it was Evelyn Ford and Wyatt Vaughn’s turn to watch the spectacle.

"We don’t need any." Miles Vaughn was gentler when speaking to a woman, but his expression was still sour.

"None of you?" She stepped inside and looked directly at Officer Graham. "How about you, sir?"

Officer Graham quickly took a few steps back. "No, thank you. Please leave."

"Don’t be afraid. I won’t force anyone. It’s a voluntary transaction. Do you need anything?" She now looked toward Taylor Vance and Zion Lowell.

’Evelyn Ford actually found these people to be quite respectable in their speech and actions, completely different from what she had imagined.’

’It was as if they had undergone special training. Every one of them was like a well-made puppet, even their smiles were identical.’

Taylor Vance quickly waved his hands. He was getting on in years and had seen his fair share of storms, but this was the first time he’d ever encountered something so... raw.

After asking everyone, the woman left in disappointment.

"Sorry to have bothered you."

Watching her leave, the group fell into a strange silence. No one spoke for several minutes.

"Aren’t they afraid of running into bad people? Scoundrels who take what they want and then refuse to pay up with supplies?"

"There are people standing outside with guns. You think anyone would dare to back out of the deal? Still, this business model of theirs is something I’ve never seen or heard of before."

Wyatt Vaughn suddenly looked at Evelyn Ford. "When you went to Westeria, did you ever encounter anything like this?"

Evelyn Ford nodded. "There were women on the roadside, flagging down cars."

"So it really is the same everywhere."

"We’ve had enough excitement for one day. Shouldn’t we eat now?" Evelyn Ford’s stomach rumbled.

"Yeah, it’s time to eat."

"We’re leaving tomorrow. Should we go back into the mountains to cut some more branches?"

"No need, we have enough branches."

In the afternoon, Langley came over. He said those people would be staying for two days.

"Did they go to your house?"

Langley nodded. "My mom chased them away with a knife. Last time, my second brother almost got into trouble, and my sister-in-law was really upset. My parents gave him a beating for it. So this time, when they showed up, my mom grabbed a cleaver and stood guard at the door."

Everyone was stunned.

"Langley, stay and have dinner with us later. We’re leaving tomorrow, and who knows if we’ll ever meet again. It was fate that brought us together. We’re especially grateful that you let us stay at your family’s inn," Taylor Vance said, patting Langley’s shoulder.

Langley scratched his head. "I already accepted that argali you gave me. I couldn’t possibly impose for a meal too. But you’re welcome to stay a few more days, no charge for supplies."

"No, we really have to get going. But if you ever go into business in the future, you can come find us in Fairgate."