Chapter 230: Mr. Crawford Was Also Injured
Jason Kane was a bit stumped.
He had no idea what a fair price would be!
Before the apocalypse, how much could a serving of dumplings possibly cost?
But things were completely different now. The old prices were totally irrelevant.
Seeing Jason Kane remain silent, Sierra Sullivan didn’t press him.
She wasn’t the one trying to buy the dumplings, so she was in no hurry.
Jason Kane thought about it long and hard before tentatively speaking up.
"One Second Level Crystal Core for a bowl, is that okay?"
As he said this, Jason Kane’s voice was filled with uncertainty, and his heart pounded with anxiety.
Sierra Sullivan didn’t say yes or no right away. Instead, she thought for a moment before replying, "One bowl is twenty dumplings. Is that acceptable?"
Jason Kane nodded quickly. "Yes! That’s acceptable!"
Since they had reached an agreement, there was nothing more to be said.
One produced a Crystal Core, and the other took the dumplings out of her space.
A bowl of dumplings in sour soup was poured right into Jason Kane’s mess tin.
Jason Kane had just finished eating and had felt full at the time.
But now, holding this bowl of sour soup dumplings and smelling the tangy aroma, his mouth began to water again.
"Can I have some chili oil?"
Before Sierra Sullivan could answer, Jason Kane’s face flushed red.
He felt like he might be pushing his luck.
She had already included the sour soup, and now he was asking for chili oil too.
Just as he was thinking this, he saw Sierra Sullivan take out a jar of chili oil.
"How much?" Sierra Sullivan asked.
Jason Kane didn’t dare let his mind wander any further and quickly said, "A lot!"
It had been a really long time since he’d eaten anything spicy.
Especially this handmade chili oil; just the smell was incredibly fragrant.
Sierra Sullivan wasn’t stingy, scooping several spoonfuls of chili oil into Jason Kane’s mess tin.
A bright red layer of chili oil now floated on top.
Smelling the hot and sour aroma, he was already starting to sweat before even taking a bite.
Jason Kane carried the mess tin back to his spot with extreme care.
The moment he sat down, people all around him turned to look.
Someone on better terms with him even came over with a big smile. "Mr. Kane, let me have a taste!"
"No!" Jason Kane’s refusal was blunt.
’I paid good Crystal Cores for this, and it wasn’t cheap. How could I just give it away for free?’
Despite the rejection, the man didn’t seem to mind, his smile becoming even more eager.
"I won’t eat your dumplings. How about you let me have a sip of the soup after you’re done?"
Jason Kane still wanted to refuse.
But considering their relationship, and the fact that the man had already compromised by just asking for a sip of soup, it would be a bit harsh to say no.
"Well—"
Jason Kane started to speak, slowly raising his head.
But when he saw several pairs of eyes staring at him intently, the words on the tip of his tongue changed instantly.
"No, you can’t!"
’If it were just one person, I might have agreed.’
’But with so many people, if I agree to this one, what about the next? And the next?’
If he agreed to all of them, there wouldn’t be nearly enough soup to go around.
’If I give some to one person and not another, I’m bound to make enemies.’
Since he was going to offend someone no matter what, it was better to just refuse from the very beginning.
Sierra Sullivan heard Jason Kane’s conversation clearly.
Though her expression didn’t change, Sierra Sullivan still raised an eyebrow.
’Looks like this Jason Kane isn’t an idiot. He’s got a good head on his shoulders.’
Some things, once you make a single exception, become very difficult to control.
The best solution is to hold your ground from the start, so you don’t end up in an awkward position.
In that regard, she actually quite admired this Jason Kane.
Sierra Sullivan quickly looked away.
"Candice, are you full? Do you want something else to eat?"
A meal is a meal, but a snack is a snack. They don’t compete for stomach space.
Even if you’re full from a meal, you can always have something else.
Candice Tate tilted her little head and thought for a moment. "Sierra, can I have some candy?"
"Of course you can!"
Sierra Sullivan took a candy box from her space and opened it. Inside were all sorts of brightly colored, individually wrapped candies—a child’s favorite.
Although Candice Tate was more mature than other children her age due to everything she’d been through...
...seeing all the colorful candy still made her big eyes shine exceptionally bright.
"Go ahead!" Sierra Sullivan gave the candy box to Candice Tate. "Eat whatever you want, as much as you want!"
Candice Tate was a little confused. "Aren’t you worried I’ll get cavities?"
"Don’t worry!" Sierra Sullivan said to Candice Tate with a smile. "Isn’t your brother Nathan right here? If your teeth really go bad, just have him fix them for you."
Nathan Thorne: "???"
’When did I become a dentist?’
Though he thought this, his expression became bright and gentle when he looked at Candice Tate.
"Candice, your sister is right. You can count on me! As long as I’m here, your teeth won’t go bad. Eat all you want!"
Candice Tate immediately broke into a happy smile.
Sierra Sullivan also took two fruit candies from the box. She unwrapped one and popped it into Jayce’s mouth, then put one in her own.
Hers was orange-flavored.
A moment after the candy was in her mouth, it filled with a rich orange flavor.
It wasn’t cloyingly sweet; instead, it was mixed with a hint of sourness.
The sourness balanced the sweet, not only making the flavor more complex but also preventing it from being overwhelming.
As Sierra Sullivan slowly savored the taste of the orange candy, her mind drifted to the recent zombie siege.
She had a nagging feeling that there was more to it.
It was as if something was pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
But for the moment, she couldn’t figure anything out.
Just then, Sierra Sullivan felt someone gently smooth the furrow between her brows.
"Sierra," Jayce’s voice was gentle, tinged with concern. "Don’t always frown. Things can always be solved. Don’t worry so much."
It was impossible not to worry.
But Sierra Sullivan still smiled at Jayce. "Okay! I’ll stop thinking about it!"
Nathan Thorne nodded along from the side. "Yeah! We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. What’s the point of overthinking? Anyway, I think every extra day we’re alive now is a win."
His words might have been a bit crude, but you had to admit they were true.
Nathan Thorne’s tone then shifted. "Mr. Crawford was injured too."
Hearing this, Sierra Sullivan was a little surprised.
That was something she hadn’t noticed.
After all, her attention had been focused mostly on Candice Tate at the time, and she hadn’t had the energy to pay attention to anyone else.
"Is it serious? How is he now?"