Seeing that the Arcadia Store had listed loquat paste, everyone rushed to place their orders.
Backed by the Arcadia brandâs reputation, many regular customers bought ten or twenty jars at a time. In no time, the 300 jars of loquat paste that Melody Summers had put up were completely sold out.
With 45 million in the bank, she calculated that they could buy a good amount of gasoline and diesel. Melody Summers and Albus rolled up their sleeves, ready to pack and ship the orders.
*
Elaine Hughes was up at six oâclock this morning.
She filled a bucket with water, preparing to wipe down every room in the villa from top to bottom before cleaning up the volcanic ash that had piled up in the yard.
There was a simple reason for all this: Simon Lancaster was bringing Holly Rhodes over for a meal today.
Elaine Hughes was a little nervous about meeting her prospective daughter-in-law for the first time.
She worked nonstop from six to eight in the morning, leaving her breathless, but she still wasnât finished cleaning.
âThis villa is just too big,â Elaine Hughes thought, wiping sweat from her brow. âIf only we could sell it and move into a normal house.â
At eight oâclock, a freshly awakened Silas Lancaster came downstairs, rubbing his eyes. Seeing Elaine Hughes on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor, he frowned and asked, "Mom, what are you so busy with this early in the morning? Whereâs my breakfast? Iâm hungry!"
Seeing her younger son was awake, Elaine Hughes glanced at the time and hurried to the kitchen to cook him a bowl of noodles.
Elaine Hughes brought the noodles out to Silas Lancaster, urging him, "Eat up. As soon as youâre done, go back to your room. Your older brother is bringing your sister-in-law home for lunch, so youâre to stay in your room and not come out! Do you hear me?"
Because of the trouble Silas Lancaster had caused before, Holly Rhodes had always held a grudge against him. Simon Lancaster had specifically instructed that Holly was not to see Silas today, to avoid upsetting her.
Silas Lancaster looked at the bowl of plain, watery noodle soup with disdain. It contained shredded carrots and onions, both of which he hated, but he knew there were no other options right now. He could only frown and accept the bowl.
Hearing what Elaine Hughes said, Silas Lancaster retorted angrily, "Mom, sheâs the one marrying into our family. Itâs one thing for her not to think about how to curry favor with me, her brother-in-law, but she has the nerve to look down on me?! Mom, I donât want a sister-in-law like that!"
Elaine Hughes sighed inwardly at his words. If this were before the cataclysm, back when they were still the wealthy Lancaster Family, would she ever have approved of a daughter-in-law like Holly Rhodes?
But look at the situation now. The whole Lancaster family was completely broke, relying entirely on Simon Lancasterâs salary and employee benefits to get by.
Now that Simon Lancaster had been demoted, his salary and benefits had worsened. Elaine Hughes was genuinely afraid that this daughter-in-law, Holly Rhodes, would run off.
Elaine Hughes could only say to Silas Lancaster, "You child! Isnât this all your fault? If you hadnât been so impulsive and pulled a knife on someone, why would your brother have been demoted? Itâs only right that your sister-in-law resents you!"
Silas Lancaster felt incredibly wronged upon hearing this.
Before they left that day, he had said he didnât want to go. His parents had forced him.
And when heâd tried to teach Melody Summers a lesson, it was to stand up for his parents. Now his own mother was blaming him for everything.
Seeing her beloved younger sonâs aggrieved expression, Elaine Hughes softened her tone and comforted him, "Alright, son. Once your sister-in-law officially marries into the family, wonât she have to look after you, her little brother? Sheâs not family yet, so just bear with it for now. Stay in your room for the day. Be good."
Silas Lancaster could only nod helplessly. He quickly finished the noodle soup, placed the bowl on the table, and turned to go back to his room.
Seeing Silas Lancaster cooperate, Elaine Hughes breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing it was getting late, she prepared breakfast for Robert Lancaster, brought it to the small sitting room outside his bedroom, and then went back downstairs to continue cleaning the villa.
By ten oâclock, Elaine Hughes had finally finished clearing the volcanic ash from the yard. She quickly washed up and prepared to make lunch.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Sylvia Lancaster was back.
Sylvia Lancaster was wearing an off-white dress with a cardigan draped over her arm. "Mom, Iâm home," she said to Elaine Hughes.
Today was Holly Rhodesâs first time visiting for a meal. She had mentioned that she wanted to meet Simon Lancasterâs family, especially his sister, Sylvia Lancaster. Thatâs why Elaine Hughes had called Sylvia yesterday and asked her to come back to the Lancaster home for lunch.
Elaine Hughes glanced at Sylvia Lancaster. She had originally wanted Sylvia to help her with lunch, but Sylvia looked pale and haggard. Despite being pregnant, her figure was still very thin.
Seeing this, Elaine Hughes didnât have the heart to make Sylvia work in the kitchen. She sighed, told Sylvia to go rest, and went to get things ready herself.
Sylvia Lancaster walked into the living room and sank exhaustedly onto the sofa. She pinched the bridge of her nose and took deep breaths, trying to ease the discomfort in her abdomen.
For the past two months, Sylvia Lancaster had been living a nightmare at the Sutton residence.
Ever since the news came that Elias Sutton had died in a plane crash with no remains found, Mrs. and Mr. Sutton had been acting like theyâd lost their minds.
They refused to see any relatives who came to offer condolences. Instead, they invited over a charlatan, claiming this man was a famous master who had successfully predicted the volcanic eruption that followed the period of high heat and drought.
The charlatan also claimed he could transfer a dead soul into a new body...
âHearing this, I just want to call the police and have this quack thrown in a mental hospital!â Sylvia Lancaster thought.
But then the unbelievable happenedâMr. and Mrs. Sutton actually believed the charlatanâs words!
They had the charlatan perform a ritual to reincarnate their deceased younger son, Elias Sutton, into the baby in Sylvia Lancasterâs womb!
Sylvia Lancaster found it absolutely incredible!
âItâs 2026, not 1826! Even a toothless old woman from the countryside wouldnât fall for a scam like this! Mr. and Mrs. Sutton are highly educated intellectuals who once managed the massive Sutton Group, yet theyâre buying this nonsense!â
But Mr. and Mrs. Sutton were completely obsessed. Mrs. Sutton, in particular, performed rituals around Sylvia Lancaster every single day.
Ethan Sutton couldnât dissuade his parents and found the atmosphere at home terrifyingly bizarre. He used the excuse of looking for a job to stay away from home, leaving Sylvia Lancaster to be tormented by them alone.
After being subjected to this for some time, Sylvia Lancaster had recently been feeling a dragging pain in her abdomen. Yesterday, sheâd even found streaks of blood on her underwear. She had a dreadful feeling that she was showing signs of a miscarriage...
When Elaine Hughes happened to call, she quickly used it as an excuse to visit, escaping back to her family home with the intention of hiding out for a few days.
Without Sylviaâs help, Elaine Hughes could only busy herself in the kitchen alone. Just as she was placing the last dish on the dining table, Simon Lancaster returned with Holly Rhodes.
*
Holly Rhodes stood before the Lancaster villa, secretly sizing it up. To own such a large villa in this prime, exorbitantly priced location was a testament to the Lancaster Familyâs former glory and wealth.
âNo wonder they say a starved camel is still bigger than a horse,â she mused internally. âEven though the Lancaster Family is broke, if they sold this villa, they probably wouldnât have to worry about food or drink in this post-apocalyptic world.â
The two of them entered the villa. The yard was desolate and dilapidated. The stone path, once kept spotless by a maid, was now covered in volcanic ash that hadnât been fully cleared away, crunching under their feet.
Simon Lancaster discreetly watched Holly Rhodesâs expression. He only relaxed when he saw no obvious signs of disgust.
Robert Lancaster and Elaine Hughes were already waiting at the main entrance.
Seeing Simon and Holly enter, Elaine Hughes affectionately took Hollyâs hand and greeted her, "You must be Holly! Come in, come in. Weâve been looking forward to your visit."
Holly Rhodes subtly pulled her hand free from Elaine Hughesâs grasp. She gave her a reserved smile and replied politely, "Itâs a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for having me. Iâm Holly Rhodes."
Elaine Hughes rubbed her hands together awkwardly. Robert Lancaster, however, smiled and said, "Good, a good child. Come, come inside!"
Holly Rhodes was pleased by the eager attentiveness of Simonâs parents. What girl wouldnât want to be valued and doted on by her in-laws? An unconscious hint of a smile touched Hollyâs eyes.
The group walked into the living room, and Holly Rhodesâs eyes immediately fell on a woman in a white dress sitting on the brown sofa. Her face was somewhat haggard, and she was stroking her abdomen.
Although her belly was swollen, her figure wasnât bloated at all. She looked like a classic, delicate beauty in distress.
As expected, this had to be Simon Lancasterâs sister, Sylvia Lancaster.
The hint of a smile in Holly Rhodesâs eyes vanished instantly.