Chapter 208: Guess Why I Came at This Time?
Actually, Sierra Sullivan wasn’t in a bad mood.
Although she didn’t approve of Dominic Crawford’s choice, it was just as she had told Nathan Thorne: Dominic was a mature adult. All those years he’d lived hadn’t been for nothing.
He was well aware of what he could and couldn’t do, and what the consequences of his actions would be.
But he chose to do it anyway, so he would have to bear the consequences alone.
Sierra wasn’t going to worry about it, and she certainly wouldn’t let it affect her mood.
Sierra took Candice Tate’s hand and sat down on the sofa with her to eat strawberries.
"Candice, I want to tell you something. If you make a choice, you have to accept the consequences that come with it. As long as you can handle those consequences, then whatever choice you make is the right one."
Candice seemed to only half-understand, but she still nodded seriously.
"Sierra, I’ll remember! I will!"
"That’s good! Now, hurry and eat. After you’re done, you can take a bath, change into some comfy pajamas, and have a nice sleep!"
Jayce hadn’t returned yet, but Sierra had clean bathwater stored in her space, ready to be used at a moment’s notice.
Sierra took Candice to the bathroom and brought out a bathing tub.
Candice wasn’t very dirty since she’d had a thorough bath just two days prior, so a quick rinse was all she needed.
Just as Sierra led a pajama-clad Candice out of the bathroom, there was a knock on the living room door.
It was followed by Jayce’s voice from outside.
Sierra opened the door and let Jayce in. "I’m going to put Candice to bed. You go ahead and wash up."
"Alright!"
Jayce agreed and headed for the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Sierra went with Candice to her room.
A table lamp was on in the room, casting a warm glow.
In the dead of night, that kind of light always made one feel exceptionally warm.
Even though they were underground, it didn’t feel damp at all.
The sandstorms had raged for so long that both the surface water and groundwater had gradually evaporated.
There might be water deeper down, but where they were, even the soil was bone-dry.
This did have its advantages. At least they wouldn’t develop ailments like rheumatism from living in a cold, damp underground space for an extended period.
After tucking Candice into bed and covering her with a warm, soft blanket, Sierra didn’t hurry to leave.
Candice didn’t say anything, but Sierra could tell the little girl didn’t want her to go.
Her eyes followed Sierra’s every move, filled with anxiety and a silent plea for her to stay.
Sierra sat on the stool beside the bed and pulled a storybook from her space. "Candice, close your eyes. I’ll tell you a story. When I’m done, I’ll head out and you can get some sleep, okay?"
"Okay!"
Sierra dimmed the table lamp before lowering her voice and beginning to tell Candice a story in a gentle tone.
It was a typical fairy tale. Sierra spoke slowly and unhurriedly, occasionally glancing over to check on Candice.
When she saw that Candice’s eyelashes had stopped fluttering and her eyes were no longer moving beneath her lids, Sierra knew she had likely fallen asleep.
Still, Sierra didn’t stop. She diligently finished the rest of the story.
’She swore it wasn’t because she wanted to know how the story ended.’
’It was purely for the sake of telling Candice the whole story!’
-
「Two nights later」
Nathan Thorne arrived, practically buzzing with excitement.
The moment he walked in, Nathan started playing coy. "Guess what kind of job I found!"
Sierra knew that even if she didn’t ask, Nathan wouldn’t be able to contain himself and would just blurt it out anyway.
But Sierra played along, asking with a smile, "What kind of job did you find?"
Nathan roared with laughter. "A hospital! People still get sick in the apocalypse, you know. And with the current conditions, you know how it is—a shortage of doctors and medicine. The hospital is desperate for talent like me. I work three hours in the morning and three in the afternoon, with eight days off a month that I can take whenever I want. I just have to be available for emergencies."
’Even a die-hard capitalist would weep at those terms.’
’It was incredible!’
’If this weren’t the apocalypse, you wouldn’t find benefits that good even at a private hospital.’
’Looks like Nathan found the perfect job for himself in this apocalypse.’
’Then again, if it weren’t for the apocalypse, with Nathan’s family background, he probably wouldn’t have had to work a day in his life.’
Sierra’s mind began to wander, but Nathan’s next words quickly pulled her focus back.
"And do you know how many Contribution Points they’re giving me a month?"
"How many?" Sierra asked, her curiosity piqued.
She was genuinely curious.
’The benefits are already so generous; surely the pay in Contribution Points can’t be that high, can it?’
Nathan held up a hand, extending five fingers.
"Five thousand!"
"A whole five thousand!"
As he spoke, Nathan opened the satchel at his waist and pulled out a thick wad of Contribution Points.
"They even gave me a month’s pay in advance!"
Sierra was at a loss for words.
Even though she wasn’t in any rush to use Contribution Points for anything, she was still stunned at the sight of that thick stack.
Nathan was still buzzing with excitement.
He separated a portion of the Contribution Points and placed the stack directly on the table. "Here! This is for you!"
Sierra glanced over. She estimated there were at least two thousand there.
She had helped Nathan rent his place and given him five hundred Contribution Points for emergencies.
’Logically, a thousand Contribution Points would have been enough to pay her back.’
’But this was a whole thousand more.’
Just as Sierra was about to speak, Nathan cut in.
"Sierra, don’t be so quick to refuse. I’m going to be coming over to mooch meals off you all the time, so just think of this as me paying for my food. If you refuse, I guess I won’t be eating well from now on."
Since he’d put it that way, Sierra found it hard to refuse.
"Alright, I’ll accept it then. Have you had dinner?"
’They hadn’t eaten yet, after all!’
Nathan hadn’t answered yet, but he chuckled slyly. "Why do you think I came at this exact time?"
’What other reason could there be?’
’To mooch a meal, of course!’
Sierra laughed along with him. "Alright, let’s cook together then!"
She had precooked meals in her space, but every one eaten was one less for later.
When she had the chance to cook for herself, Sierra always would, and she’d even make extra.
She’d set a portion aside to store in her space, letting it accumulate over time in case of an emergency.
Nathan didn’t mind helping out and was even eager to try. "Sounds good! What needs doing? I’ve got plenty of muscle!"
’Cooking required some strength, sure, but it wasn’t all about brute force.’
Still, with Nathan helping out, they could definitely get more done, and faster.
They set about stewing soup, stir-frying vegetables, and making flatbreads all at once.
Before long, a rich, fragrant aroma filled the room, enough to make anyone’s mouth water.