Chapter 250: Is It Time for the New Year?
After hearing what Sierra Sullivan said, a thoughtful expression appeared on Candice Tate’s innocent little face.
Seeing this, Sierra was a little curious but didn’t ask what she was thinking. She just continued to wash Candice’s hair.
A few minutes later, Candice Tate suddenly spoke up.
"Big Sister, I won’t."
"What?" Sierra Sullivan looked at Candice Tate, puzzled. She hadn’t expected her to say something like that out of the blue.
Candice Tate’s little face was full of seriousness. "I mean, I won’t disappoint you for some random guy."
If Candice Tate were ten years older, Sierra Sullivan wouldn’t have found her words strange at all.
But Candice was only five years old!
For a five-year-old girl to say something so serious was, in a way, quite amusing.
And yet, Candice’s expression was completely earnest.
So much so that even though Sierra wanted to laugh, she held it back and nodded seriously. "I believe you, Candice."
Hearing Sierra say she believed her, Candice Tate quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
’As long as she’s willing to believe me, that’s all that matters.’
’I was just afraid she wouldn’t.’
Their chat had taken up a little bit of time.
By the time they came out, Jayce looked like he’d been waiting forever.
Just from Jayce’s clothes, Sierra Sullivan could tell he had already washed up.
"Since you’re done, stay and play with Candice for a bit. I’m going to take a bath," Sierra said to Jayce.
Jayce nodded. "Go on, don’t worry. I’ve got Candice."
But first, Jayce went into the bathroom and drew a bath for Sierra, making sure the water was the perfect temperature.
As Sierra Sullivan sat in the tub, her whole body began to relax.
After spending so much time outside, she had never let it show, but her nerves had been constantly on edge. She just hadn’t wanted to reveal it.
Now that she was back in a safe place, she could finally, truly unwind.
She knew the apocalypse wasn’t over. Even living in the Subterra wasn’t absolutely safe.
But a moment of respite still brought her some much-needed relief.
That night, all three of them slept very well.
They didn’t wake up until ten o’clock the next morning.
It had been a long, long time since Sierra Sullivan had slept in so late. The moment she woke up, she felt wonderfully refreshed.
With nothing to do at home, Sierra and Jayce had a bite to eat and then took Candice Tate down to the first sublevel to look around.
Sierra had quite liked that Crystal Core lamp Hector Grant had shown them before.
They weren’t short on Contribution Points, and they happened to have time today, so she decided to buy three of them.
One for Candice Tate’s room, one for the living room, and one for her and Jayce’s room.
They had plenty of Crystal Cores, and with lamps like these, they could save a lot of electricity.
The three of them soon arrived at the first sublevel.
As always, the first sublevel was teeming with people.
Most of the people coming and going had smiles on their faces.
They chatted as they walked, their voices relaxed and their steps light.
It was as if they were still living in an era of peace, casually strolling through a shopping mall.
These were the people who, after entering the Subterra, had never once gone back outside.
Perhaps when they first arrived in the Subterra, they had felt anxious and uneasy.
But now, after so long, life in the Subterra had proven to be far too stable.
They didn’t see the endless yellow sand, the ferocious Aberrant Beasts, or the terrifying zombies.
Gradually, they had forgotten the existence of danger and had grown accustomed to life within the Subterra.
It wasn’t that this was a bad thing.
It was just that watching them, Sierra couldn’t help but recall a certain saying—’There’s no such thing as a life of peace and quiet; it’s only that someone else is bearing the burdens for you.’
The peaceful lives of these people were bought by the sacrifices of people like Hector Grant, who carried the weight for them.
Sierra had no intention of blaming these people.
They were ordinary people. The only thing they could do was not cause trouble.
Expecting any more than that would be asking too much.
Her thoughts were a jumble, but her feet didn’t stop moving.
Soon, they arrived at their destination.
It was a shop that specialized in all kinds of daily necessities.
But they weren’t ordinary daily necessities.
Everything sold here was powered by Crystal Cores.
For example, there was the lamp Hector Grant had used, a new type of gas stove that burned by inserting a Crystal Core, a radio that worked after inserting a Crystal Core, and even a gaming console that worked with Crystal Cores.
Looking at these items, Sierra’s feelings were a bit complicated.
’The scientists aren’t just sitting around doing nothing!’
’They’ve really invented quite a lot of things.’
’Not only are they solving the daily problems of ordinary people, but they’re even finding ways to enrich their recreational lives.’
Sierra was interested in all four items. After asking for the prices, she decisively bought them all.
She bought four types of items, but three of the lamps, spending a total of six thousand Contribution Points.
Storing everything in her space, the three of them left the shop and continued to browse.
When she saw a shop selling new self-cleaning protective suits, Sierra’s interest was piqued.
They sold the same type of protective suit she had worn before, as well as an upgraded second-generation version.
The second-generation suit offered better protection, was more comfortable and breathable, and even had a self-cleaning function.
The functions were better, but naturally, the price was also higher.
Regardless of the model, one suit cost one thousand Contribution Points.
The price was a bit steep, but for Sierra, it wasn’t a problem.
For the three of them, Contribution Points were mainly for buying novelties like these and paying rent anyway.
They didn’t really need Contribution Points for food or drink, so there was no need to be frugal. If they wanted to buy something, they could.
After buying three protective suits, Sierra’s Contribution Point balance was now half of what it was yesterday.
Sierra wasn’t bothered by the expense. She smiled and asked Candice, "Is there anything you want, Candice? We’ll buy whatever you like! You earned those Contribution Points yourself, so you can spend them however you want!"
Candice Tate shook her head. "I don’t know what to buy."
Candice wanted for nothing, whether it was food, drink, or clothing, so naturally, she didn’t know what she should buy.
"It’s okay if you don’t know. Let’s just keep looking around. Maybe we’ll find something you want."
The three of them continued walking and suddenly saw a brightly colored shop.
It was... selling Spring Festival couplets!
The moment she saw the couplets, Sierra was a bit dazed.
’Why is someone selling Spring Festival couplets?’
She turned to look at Jayce. "Is it almost the New Year?"
Jayce looked just as lost. "I have no idea!"
Every day was either spent cultivating or dealing with some sudden danger.
Who had time to pay attention to the date when they were that busy?
Since the apocalypse began, the constant sandstorms had made it even easier to lose track of the changing seasons.