Chapter 229: Can I Buy a Bowl of Dumplings?
After clearing the battlefield, everyone got back into the vehicles.
The moment the doors shut, everyone collapsed into their seats.
At that moment, Nathan Thorne became the busiest person in the group.
He had to treat the wounded non-stop.
His Superpower wasn’t inexhaustible. After healing every few people, he had to use a Crystal Core to restore it.
Superpowers could be restored with Crystal Cores, but the depleted spiritual power wasn’t so easy to get back.
Seeing Nathan Thorne’s complexion growing worse, Hector Grant couldn’t bear to watch.
"Nathan Thorne, take a break. The others aren’t badly injured. Once we get back to the base, they’ll be fine if they just rest up."
Nathan Thorne grinned at Hector Grant. "Don’t worry, I can still go! How can a man say he can’t perform!"
Hector Grant, "..."
Even at a time like this, Nathan Thorne was still in the mood to joke.
But it also proved that Nathan Thorne could indeed hang on, or at least that he hadn’t reached his breaking point.
So Hector Grant didn’t press the issue.
After another half-hour rest and a bite to eat, the vehicles finally started moving, heading toward the Subterra.
On the way, many people were still on edge, constantly glancing out the windows, terrified of another attack.
Perhaps their luck had turned, because they didn’t encounter a single Aberrant Beast for the rest of the journey. They didn’t even see one zombie.
The sandstorm didn’t return either. Everything was calm.
So calm, it almost felt unreal.
But Sierra Sullivan didn’t relax. She kept glancing down at Candice Tate sleeping in her arms, then over at Nathan Thorne, who was sitting on the other side of Jayce.
Nathan Thorne was slumped against the seat back, his head lolled back, his face pale and his eyes shut tight.
He had clearly overexerted himself.
Even though his Superpower had been restored, his spiritual power had not.
Despite the uncomfortable position, he had fallen asleep instantly and showed no sign of waking, no matter how much the vehicle jostled.
Candice Tate was in a similar state.
She had also used too much of her Superpower and couldn’t recover right away, so she had fallen into a deep sleep.
As Sierra Sullivan watched the sky outside gradually darken, her heart grew heavier.
They had already entered the city, but they were still at least a full day’s journey from the Subterra.
That meant they would have to find a place to rest for the night.
This was also weighing on Hector Grant’s mind.
He kept scanning both sides of the road.
In the end, Hector Grant chose a lone courtyard for them to camp for the night.
The courtyard was large and open, so parking the three vehicles was no problem.
The only problem was that the main gate was blocked by sand and could no longer be closed.
The courtyard walls must have been quite high once, but the ground was now covered in a thick layer of sand. With the ground level raised so much, the walls didn’t seem nearly as tall.
As for the protection the walls offered, it was better than nothing, but not by much.
Even if it served no practical purpose, it at least offered a small sense of security.
Hector Grant led a few people out of the vehicles to cook, and the aroma of food soon wafted into the car.
Everyone was drained from the day’s ordeal. After smelling the food, many who had been reluctant to leave the vehicle stood up.
Candice Tate had woken up too, but she still seemed listless and drained.
Sierra’s heart ached seeing Candice Tate’s pale little face.
"Candice, let’s just stay in the car. What do you want to eat? I’ve got it all right here."
Candice Tate’s eyes lit up, but then she hesitated.
She knew that while they were on the road with so many other people, eating too well could attract unwanted trouble.
She didn’t want to cause any trouble for Sierra.
Seeing Candice Tate’s hesitation, Sierra Sullivan gently stroked her hair.
"You’re still just a kid, Candice. You don’t have to worry about all that. Just tell me what you want to eat. I’ll take care of the rest!"
Candice Tate nodded emphatically. "I want to eat dumplings!"
Dumplings!
’That’s easy!’
She had more than just uncooked dumplings; she had ones ready-made in hot and sour soup, pan-fried ones, and steamed ones.
After checking with Candice Tate, Sierra pulled a small lap tray out of her storage space and set it up in front of the girl. Only then did she take out a bowl of dumplings in hot and sour soup for her.
The aroma of the hot and sour soup was incredibly potent.
The moment she took it out, the whole vehicle filled with a tangy fragrance that was instantly mouth-watering.
Nathan Thorne, who had been sound asleep, twitched his nose and quickly woke up.
"Dumplings! Who’s eating dumplings!"
Candice Tate looked at Nathan Thorne with a grin. "It’s me, Nathan!"
Nathan Thorne’s eyes went wide as saucers. "How come Candice gets dumplings in hot and sour soup? Why don’t I get any? That’s not fair! It’s totally unfair!"
At that moment, Nathan Thorne started whining like a child.
A shiver of revulsion went down Sierra Sullivan’s spine. She shot Nathan Thorne a harsh glare.
"Keep acting up and you really will have nothing to eat!"
Nathan Thorne instantly behaved himself.
’Food!’
Of course he was going to eat!
Thinking of Nathan Thorne’s appetite, Sierra Sullivan brought out a large basin of the dumplings in hot and sour soup just for him.
Nathan wolfed down several dumplings, took a long sip of the broth, and let out a sigh of pure bliss.
"Ahh, that’s the stuff! I feel like I’ve come back to life! This is amazing! Sierra, do you have any chili oil?"
"I do!"
Sierra produced the chili oil, and Nathan immediately dumped several spoonfuls into his basin.
The sour broth instantly became a hot and sour one.
Not only did it look fiery red, but the tangy, spicy aroma was even more appetizing.
Sierra ignored Nathan and took out two more bowls of dumplings, handing one to Jayce. They both started to eat.
They didn’t stop at the soup dumplings. The group followed up with steamed and pan-fried dumplings, accompanied by a few cold vegetable side dishes, savoring every bite.
While they were still eating, some of the others started returning to the vehicle.
When they saw what the group was eating, their eyes went wide.
Dumplings!
They couldn’t even remember the last time they’d eaten dumplings.
And yet, here Sierra Sullivan’s group was, eating them to their hearts’ content!
How could the gulf between people be so vast!
Sierra felt their envious stares as clear as day, but she paid them no mind.
’As long as they don’t bother me while I’m eating, they can stare all they want.’
But there’s always someone who can’t take a hint.
A man in his thirties walked over to them.
"Do you have any more of those dumplings?"
Sierra Sullivan looked up at him. "What is it?"
Being stared at by Sierra, Jason Kane grew nervous. He swallowed hard but still managed to muster his courage. "I... I’d like to buy a bowl."
’He actually wants to buy them?’
’Not just ask for them?’
Sierra was a little surprised, and her attitude softened slightly.
But glancing at the other people in the vehicle, Sierra didn’t answer directly. Instead, she asked, "What do you think would be a fair price for a bowl of dumplings? What are you willing to pay?"