Chapter 397: Chapter 397: Scorching Sun (2)
Evelyn Ford quickly wiped the smile from her face and looked at Quincy innocently. "I wasn’t laughing."
Quincy stared at her with an accusatory gaze. "You were laughing."
"Alright, get back to work. I’m going to check on the water level in the cistern."
Quincy suddenly walked up and pulled Evelyn Ford aside. He glanced around, saw no one else, and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Did you hide the other livestock?"
Evelyn Ford raised an eyebrow. "Hide them where?"
"Earlier, Mr. Graham said the farm had another cellar for livestock. He can fool the others, but not me! As if I wouldn’t know if the farm has a spare cellar. Come on, tell me. You hid the livestock in the mountains, didn’t you? You’re definitely capable of it. After all, Ronan Kendrick has his Beast Taming."
Quincy certainly had a rich imagination. Just as Evelyn Ford was about to say something, Ronan Kendrick and Officer Graham walked over.
"What’s going on?" Officer Graham asked.
"Quincy suspects I hid the other livestock," Evelyn Ford said. Officer Graham was startled and glanced behind him, then shot a warning glare at Quincy.
"What nonsense are you talking about? How could Evelyn Ford hide them?"
Quincy huffed. "It was just a guess at first, but seeing the looks on the three of you, it seems you really did hide them. And you didn’t even tell me. Am I that untrustworthy?"
Seeing that he was genuinely hurt, Evelyn Ford cleared her throat. "Quincy."
"What do you want?"
"Mr. Graham, you can tell him. Ronan Kendrick and I are going to check the cistern."
"We’re telling him?" Officer Graham hesitated. It wasn’t that he doubted Quincy’s character, but the man got cocky easily and wore his heart on his sleeve. Any secret he had was written all over his face. He just wasn’t reliable.
Quincy was furious at Officer Graham’s hesitation. His hands trembled as he stared at Officer Graham in disbelief. "Mr. Graham, you actually hesitated."
Officer Graham scratched his hair awkwardly. "I just didn’t want to put too much pressure on you."
Evelyn Ford waved her hand. "Just tell him."
After Evelyn Ford left with Ronan Kendrick, Officer Graham scanned the area again. Still feeling it wasn’t safe, he dragged Quincy to an open, empty space and said in a low voice, "You have to swear you won’t tell a soul. If you do, you’ll be reincarnated as a pig in your next life."
Quincy’s expression was complicated. "I just want to know if Evelyn Ford hid them. Is such a vicious oath really necessary?"
Officer Graham remained silent, his face cold. Quincy raised his right hand in an oath-taking gesture. "I swear, whatever Mr. Graham tells me next will be taken to my grave. If I say a word, let me be reborn as a pig in my next life. But I have to say, for the record, I absolutely would not have told anyone anyway."
Officer Graham was satisfied.
"Evelyn Ford didn’t hide them. Ronan Kendrick did."
Quincy nodded. "So you really did hide them. And to think I almost died of anger just now, while you guys were just standing there enjoying the show. Where are they hidden? Do they need fodder and water? Are they safe? No one will find them, right?"
Officer Graham shook his head. "They’re perfectly safe. You just need to know that the livestock are still around."
"Wait, you still haven’t told me where they’re hidden."
Officer Graham asked in a low voice, "Do you think Ronan Kendrick is a normal person?"
"Of course not. He’s a freak, a thug, and a pretty boy. Look how he’s got Evelyn Ford completely spellbound."
Officer Graham took a deep breath. "Are you an idiot?"
"Why are you insulting me now?"
"Fine, I’ll tell you. Ronan Kendrick is not a normal person."
Quincy frowned, processing this. He knew Officer Graham wouldn’t joke about something like this. He stroked his chin, thinking hard, when inspiration suddenly struck. "You mean... Ronan Kendrick has a special ability, and he used it to hide the livestock?"
Officer Graham nodded.
’Thinking about it that way, a lot of things that have been bothering me now make sense. Wait a minute. We’re both men, so what makes Ronan Kendrick so special? Now I’m even angrier.’
"Alright, you can take your time being angry. I’m leaving."
After Officer Graham left, Quincy suddenly burst out laughing. He quickly clapped a hand over his mouth and looked around. Seeing no one, he started laughing again.
Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick went to the cistern. It was full, and the water had been sitting for two days. Seeing that the water level hadn’t dropped, which meant the cistern wasn’t leaking, Evelyn Ford had Ronan Kendrick cover it with the heavy planks.
Cisterns like this were quite common in the Northwest Region. Some areas experienced perennial drought, so people would store rainwater.
"Let’s go check on the pond." Wearing straw hats, the two of them then went to the pump house. Looking at the dropping water level, Evelyn Ford’s expression didn’t change.
"At this rate, the groundwater will be completely dry in another month."
"Boss, where should we put the processed pork?" Just then, Chet Lawrence came over to find Evelyn Ford. He was drenched in sweat from the sun, his clothes soaked through.
"Turn it all into Dried Meat. Fresh meat doesn’t keep well, and smoked meat attracts bugs. Making Dried Meat is the safest option."
Chet Lawrence nodded. "That’s true. Should we turn the takin into Dried Meat as well?"
"Turn everything into Dried Meat except for the pig’s head, organs, and intestines. Later, have Aunt Crane and Claudia Schultz make the blood sausage. The organs can be distributed, and we’ll cook them for dinner tonight."
Back at the cabin, Ronan Kendrick cleaned the wood ash out of the heated brick bed, while Evelyn Ford put away the thick quilts and pads.
"Looks like it’s time to sleep on bamboo mats again."
"It might still be a little cold at night. I’ll leave a blanket for you, so you don’t catch a chill," Ronan Kendrick said, reaching out to stroke Evelyn Ford’s hair.
Evelyn Ford smiled, pressing her lips together. "Then you can’t fight me for it."
"I won’t," Ronan Kendrick promised earnestly.
Wendy returned from the greenhouse with a few small pumpkins. She knew how to cook now and had taken over making all three meals a day for a while.
"Miss Ford, did you bring these pumpkin seeds from the safe zone?"
Evelyn Ford nodded. "Yes, I did. Why?"
"One of the pumpkins grew really big. I bet it’s heavier than me! With so many pumpkins, we won’t go hungry."
Evelyn Ford chuckled. "Can you handle eating pumpkin every day?"
"I can! Pumpkin is delicious. Plus, we can make pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin soup."
As the two were chatting, Officer Graham returned. He was carrying a pig’s lung and a pig’s stomach. Wendy immediately took them. "Dad, are we eating this tonight?"
"Mhm. Do you know how to prepare them?"
"I do. Miss Ford taught me everything. My cooking skills are good enough to graduate now."
Wendy took the ingredients into the kitchen and started cooking. Officer Graham went out again. Evelyn Ford fetched a basin of water and sprinkled some on the wooden floorboards.
"Wendy, it hasn’t been too hot these past few days. Tomorrow, go to the stables and pick out a horse. Give it a name and get to know it. In a few days, you can start learning to ride."
Wendy was pleasantly surprised. "I can have my own pony? And I can ride it myself?"
"You can. You’re a big girl now, so of course you can ride a horse. Just don’t forget to practice your archery."
"Okay! I’ll be sure to practice hard."
Evelyn Ford smiled. "You’ve got this."
