Chapter 386: Chapter 386: Management
The next day, Ethan Dawson came by again. He didn’t look well.
"My patrols have been slacking off. I only found out after investigating—they haven’t patrolled the mountains for a whole week."
Evelyn Ford didn’t say anything. Ethan Dawson continued, "I went to check yesterday. The footprints definitely came from the direction of Fairgate. They’re probably refugees, and they might be living in the caves. Based on the tracks, I’d say there are four of them, all adult men over 1.7 meters tall."
"The problem is with my management." Ethan Dawson’s brow was furrowed. To be honest, he didn’t know where things had gone wrong either.
"I’ve already had my men set off stink bombs in the mountains. They won’t harm anyone, just serve as a warning." ’The refugees outside have it rough, too,’ she thought. ’If I were in their shoes, I’d also want to sneak into a farm and loot it.’
Evelyn Ford was a little curious. "How are you dealing with the ones who neglected their duties?"
"Solitary confinement and no food for two days." After saying that, he asked tentatively, "If it were you, what would you do?"
Evelyn Ford smiled. "Cut off a hand and kick them off the farm."
Ethan Dawson’s eyebrows shot up. "That harsh?"
Evelyn Ford was a bit surprised. ’This man has the face of a hardened killer, yet he’s so indecisive. Didn’t Taylor Vance say he killed several of his enemies at Tarr Base? Was he just bragging?’
"I think if you handed your base over to Quincy, even he would manage it better than you."
Ethan Dawson was silent for a moment. "It’s my fault."
After saying his piece, Ethan Dawson left again. Following this visit, he didn’t come by for a whole month. The footprints in the mountains were covered by snow, and those people never reappeared. Evelyn Ford occasionally took Ronan Kendrick out to pick mushrooms, but most of the time, she remained cooped up at home, fattening up.
The medicinal herbs in the greenhouse were ready for harvest. Evelyn Ford arranged for a few people to bring in most of them, and she began processing them. The herbs and crops planted in her "space" were also waiting to be harvested. She was so busy these past few days she barely had time to breathe, and Ronan Kendrick was the same. The two of them hadn’t left the house in days, making everyone wonder if something had happened. When Quincy came to check, Evelyn Ford opened the door with dark circles under her eyes.
"Did you eat a poisonous mushroom? You look awful."
"Didn’t I tell you before? Don’t look for me during this time. I’m refining medicine." Evelyn Ford said, about to close the door.
"Wait, Ethan Dawson’s here. He hasn’t given up and wants to trade for some more medicine."
Evelyn Ford nodded. "Tell him to find Mr. Graham."
"Alright. So, are you two coming to the cafeteria for dinner tonight?" Quincy paused, then continued, "Ethan Dawson said he’s assigned a new group to patrol the mountains and they’ve made some new discoveries."
Evelyn Ford smiled. "Isn’t that something he can just tell Mr. Graham? Why does everyone come to me for everything? Do you want to get kicked out too?"
"Everyone’s just used to you making the decisions. Where’s Ronan Kendrick?"
"You miss him?"
Quincy gave a mischievous grin. "I do miss him, actually. I’ve been diligently practicing the art of fortune-telling lately. My skills have improved a lot, so I can do a new reading for him."
With a SLAM, Evelyn Ford shut the door in his face.
"Evelyn Ford, don’t close the door! Give me a chance! I’ll do a proper reading this time, I swear! Ronan Kendrick, open up! Open up, open up, open up! I know you’re in there! Don’t just hide inside and stay quiet!"
Ronan Kendrick came out of the bedroom, looking at Evelyn Ford with a bewildered expression. "What’s wrong with him?"
Evelyn Ford shrugged. "Ignore him. He’s lost his mind."
After processing the farm’s medicinal herbs, the two of them still had to harvest the rice and corn in their "space." The fish, shrimp, and crabs they were raising in the pond had started to overpopulate, so they had to get rid of some.
The farm was also very busy. The wheat was ready for harvest, but the yield wasn’t particularly good this time. It wasn’t a major issue, though. The grain they had collected from Mount Lumin, combined with the supplies they traded for in Tarr City, was enough to sustain the farm for several years.
But they had to continue planting sweet potatoes and cassava. No matter how harsh the weather or how poor the soil, they couldn’t let the land go to waste. Officer Graham had people spread all the manure and wood ash from the livestock area in the greenhouses. After a week, once the manure had fermented enough, he led everyone to resume planting.
Outside Fairgate, Ethan Dawson’s men intercepted another group of refugees. After Ethan’s major overhaul, his farm was finally getting on track. He no longer had as much time to hang around the Immeasurable Mountain farm. He had previously dealt with ten people, which conveniently opened up spots for new ones.
This group of refugees had also come from Varden. There were men and women, old and young—exactly twenty people in total. Ethan Dawson took them all in. The refugees were deeply grateful to him. Seeing Ethan’s actions, the other farm members grew anxious, afraid that someone else might take their place.
Evelyn Ford had no plans to take in more refugees. The farm was only so big, and the living quarters were already full. The farm had also added new rules: no one was allowed to enter or leave the main gate at will, except to pick mushrooms. Even Ethan Dawson was turned away when he came by.
After Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick finished harvesting the crops in their "space," another month passed. Quincy announced that he had divined an auspicious date—two days from now would be a good day, so they should treat it as the New Year and have a lively New Year’s Eve dinner together.
Evelyn Ford checked the calendar. The New Year was indeed within the next two months, so she didn’t bother to correct him on the exact date.
Quincy’s stress-relief activities were proving effective. Over the past two months, everyone had changed quite a bit. Even Christina Thorne had more smiles on her face.
"What dishes are we having for the New Year?" Evelyn Ford found Officer Graham. As the farm’s steward, he was the best person to ask about these things.
"I’ve planned six dishes: a whole roasted sheep, braised rabbit, ’big plate chicken,’ mushroom soup, pork stew with glass noodles, and steamed eggs." There was only one day like this a year, so of course the meal should be lavish. Evelyn Ford had no objections.
"Do they have firecrackers over in Fairgate? Have Quincy go trade for a couple of strings. I still have some red paper, so I’ll write a pair of couplets."
Because the New Year was coming, the farm began a major cleanup. Quincy’s radio played music from morning till night. Evelyn Ford cooked up some sticky rice paste; the written couplets could be stuck firmly to the doors with it.
Quincy returned with two strings of firecrackers. When Ethan Dawson heard their farm was celebrating the New Year, he decided to join in on the fun and traded for two pairs of couplets from Evelyn Ford.
"Ethan Dawson took in some more refugees, including two little kids, three or four years old. When I was over there just now, the two children were still crying. And what’s more, one of the female refugees they took in earlier is already pregnant."
Wyatt Vaughn frowned. "You can’t be serious. Who would have a child in times like these? If Ethan Dawson ever stops taking care of them, that poor kid will suffer."
"What can you do? There’s no contraception available now," Quincy said, earning him a glare from Wyatt Vaughn.
"Evelyn Ford, if you were Ethan Dawson, how would you handle this?"
Evelyn Ford shook her head. "I don’t know."
’Ethan Dawson has no choice but to accept this,’ she thought. ’After all, he was the one who came up with this risky method to win people over in the first place. If he forces the pregnant woman to have an abortion, the authority he just managed to establish will likely crumble.’
