Chapter 368: Chapter 368: Reorganizing the Farm
Officer Graham had his own suspicions. He knew Ronan Kendrick wasn’t an ordinary person and that he and Evelyn Ford shared a secret. However, he had no desire to investigate, nor was he particularly curious.
If anyone else were to discover this secret, given Ronan’s nature, he would undoubtedly kill everyone.
So, the only thing he could do was protect their secret, which in turn was indirectly protecting everyone else’s lives.
The woodshed and warehouse were filled with the corpses of cockroaches and crows. To prevent the bodies from decaying and spreading disease, the entire farm needed a thorough cleaning, inside and out.
The incinerated cockroach remains could be used as fertilizer in the greenhouses. The area outside the farm also needed to be cleared. The carcasses of wild boars and crows had piled up into a mountain. Zion Lowell, along with Peter Owens, built three carts to haul the boar carcasses three kilometers away to the mountains for a mass cremation.
As soon as Nathan Xavier and Drako returned from Fairgate, they immediately sought out Evelyn Ford.
"Manager, the casualties in Fairgate are severe. Only those who hid in underground tunnels survived. I did a headcount—there are only a little over forty people left."
In just over a month, the two-hundred-plus refugees in Fairgate had been reduced to just over forty.
"Most were mauled to death by crows and wild boars. Some others may have starved."
Evelyn Ford nodded. "Understood. If anyone comes looking to trade for supplies, we can give them a small amount. No more than one pound per person, and only trade for wheat bran flour."
"Manager, the temperature is rising. Should we strike while the iron is hot and plant another crop of winter wheat?"
Evelyn Ford had checked the temperature gauge. The temperature was indeed rising, but with the red sun gone, it would likely face a major backlash.
"We should plant some. First, check the condition of the greenhouses. The temperature will most likely drop in a few days, possibly even lower than before."
Evelyn Ford planned to plant more cassava. Compared to wheat, its yield was higher. For people just trying to survive, filling their stomachs was all that mattered; taste and nutrition weren’t a priority.
"Manager, there are a lot of floating bugs in the water room. It looks like they all came up from underground. There are leeches, too. How do we get rid of them?"
"I’ll go take a look."
When she got to the water room, Yunnis Denton and Joelle Finch were cleaning. Evelyn Ford glanced at the pond. There were still chunks of ice, but with the rising temperature, the water was starting to melt, causing the insects that had burrowed up from beneath the pond to float to the surface.
There were ground beetles, woodlice, earthworms, and nematodes.
Evelyn Ford surveyed the area, then picked up a nearby glass bottle of Water Purification Pills. "It’s time to add the Water Purification Pills. You can put in three or four at a time. Also, go get some charcoal, sand, and gravel to re-layer the bottom of the pond. The floating debris needs to be skimmed out. This whole pond needs to be thoroughly sterilized."
"Anyone who needs to do laundry can wash all their clothes tomorrow."
"Finally, we can wash our clothes! The ones I’m wearing are practically stiff with grime."
"Yeah, and I need to wash my shoes." Joelle Finch and Yunnis Denton were both excited. Evelyn Ford inspected the area around the water room once more. Seeing no other issues, she called Officer Graham to join her and headed to the cellar.
"Is this all the grain?"
Officer Graham nodded. "This is all of it. For staples, we have wheat, sweet potatoes, cassava, and corn. By my estimate, based on our current population, this is enough to last three and a half years. For vegetables, there’s cabbage, radishes, and celery. Over there, we have a few vats of spicy cabbage, pickled radishes, and dried radish. And over here is the smoked cured meat. The eggs are stored in the straw—there should be twenty to thirty thousand of them."
Evelyn Ford nodded. "Let’s use up the chicken and duck eggs. Even though they’re large, they’re bland and won’t keep for long."
Officer Graham nodded. Then, in a low voice, he added, "We can mix in some wheat bran flour and coarse flour with the staple foods."
"Alright, you handle it." Evelyn Ford understood what Officer Graham was implying. In this new world, just having a full stomach was a blessing. If people ate too well, some might get complacent and forget their place.
"I’ve reassigned the living quarters. Ask Wendy if she’d rather live alone or room with Claire Moss and Penelope Parker. Tell her to come see me later." With that, Evelyn Ford left the cellar.
"Alright."
"Manager, what’s the plan for the farm’s meals going forward?" Evelyn Ford had just stepped out when Aunt Crane stopped her. She was holding a sheet of yellowed paper and a charcoal stick. Ian Yates trailed behind Aunt Crane; he was currently working in the kitchen and had started learning to cook.
"Butler Graham has made the arrangements. He’ll tell you about it later."
Aunt Crane nodded. "Alright. And what about the meat? Are we still having it once every two days?"
"Mhm, that won’t change."
"Evelyn, where’s that guy?" Ian Yates glanced around, and upon not seeing Ronan Kendrick, he let out a sigh of relief.
"Ronan? He went to deal with the boar carcasses outside. Did you need him for something?"
Ian Yates shook his head vigorously. "Of course I’m not looking for him! I wanted to talk to you, but he’s so intimidating."
Evelyn Ford was speechless. "Do you have too much free time on your hands?"
"I just wanted to say one thing. You’re even more heartless than he is."
Evelyn Ford shrugged. "I’m busy. I don’t have time to chat."
Ian Yates was disappointed. "Fine, I’ll come find you when you’re not busy." Just then, his expression changed, and he dashed off in a flash.
"Evelyn, that guy’s back! I’m leaving now, I’ll find you later!"
Evelyn...
A short distance away, Ronan Kendrick approached with a dark expression. He lifted his hand and threw something at Ian Yates’s head. The next second, Ian fell to the ground, crying out repeatedly in pain.
"What did you throw at him?"
Ronan Kendrick replied, his face cold, "A bone."
He then grabbed Evelyn Ford’s hand and shot Ian Yates a disdainful look. "An idiot who can’t even walk without tripping. Tch."
"So what if you’re tall? Is that why you think you can bully me?" Although Ian Yates’s words were defiant, his body was honest—he didn’t dare get any closer to Ronan Kendrick.
"You two can take your time arguing. If you want to fight, be my guest. I’m busy, so both of you stop bothering me."
Evelyn Ford shot them both a warning look before returning to her cabin. A moment later, Ronan Kendrick came in.
"Let’s transfer Ian Yates to the livestock area to clean. I see he has so much energy. It’s a real waste of his talents to keep him in the kitchen."
Evelyn stifled a laugh. "Mr. Graham is the one who assigns everyone’s jobs on the farm. You should talk to him."
Ronan Kendrick was furious. "I see it now. He’s doing it on purpose! He just wants to ruin our relationship!"
Evelyn Ford looked up at Ronan Kendrick, her expression suddenly serious. "Has he succeeded?"
"How could he possibly succeed!"
Evelyn smiled and raised a hand to pinch Ronan Kendrick’s chin. "I rarely see you get angry. It’s a fascinating sight."
"I’m angry, and instead of comforting me, you find it fascinating." Ronan stared at Evelyn, his face completely deadpan, looking utterly dejected.
"I don’t know why, but I find it fun and fascinating when you’re angry. Ronan, show me your fierce face again."
Ronan Kendrick didn’t move.
Evelyn put her hands together in a pleading gesture. "Please, please? Just show me your angry face again."
Ronan Kendrick reached out and touched Evelyn’s forehead. "You don’t have a fever."
